Non-Energy Benefits of Basement Wall Insulation

Well-insulated basement walls can make your home more comfortable and quieter, and guard against moisture problems and water pipe breakage.

Well-insulated basement walls can yield many sorts of benefits in addition to energy cost savings. For example, well-insulated basement walls can:

• improve comfort. Basement wall insulation can make your home more comfortable by buffering your home against high outside temperatures in summer and cold temperatures in winter. Proper insulation will help minimize uncomfortable drafts. Additionally, the surface temperature of your walls will stay closer to the desired room temperature (so the walls are warmer to the touch in winter, for example).
• Make your home quieter. A well-insulated building envelope can make your home quieter by blocking outdoor noise sources.
• reduce moisture-related problems. Moisture can be introduced into basement walls by outside weather conditions (humidity or precipitation) as well as indoor sources of moisture (people, showers, cooking, etc.) If the moisture meets cold surfaces along the way it can condense and invite mold growth or moisture damage problems. Proper insulation reduces moisture-related problems.
• lower the risk of frozen water pipes. Water pipes running inside poorly insulated walls can be exposed to freeze damage; proper insulation will lower the risk. Hundreds of millions of dollars in insurance claims are filed each year for frozen water pipe damages. In relatively mild regions that experience occasional strong freezes, people often don't anticipate the problem and fail to take preventive measures ahead of time.