Insulating Basement Walls and Rim Joists in Burlington, Vermont

Challenge

The homeowner in Burlington, Vermont had previously hired Matt Clark's Northern Basement Systems to waterproof their basement.  Having seen the workmanship done with the waterproofing job, the owner had great trust in Northern Basement Systems.  They now were looking for a solution to make their basement overall warmer. 

Solution

They setup a FREE ESTIMATE with one of Matt's System Design Specialist, who came up with a plan to weatherize their basement.  

First, Matt Clark's Northern Basement Systems would replace three old windows with brand new Everlast Windows. The Everlast Windows won’t ever rust or rot because they’re built with reinforced vinyl frames. These rugged, maintenance-free windows won’t ever require sanding, reglazing or repainting. All EverLast windows feature double-pane, insulated glass, to prevent heat loss.  

Next, the team installed Foamax Basement Wall Insulation along the entire perimeter of the basement. Foamax is an advanced polyisocyanurate foam insulation panel designed with a white foil finish on the front and a foil vapor barrier on the back. The white finished face brightens the basement and the vapor barrier helps control basement humidity. Heat that you paid for moves from inside your home to the cool earth and cold outdoors in a constant stream. This causes cold, uncomfortable basements; higher heating bills and condensation on cold walls in the summer. Foamax makes a big difference in the temperature of your walls, providing a comfortable basement and lowering heating costs.  There's a special flashing installed with Foamax panels to drain any wall leaks to your interior drainage system.

Matt Clark's team finished the job by spraying closed-cell spray foam insulation along the entire rim joist.  Closed-cell spray foam is used to air-seal the basement's rim joist and other leaks that waste energy. Knot holes, cracks and gaps above and below the rim joist create many pathways for air to leak into a basement, but these leaks can be sealed effectively with closed-cell spray foam. In this application, the foam's most important function is air sealing rather than insulating. This sealing work is also useful for all the holes, cracks and gaps that allow basement air to leak through the floor structure and into the living space above. 

The homeowner now has a well insulated basement, which will save them money on heating bills.