For questions generally relating to habitable spaces in a home below ground level, and to foundation types that include a space of this type.
5
votes
1answer
4k views
How can I properly vent a basement toilet & shower using an AAV?
When we bought our house the plumbing drains for a basement bathroom were roughed in but they did not install any vent lines for them.
We have the first floor plumbing draining into the main stack ...
5
votes
1answer
133 views
Does XPS+OSB subfloor need to be anchored?
Mike Holmes is a big fan of OSB/plywood over 1" XPS for basement floors, though his book leaves something to be desired in terms of details. His book says:
...on top of the foam, you want to have ...
5
votes
1answer
615 views
What do I level a 2" slope in my concrete basement floor?
I want to finish a 12'x36' part of my basement. The trouble I am having is that it is sloped to a floor drain. I was told that DRIcore and shims would work but the drain is a 2" slope down from the ...
4
votes
4answers
3k views
How do I install cabinets on a floating hardwood floor?
We just purchased a bunch of cabinets for installation of a bar / kitchenette in the basement. There are 4 wall cabinets and four base cabinets. These are going to be installed on the existing ...
4
votes
4answers
376 views
Adding insulation to basement that already has vapor barrier
I have leftover insulation from doing my basement, little bits and pieces.
In between the joists on my basement ceiling it is insulated with vapour barrier already from when the house was built.
...
4
votes
2answers
2k views
What is the best way to fill a hole in a concrete basement floor?
My basement floor has a hole cut where the water line enters the house. This hole is around 2ft square, and digging down a little I hit dirt and small roots. I'd like to seal this hole as I believe it ...
4
votes
3answers
516 views
How do I build a basement that does not leak when I have a high water level?
How do I insure a basement will not leak when the site has a high water level?
4
votes
1answer
609 views
Do I need to install dry wall in my basement?
I have a concrete basement with concrete walls. I'm thinking about just painting the basement and not have to put up dry wall because I want to save money. Is that a good idea or should I really ...
4
votes
3answers
289 views
Kind of contractor to hire to install new basement window, where there was none before?
A family member is interested in getting their basement finished, and one of the things they'd like to do is have an additional bedroom in the basement. The bedroom should have a window. However, ...
4
votes
3answers
3k views
Can I lay down solid wood planks on top of my basement concrete floor?
I live in Oakville, Ontario and have a detached home with an unfinished basement with concrete floor. I would like to put hardwood flooring in part of the basement. Instead of tongue and groove ...
4
votes
4answers
1k views
Can I run a dehumidifier pump to a washer stand pipe?
I have a very humid basement, in which I run a dehumidifier often. To allow for a more constant run, I purchased a dehumidifier pump. It says to run the pump out through a window or to a sink. I ...
4
votes
1answer
896 views
What is the proper way to insulate box sill joists in the basement?
The floor joists of the first floor are sitting directly in breaks in the concrete/cinderblock walls, and there's large gaps all around the edges. I've done some looking around and it appears that ...
4
votes
1answer
893 views
Should I add insulation to basement ceiling?
Currently doing a reno on our basement. After roughing everything out, I have insulated the outside walls with R13 (2x4). The house has never had insulation in the basement. Should I insulate the ...
4
votes
1answer
143 views
What type of paint should I use to paint a block foundation wall?
My house has an old well room that is off of the main foundation of the house. I want to clean this space up to use it for storage and part of this process is to repaint the cement block walls.
The ...
4
votes
2answers
2k views
Is there a more attractive alternative to a drop ceiling that allows easy access to the space above it?
Are there any ways of installing a basement ceiling that is seamless and does not look like a drop ceiling, but which can still be somehow disassembled?
Alternatively, are there more subtle forms of ...
4
votes
2answers
111 views
How can I level this concrete floor so I can install laminate?
I did a rough sketch up of what I'm working with in Google Sketchup. I'm laying laminate flooring in my basement living room and have all of the necessary preparations (Plastic layer and padding) My ...
4
votes
2answers
511 views
Should I use Tyvek or tar paper on basement walls?
We are going to be redoing our basement which was done in the 60's and very cold. We have been told to apply Tyvek or tar paper to the walls, stud, then vapour barrier and drywall. We plan on using ...
4
votes
1answer
326 views
Can I hang a hammock from basement joists?
My basement is what I assume is a typical setup, built in the 1970s. 2x8 joists run from the outer cinderblock wall to the center beam with an approximate 11 foot span. I'm thinking about hanging a ...
4
votes
4answers
2k views
How do I correctly measure this basement window for a replacement?
I have three of these metal-framed basement windows which I would like to replace but I am unsure of what dimension I should measure and use for the replacements.
Initially I measured the outside ...
4
votes
1answer
374 views
How do I cut grooves in self-leveling concrete to incorporate an existing drain?
This is a follow up question to my previous question about leveling a basement floor without losing the drainage. After the feedback I decided to use self-leveling concrete and cut (or form it in ...
4
votes
1answer
539 views
What is the best way to drywall a basement staircase?
We're going to be finishing our basement and one issue I have is how we will drywall the staircase. Unfortunately the stairs are right against the concrete wall. Should I simply put furring strips ...
4
votes
1answer
529 views
How do I install carpet tiles in a below grade room?
A few years ago, I saw an advertisement for carpet tiles that had a jagged edge so there would be less movement in the interlock between tiles, and prevented the need for glue. (would like to find ...
4
votes
1answer
1k views
What does blocking refer to in relation to floor joists?
This question was triggered by the following line in a home inspection:
Blocking is not installed for I joists above beams in basement.
I have found pictures of blocking at ...
4
votes
2answers
542 views
Is it OK to block off an unused root cellar to mitigate moisture problems?
I have a root/cold cellar underneath my front porch. The walls appear to be poured concrete as I can't see any bricks or cinder blocks.
The room sweats like crazy so there is an obvious moisture ...
4
votes
1answer
279 views
Best style of window for above grade basement windows?
My basement windows are roughly 2'x3' (h x w) and the exterior sill is 6 inches above grade, and 5 feet above the basement floor. I am not particularly concerned with security beyond frustrating the ...
4
votes
1answer
2k views
Can a washer and dryer be next to a water heater?
I have a GE gas dryer (DSXH47GGWW) that is currently next to an exterior basement wall. I'd like to move it to the opposite wall (shared with the crawl space) right next to the water heater next to ...
4
votes
1answer
593 views
Is there a shower drain pipe in this picture?
I'm certain the 3" pipe on the left is the toilet drain (it is about 12" form the wall and has a rounded cap on it). I'm guessing the shorter 2" capped pipe on the right, up against the wall, is the ...
3
votes
5answers
7k views
Can a wet vac be effectively used as a pump?
Can a wet vac effectively be used as a pump to move water?
I figure if a basement floods, that this can serve as double duty.
3
votes
6answers
451 views
What is the cheapest way to brighten a basement workshop?
I have a bare concrete block unfinished basement. I have zero moisture problems (it's a 2007 construction with exterior waterproofing applied to the concrete along with a buried perimeter drain). ...
3
votes
3answers
401 views
Can I install sub floor over carpeting?
Part of my basement has carpet laid 25 years ago The area is dry: never a water, mold or odor problem. We tested a small area and it was a nightmare to remove the glue from the concrete. We are ...
3
votes
3answers
500 views
What actions can I take to reduce moisture on basement floor?
In one corner of my basement, after a few heavy rains, I see a darkening of the concrete floor. To touch, the concrete feels damp-ish. I say damp-ish, because when I pull my hand away, I don't see ...
3
votes
2answers
2k views
What is required to move a washer/dryer from one room to another?
How hard is it to move washer/dryer from an upstairs room to the basement? What hookups would we need, etc?
3
votes
4answers
266 views
How could I flatten these warped sleepers layed on uneven concrete to an acceptable level?
The concrete in my basement is, as most concrete is, very uneven. I was building up my subfloor to match an existing floor, so I got about 200 board feet of PT 4x4 and ripped 1/2" off using a table ...
3
votes
3answers
1k views
How should I go about leveling my basement floor?
My house is from the 1920s, with a poured concrete foundation and floor in the basement. The floor dips pretty noticeably downward from the foundation walls towards a drain near one end of the ...
3
votes
1answer
70 views
What to do about subfloor covering sole plates?
My basement already has framing and insulation around the outside walls, along with a few outlets in them. If I were to do 3/4" OSB over 1" XPS for a subfloor the sole plates of those outer walls ...
3
votes
2answers
585 views
Vinyl tile installation over a concrete basement floor with moisture
I would like to put some sort of flooring over part of my basement. Something with the look and simple installation of an interlocking garage tile (example) would fit the bill -- this isn't a living ...
3
votes
1answer
1k views
Renovating interior stone basement walls
We have a 100 year old house, and I would like to finish the basement but leave the stone walls exposed. I believe the stone can look great, but the mortar needs some work, and I am mostly focused on ...
3
votes
2answers
104 views
How do I insulate interior basement walls that are not against the exterior walls?
I'm in the process of building an office and family room in my basement and need some help with the walls and insulation.
There is a perimeter drain in the slab around the exterior walls that ...
3
votes
3answers
458 views
How do I fix the cracks in my brick foundation?
I have some cracks in the foundation of the house I am about to buy. The house is 100 years old, there doesn't seem to be water leaks. The cracks don't look to be offset.
Attached is the picture ...
3
votes
1answer
219 views
Is this old basement floor concrete, grout, or something else?
What is the likely construction/material of the basement floor shown below?
It's not very flat, and the surface appears sandy. It's almost as if some kind of skim-coat was applied to the dirt floor. ...
3
votes
1answer
259 views
When waterproofing my basement, should I apply 11 mil plastic in addition to the dimple board?
I'm currently interviewing contractors for exterior basement waterproofing. The difference in price is not significant, but there is one major difference.
The contractors will:
Trench down below ...
3
votes
4answers
1k views
How should I encapsulate a basement wall with chipping paint on a porous surface?
I have a basement wall with several layers of chipping paint. I can't say officially, but I'm pretty certain the bottom layer (dark green in the photos) is lead-based, while the upper layers are not.
...
3
votes
2answers
778 views
Should I seal, waterproof a concrete basement floor before painting?
What is the best sealer/waterproofer to put on a basement floor that I just want to paint. New construction, no water problems, but washer & drier & water heater are in basement and add to ...
3
votes
1answer
330 views
Worthwhile to insulate basement ceiling while remodeling?
I have an existing finished basement where I'm in the process of replacing an severely damaged plaster ceiling with drywall. I've got the entire thing open, and as it's an old house (1925) there is ...
3
votes
1answer
414 views
Should I apply rigid insulation between existing basement framing?
I'm replacing wood paneling in my basement with drywall. There are 1x furring strips attached to the cinder block and covered with tar paper, and the wood paneling was attached to those strips.
...
3
votes
2answers
329 views
Is there a way to sound proof my basement while I've got part of the ceiling open?
We had a header beam installed in our basement. The floor joists are exposed for 1ft (~30cm) on both sides for the length of the beam.
The basement is an apartment, so I'd like to add some ...
3
votes
1answer
173 views
Basement Bath floor
I'm putting Platon drain board on the slab of my basement because I'm concerned with humidity and moisture. Then I top it with laminate. What should I do with the bathroom?
Can tile be put on top ...
3
votes
1answer
193 views
Would adding new basement windows jeopardize the integrity of the foundation?
We are finishing our basement and would like to install 4 new hopper windows onto the front side of the house. My question is what is the largest reasonably sized window that can be cut from the ...
3
votes
1answer
123 views
How to insulate sloped top of concrete block foundation?
I am planning to insulate the inside of my basement.
I have a concrete block foundation.
I am planning on going XPS board route, applied directly to wall with foam/tape on all the seams to make it ...
3
votes
1answer
105 views
How can I tile the raised edges in my basement?
I'm looking to tile a basement floor that was dug out about 6", so there is a roughly 6" tall x 4" wide raised concrete border around the whole room, as they didn't dig out the edges. This border is ...
