Insulation, Radiant and Vapor Barriers - Basement Insulation...What should I use??

I need to insulate my basement ceiling. The ceiling is a 17x17 foot area. I would like to reduce noise as well. What type of insulation should I look at?? (Any brands??)

Basement ceiling insulation is rarely needed or justifyable from thermal (heating/cooloing) standpoint. For sound, something like a rock wool batt (brands unknown) is preferred if it is available where you are. - It is more epensive than fiberglass, but nothing is cheaper and everything else is better.

Dick

3.5 inch will be fine for noise.

What size are the joist? If air moves right through fiberglass, sound will too. I wouldn't think 3.5" would be enough anyway. Thicker fiberglass(least expensive) might work for your case but you would be better off doing foam(most expensive) or cellulose(between fiberglass and foam expensive).

they say 3.5 inch is all you need that any more is just wasting money.

similarly, i have an area of the basement where 15' x 30' is flooring for bedrooms. We keep hardwood floors in the bedrooms.

heat loss was not a serious concern, as the basement does have a heat supply (and the forced air furnace).

However noise pollution was annoying...

Simply picked up some 15'' x 3.5" x 40' long single faced "pink stuff" on sale one weekend.
Also picked up some drop tiles & rails for cheap.

Hung the fiberglass & the tile ceiling, and it worked wonders. Better then I expected.

:thumbup:

nikuk -

It would have been much better if you had used the right material.

The fiberglass Pink Panther was just a cartoon before some ad people decided to use it for an adverstising gimmick that seems so nice, warm and fuzzy. - There are better materials for most construction applications, but you can't always ignore advertising and use facts.

Buying the drop down ceiling would have added to the effectiveness of the fiberglass. Hopefully you will continue to be happy with it. If not, do cellulose or foam(MUCH better solutions).

But speaking of great marketing:

One of my friends does computer building and repair. He used to hate having Dell around because everyone bought from them because they were cheaper. They have great advertising and spend a lot of money on it. Now he loves them because everyone is coming to him so he can fix their computers because Dell doesn't exactly have the highest quality. Things are cheap for a reason.

Thanks

I agree that you get what you pay for.

Not so much an excuse as it is a reason: I figured that the combo of the crap, errr kraft faced FG & the tile ceiling would compliment one another.

A small part of the basement is an "office", and now I can work down here without hearing every word of the kids cartoons upstairs.

But more importantly, for my own curiosity, what would have been the proper application?

Still learning here. :o