Should I install a door to seperate my basement and mid-level to save on heating?

RyanV · 10-30-2009, 11:06 PM

Any large benefits to adding a door to separate the middle floor of my 2 storey house and my basement? I never feel a draft from there and never really go down there except for laundry.

Just looking for ways to insulate my house better!

Nestor_Kelebay · 10-31-2009, 12:39 AM

I don't know how much that would help. Warm air is gonna rise, not sink. So, I expect there's minimal mixing of the cold air down stairs and the warm air up stairs, anyhow.

travelover · 10-31-2009, 06:44 AM

Have you sealed and insulated the rim joist in your basement? I found that to be a huge efficiency boost in my house.

Insulate Basement Rim Joists | thefamilyhandyman.com | DIY Projects | Reader's Digest

inspectorD · 10-31-2009, 08:28 AM

For a few hundred $ you can have an energy audit done on your house. You can also take it a step further and have an Infrared thermal imaging of the inside of the home during a cool morning , this will show where the cold air is comming into the house, and what needs attention. You can also find any areas in the walls which are missing insulation....yes it does happen.
The savings in one or 2 years will pay for the cost of the tests...and the most important is the comfortable feeling you get on cold nights.
The door may not be what you need, become educated on what you do need on a house by house basis.They are all different.