When it comes to finishing or updating an unfinished basement, one of the most important ways to make the space functional is basement insulation. Basement foundation walls are naturally prone to ...

You may be losing more heat - and cash - through your basement ceiling than you suspect. But there are steps you can take yourself reduce heating costs and increase comfort. A simple DIY insulation ...

Q: We are finishing off part of the basement into a utility room. The washer, dryer, and laundry tub are already there, with the plumbing anchored to the cement walls. We have framed in the walls with ...

Q. I am about to finish my basement in a home built in the 1970s in the West Chicago suburbs. I have the following question about vapor barrier and insulation in the stud walls against poured concrete ...

This article describes a low cost method of building insulated basement walls without concrete, using geotextiles. Typical basement walls are expensive and use large amounts of concrete, a major ...

Q. I’m going to be remodeling my basement and want it to be toasty warm. How would you do insulation for a basement remodel like this? Would you use foam insulation or just the old standby fiberglass?

Q: I’m going to be remodeling my basement and want it to be toasty warm. Would you use foam insulation or just the old standby fiberglass? What’s the worst thing that can happen if you do the job ...

Spot insulation failures, and seal them for good.

An insulated basement or crawl space provides many benefits year-round, and the rim joist (or band joist) is often a focal point in energy-saving initiatives. Installing insulation at the rim joists ...

Steve Maxwell answers reader questions about insulating the bottom half of basement walls, the best time to reshingle a roof, and the best laminate flooring for a kitchen. Q: What can I do to add ...