We're finishing our basement, and after much research have settled on using EPS foam boards attached directly to the concrete wall to insulate and control moisture. However, there is not enough room for the foam between the concrete and the existing stud walls that the builder originally installed. Consequently I am going to have to tear down the walls, install the foam boards and then reassemble the walls.
However, we are not finishing our entire basement as we will be using half of it for storage and workspace. So my question is, can I get away with not tearing down walls and insulating the half that will remain unfinished? Or will this just create moisture or other problems down the road?
Best Answer
You do not have to insulate the part that will be unfinished, but you will need to insulate between the finished space and unfinished space and include an appropriate moisture barrier. All things being equal, if you don't have moisture problems in the unfinished area now, you are not likely to create them as long as the unfinished space has adequate ventilation. I will follow that statement with the disclaimer that there are a lot of site specific circumstances that can cause moisture problems whether you insulate it or not.