How to Attach Your Foam Board to a Basement Wall

Foam board insulation is an effective way to improve the insulation value of your basement walls. If you're finishing the basement, attaching the foam board to the basement walls is a necessary first step in your project. Foam board is easy to work with, and you can learn to attach it without any prior experience.

Tape measure
Utility knife
Level
Construction adhesive
Drill
Masonry bit
Furring strips
Masonry screws

Instructions

- 1
  Measure the height of the wall you'll be applying the foam board to. If necessary, trim the height of the foam boards by scoring them with a utility knife and snapping off the excess foam.
- 2
  Apply a bead of construction adhesive around the perimeter of the board and across the interior rear side of your first board. Place the board at the end of the wall and press it firmly onto the wall until it sticks in place.
- 3
  Continue applying boards across the wall until you reach the end. Trim the last foam board to fit with the utility knife if necessary.
- 4
  Place a furring strip on the border between the first two foam panels. Drill holes through the wood and foam and into the masonry behind the board, spacing the holes every 6 inches.
- 5
  Insert masonry screws into the holes in the board and secure them to the wall until the strips are firmly in place. Continue mounting strips on all of the joints between the foam boards.

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