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I have a basement, which is currently only used as storage and has no heating. I want to remodel this to be a liveable place, i.e. heated. To have a sensible heating output, of course I want to insulate the basement.

For the wall I will be using Hartfaserdämmplatten (hard fiber wood? I have no idea how to translate that, but it is basically fibers of wood pressed into a board). This material is capable of capillary diffusion (i.e. breathable) to avoid problems with moisture. I will also insulate the floors.

However, I am not sure whether I should insulate the ceiling? Above is a concrete ceiling with heated rooms above. The room will most likely be heated with infrared heating, so it is more costly to heat than our normal rooms (which have gas-powered heating system).

So I am wondering whether it is monetary sensible to add insulation to the basement ceiling and if so, if it could cause any problems if I chose to do so, especially regarding mold.

dirkk
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There is more to be gained from insulating the basement walls than the basement ceiling, in terms of controlling heat loss, saving energy, and reducing the risk of frozen pipes.

However, insulating the basement ceiling may make the floor above it a bit warmer and thus more comfortable to walk on barefoot.

Remember too that hot air rises. The largest loss of heat is through the top of the building and/or to hot air escaping and pulling cold air in to replace it. Air-sealing the building and insulating the attic can be among the most cost-effective places to save energy, especially if you don't need the attic for storage and can just blow in a few feet of insulation.

keshlam
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You should not insulate the ceiling except as a sound-blocking measure. For that it may be worthwhile, depending on the proximity of bedrooms to rooms with the tendency for nighttime noise.

Insulating between conditioned levels doesn't make much sense otherwise. It will not cause moisture problems, though. Only redundant vapor barriers do that.

isherwood
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I am not sure whether I should insulate the ceiling?

If the ground floor is heated constantly and the basement is only occupied and heated occasionally, then it makes sense to insulate the ceiling. This is to lower the heating bill the ground floor, not the basement.

bobflux
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