Insulating a Basement Door
MarieMar
| Posted in General Questions on
Hi –
Really old house in Massachusetts with a bulkhead and an old wooden cellar door that’s a weird size and not your typical door by any means. Want to apply some rigid board.
My question is: Should the rigid board be attached on the exterior side or the interior side of the door?
Know this is a simple question, but just really was unsure. I have xps, cause I couldn’t get eps anywhere.
Thanks, Marie
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Replies
If it’s exterior you’ll want to make sure it’s rated for water exposure. Otherwise it doesn’t really matter. The amount of thermal mass is insignificant to include in your thermal envelope. I personally would do inside unless that will interfere with getting in if you ever need to bring bigger objects in. Idk if your doors can open to a full 180 or not
There's a bulkhead, and this door at the bottom of the stairs is quite wide and short.
Sounds like interior on the door is the way to go.
Thanks very much for your time and assistance. Best,
MarieMer,
I'm not familiar with your codes, but the exposed foam may need to be covered by a thermal or ignition barrier.
https://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/article/thermal-barriers-and-ignition-barriers-for-spray-foam