Insulate utility cellar or not?

Hello everyone,

we are planning a basement for our new building, which is intended to be a utility cellar. The technical room (including [Wärmepumpe] and [Kontrollierte-Wohnraumlüftung Anlage], etc.) is to be located in the basement. The other rooms are intended for storage, workshop, and storage rooms. Actual residential use is not planned, but I could imagine that our children might later use the space there for hobbies (music, party room, foosball, etc.) if there is a reasonably pleasant climate. Also, it should not be freezing in the workshop when working in winter.
And what about the ventilation? I have planned a few basement rooms without a light well and was considering possibly connecting these to the [Kontrollierte-Wohnraumlüftung] if it gets too damp.

Now I wonder how utility cellars are standardly insulated nowadays and what effects this has?
- Completely without exterior insulation and only insulating the basement ceiling/stairwell? Would the [Wärmepumpe] and [Kontrollierte-Wohnraumlüftung] then be allowed to be in the basement? Would the cellar then be allowed to be connected to the [Kontrollierte-Wohnraumlüftung] or would that completely negate the heat recovery?
- Exterior insulation but no separate heating in the basement?
- Exterior insulation and underfloor heating in the basement?

What temperatures/humidity levels can be expected with the different variants? I would be interested in your experience with this.

we have full insulation with underfloor heating and ventilation. alternatively, we would have needed a closed staircase, which we did not want. this way we can easily dry laundry in the basement.

Hello Grobmutant,

is right. For a purely utility basement, the financial effort to insulate is not worthwhile, as it is supposed to be cool. If you want to use the basement as a living space later, you need the insulation. But then, as mentioned, in combination with underfloor heating, which can also be turned off.

The underfloor heating can of course be turned off, but if the basement were then included in the thermal envelope, I would continuously be heating it through the ground floor. That would certainly not be optimal for efficiency.

we have full insulation with underfloor heating and ventilation. alternatively, we would have needed a closed stairwell, which we did not want. this way we can easily dry laundry in the basement.

What exactly does "closed stairwell" mean? Isn't it enough to have an insulated door to the basement on the ground floor?

What exactly does "enclosed staircase" mean? Isn't it enough to have an insulated door to the basement on the ground floor?

well, open staircases are currently in fashion, nice wooden stairs, airy, continuous to the top. that's how we have it. how do you want to implement a door to the basement?