Remodeling Basement

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River Rat

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I would like to know what would be the best thing to put on my walls in the basement Owens Corning or Green Board or Plain Drywall?

What would be the PRO & CON'S on all three?

My basement is dry, and it is a concrate block. Should one put a paint on the walls and if so what would be the best type?

I was thining of useing 2"X3" or should I use 2"X2"?
 

Master Plumber Mark

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Plain dryawll

that owens corning stuff is nice but it is fairley
expensive....or so I am told...


if you have a bone dry basement their in no reason
not to just put up the cheapo drywall and forget about it.

depending on the size of your basement it is your decision
how thick you want to frame it in with.either 2x4s or smaller....and how much
of the room you want to lose



 

Old Dog

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basement remodel...

Owens is a little pricey...green board is designed for 'wet" locations.(bath,laundry,kitchen,etc.)Standard drywall for all other areas.
Will you be putting any electric or plumbing in?Is the basement warm or does it get cold in the winter?(may need to insulate.)Are you asking about painting because of possible dampness in the future?
Some of your answers will determine the size of the wood that will be required.You can use 1"x2" furring strips at the min. or you may need to use 2x4's(or larger) to get electric,plumbing, and insulation in.Post some more info so we can steer you in the right direction...
 

River Rat

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I live in Northwest Ohio where Winters get cold so we would use the Basement in the Winter time more than the Summer time. You ask why paint the walls more or less to keep the dampness at control if we would ever get any.

As far as pluming no I would not put any more in, just what we have over head like the main water line and the sump pump line.

As far as electric yes, I would be putting in all new wiring around the walls as will as the cycling.

My basement has heat runner in it now, so I would keep them there although I have 5 runs now I would go down to 4 runs.

One thing that I will not do is put a vapor bearor on the walls, I had this on the walls and mold started to grow because the wall could not breath along with Styrofoam also something that could not breath.
 

Frenchie

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The vapor-barrier issue is why I was asking. Lot of folks in northern climates think, "I need one above-ground, so..." nasty mess ensues.

Styrofoam is fine, though; it's not completely impermeable to vapor, classed as a vapor-retarder not a vapor-barrier. And the option, fiberglass batts, is just a nightmare if/when it gets damp. Keep the foam to under 3", it'll be fine.

Owens-corning has a great product for basement, basically foam panels with grooves cut into it for wood strapping. You can also frame up a traditional wall, use the styro between the masonry & framing, or between the studs... lots of options. I heartily recommend this thread at JLC, lots of good links:

http://forums.jlconline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38236

and maybe this one, as well:

http://forums.jlconline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=25634

and you might want to search there, as well, these are just the threads I recall recently. WARNING: feel free to lurk/read/research on that site, but if you're thinking of posting, read these first:

http://forums.jlconline.com/forums/faq.php?faq=faq_item_policies#faq_faq_item_pro_only

http://forums.jlconline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=35112
 

Jadnashua

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You want the wall deep enough to allow an electrical box big enough to handle the wiring you want, so shallow boxes limit what you can do somewhat. Strapping on the wall may not be enough. In the national codes, greenboard is no longer specified (it provides almost no benefits, and the coating makes it less stiff than regular drywall. It's either dry or wet, drywall, or cbu. Local rules do vary.
 

River Rat

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jadnashua said:
You want the wall deep enough to allow an electrical box big enough to handle the wiring you want, so shallow boxes limit what you can do somewhat. Strapping on the wall may not be enough. In the national codes, greenboard is no longer specified (it provides almost no benefits, and the coating makes it less stiff than regular drywall. It's either dry or wet, drywall, or cbu. Local rules do vary.


I was looking at CBU and could not find it on search, could you tell me what it stands for. This maybe the way I will go.
 

Chris75

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I prefer your standard old 2x4 wood construction, with R-15 fiberglass insulation and 1/2" sheetrock, but thats me...
 

Jadnashua

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Cement backer unit (cement board). Used in a shower or wet areas (I wouldn't use it here, nor would I use greenboard). I'd consider a stud wall also, a vapor barrier on the room side, then drywall.

First, though, I think I'd tape a 2'x2' square of plastic up against the wall and let it sit for several days to see what kind of moisture, if any accumulates. Closing in a wall where there's moisture is a problem. If it is room sourced, the vapor barrier just under the drywall and some insulation behind it should keep the dew point away from the moisture. I'd also read up some more on this to see what other suggestions you get.
 

boober

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This link- http://www.taunton.com/finehomebuilding/how-to/articles/no-mold-finished-basement.aspx?ac=ts&ra=fp
takes you to a preview of an excellent article on damp basements. I'd recommend using foam on the walls, which will cut down on the condensation that contributes to damp basements. Also, using steel studs will cut down on the moisture that is trapped in the basement. Wood will hold a lot of moisture, and by eliminating that, you cut down the risk of mold growing. Also there are other options for drywall other than regular and greenboard. There is paperless drywall (yellow usually) that is made specifically for damp environments. Works the same as drywall, except the mold's food source is removed...
 
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boober

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Jadnashua

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If you get no moisture under the test piece of plastic taped to the walls, then the moisture that may get on the walls is from condensation rather than from coming through the walls. Then, the goal is to keep the dew point away from the walls in the conditioned space.
 

Statjunk

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Whenever I've remodeled a basement. I always drylock the entire basement before I begin. Then I just frame with wood and silicon any holes that I open in the concrete walls or floors. Never had a problem. This of course is in basements that are known not to have moisture problems.

The next basement that I do I will likely use metal studs. Never used them before so I'm kind of excited to see it go down.

Tom
 

River Rat

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statjunk said:
Whenever I've remodeled a basement. I always drylock the entire basement before I begin. Then I just frame with wood and silicon any holes that I open in the concrete walls or floors. Never had a problem. This of course is in basements that are known not to have moisture problems.

The next basement that I do I will likely use metal studs. Never used them before so I'm kind of excited to see it go down.

Tom

What do you do if someone already painted the wall and you do not know what they used to paint it with?
 

Statjunk

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I would call Drylock and ask them what you should do. I've never encountered that one yet.

Tom
 

Frenchie

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statjunk said:
The next basement that I do I will likely use metal studs. Never used them before so I'm kind of excited to see it go down.

Tom


Got introduced to those when I moved to NYC, where code prohibits wood framing just about everywhere... takes a little while to learn (it's completely different from wood, so half the learning is un-learning old thought habits), but it's MUCH faster, lighter & easier.
 

Frenchie

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I've actually been getting passably straight lumber, the last few years - ever since I stopped shopping at the evil box stores, and started supporting my local lumberyards. But that's another thread... ;)
 
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