Q. I’m going to be remodeling my basement and want it to be toasty warm. How would you do insulation for a basement remodel like this? Would you use foam insulation or just the old standby fiberglass?

Rigid foam boards are better suited for a finished loft or attic space than fiberglass insulation, which is best reserved for times you can see between the joists. When cold weather rolls in, take a ...

Q: We are finishing off part of the basement into a utility room. The washer, dryer, and laundry tub are already there, with the plumbing anchored to the cement walls. We have framed in the walls with ...

Q. You’ve written about putting up a foam vapor barrier on the basement wall when remodeling. You suggested building a frame wall X-amount of distance from the basement wall itself and then insulate ...

Improper use of vapor barriers is one of the leading causes of moisture-related issues in buildings today. Vapor barriers, or vapor retarders, are designed to prevent wall assemblies from getting wet.

The placement of a water vapor retarder directly below concrete floor slabs on the ground has become common practice for buildings where floor coverings or coatings are to be installed. Such use has ...