How to Insulate a Basement | This Old House
Why Home Improvement Stack Exchange recommends it
DIY Stack Exchange users link it when explaining or following the foam board plus 1x3 strapping method for finishing a basement wall instead of building traditional 2x4 framing.
Recommended by 2 people across 2 different months, 2015 to 2021.
What it is
This Old House general contractor Tom Silva walks through insulating a bare concrete basement wall. He patches holes with hydraulic cement, glues 2-inch rigid foam board to the concrete, then fastens a 1x3 spruce grid over it with masonry spring spikes so drywall and wiring can go on top.
What people said
Recommends vlozko · 2015-01 · Home Improvement Stack Exchange · on “Should I use traditional 2x4 framing or 1x3 grid framing for a New England basement remodel?”
I'm not sure if I provided a good description of what I was thinking of doing with 1x3s. This video explains it a lot better: [this video]
Recommends TylerH · 2021-03 · Home Improvement Stack Exchange · on “Basement Insulation/Vapor Barriers”
Watch [this video] by This Old House--they cover a lot of stuff just deep enough to get most DIYers on the right path, and this video covers your questions.
Cites Matt Albert · 2020-02 · Home Improvement Stack Exchange · on “Running Electrical Wires in Basement Wall of Strapping”
I'm finishing my basement and used the technique from This Old House [this video] to insulate and build the wood structure of the walls. It involves attached 2in foam board insulation to the foundation walls along with horizontal and then vertical strapping on top of the horz. I've learned that code wants wires to be 1.5 inches from the front plane where the drywall will be attached. Each strapping is 1in thick, so when the wire is traveling horz. it's probably greater than 1.5 inch away, but when it travels vertically, in needs to travel over the horizontal strapping meaning it's < 1in away. How do I handle this? Thanks.