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roadrun8713 Jan 2017 09:14Hello everyone,
We have a heated basement.
During the inspection with the energy consultant, he said he wouldn’t do anything to the interior walls as long as it is not going to be used as a permanently occupied living space.
One room is now going to be an office/workroom. It won’t be used permanently, but maybe some improvements are still possible.
The room is heated with a standard radiator.
Can I simply use insulating plaster here to get some benefits, or would you rather recommend using insulation boards?
We have a heated basement.
During the inspection with the energy consultant, he said he wouldn’t do anything to the interior walls as long as it is not going to be used as a permanently occupied living space.
One room is now going to be an office/workroom. It won’t be used permanently, but maybe some improvements are still possible.
The room is heated with a standard radiator.
Can I simply use insulating plaster here to get some benefits, or would you rather recommend using insulation boards?
Hello "roadrun87".
When it comes to so-called "internal insulation," the thermal insulation and vapor retarder must be properly coordinated in the construction. Simply attaching insulation boards to a cold wall in a room being used can lead to condensation forming (specifically behind the insulation boards).
So you really need to know what you're doing!
Without knowing the exact local conditions in detail, it would be irresponsible to give you a specific construction recommendation based on your question. Why? Because you would be responsible for any damage – not the person who gave an informal answer.
Due to the risk involved (which you bear), it is definitely worth having a clear understanding of the required system build-up before starting any work!
----------------
Best regards, KlaRa
When it comes to so-called "internal insulation," the thermal insulation and vapor retarder must be properly coordinated in the construction. Simply attaching insulation boards to a cold wall in a room being used can lead to condensation forming (specifically behind the insulation boards).
So you really need to know what you're doing!
Without knowing the exact local conditions in detail, it would be irresponsible to give you a specific construction recommendation based on your question. Why? Because you would be responsible for any damage – not the person who gave an informal answer.
Due to the risk involved (which you bear), it is definitely worth having a clear understanding of the required system build-up before starting any work!
----------------
Best regards, KlaRa
@ "roadrun87":
You requested an individual opinion, but one alone should not be the sole basis for a renovation project.
Let’s simply walk through a case!
We take a room measuring 5m by 5m with a ceiling height of 2.30m (7 ft 7 in).
This is an example of your new office in the basement.
You work at a temperature of 23°C (73°F) and ensure (by ventilating briefly through the basement window) that the relative humidity does not exceed 65%. You have attached so-called thermal insulation boards to the wall, but without considering a vapor barrier.
If you now calculate the amount of moisture accumulating on the (here realistically assumed) 12°C (54°F) cold backside of the insulation boards, you already get a condensate amount of over 170ml (6 fl oz).
Since the insulation (as "Egos89" explained in his case) is open-pored, it absorbs a certain amount of water. That part is correct.
However, warm air (and thus additional moisture) from other rooms will move into your basement through air movements.
Also, do not underestimate the moisture released by the human body.
This means that moisture will condense on the wall again in a relatively short time. Eventually, the mineral insulation will no longer be able to absorb these quantities of water. That is logical.
Then, it will start running down the wall (behind the insulation boards) as a trickle into the room. The condensate carries with it all mineral, water-soluble components from the wall plaster. This then crystallizes as a white layer on your floor.
----------------
The scenario I described here is not unrealistic or made up from thin air, but rather one of the (unfortunately) common situations I occasionally encounter in my professional work with improperly interior-insulated residential buildings!
Which variant you finally choose to apply in your basement rooms is up to you alone.
-------------------------------
Best regards, KlaRa
You requested an individual opinion, but one alone should not be the sole basis for a renovation project.
Let’s simply walk through a case!
We take a room measuring 5m by 5m with a ceiling height of 2.30m (7 ft 7 in).
This is an example of your new office in the basement.
You work at a temperature of 23°C (73°F) and ensure (by ventilating briefly through the basement window) that the relative humidity does not exceed 65%. You have attached so-called thermal insulation boards to the wall, but without considering a vapor barrier.
If you now calculate the amount of moisture accumulating on the (here realistically assumed) 12°C (54°F) cold backside of the insulation boards, you already get a condensate amount of over 170ml (6 fl oz).
Since the insulation (as "Egos89" explained in his case) is open-pored, it absorbs a certain amount of water. That part is correct.
However, warm air (and thus additional moisture) from other rooms will move into your basement through air movements.
Also, do not underestimate the moisture released by the human body.
This means that moisture will condense on the wall again in a relatively short time. Eventually, the mineral insulation will no longer be able to absorb these quantities of water. That is logical.
Then, it will start running down the wall (behind the insulation boards) as a trickle into the room. The condensate carries with it all mineral, water-soluble components from the wall plaster. This then crystallizes as a white layer on your floor.
----------------
The scenario I described here is not unrealistic or made up from thin air, but rather one of the (unfortunately) common situations I occasionally encounter in my professional work with improperly interior-insulated residential buildings!
Which variant you finally choose to apply in your basement rooms is up to you alone.
-------------------------------
Best regards, KlaRa
That doesn’t sound illogical, but where exactly does the condensate run down if the dew point is, for example, in the adhesive mortar of the interior insulation? At the interface between the interior insulation and the mortar?
Wouldn’t there then be relative condensate in every exterior wall at below-zero temperatures and, for instance, 60% indoor humidity, and... where exactly would it run?
Wouldn’t there then be relative condensate in every exterior wall at below-zero temperatures and, for instance, 60% indoor humidity, and... where exactly would it run?
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