Insulation, Radiant and Vapor Barriers - Damp Basement Wall Insullation

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View Full Version : Damp Basement Wall Insullation


Dampday
02-25-04, 01:30 PM
Hi Ed, If basement wall insullation gets damp. Does it have to be removed completely?

We had a little basement flood recentally. I pulled the floor molding and cut 5 inches of sheet rock off the bottom to ventilate the walls. I also cut the insullation at the base where it got wet/saturated and left the dry insullation in the walls. I have been going back and bleaching the affected areas. While doing this I noticed that on the exterior insullated basement walls. there is some condensation on the insullation.(It's not saturated)
(However it is damp to the touch). Can I use a fan blow this stuff dry while it is still in the wall? Or just pull it, Dry the walls, and then restuff insullation back in there?

Thanks in Advanced


Ed Imeduc
02-27-04, 08:12 AM
Sorry to say .But Id pull it out now. This will also give the wood studs time to dry out as well. Id say its the warm moist air in the home on the cold cement walls that make them wet. Thats why we put a V /B on the cement wall then the stud wall and poly V/B again. Id redo it ED ;)

Dampday
02-27-04, 08:30 AM
Ed, I want to thank you for the information.
I will pull everything out this weekend.

From there I will re-insullate. What do you think as far as stuffing the bats from the 6 inch space I created when I cut the drywall.

DO you think I will have any problems here.

Any suggestions would be appriciated.

Thanks Again Ed.. Based off your posts you help many people.


Ed Imeduc
02-27-04, 09:13 AM
For what the cost is for drywall and to get it dry in there Id take down all the dry wall and let it dry out first. This way you can get a good V/B over the studs and the insulation under the dry wall.Or cut 12" off the bottom and 12" at the top so it can dry and to put back the new insulation right. ED;)