Cellar insulation

Dear Mr. Gocze,
I believe that I may have missed the article
that you suggested you were going to write regarding insulating basements
without causing an issue with mold and mildew. We insulated one area of
our basement last year with 3" aluminum coated styrofoam insulation. We
also taped all of the seams with aluminum tape. Since this area is a
storage area, we have not had it finished with sheet rock. In addition,
we insulated the sill with paper-backed fiberglass insulation, then applied
the same styrofoam insulation that was used to cover the walls and taped
the seam where it joined. We are concerned already that we may have issues
with mold and mildew! Could the way that we insulated this area have
created a problem? Your comments would be greatly appreciated before we
continue to insulate the rest of the basement.
Thank you.
Best regards,
Lisa

Hi,
Do you smell mildew? If not, probably you are on the right track. The
material you used is unlikely to cause an issue. This is the time that you
might have a problem given the humidity in the summer. The foam should be
right up against the wall, leaving no space for humid air to get up to it.
Spray foam is the ideal material for this application, but other materials
can work well, if you can seal off the masonry surfaces.
Tom