Blog
Finishing basement in 1937 home with CMU foundation in climate zone 5A – GreenBuildingAdvisor
- October 26, 2026
- Posted by: adm_fze5dl53
- Category: Uncategorized
I have a 1937 home with a CMU foundation and we are finishing our basement. In a perfect world, I would excavate down to the footings and waterproof and insulate the exterior of the foundation, but we need to work with what we have and try to deal with it from the inside. The assembly I am thinking of using (from outside to inside) is listed below, and I am curious if I am missing anything or overlooking any potential issues:
Parge coat CMU on exterior and paint with epoxy paint
Install interior drainage mat on inside of foundation wall with seams, top, and penetrations sealed. Channel into interior perimeter drain
Frame basement walls with 1″ gap from foundation to back of studs
Fill stud cavities and gap between walls with closed cell foam
1/2″ GWB with latex paint