Insulating Cinder Block Walls Above Grade

For a below grade block wall see basement perimeter drainage and leaking foundations.

Insulating cinder block walls above grade. Learn more about insulating concrete bl. But in markets across the south especially florida it s the way to build the first floor of almost all homes. This article deals with a block wall above grade. The simplest and most affordable method of insulating the interior of a block wall is to install rigid foam board insulation.

Available in large three by five or four by eight sizes the panels. Now as you glue the panels to the exposed concrete blocks leave a inch gap at the floor and ceiling and cut holes in the panels to fit around outlets and wall switches. The insulation may be rigid board extruded or expanded polystyrene or polyisocyanurate closed cell spray polyurethane foam cellular glass fibrous batt or fibrous blown in insulation note however that fibrous insulation is susceptible to moisture. Above grade perimeter walls built with concrete masonry units or cmus may only represent about 7 of the new home construction market nationwide.

Basement walls made out of concrete stone concrete bloc and other masonry foundation materials have very minimal insulating properties and cause approximately 20 of heat loss in a home. Leave the floor above it uninsulated vapor seal the ground below with polyethylene and a thin concrete slab insulate the walls with a foam based insulation such as 4 in. Interior insulation refers to insulation applied to the interior side of the concrete masonry as shown in figure 1. After the adhesive cures add extension boxes to the outlets and switches and spray foam into every gap top bottom and around each box.

Of unfaced expanded polystyrene r 15 that allows the foundation to dry inward and condition the space with air from inside the house. Most people don t realize it is possible to insulate the core of concrete block walls with injection foam insulation.