Alternatives for Basement Construction

Principles for building and finishing the upper rooms of the home don't apply to the basement. Cement, cement block or wood against damp, wet dirt is a recipe for a construction and maintenance nightmare. Technology innovations, new materials and alternative construction techniques offer options to long established basement construction problems.

A basement is basically a box located under the house in the ground. The walls are subject to moisture accumulation and mold. Conventional materials such as drywall, paneling, padding and carpet or linoleum are mold-magnets. 

When the basement was constructed, a hole was dug in the ground larger than the project. A cement foundation was poured in, then prefabricated cement walls were place on top of the foundation. If concrete blocks were used, they were placed by a mason with Portland cement morter compound brick by brick onto a foundation. Once sealed and cured, fill dirt was packed to fill in the space between the ground and the new walls. This dirt will never truly pack like the soil it was removed from, thus holding more moisture against porous cement and cement block or wood.

Due to these conditions, inorganic material is needed to build a basement or to line the inside to prevent moisture damage. According to the Department of Energy, re-insulating the basement with inorganic based materials will save $250-$400 per year. Rigid foam insulation offers a solution to porous construction materials used for basement finishing.

EverBlast basement wall panels are 100% waterproof and mold resistant. Made from R-13 HCFC blowing agent, are 94% ozone depleting than CFC blowing agents. It can be used with hard panel wall board. They can be installed without studs because of the cement core. Even if the basement floods, these panels remain undamaged.