Kevin writes from Manchester, Kentucky: "I live in Southeastern Kentucky and cannot get a straight answer how to handle finishing our basement. There seems to be many varying opinions on this including the "experts". We have an unfinished basement that we are going to finish soon. All the walls are completely or mostly underground and are poured concrete. We want to use 2x4 framing, insulation, and drywall. The big question is a moisture barrier!? Nobody seems to agree on if one is needed, or if needed, where it should be. Our basement has poured walls with proper drainage under and around the walls along with a membrane liner on all the exterior walls. Our basement will be heated with our existing HVAC and a supplemental natural gas fireplace. We have no issues with leaks or moisture. Do we need a vapor barrier between the drywall and the studs? Do we need a small space between the studs and the concrete walls? Is faced insulation enough of a moisture barrier? We don't want mold problems, but this issue seems to be very open to discussion. I would deeply appreciate your advice on this issue."

Answer: When insulating a basement with the goal of finishing it, we recommend studding with 2x4s. Common practice is to leave a half inch air space between the rear of the stud and the block wall. We recommend using R-13 Kraft-faced Fiberglas™ batts. The Kraft facing will serve as your vapor retarder and should be installed toward the interior of the basement or the warm-in-winter side.

The band joist should also be caulked, sealed and insulated. Additional details are available on a new section of our website: http://insulation.owenscorning.com/homeowners/easy-weekend-projects/weekend-project-basement3.aspx

Owens Corning does not recommend the use of polyethylene sheeting on any below-grade walls. If the basement is below grade and local code requires a vapor retarder, FACED insulation must be used. An alternative is using vapor retarder primers on drywall when using UNFACED insulation.