A couple of years ago Dow Chemical introduced a rigid insulation called Wallmate for basement walls. It was an extruded polystyrene (XPS) insulation board with channels for 1x3 strips. The strips are placed in the channels, then fastened through the insulation and into the wall with concrete nails or Tapcon-type screws. The strips hold the insulation in place and act as a screw base for drywall. Now if you live in the Northeast you have a second choice. TrueWall is similar to Wallmate but instead of XPS it is made from R 3.8-per-inch expanded polystyrene (EPS) board. It comes in 4x8 sheets and in 1-1/2-inch and 2-inch thicknesses. The channels are spaced 16 inches on-center, but the company will make 24-inch on-center channels by request. The product can also be used on concrete floors, when covered with 5/8-inch tongue-and-groove plywood.

Contact: Truefoam, Ltd.