Basement Wall Question

At my wife's prompting I've decided to replace the current pressed-board paneling on our basement's foundation wall with ½" drywall. The current pressed board paneling is presently glued to ½" drywall sheets - that are nailed to 1" * 2" furring strips - that are attached to the cement block. I do NOT want to remove the existing ½" drywall backer because I'm afraid the prying might cause the furring strips to pop off the cement block.

With that said, here are my questions:

>>Can I simply remove the paneling, and attach ½" foam boards to the current drywall backer and then add the new layer of ½" drywall on top of that (i.e. sandwiching the foam panel between drywall sheets?

>>Is there any issue with having the furring strips and the old layer of drywall in between the cement block foundation and the foam panels (e.g. moisture issues)?

>>Is the added 3.5 R value (from the ½ " foam panels) worth bothering with? Maybe I should just apply the new drywall directly to the old drywall. - How much heat can I loose through below grade block walls?

>>If I don't have enough room to sandwich the foam panels as described above (because it might protrude past the decorative wooden ledge separating the lower concrete wall from the upper stud/cripple wall), would it be useful to install a plastic vapor barrier between the old and new layers of drywall?
Thanks!

 

Don't even bother removing the paneling. Just put the new drywall over the top of it. You'll get enough insulation from the two layers of drywall to skip the foam board. The temperature differential on the two sides of a subterranean basement wall is usually only about 15 degrees -- not enough to get too concerned about great insulation.

If you want, you can put a vapor barrier (i.e., plastic) over the paneling and under the drywall. Or you could probably use some kind of vapor barrier paint.

 

Thanks for the reply - the temperature differential info was very informative!

I've decided to forgo the foam panels.