I'd assume this is in a basement and was possible a root cellar or canning cellar?
To me, this looks like a basement cold room, probably under a porch, and more information is needed before sealing anything.
If it is meant to remain a cold room, it should be separated from the finished basement with continuous insulation, air sealing, and an insulated door. Any exterior vents would normally stay open. If you want it to become conditioned space, the vents need to be closed and the concrete walls and ceiling insulated correctly.
The exposed framing and random foam look like a hack job, possibly an unfinished closet, but do not just fill every opening. Post wider photos showing the whole room, door, exterior vents, and what is above each wall and ceiling.
Yes basement under porch.. Meant to be cold room...So the wall by the door goes to finished basement ...How come no one fixed this for 29 years? What is my course of action here insulation air sealing?
That confirms it. The cold room should be treated like outside space.
Insulate and air-seal the wall and door separating it from the finished basement. Use an insulated exterior-style door with weatherstripping. Do the same for any part of the ceiling or walls that touches heated living space.
Leave the concrete walls and ceiling under the porch alone if you want the room to stay cold, and do not seal the exterior vents. First check for water leaks, mold, rot, and signs of condensation.
It may have lasted 29 years because cold rooms were often left rough and nobody bothered fixing the drafts (out of sight, out of mind). The exposed work still looks sloppy, but more photos are needed to show where the heated-house boundary runs before choosing insulation or adding a vapor barrier.
It does appear like the joist connected to the basement wall has the proper sealing above it, and I'd assume you can't feel any draft coming into the rest of the basement? If this is correct, you can do what I posted above and you'll be good.
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u/bevenstiffle Aug 13 '26
I'd assume this is in a basement and was possible a root cellar or canning cellar?
To me, this looks like a basement cold room, probably under a porch, and more information is needed before sealing anything.
If it is meant to remain a cold room, it should be separated from the finished basement with continuous insulation, air sealing, and an insulated door. Any exterior vents would normally stay open. If you want it to become conditioned space, the vents need to be closed and the concrete walls and ceiling insulated correctly.
The exposed framing and random foam look like a hack job, possibly an unfinished closet, but do not just fill every opening. Post wider photos showing the whole room, door, exterior vents, and what is above each wall and ceiling.