Faced or Unfaced fiberglass? How much might it help with sound reduction? Right now Unfaced R30 fiberglass is just under $10 a batt for aprox 30 sq feet. I'm not sure if that is too much R value for a ceiling or if you can even use unfaced batting If it isn't ok for a basement ceiling then I can get some R13 kraft faced for $40/ 163 sq feet.
Basement Ceiling Insulation
Insulating A Basement Ceiling
Are you more concerned with heat retention, or sound reduction? If your basement is already heated, 24/7, don't insulate the ceiling. Concentrate on the walls. Chances are, if your basement is heated already, insulating the ceiling will rob the rest of your house of heat it has been getting already. Sound reduction comes mostly from properly installed drywall. RC channel is a metal strip which isolates the drywall from the wood framing. The drywall ceiling acts like a drumhead. It vibrates, with sounds. Unless you isolate it from the floor framing, sounds transmit easier to the next floor.
Well, the facing is a vapor barrier. If you need one, you need one - and it would go to the warm side in a normal application. But I'm getting the impression that you're more concerned about soundproofing than thermal insulation. If the basement isn't much cooler than the rest of the house, faced or unfaced won't matter. The thicker the insulation, the better the soundproofing.
A faced fiberglass insulation would be easier to work with. But the main question would be what size beams are being used in the basement ceiling. 2x6? If so then I believe the R-19 would be your best bet. R-30 is generally used in the attic and would be compressed too much to get the full R-value for a basement ceiling. R-13 is used when 2x4 studs are in place, it might not provide enough insulation. Also to help in the installation of the insulation, consider using the Simpson brand Insulation supports, which will help keep the insulation in place.
