Insulation, Radiant and Vapor Barriers - basement insulation dirt floor

My house is 100 years old. Insulation was blown into the walls. I just insulated the basement ceiling. From your site I discovered I put the vapor barrier towards the room above. I insulated because the beautiful old floors are directly on the joists with no subfloor and were cold. The cellar walls are the old field stone and the cellar floor is partly dirt and gets damp. My furnace is hot air and there is a "dump" heating duct in the basement to slightly warm the air.

Since I insulated, the first floor of the home actually feels colder but not drafty. Also my allergies seem much worse that usual.

What should I do? Can I reuse the insulation if I turn it around? Will flipping the insulation solve my problems? Allergies and cold floor. Have I cut off air circulation by insulation the basement ceiling?

Thank you

Dont know how you use the basement here. That dirt floor is bad for sure here . You have a mix here like a crawl space and a basement so just what to do is hard to say. The whole dirt floor should have a 6 mil poly put down on it. 2' over lap tape the seams. The insulation should be on the walls there not up in the joist. Paper side to the basement. You did right with the paper side to the room but you dont put insulation up there in the joist . The humidity from the dirt floor will go right into the insulation and can start mold and this can be where your allergies are comeing from. Like I said its what do you want to do with it ED

The floor does have a thin layer of concrete on in but the walls are made from old stone layered upon each other. It would be impossible to insulate the walls.

We don't use the basement except the furnace if down there. It is damp. I actually put the insulation up the wrong way with the vapor facing the basement floor so I have to remove it and reinstall.

Have a look at http://aboutsavingheat.com/crawlspace.html

and what they do with the walls there ED;)

Very Interesting. Too bad they are in Colorado. I'm in PA. I wonder if you run the vinyl up the wall before putting on the insulation. Also we do walk on the floor. We have a refrigerator down there and our furnace is down there.

Yes Peg All the books and www say to . The poly is over lap 2' and tape the seams. Up the wall 2' also. On some they just hang a 6 mil poly on the wall from up there on the sill plate at the joist line then hang fiberglass insulation from it also.

Hey sometimes you dont know what to do. But like I said that way is how most of the gov. www say to do it

ED;)