The Best Remodeled Basement Wall Products

As more and more people decide to remodel or finish their basements, basement remodeling companies are designing their own basement wall panels. Unfortunately, many of these companies have products that have been hastily produced, poorly researched, or make misleading claims about the effectiveness of their final product. Before you make a final decision on which basement finishing products you want, ask yourself these five questions:

1. Is this basement wall product water resistant?

A basement water leak at some point isn't a matter of how, it's a matter of when. Given the presence of pipes, sinks, and toilets in the house along with the water heater, washing machine, and water storage tank in the basement, most houses have a high probability that a leak will occur. Additionally, rain and groundwater can leak through foundation wall cracks in the walls or floor as well as through the foundation wall-floor joint.

2. Will my basement wall product resist mold?

Water can seep through the porous concrete, stone, or tile foundation walls due to hydrostatic pressure. This moisture will collect behind and under your finished basement wall products. If the wall panels or covering are composed of organic material, this material is going to encourage the growth of mold. Fiberglass, drywall, wood, and most other building materials used for basement walls have at least some organic material. When mold and dust mites, two of the top home allergens,  grow on wet organic material, mold spores and dust mite fecal material are released into the air and will travel throughout the house..

3. How durable will my walls be?

Once you finish your basement, you're going to want to use it. This means that you may want pictures, shelves, cabinets, a large-screen TV, a mirror, wine rack, or any number of other items mounted on the walls. You're going to want a strong, reliable wall that can hold up. Additionally, it's important to have basement walls that can handle daily wear and tear without breaking, scratching, or becoming damaged. A product that washes easily is also important- especially if children and pets will be in the room. A good test to see if your wall is going to be able to handle stains is to draw a pencil line on a sample. If it can be easily removed, then you should be able to wash most stains from the wall. Beware of absorbent wall materials- if it absorbs moisture easily, it will also absorb spills and other liquids.

4. How much insulation does the wall product have?

In Canada and the northern United States, a minimum insulation rating of R-13 is being written into local building codes. Whether or not this is required in your area, it's a good idea to add to the energy efficiency of the home by adding effective insulation to your walls. Hard foam insulation will add to the strength of the wall product overall, and if it also features a hardboard ceramic panel, then you will be able to mount heavy objects on the wall without the need to find a stud. Be sure that if you insulate your wall that it's completely covered with insulation around the entire perimeter, or your protection will have a hole for heat to pour out.

5. How well can my basement walls keep sound out?

If you plan on making noise in your basement, you're going to want a wall product that can soundproof your home. Many products do little to keep sound out, and some products even help it travel around the house! Hardboard products tend to reflect sound back when it strikes them, making them a poor sound absorber but a strong sound barrier. Wall panels with soft insulation and a cloth covering absorb sound well and are effective at keeping a room quiet and peaceful.

Basement Wall Comparison Chart

This chart compares six different common basement finishing wall products. For the sake of this chart, any material not warranted for more than three years is considered ineffective in that category.

* There is no long-term warranty offered to support these claims

** Insulation can be added to these products as well. Be sure it's warranted against water and mold.

From this chart, you can see that wood paneling and any type of drywall (even mold-resistant drywall, whose warranty generally runs from 6 months to 3 years) are ineffective materials for basement finishing. Soft insulation paneling is a better material to use, with an average of R-11 insulation and strong soundproofing qualities, but it's unfortunately among the least durable and cleanable of the products, and mold and moisture can still damage it fairly easily. Additionally, its spongelike insulation soaks up moisture very quickly, making it very absorbent for unwanted spills and liquids. Wood paneling is more resistant to spills and liquids, but it can swell with water, causing it to warp, buckle, rot, and grow mold. Drywall deals with moisture poorly as well, and when it gets wet, it will generally need to be replaced.

While hard-board insulation wall panels do reflect sound, they have the most advantages of all basement finishing wall products. Basement wall panels like Total Basement Finishing's EverLast Wall Panels have a 50-year warranty against mold and are durable enough to have a 684-pound shear rating without studs. A half inch drywall board using nylon wall drills has a 17.5-pound safe shear rating, and most soft insulation wall panels can hold no more than ten pounds! Hard-board wall panels with dense foam insulation can still act as a sound barrier and will not allow sounds to pass through, and they're much more durable than any other material when it comes to impact damage. A quality dense foam insulation product will easily meet the required R-13 insulation rating, ensuring that the materials will be code-compliant for many years to come. Additionally, hard-foam insulation and paneling that's properly installed will often have a Class A fireproofing rating, making your home safer than ever!

To summarize: You want a water-resistant, mold-resistant, durable material for your walls. It should have soundproofing properties and at least an R-13 insulation rating. The best way to make sure you're using a product you can count on is to ask many questions, do a lot of research, and above all, check out the warranty! Contact us for a free estimate!