Finishing a Basement

[soldoncass]

HMMMMMMMM.......my memory isn't what it used to be, this was about 30 years ago. I think we got the sound board and channels at the lumberyard (not big box store). If they don't stock it, they should be able to get it from their wholesaler. I don't know costs. Any thing you do will help, and it is cumulative(each thing will help more), so do as much as you can under the finished walls, ceilings. You can then add more later with soft coverings, cork, carpet, accoustic tile, etc. Your decorating /deadening stuff doesn't have to take much room at all, out of the room. Just plan ahead....instead of smooth sheetrock walls and ceilings, put burlap type wallpaper on them, with wall hangings/ pictures etc on them. Maybe instead of sheetrocking the ceiling, do accoustic ceiling tile, or a suspended ceiling with accoustic tile. 100's of things you can do,depends on tastes and the look you like. Just make sure anything obsorbs, rather than echos sounds.

[amateurfishing]

wife wants tile floor for new basement bath, im concerned bout it getting very cold in winter. anyone have experience/knowledge with heated floor systems (brands, types, circuit on its own?) or is this not necessary. thx

[K_Josh87]

Parents have an electrical warm floor system in the main level master bath with tile over it and really like it, But that is about as far as my knowledge goes... I believe it is wired in on its own circuit.

[Justfishing]

My gut feeling is you have to only change the poly....that would eliminate the mold, and I believe the wood has dried out, so the cause should be gone. If you feel moisture in the insulation, most likely on the bottom, that may show other problems. FUN to figure out sometimes...not.

As far as the foil board goes, you want it covering ALL the block and taped, joints, corners, top. If there isn't enough room between framing and blocks, for that,you'll have to move it.

Just think of a cold drink glass on a hot summer day.....it gets wet on the WARM SIDE...right? It is the temp differential that causes it...not a leak. So to keep it from happenning in our house walls etc., we have to make sure HOT and COLD don't meet. Just like using an insullated cup in the summer...put enough insulation between HOT and COLD areas, so condensation can't occur. SIMPLE

Good luck in your venture.

If you have 70 degrees inside and zero out then somewhere in the wall be the dew point. This will happen no matter how well the wall is insulated. So the key is to keep the moisture out. There are 3 ways for the moisture to get in there. A leak of some kind, water vapor carried by air leaks, and diffusion. Diffusion is moisture passing through a solid material and is not much of a problem in the lower 48.

In building science you learn that an assembly needs to be able to dry to the interior, exterior or both. One of the problems with using poly is that air leaks carry the moisture in but then it doesnt let it out. If there is not enough drying to the exterior mold will occur when the temps get warm enough.

In the picture the poly is stapled to the studs. There is an air leak at all the staples plus air leaks at the top and bottom. I assume there is insulation under the poly. I can see the side edge of the studs so that tells me that the insulation was not properly installed. This allows paths for air to move in the wall. I should say more air than what normally passes through fiberglass insulation.

Ideally the wood sheathing would have been taped and sealed on the exterior and also sealed on the interior. For the untrained it may seem extreme but that is some of the details that are needed to make a home that is durable and limits the potential for mold.

[amateurfishing]

i am starting to get my electrical game plan organized & together. my east facing walkout basement wall has insulation & vapor barrier on it. my question is should i take entire vapor barrier down & insulation then run all my electrical then re-insulate with new insulation & vapor barrier OR should i just try and run all electrical as needed through insulation & vapor barrier & just tape up as needed to re enclose vapor barrier. this long east facing wall has 3 different rooms on it. what is best/smartest way to finish electical on this? thx

[soldoncass]

Most of the time you can just loosen up the poly, on the bottom 2 feet,tape poly up temporary , lift fiberglass up(tuck between studs). The outlets are usually about 16 inches up, and the wires can go down and over to the next one. After wiring and inspection is done, then just fix up fiberglass and poly, then tape anything needed.

[amateurfishing]

thx soldoncass

[amateurfishing]

i guess the electrical inspector does not think too highly of my electrical skills after that visit

[K_Josh87]

uh oh...

[amateurfishing]

there were no "safety" issues, just did not like how i tacked wire to studs, said my bar & bathroom GCFI must be on difft circuits, & have to do some re wiring. Really not that bad from my perspective, im chalking it up to a $30 learning curve since i have never done this b4, was just in shock that did not expect to have a "list" of things to be redone. just more of my time wasted than anything else. he gave me a list & told me exactly what i had to do, just have to find more time to redo. im still saving from having a professional do it in long run ( i think) but project is starting to wear on me a little & i would prefer spending summer time with my kids instead of doing electrical for 10 weekends straight, but oh well.....i started this project and i have to finish it...PROPERLY BY CODE...hopefully 1 extra inspection does not end up killing me

[K_Josh87]

sometimes the experience is what its worth... but usually when I try to do something like this that I know i am not great at (fixing vehicles), I come to realize why the professionals charge what they do...

[amateurfishing]

exactly........and does anyone have thoughts on wall soundproofing, dont think i have energy or patience for double drywall

[K_Josh87]

you just want to quite down the turd plop? Or absorb the kids noise as they hammer around the whole house? Fiberglass in the stud cavities, carpet, and window treatments etc will do a lot to knock down the echo effect... as will a good wall texture and ceiling texture...

[amateurfishing]

k, thats good to know that the basics will do a lot for that, what about between floors?

[K_Josh87]

probably fiberglass again... Sound waves transfer easier through dense materials... so the fiberglass will "absorb" and "soften" the noise

Another thing that may be something to look into, and I HAVE ZERO experience, is the possibility of running a layer of Buffalo board (built rite) underneath the sheet rock... Seams like this material would help absorb noise, is fairly cheap, and is pretty much useless elsewhere...

Just a thought that maybe could be researched...

[amateurfishing]

anyone understand closet light fixture code? i am pretty sure inspector told me any fixture needs to be at least 24 inches from anything in closet....that seemslike a lot,then i re read guidelines last nite, 6 inches, 12 inches, 24 inches on stuff regarding closets, i dont quite understand all this legal jive

[K_Josh87]

noooo idear....

[jmd1]

"Turd Plop", I like that!

[K_Josh87]

welp, you hear it all in this business... may as well call it what it is :-)

[amateurfishing]

just decided to make a fixture change & go with recessed lights in closets to give more space approval regardless of what it is

[mabr]

Not sure if yours will fall into this case but.

I had a project this past year where we put cans in the closets. They all had to have protective lenses on them for the same reason as having a standard lite fixture, so you cant break the bulb. Not only that most of the cans that except the lenses will have thermal protection on them and are rated for low wattage bulbs because of heat build up. If you put a larger bulb in it will trip the thermal safety. Catch 22 on them, safety or not enough lite.

[amateurfishing]

so got arc fault breakers in.....noticed bout 1 inch of melted wire cover on microwave breaker, looked old & dry. never smelled anything & never have had microwave issues, we have owned house since day 1. i assume this is an issue but how big of one? should i ask inspector bout it?

[Surface Tension]

so got arc fault breakers in.....noticed bout 1 inch of melted wire cover on microwave breaker, looked old & dry. never smelled anything & never have had microwave issues, we have owned house since day 1. i assume this is an issue but how big of one? should i ask inspector bout it?

I'd guess and say heat was created by a loose wire at the old breaker.

[amateurfishing]

i dont remember but wife did say we had microwave issue immediately after moving in and contacted builder who sent an elecrician, i will consider it a non issue cause i dont ever recall having an issue and definitly none recently

[amateurfishing]

passed rough in inspec. today, yea he did mention thermal covers for closet can lighting