Basement insulation

Tom,
I own a 1,700 square foot cape that was built in 1999. I heat the house
from an unfinished basement primarily using a wood stove (I also have an oil
furnace with baseboard hot water as a secondary heat source). I am
considering insulating the basement walls to save money on fuel (wood and
oil). What I would like to know is with what type of insulation and
installation you would recommend for basement walls assuming that I will be
finishing the basement some day. Do you have a rough idea of insulating
material cost per square foot of basement wall?
I am also planning to put in a register this year to help circulate the heat
from the stove in the basement to the first floor. I plan to put one
register in above the wood stove (but not directly above because I have
small children who will likely throw items down the register) and one cold
air return grate in below my atrium door. Does this sound like a reasonable
way to get the heat to the living level of the house?
Thanks for the help.
Brian
Gray, Maine

Hi Brian,
Yes, insulate the basement! It will make a big difference in the amount of
fuel you use.
The ideal insulation is spray foam insulation on the basement walls. The
issue is the cost--it is about $1 per board foot. (that is one square foot,
one inch thick--you can do the math!)
The other issue is with the wood stove. If you are operating a wood stove
in the basement,
you should have the insulation covered with 1/2"drywall or 3/4" wood for
fire safety.
You can use fiberglass, if you are framing up the walls for later
finishing. You should install a sheet of plastic over the concrete wall
surfaces before framing the walls.
The ducts are great for moving heat, but are also a way that a fire in the
basement could involve the entire house very, very quickly. There are ducts
that have fusible links that would close the ducts in case of a fire. And
you should have a smoke alarm in the basement as well. (I know that is
inconvenient, but so is a house fire.
Tom