Finishing Basement??

[UNDBowhunter]

So I have been looking around on this forum at the finishing basement topics, but I am little confused what to do. I have 2 questions....

First Question: I built a home last summer, and have 2" exterior foam on the block. I sealed the interior block with drylox....Should I put more rigid foam on the interior walls (3/4" or 1 1/2") or just put stud walls up?? Anyone use the 1 1/2" rigid foam with the built in furring strips??

My second question, I have a furnace with a air exchanger system in the house. When I built the house I added in floor heat (hydro conic) in the basement but I haven't decided if I want a electric boiler or a wood boiler system for the floor heat. Should I add air supplies (hot and cold) from the furnace in the basement??

Any advice is much appreciated!

[Skeeter21i]

It is never a bad thing to add more foam to your foundation walls. You could go with foil faced Thermax rigid foam insulation. I would go with a framed 2x4 wall rather than the foam with built in strips. The 2x4 studs give you a little more room between the exterior finish and wiring that may be ran through the wall so you aren't running drywall screws through the wiring. We have used both methods and lean towards the framed wall over the built in studs in the foam.

If you are thinking of heating your basement slab with an outdoor boiler you may as well run it through your furnace as well for your forced air heat. I have that set up here in my house for forced air and in-floor. Electric boilers don't require cutting, hauling and splitting wood though:) You can also look at off-peak rate options through you electric company for electric boilers. I ran venting in my basement as well as radiant. My HVAC guy said turn off venting though and let radiant take over. I'm sure plenty of differing opinions on that though.

[UNDBowhunter]

I forgot to mention that....I had a coil put in my furnace just in case I went with the wood boiler option. So you use your furnace in your basement more than the floor heat? What is the thickness foil faced Thermax rigid that you would recommend?

Thanks!!!

[Skeeter21i]

I heat the first floor and my loft with forced air and the basement is all with radiant when I have the boiler on. Early fall and late spring when the boiler isn't fired up then the whole house is on forced air with propane. I only use propane when we are gone for a few days or early fall and late spring. I use about 60 gallons a year is all. I went with 2" Thermax on the inside of my foundation walls. On a side note, I had 120 gallons of propane delivered in early November.