cold basement, what next

[JustMe]

I have been reading many threads on what to do about a cold basement, and I need to know what to do next. We moved into a house where the basement was already developed and it is cold. It is all developed except the storage and furnace room which are closed off by a door.

The outer walls are insulated, but the wall that separates the storage/furnace room is not insulated. It has a tbar ceiling, not insulated. The storage room has a bare basement floor.

What should I do first

1. Insulate the inner wall that separates the storage/furnace room.
2. Insulate the tbar ceiling
3. Or is there something I can do to the bare basement floor in the storage/furnace room.

There are about 5 heat registers and when the heat comes on, it does get very toasty down here, it just does not stay.

Thanks in advance Just me

[jjbutera]

I finished my basement which was about 800 square feet. I put in four rooms each with their own baseboard heat and thermostat. I insulated EVERYexterior AND interior wall, as well as the ceilings.

When unfinished, it stayed fairly warm because of the exposed duct work. It always got the transfer heat while we were heating the rest of the house. After finishing the basement and enclosing the duct work in soffits and above some drop ceiling, this heat source went away.

I definitely only wanted to heat the basement while it was being used. This is the reason for the individual baseboard heat and thermostats for each room. This is why I didn't tap into the forced air resource...no sense in stealing warm air from the first and second floors.

No matter what, the basement is always cold when the heaters are off. Yes, it warms up nice and toasty when on, but once the heaters are turned off, cold sets back in at a moderate pace. I really don't think there is anything more I could possibly do. Heat rises and therefore always makes its way up the stairs. The cold is always going to enter via the floor (concrete with attached pad carpet in my case). I think it's the nature of the beast with a below grade basement.

It's enjoyable in the Summer time though :)

[Mikepier]

One thing you can do is put a louvered door for your furnace room so some residual heat can warm the basement. I do not think it is necessary to insulate the dividing wall. And I do not know if insulating the ceiling would help. Also if you have a return grill down low on the floor you can open that so it can "pull" the warm air down low to the ground. That's what I did in my basement and with the fan running only on the furnace, it dooes seem to be warmer down there.

[Beachcomber]

If you have a typical concrete floor (non-insulated) tied in with your foundation, then it is going to act as a conduction cold-sink and suck the heat right out of the living space. It's like walking barefoot on the slab floor of an attached garage in wintertime. Pretty damned cold!

Heavy padded carpeting will help. Raising the floor and putting insulation (good) or a hydronic (better) heating system will work if you are fortunate to have enough clearance to the ceiling.

Because there is a lot of mass to heat up in that floor, a radiant system is going to be on the slow side to heat up the living space. You may find you are actually more comfortable with forced air heat, if that is possible with the way your house is configured.

Beachcomber

[m Ransley]

If basement is dry and no floor humidity foam pad and carpet helps. But your issue is common and usualy Zoning the basement or addition suplimental heat is the only cure. I would not insulate the furnace room, it radiates heat. I have the same issue and will Zone it or add a separate furnace.

[Hogwild]

IMO an insulated subfloor will make a huge difference.

If your feet are cold - you're cold.

I used 5/8 stranded OSB tapconned through 1/4 inch vacuum formed plastc vapor barrier/support. For about $1.10 / sq.ft all-in.

I am very pleased.

[Dick Russell]

The first thing that comes to mind is air infiltration. Older homes and far too many newer homes were built with little regard for air leakage under the sill, through the walls, through holes where wires enter, etc. On a cold, windy day, when air infiltration is greatest, go around the perimeter of the basement, feeling for leakage around the sills and other places you can reach with your hand. When you find drafty spots, plug the crack or hole with caulk or foam. Don't just try to cram the pink stuff into a crack, because it doesn't stop drafts well. Also check the furnace damper. When the furnace is not running, the damper should close, so that warm air doesn't rush up the chimney. When air rushes up, cold outside air must find its way in from outside to replace it, and that air will settle along the cellar floor. Make sure the furnace flue duct is sealed well going into the chimney, too. Air leaking around the duct right into the chimney is lost heat.