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Basement in Wisconsin – GreenBuildingAdvisor
PETER Engle | | #1
With a location at the bottom of a hill, your house is more likely than most to take on water. If it’s not too late, you should apply both insulation and a waterproofing system (not damp-proofing) to the exterior foundation walls. Warm ‘n Dry is one typical system. Ideally, the waterproofing layer connects to footing drains that drain to daylight. If daylight drains are not possible, run crossover pipes through the foundation to internal drains and a sump pit with a pump. Water from the sump pump should drain as far from the house as possible. Once that’s done, you can consider interior finishing. There are many possible solutions mentioned on this site – just do some searching. My current favorite is to apply the remainder of your R-value to the interior walls using any type of rigid foam. Recycled foam can be pretty cheap and is considered “greener” than using new foam. I like steel studs in basements because they are not mold food, and with your insulation behind them, the thermal conductivity of the studs is not an issue. Use moisture-tolerant drywall to finish and you have a reggud and resilient wall system.