For questions generally relating to habitable spaces in a home below ground level, and to foundation types that include a space of this type.
3
votes
1answer
139 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
2answers
102 views
How to deal with inadequate drainage of my walk-up basement?
(Please correct me if any of my terminology is inaccurate!)
I have a "den" which is a finished walk-up basement (half-above ground, half below ground). The den floor has vents, and when I look under ...
3
votes
1answer
108 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 ...
3
votes
0answers
155 views
How much water is too much water underneith the basement concrete?
We are getting ready to install a new shower in our basement. When we had our house built about 8 yrs ago we asked to have a shower & toilet drains roughed in. I cut off the plastic cover for ...
2
votes
3answers
1k views
Sump Pump Vs. Radon mitigation?
I have a full basement in a cold climate (North Dakota). The previous owner had a raw hole broken out of the cement floor that must have served as an emergency sump pump hole. We haven't had water ...
2
votes
1answer
219 views
Sump Pump Recommendations
I have an outdoor sump pit in front of my basement door to prevent water coming in during strong rain storms. In the pit is a 5 gallon bucket with a 1/4 hp automatic pump.
Here's more information on ...
2
votes
2answers
164 views
Should I continue my basement subfloor under the stairs?
As part of finishing my basement I'll need to rebuild these stairs to account for the higher floor level. The back of this stair case is currently open to the lower basement, but that will be getting ...
2
votes
1answer
108 views
Why is there a sewer gas smell coming from my door jamb?
I am at the tail end of tiling my basement floor and undercut the existing trim on the bathroom door. I started noticing a sewage smell and pinpointed it as being strongest at this point. This is ...
2
votes
4answers
776 views
How can I improve the cold floor in my ground-floor unit?
My home is a ground-floor unit in a condominium. The floor is really quite cold and I'd like to do something about that. I saw in another question the suggestion to use Platon. Would I be able to put ...
2
votes
1answer
44 views
How do I attach the framing of a shorter wall to a higher wall above concrete?
Back again with another framing question that I simply haven't been able to answer.
For Reference:
Gray - Concrete
Pink - XPS Insulation
Darker Browns - Existing Wood
Light Brown w/ Dashes - new ...
2
votes
3answers
136 views
How can I fix a small slightly damp area in my basement wall?
I am in the process of converting a bedroom in our walkout basement, into an office. Back in 1999, the previous owner had finished the basement. The basement foundation walls are hollow cinder ...
2
votes
3answers
541 views
What is a good solution for hiding insulation in an unfinished basement?
First off, let me note that I am a tenant in this house. My landlord lets me do small improvements, but I'm not going to finish the basement with drywall myself.
Basically, we have an unfinished ...
2
votes
2answers
284 views
Is occasional puddling of water in an unfinished basement a problem that needs to be addressed?
In a early 20th century New England home of wood frame construction and foundation of fieldstone and brick with some CMU, we get some puddling of water in a few areas of the unfinished basement floor ...
2
votes
5answers
6k views
How do I paint a basement ceiling and heating pipes?
What is the best way to paint a basement ceiling?
Can I paint the copper baseboard heating pipes? Do I have to use special paint?
2
votes
1answer
43 views
Can I convert a basement window to a door?
We have a poured concrete basement, serving as the foundation of our home, which was built in 2008 in central Minnesota.
The basement has 3 vinyl windows, the sills of which are around 1' above ...
2
votes
1answer
104 views
How should I finish around this hole in my slab?
This hole in my basement has a roughed-in drain pipe for a bathtub (can't really see it, but I've verified it's there):
As you can see, it's about 12"x16". As I prepare to finish the basement, I'm ...
2
votes
2answers
130 views
Should I add batt insulation to concrete basement walls?
We're planning how to finish our basement, and haven't been able to figure out something related to insulation.
The home's in Minnesota, and was built in 2008. XPS insulation (installed by the ...
2
votes
2answers
579 views
How can I prepare this concrete floor for tile?
I'm looking to replace an old carpet in my finished basement with tile. I've removed the carpet and found a surface with some peeling paint, which I've read needs to be removed since the thinset for ...
2
votes
1answer
474 views
How to properly close a chimney hole in the basement
I recently removed the old unused wood stove in my basement. I now want to properly condemn the chimney.
I found this question which answers what to do with the chimney outside, but I am still unsure ...
2
votes
1answer
218 views
What should I do to this basement closet so I can put clothes in it?
We bought a house that had a closet along part of the basement wall. it has the water meter in it and on outside wall also. we carpeted the basement along with the closet. the closet has drywall in ...
2
votes
1answer
224 views
Should I be concerned with my back flow valve pit filling with water?
I have never had foundation or ground water problems in my basement but I did have a sewar problem and as part of a recent replacment of that, I had a back flow valve installed that looks like this:
...
2
votes
1answer
151 views
Can I use 2-1/2“ metal studs to hang 1/2” drywall?
I am in the process of remodeling my basement, & it's ready for studs; the basement is small, so to maximize as much space as possible I was thinking of using 2-1/2" metal studs opposed to the ...
2
votes
1answer
233 views
How can I install an interior cat door to the basement and not have it kill me? (from increased radon)
I recently purchased and moved into a new house with an unfinished basement under part of house and crawl space under the rest. We have 2 indoor cats and I would prefer that their litter box be in ...
2
votes
1answer
83 views
How to find where crickets are entering?
We occasionally find crickets in our mostly unfinished basement. We don't often open the windows down there and we haven't noticed any unusual drafts. We don't have any dryer vents there. There are ...
2
votes
1answer
221 views
Is this hole at the corner of the foundation major issue?
I am in the process of purchasing a home. I found the perfect home but of course, I found water stains in the basement walls (mostly close to the floor). I also noticed a small hole at the corner of ...
2
votes
1answer
407 views
How can I clean and paint my basement floor?
The basement in my house I just purchased has remnants of paint on one half of the basement that is separated by a wall. The remaining paint is stuck down really well and I would like to paint over ...
2
votes
0answers
391 views
Are there any risks in removing these steel basement window frames?
I am planning to replacement my basement windows (see this related question) and was planning to remove both the glass and frame. A window vendor advised me not do this claiming that the steel frame ...
1
vote
2answers
261 views
Need Quick Fix for Leaky Door
Hurricane Sandy is starting to hit us, and we have come to realize our basement door is leaky, and it's starting to soak our basement. I found where the water is coming in, the bottom corner of the ...
1
vote
3answers
216 views
Will plaster on basement walls and ceiling provide insulation?
My basement's insides are completely unfinished. It has bare brick walls and bare concrete beams-vaults as the ceiling. I though of coating the walls and the ceiling with 2 inch thick plaster with the ...
1
vote
2answers
3k views
How can I install ceramic tile over vinyl tile?
I'm trying to install ceramic tile in a friend's bathroom, appox. 45 sq ft.
The current floor in the bathroom is vinyl squares over the base cement. There is no subfloor or anything like that. The ...
1
vote
2answers
288 views
Will I trap moisture in the concrete of basement walls and floors if I seal them with epoxy?
I'm thinking about painting my basement's walls with some concrete sealer (before finishing the basement) and floor with epoxy paint. Many people are doing that, but I'm concerned about moisture in ...
1
vote
1answer
433 views
Basement shower drain backing up when washing machine runs
When running washing machine, water backs up through a nearby shower drain and makes a gurgling noise. How do I solve this problem?
1
vote
2answers
3k views
How do I connect a dryer to a dryer vent?
I just moved my dryer (gas) a couple feet to a better location in the basement. It is actually now closer to the existing dryer vent to the outside of the house. The previous owner has it connected ...
1
vote
1answer
3k views
Can I install sheet vinyl flooring in a basement that gets wet on occasion?
Our basement is usually dry, but every so often we have torrential rainstorms in the spring and we are downhill from our neighbors. We get some water overnight in a small stream that we can mop up. ...
1
vote
1answer
540 views
“Draining” concrete blocks?
We've recently had exterior waterproofing applied our house. In the process, we removed an old cold room that was underneath our porch. They walled up the entrance to the old cold room, and then ...
1
vote
2answers
1k views
Is basement smell caused by oil boiler?
Although dry and not moldy, my 130-year-old basement has a distinct basement smell that bothers my wife. I am trying to determine its source. We have steam heat. In the summer, the boiler is only ...
1
vote
3answers
312 views
How should I use fiberglass batts to insulate between floor joists over a stone basement?
I have an old home built on a stone foundation. The stone foundation is solid, as well as the floor joists. I run a dehumidifier in the basement full time, to keep the air moisture low. There is ...
1
vote
1answer
131 views
How should I insulate behind the last floor joist that runs parallel to the foundation wall?
As an aside, I can't for the life of me figure out what to call the last floor joist that runs parallel to the basement foundation. Does it have a name?
In my house, there is a little cramped gap an ...
1
vote
1answer
50 views
What type and rating of insulation should be used in a basement bathroom?
I need to replace the insulation on the back and side of the bathtub. The walls face the
exterior of the house (poured foundation). What type and rating should I use? I can't tell what the ...
1
vote
3answers
184 views
How can I add ventilation to my basement office?
I have a finished basement with an office, guest bedroom and bathroom. All about 700 sq ft.
I work 12+ hours in the office and really need to get some fresh air circulating by extracting stale air. ...
1
vote
1answer
65 views
Can I insulate over 1/2 in. styrofoam?
We have a rec room (basement) from the 60's that we are redoing. Currently on the outside walls, they have 1 x 2 studding then 1/2 inch white styrofoam then vapour barrier. WE are wondering if we ...
1
vote
2answers
192 views
What type of sump pump back up systems are available?
I have just about completed all the work to finish my basement. I know, not a great time to think about this, but when I bought the home there was zero water in it and didn't think the winter would ...
1
vote
1answer
191 views
Is continuous exhaust from basement level closet a good idea?
I have a recurring problem with mold in the closet of a basement level bedroom. After considering various options, I'm currently contemplating installing some sort of a low powered continuous exhaust ...
1
vote
2answers
3k views
How can I improve air flow in my basement?
I have a pretty odd two floor duplex apartment with one of the rooms practically being a basement. I have previously had problems with mold, and in general the air isn't great in the basement. So I ...
1
vote
1answer
155 views
Damp proofing/tanking a basement
The plaster on one wall of my basement has blown and come away from the wall. I've stripped it all off which leaves a layer of concrete painted with bitumen. What's the best method for sealing off ...
1
vote
1answer
513 views
How should I add flooring in my “crawl” space?
Our house has a basement where part of it is finished but one section is closed off by a door and just has a dirt floor. The space is about 25'x25' and about 12' tall (not really a "crawl" space) ...
1
vote
2answers
104 views
Is a combined AC/Dehumidifer unit more efficient than separate units?
I've just moved into a "basement-ish" apartment; the actual ground level is about at my waist. It's a bit mustier than I'd hoped, and not as cool as I'd like during these closing days of Summer. I'm ...
1
vote
1answer
299 views
Do I need to do more prep work on this cement floor before putting in new tile?
In my basement i have a poured concrete floor, and we're re-doing the bathroom down there. It used to have Vinyl flooring, and we ripped it all up. The top vinyl part came up easily, but it left a bit ...
1
vote
1answer
76 views
How do I clean a root cellar under my porch to make it suitable for food storage?
I have a root cellar under my porch. How should I clean loose stones on the floor and get rid of a musty smell so I can use the space as a safe food storage area. Small field mice entered and some of ...
1
vote
1answer
49 views
Can I install Delta-FL in only part of a basement?
I've been looking at finishing my basement and am leaning towards using 7/16" OSB over Delta-FL for the subfloor. I was also considering leaving some areas as bare cement (laundry room, utility room, ...
