Though the earth itself has excellent insulating properties, the natural phenomenon of heat transfer causes a lot of heat to vanish from the basement of any home, unless it has been treated to prevent that loss. Technological developments have been incorporated by the manufacturers of basement insulation materials to produce greener and hence healthier insulating materials for basements.

The walls of a finished basement should be separated from the foundation walls by a distance of one to two inches. The vapor barrier should be behind these walls. Different regions of the United States have different laid down specifications as regards to its thickness and other factors. Make yourself aware of these by talking to your building inspector to find the right match. To protect your finished areas from moisture and water seepage, vapor barriers should have a connection to your drainage system. It retards the build-up of humidity during summers, while in winters it will prevent the loss of heat.

There is a choice of vapor barriers and that includes a reflective surface vapor barrier. It sends the heat going down to the foundation walls back thru the insulation in to the basement space.

Any type of insulation on coming in direct contact with moisture and water loses its efficiency. No doubt, the reflective barrier protects the padded rigid insulation for a while but at the same time it reflects heat back through the insulation.

These reflective surface vapor barriers are instrumental in capturing the heat lost from an R-9 or R-13 rated insulation and in passing the same back to the basement. Characteristically, a reflective vapor barrier can at the most improve the R rating by 1-2%. This may not be very inviting, but it is performing the dual function of creating a last line of defense by preventing loss of heat through the foundation walls. Your finished area will be well protected, and insulation is able to use all the available heat which otherwise would get wasted. A cumulative effect of all this is helpful in bringing down your energy bills.

As per the information from the EPA and the Energy Start program, the inclusion of a vapor barrier arrangement to any project involving basement insulation would qualify for the 2009-2010 energy home improvement tax in the U.S. (under the category of “insulation”).

IRS has not yet confirmed if it would allow this addition (over and above the standard insulation as already accepted in the Tax Credit guidelines). But, you may just keep a track of the Tax Credit information to know what would finally matter towards the 2009-2010 Energy Tax Credit.

The homeowners benefit not only by way of reduced energy bills but also in getting reimbursements of the expenses incurred by them in providing a proper insulation to the basemen. Companies specializing in waterproofing of basements have provisions for providing a reflective vapor barrier. An insulating company or even a finishing contractor can help you decide on having a suitable green insulating material or standard fiberglass insulation for your basement.

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