Post by Tumbleweed on Mar 20, 2008 2:17:03 GMT -6
Last year I did some research on how to go about finishing one main room in my basement. There are many things to consider but the first is.....
Improving Your Basement Comfort
If your basement is a little too cold for making it a living space there are a few things you can do and should do before you start slapping insulation on the block walls.
Your attic may be leaking and thus drawing the hot air out of the house. What is going out of your attic must be replaced by new air and it may be coming in threw your basement walls, leaky basement windows or furnace return air ducts. If you take care of the hot air leaking out of your attic or upper floors the air drawn in from your basement will be stopped substantially. So your first step before finishing that cold basement is to identify and fix any attic leaks or obvious leaks on upper floors. (Big task, I know!) Of course you also need to address the leaks in your basement, as well.
And most importantly you need to:
Test For Moisture
Now you need to be certain your basement isn't too moist to finish. The last thing you want is mold growing between anything you put on your basement floors/walls.
First insure your gutters are draining away from the foundation. Downspouts should be take water at least 10 feet away from the house. (Please consider your neighbors. You don't want to direct water toward their home either)
Make sure you have good drainage around your home.
Cover a northern area of your wall with 6 mil. polyethylene plastic and seal the edges with duct tape.(You can also use tin foil and seal the edges) The area covered should be from the floor to the sill plate. Also tape an area on the floor. Now go outside and soak the area with water by turning on your sprinkler for several hours. Repeat this for several days keeping the area very wet or if you are in a rainy season let nature do the soaking. Now observe the polyethylene area for moisture a 2 week period after. If there is any moisture condensation under the plastic (or foil) you should not insulate your basement. If there is moisture on the outside that isn't anything to be concerned about.
If it comes out dry you still aren't ready to slap that insulation on. Some experts say you must insulate the exterior with an R-10 exterior insulation 6 inches below grade (in Minnesota they recommend 1 foot) and up to the rim joist making certain you flash it properly, make sure seam are taped with metal foil and then cover it with the appropriate covering. Other experts say you can use a concrete waterproof sealer on the inside of your walls. (I'll leave this up to you to decide) Of course before using a waterproof sealer you need to repair any cracks.
O.K. Now you are ready to start insulating those walls and I'll tell you the options you have so stayed tuned......
Improving Your Basement Comfort
If your basement is a little too cold for making it a living space there are a few things you can do and should do before you start slapping insulation on the block walls.
Your attic may be leaking and thus drawing the hot air out of the house. What is going out of your attic must be replaced by new air and it may be coming in threw your basement walls, leaky basement windows or furnace return air ducts. If you take care of the hot air leaking out of your attic or upper floors the air drawn in from your basement will be stopped substantially. So your first step before finishing that cold basement is to identify and fix any attic leaks or obvious leaks on upper floors. (Big task, I know!) Of course you also need to address the leaks in your basement, as well.
And most importantly you need to:
Test For Moisture
Now you need to be certain your basement isn't too moist to finish. The last thing you want is mold growing between anything you put on your basement floors/walls.
First insure your gutters are draining away from the foundation. Downspouts should be take water at least 10 feet away from the house. (Please consider your neighbors. You don't want to direct water toward their home either)
Make sure you have good drainage around your home.
Cover a northern area of your wall with 6 mil. polyethylene plastic and seal the edges with duct tape.(You can also use tin foil and seal the edges) The area covered should be from the floor to the sill plate. Also tape an area on the floor. Now go outside and soak the area with water by turning on your sprinkler for several hours. Repeat this for several days keeping the area very wet or if you are in a rainy season let nature do the soaking. Now observe the polyethylene area for moisture a 2 week period after. If there is any moisture condensation under the plastic (or foil) you should not insulate your basement. If there is moisture on the outside that isn't anything to be concerned about.
If it comes out dry you still aren't ready to slap that insulation on. Some experts say you must insulate the exterior with an R-10 exterior insulation 6 inches below grade (in Minnesota they recommend 1 foot) and up to the rim joist making certain you flash it properly, make sure seam are taped with metal foil and then cover it with the appropriate covering. Other experts say you can use a concrete waterproof sealer on the inside of your walls. (I'll leave this up to you to decide) Of course before using a waterproof sealer you need to repair any cracks.
O.K. Now you are ready to start insulating those walls and I'll tell you the options you have so stayed tuned......