Cold floors downstairs or a damp smell along the basement walls? Water gets handled first, then we fit insulation tight to your foundation.
Basement insulation in Durham means putting rigid foam board or spray foam on the inside of your foundation walls, so the wall stops pulling heat out of the room and moisture stays under control when the material is right and it's fitted well.
Most calls start with cold floors, a downstairs room that never warms up, or a musty smell near the block walls. A foundation wall sits against the ground all year, so it stays cool and can carry moisture through. The insulation has to slow that heat loss without giving water a place to sit, which is why the material that touches the wall matters more than anything else in this job.
Price mostly follows how much wall there is, which material goes on it, whether old insulation has to come off first and how the foam gets covered. The schedule turns on things that come before us, like a leak that needs repair or new wiring that has to be inspected. Your written estimate spells out each piece, and I walk you through every line.
Three things decide whether basement insulation does its job or ends up holding water. Here's what I look at before I suggest a material for your walls.
Fiberglass batts or cellulose pressed against a basement wall can soak up a lot of moisture and stay damp for a long time. Put plastic sheeting over them and it gets worse, because the plastic traps that moisture in the wall. That's a setup I'd rather take out than add to.
Any spray foam on a basement wall, open-cell or closed-cell, has to be covered with ignition-barrier paint, a coating that keeps flame off the foam, or with drywall. If you plan to finish the room, drywall can do that job. If you don't, plan the paint into the work from the start.
Rigid foam board works on the inside of a basement wall when every panel is stuck fully to the concrete with no air gap behind it. The edges and seams get sealed too, because a gap lets damp air reach the cold wall. Careful fitting matters as much as the board itself.
From the first call to the walk-through at the end, here's who does what. I'm the one you'll meet first, and our crew works from the plan we agree on together.
Call (919) 246-8605 or fill out the form, and we'll get back to you to set up a visit. If you know where the damp spots are or when the basement last leaked, tell us then.
I come out myself and look at the walls, the rim joists and any water marks with you. I explain what I see and what I'd do first, then you get a written estimate I go through line by line.
Our trained installers do the job the way we planned it, with a crew lead on site. Clearing a path along the walls before we arrive lets them reach every part of the foundation.
Before we leave, we show you the finished walls and explain what went where and why. That way you know what's behind them if you ever frame or finish the room later.
Water comes first. Any water coming through the wall has to be fixed before insulation goes on, and water running off the roof or the yard should be steered away from the foundation. If I see a damp or leaking wall, I'll tell you to get that repaired first, even if it means we come back later. Insulation over a wet wall just hides the problem.
Then we pick a material that won't hold moisture against the foundation and fit it tight to the wall. On most basements that means closed-cell foam insulation, a dense foam that blocks moisture, sprayed right onto the block or concrete, or foam board stuck down with every seam sealed. Open-cell foam insulation is softer and lighter, and I'll tell you straight when it fits down here and when it doesn't.
We insulate the foundation walls and leave the rim joist, the wood band sitting on top of the wall, for another day. It keeps the job smaller, but that band is often where drafts get in.
The rim joist can be sealed with foam board cut to fit and held with caulk or spray foam, or sprayed so it's air-sealed and insulated in one step. I'd do it now, while the crew is already down there.
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time. I'll come out, look at your basement walls with you and explain what I'd do first. Then you get a free written estimate with no obligation.
(919) 246-8605When Durham inspects insulation, the city wants the installer's certification letter on hand if spray foam was used, and any required air barriers, the layers that stop air moving through, have to be in by then. Before we start, we check with the permit office that covers your address. Where a permit is needed, we handle the paperwork and meet the inspector.
The state's radon program recommends that every home be tested for radon, with a kit you buy or a certified radon professional. That advice covers every house, not only the ones with a basement.
On jobs around Durham we see plenty of block foundation walls with a damp corner or two, older basements with batts stapled to the wall and newer ones left bare. We do the same work in Chapel Hill and Raleigh, and the order of the steps doesn't change.
I learned this trade on commercial crews, spraying foam and fitting board in warehouses, schools and office buildings. That work taught me that most insulation problems trace back to a step someone rushed. I started this business in Durham in 2013, and 13 years later I still come out to look at the job and write the estimate myself.
We're licensed and insured. Satisfaction guaranteed. I'd rather lose a job by being straight with you about a wet wall than win it by skipping a step. If you want to know what your basement needs, call (919) 246-8605 or send us the form.
If your walls run damp or you want them sealed and insulated in one coat, this dense foam is the one to read about first.
If you're weighing a softer, lighter foam, here's how it works and the spaces where it makes sense.
We're based in Durham and work in Durham and the cities around it, including Raleigh, Chapel Hill, Cary and Burlington. If you're not sure we come to you, just ask.
The cost comes from how much foundation wall you have and which material goes on it, and closed-cell spray foam usually runs higher than foam board. Old insulation that has to come out, rim joists added to the job and the cover spray foam needs all add to it. I give you a written figure after I've seen the basement.
Closed-cell spray foam gives the best moisture control of the insulations that go on the inside of a foundation wall. Open-cell foam needs a thicker coat before it blocks vapor, so it takes more material to do the same job there. Foam board is the other good option when it's fitted the way we described above.
Water problems get fixed first, as we covered above. If you're adding new wiring, Durham's electrical rough-in inspection happens after all the wiring is in and before insulation or drywall covers it, so that inspection comes before we start. After that, clear a path along the walls and we're ready.
Plan on it. One spray foam maker's guide says people and pets should be out during spraying and after, until the space has aired out for a set minimum time. That wait is the re-entry time, when it's safe to come back, and it depends on the product, so ask us for it and plan a stay elsewhere.
The state contractor licensing board has a Residential Contractor classification that covers home construction, including work under its insulation specialty. When you're comparing contractors for a basement job, that's the license to ask about and check against the board's classifications.
Picking the insulation before you frame or finish the room keeps every option open, so call (919) 246-8605 or send the form.
