I'm looking for ways to conserve energy during the summer and winter months because I really care about the environment. Okay, okay, I want to save money. Sorry for lying. Anyway, since I live in an older rowhome without insulation I was wondering if putting fiberglass or whatever is the newest insulation in the exposed bays between the basement and the first floor would have any impact on my energy savings?

I have two theories. First theory is that heat rises and that all the heat that is generated by my radiators is just escaping out the uninsulated roof and single pane windows aren't helping either so that insulating the basement will have negligible effect.

My second theory is that yes all the business is costly but the basement is downright frigid and as it stands now there's just a thin layer of hardwood floor between the first floor and the basement so the radiators are working doubletime trying to heat the coldness radiating from the floors as hot and cold try to equalize.

Any thoughts? Is it worth it to do insulation in your unfinished basement?

-- mr c

It's worth it as a last measure to insulate the basement walls.

You're right about heat rising so its best to insulate in priority steps.
The first being the upper floor. Most heat is lost through the roof/ceiling and second floor windows and walls.

As for the basement, the only areas I'd consider a priority would be between the flooring joists at the exterior wall areas,where cold air is penetrating and causing the floor to get cold.
In the meantime I'd also wrap the heating pipes to prevent them from cooling of due to a chill in the basement.

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I had some weatherizing folks come out to look over my place. I have a similar situation to yours - big minimally insulated attic, unfinished basement, cold hardwood floors. Here's some of the things they recommended:

* insulate the space between the top of the basement wall and the floor joists. there is apparently some sort of sealer that they use to fill that space and make it impermeable. apparently cold air will filter in through that space and cause your floors to be cold. they didn't mention at all about insulating between the floor joists - I was considering doing that myself but the insulation is going to be fairly pricy and you have to be careful not to cover everything willy nilly. so I figured I'd try out the basement insulating first and see how it goes.

* insulate the attic, but first make sure that you don't have any old wiring up there. they recommended cellulose-based blown in insulation but there is a danger of fire if the voltage drop between the attic and the basement circuit box is too great. this is especially true if you have knob-and-tube wiring up there.

* put in an attic fan. I am looking into a solar powered one so I don't have to worry about running wiring up there.

* replace your windows with double-pane ones.

the basement insulation activities were not terribly expensive - about $650 for my place, which includes putting a tyvek-like underlayment under my kitchen (which is an addition to the house sitting basically over a slab space).

hope this helps.

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I'm hardly an expert on this but the above awnsers sound right.

The one thing I would chime in is regarding a conversation I had with my girlfriend's uncle and we were talking about Geothermal heating and how the ambient temperature of an underground room is 55 degrees. I have also heard 59 degrees. That is to say that if you had a room (sorta like an underground bunker) that was completely sealed off that the temperature would be 55 or 59. I think just the top couple feet of earth are very frozen in the winter. So I think insultating basment walls would be the last thing to do. But as was previously suggested wrapping the heating pipes(for radiators) or the heating ducts (for forced air) might be a smart move if you are not using the basement at least in the winter. One other area you should look at is the basement windows. Most home inspectors suggest glass block. It is cheap, secure, lets light in, and is close to airtight. Usually the suggest putting in a small vent in the middle to let the basement breathe in the summertime.

I tend to agree with DG on where the floor joists meet the exterior walls....

Also on wrapping those heating pipes...make sure you use the fiberglass/metallic tape type....not the foam crap you would use on water lines. They tend to "melt" when exposed to continuous heat like the heat generate by your furnace. The fiberglass isnt cheap but is better off in the long run...also wear gloves and a long sleeve shirt at a minimum...the fibers are an irritant....A face mask or a good respirator cant hurt either. You can get a decent priced MSA respirator at Home Depot.

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Eat your heart out Mr. Obama.

"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what is for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote" Benjamin Franklin

Yes there is a place where you wont be treated like a child.

You are correct That is called the "frost" layer and is a bain each winter for us in the construction business....just getting through the few feet of frost is such a pain even with heavy equipment.

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Eat your heart out Mr. Obama.

"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what is for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote" Benjamin Franklin

Yes there is a place where you wont be treated like a child.

In the winter, I actually have the opposite problem - with the furnace down there, the basement gets warmer than the rest of the house. The aluminum piping through which the forced hot air passes heats up and radiates heat through the basement. Am I correct that it would be a good thing to somehow insulate the aluminum ducts so as not to lose so much heat in the basement?

So its a forced air system? I think ive seen ductwork insulation at the Depot...cant hurt right?

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Eat your heart out Mr. Obama.

"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what is for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote" Benjamin Franklin

Yes there is a place where you wont be treated like a child.

Most hardware stores worth their salt can make you storm windows to size for your single-paned windows, if you take the measurements. Probably cheaper and just as energy efficient.

I would agree that you can wrap the radiator pipes in the basement to conserve more energy (but also find that your basement will get cooler if you hang out down there at all). Home Depot and others have the foam insulation for this.

I'm sorry, can you describe what exactly this is? I've never heard of storm windows for existing windows - I was always told I had to replace them. Would these go on the inside? and would they serve a function equivalent to the plastic sheets that you use to stop drafts?

What hardware stores in the area would make them?

Thanks!

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No matter where you go, there you are. (b.banzai)