Replies

1. GBA Editor
   Martin Holladay|May 21, 2013 06:12am|#1

   Lisa,
   If you have no idea which insulation materials to use, you'll need to start reading a few articles. I recommend that you begin in the GBA Encyclopedia:

   Insulation Overview

   Insulating Roofs, Walls, and Floors

   Insulation Choices

   Batt and Blanket Insulation

   Blown-In or Loose-Fill Insulation

   Rigid Foam Insulation

   Spray Foam Insulation

   Enviro-Dri is a water-resistive barrier (WRB). You can read about it here:

   New Green Building Products

   I am not familiar with the use of Enviro-Dri below grade on basement walls. (Tremco's standard basement product is called Tuff-N-Dri.) If I were you, I would contact the manufacturer (Tremco) to ask about the use of the product below grade. I don't find any information on the manufacturer's website describing below-grade use of the product.

   Here is the contact information:

   Tremco Barrier Solutions
   3735 Green Rd.
   Beachwood, OH 44122-8067
   800-562-2728
   216-292-5000
   http://www.guaranteeddrybasements.com

2. Expert Member
   Dana Dorsett|May 21, 2013 11:40am|#2

   Somehow the notion that spray foam is a "green" product needs to be disabused. Foam has some real environmental foot print issues, and is best used judiciously if you care about the big picture rather than just raw thermal performance (which can always be had by other means in new construction.)

   While there are many applications/location within the assembly where it's the appropriate material, it's the right product IN SPITE OF it's many environmental hits (not just the high global warming potential of some commonly used blowing agents.)

3. 
   Sal Lombardo|May 21, 2013 02:08pm|#3

   Here is a very good video that can serve as an effective primer for basement insulation background knowledge.
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwn0Vjw_ji0

4. 
   Dan Kolbert|May 21, 2013 09:23pm|#4

   I'm with Dana. Spray foam in new construction suggests a failure of imagination and planning.

5. 
   Lisa Lockwood|May 21, 2013 10:18pm|#5

   I wrote the second question wrong. She was looking at using the enviro dri all over the house not on the foundation. Instead of a tyvec type material

6. GBA Editor
   Martin Holladay|May 22, 2013 05:58am|#6

   Lisa,
   In your latest post, you wrote, "She was looking at using the Enviro-Dri all over the house, not on the foundation. Instead of a Tyvek-type material."

   Enviro-Dri is a water-resistive barrier, just like Tyvek. To read a review of the product, see this article:New Green Building Products.

   You probably should also read these two articles:

   Housewrap in a Can: Liquid-Applied WRBs

   All About Water-Resistive Barriers