Home > categories > Minerals & Metallurgy > Ceramic Fiber Blanket > Best/cheapest way to insulate basement?
Question:

Best/cheapest way to insulate basement?

Best/cheapest way to insulate basement?

Answer:

Mold is not your only concern with fiberglass insulation in the basement Truth is that, even the driest basement has some level of water seeping through the walls and floorConcrete is porous and your basement is a box of concrete buried in wet dirtJust because you don't have water stains and puddles, you shouldn't assume there is no moistureIf the levels are not high year round, you can count on some spikes at least during rainy season and snow meltsThe problem with fiberglass is that, it soaks up moisture like a spongeAnd, as it gets damp it loses most of it's R-ValueGive it enough moisture and it becomes useless as insulation materialYou might have spent less for it, but the money you spent was literally wastedSo the cheap gets expensive if you are throwing your money awayAlso, wet fiberglass sags and collapses leaving gaps in the wall cavity which will, by themselves, defeat the purpose of insulating the basementAnd let's not forget basements are prone to water accidentsPlumbing leaks, burst water heater tanks, an overflowing toilette, a broken washing machine hoseAll this things that can, and in most cases will happen in a basement Did you ever see what happens to fiberglass when soaked? I am adding here some more information for you, which includes a PDF withe the U.SDepartment of Energy's recommendations concerning best practices for basement insulation and an article that makes the case against fiberglass insulation in basementsHope it helps
Polyester fabric is not soft at allIf you are making a blanket i would go with cotton or flanelMost fleece is actually made out of recycled plastic bottlesIts how they make the material that makes it soft.
Polyester fabric and polyester fleece fabric/sheeting are not the same in lots of ways You can certainly make blankets from fleece, but as mentioned many will eventually pill and just not remain as soft after washing/useFleece also doesn't don't breathe well because it traps moisture inside, etcPolyester fabric could be used to make a quilt (with some kind of batting inside usually), but polyester won't be as durable as cotton because of it's looser weave and tendency to ravel, etcIt's also a synthetic fiber that won't breathe as well as a natural fiber like cotton, and comes in lots of variations (including soft to not soft).

Share to: