How do I finish half concrete wall in walk out basement without framing

Question

I am starting to think about finishing my walk out basement. I am in the southeast USA.

It has a wall that is half concrete from the bottom and then wood studs on top. How can I best apply drywall to this portion of the wall and minimize moisture/heat loss issue from the concrete. I would prefer not adding framing the wall to save space and to make it even with the existing framing above. Can I get away with just installing drywall on the half concrete wall or do I need to add other layers? I want it to be even with the wood framing above when I place drywall on that.

pics

Answer 1

You need insulation and vapor barrier. Drywall should rarely be attached directly to concrete. I've done it once, but it was on a basement wall under a heated garage where clearance was an issue.

"Best" is up to your preferences and the nuances of the situation. Look into furring strips if space is a priority. They've been discussed here many times. You can also frame with 2x3 studs, or turn 2x4 studs sideways.

Answer 2

Since you can run cable and put switches and maybe some outlets in the top part of the wall, in this section I'd lay a minimal furring strip floor to ceiling to achieve a uniform face for the drywal, with plastic sheet behind the strips on the bottom half. If you need to put outlets in the bottom half you can run cable down from the top half and use shallow boxes.

Answer 3

if the concrete is waterproof, you can glue the drywall to it with a special cement that is made for the purpose.