Questions tagged [basement]
For questions generally relating to habitable spaces in a home below ground level, and to foundation types that include a space of this type.
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What are these black drainage pipes in my basement and can I move them?
I'm thinking of finishing my Ontario basement but would first like to understand more about some of the black drainage pipes.
The builder installed rough-ins for a bathroom, with an orientation that ...
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Proper wall assembly for finishing basement with half-concrete foundation
I am thinking of finishing my Ontario basement and have a question about proper wall assembly.
The grade of the lawn slopes down from the front of the house to the back, so that a concrete foundation ...
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If permeability is desirable for priming and painting drywall in a basement, why aren't mineral paints more commonly used?
Context: Drywall is up and has two coats of joint compound smoothed and sanded in a basement partition. The wall assembly has a gap behind it 1" off the wall on two sides, and the other sides are ...
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How to level "bowed" concrete floor
I am going to put a rigid insulation board on my concrete floor in the basement. However, I have a small section of the floor that is higher, which is not problematic in itself. The real issue is that ...
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Mold in the basement [closed]
A part of my basement is not under the house, it's under the parking lot. A lot of water drips down into it, so its almost constantly under water.
The bottom left picture obviously is white, fluffy ...
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How would I ensure I measured these windows correctly for replacement with egress?
I've got two bedrooms in my basement with no egress windows. I measured the concrete opening of both and found the one flush with the parging to be 20"x37", but the one that was recessed in ...
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Leaky basement in one corner
Just bought a 3 year old custom built home. Water is leaking into one corner of the home where the floor meets the wall and possibly thru the concrete floor (hydrostatic pressure?) Usually leaks a day ...
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Mould issue in underground basement
I have a basement that I use as studio that is part of a house that is pretty old (built around 1948), and I have a mould issue in it, as you can see from the following photos:
The issue appears on ...
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What are these pillars attached to foundation wall
Not sure what these pillars are, they are cemented to the wall. My wall is bowing in so not sure if the was a attempt to stop it back in the day.
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Basement slab heave
I have a finished basement with a storage room that has no flooring (just concrete)
There is a French drain, and all downspouts direct away from the house. I noticed some small heaving in this area ...
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Should I remove my entire basement window to change partial rotted frame?
After a particulary nasty rain storm, we had some bad water infiltration coming from under the window frame.(yes and no window well - next project!)
There was a poor parging job done and water was ...
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Faced or Unfaced Fiberglass in a basement stud cavity that has IPS Foil Board?
Insulating in Zone 5. Basement is 90% below grade, maybe 8" to 12" exposed foundation around the top of the basement wall.
Applying R-6 Foil Faced Poly Iso to the poured concrete wall, then ...
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Can I trim the plastic sticking up from edges of my basement wall?
Original question:
Before we bought our house, a moisture control system was installed on one side of our basement. The channel runs along the foundation and ends at a sump pump. This channel was ...
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Mounting a combi boiler in a dirt basement with fieldstone foundation
I just bought a 1790s house with an old (30+ years) furnace and water heater (20+ years) located in southwest New Hampshire. We want to convert this system to a combi boiler as I can do all the work ...
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Sealing an unfinished-basement ceiling without putting in ... a ceiling?
100-year old stone house, eastern Pennsylvania, USA. Wondering if folks have creative ideas for our basement, which we’d like to upgrade from mostly unfinished to partly finished.
The space is ...
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How to determine the water source in my flooding basement?
There are a few questions about flooding basements in old houses, but I think that all wet basements are wet in their own way, so none of those are helping me.
I live in St. Louis, MO in an all brick ...
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Would I regret removing ragged fiberglass batting from ceiling of old house basement?
We live in 130-yr-old house in MA. Some previous owner installed fiberglass insulation between the joists over the basement. The basement's walls are uninsulated stone and the floor is a mix of badly ...
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Basement framing over dimple mat and french drain
I bought a home with an unfinished basement with the intent to finish it. I live in the Pacific Northwest of the US where we get lots of rain, and there was some water intrusion. We re-graded the land ...
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Custom Glassblock Window came in 2 pieces
I just picked up a 52”x28” glass block window that I custom ordered. However, it came in 2 pieces (over 40” comes in 2 pieces apparently). I know how to install into the basement wall but I have some ...
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Finished basement ceiling insulation advice/questions
Location: Chicago-land area
Situation:
Finished basement about 1500 sq ft
Basement has a bathroom, washer/dryer, HVAC system, and water heater, and has heating registers down there to stabilize temp
...
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Replacing multiple 6” flexible ducts with rigid
I’m cleaning up ductwork in my basement and want to replace the runs of flexible duct with rigid.
Current
There is a group of 3 duct runs (6” uninsulated flexible round) that all have very close ...
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Waterproofing a concrete basement wall with a staircase in the way?
I've been in my 1926 house for just over a year, and earlier this week I noticed water seeping in through the concrete wall behind my basement staircase after some intense rain. It was a small but ...
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Not sure what to do about condensation in crawlspace
New build home on flat land in Utah. Summer temps have peaked in the 100s. We have condensation on the inside of the vapor barrier on 2 of the exterior walls in the crawlspace. Inspector told us it’s ...
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Is there any rule about how far wiring has to be from a ceiling's surface?
In my house, the basement is unfinished, and many of the cables and pipes are attached near the bottom edge of joists and beans. If I want to put up a ceiling, does code require that I somehow ...
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Should I use a subfloor for a finished basement's floor?
We are refinishing our basement and have not yet decided what to do for the floors. Part of the basement will be tile, and we are all set. However, the rec room side is going to be carpet. The ...
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Should I be concerned about this bent stud?
As you can see in the picture, this stud in my basement is bent from the middle at least 3 inches to the left. It was screwed to the drywall that it pulled through. What can I do to stop more bending ...
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Is it OK to use blue board in a basement area and a bathroom?
A contractor we’re about to hire is saying they would use the blue board for the walls in the basement area and also in the bathroom. The bathroom is going to have a standup shower unit installed made ...
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What can I do to remedy stair risers with gaps at the wall?
We're removing the carpet on our stairs and want to keep the wood stairs pretty basic underneath. However, the risers don’t meet the wall going almost all the way up. How can we fix it?
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How can I construct an outdoor concrete pad and retaining wall that will also work as a basement floor and foundation wall?
I know at least a few ways to pour a concrete pad for long term outdoor use. And I can build a retaining wall, poured or from cinder blocks (or from timber, but that's less relevant here).
I am less ...
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Can I install vinyl planks over drainage mats in a basement setting?
We just installed these tiles in a garage - https://www.amazon.com/Interlocking-Bathroom-Flooring-Non-Slip-Waterproof/dp/B08HNC2DGK/ref=sr_1_16?crid=LK99921LSV7Z&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9....
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Must concrete foundation be dry to seal cracks and seams?
I have a 1960s concrete foundation. There are some small cracks in the floor. During the last [epic] rainfall, they started to seep water. I'd like to seal them. Also, the seam where the concrete ...
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Is this pipe in my basement floor intended for radon mitigation?
This pipe emerges from the concrete slab floor in a corner of my house's full basement. I believe it's a 4" polyethylene sewer pipe (narrow walls, black interior, white exterior). I can't tell if it's ...
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What kind of soil mix to use for grading the perimeter of house to keep water away from basement?
To help divert water away from my home's foundation, I am trying to improve the grade of the landscape around the perimeter of the house. I suffered a flooded basement (about 1" or so) from ...
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Increasing height of walkout basement door to meet code requirements?
Looking to try and increase the height of our walkout basement door from 74" to 78" to meet building code requirements. I'm currently looking at getting rid of the rid of the step at the ...
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What's this big buried block outside a Bowing foundation wall
So my basement wall is bowing so I’m have a company come out and put beams up and push the wall back to being straight. While digging the outside I found this on the outside wall right where the wall ...
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1” XPS 3/4” plywood basement subfloor Wisconsin
I’m making a subfloor for my basement in Wisconsin.
The house was built in 2017, and would have had to pass all code requirements and inspections.
The basement has no moisture issues, and is always ...
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Should bottom wall plates in a basement be treated lumber?
Question for those who are well versed in framing and then maybe some code as well. I got into a discussion the other day between a couple other trades, they were suggesting I was wasting my time ...
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Foundation sliding in, basement flooding, sediment seeping in between basement wall and foundation
I have sandy sediment and water seeping out from between my basement wall and foundation. and the basement walls appear to be sliding in. Please help.
PHOTOS
Photos are of the left side basement wall. ...
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How can I fireblock basement wall
I am finishing my basement. I am about to build my wall and wondering what is the easiest way to fireblock (to stop vertical movement of fire).
Options:
Use 1/2 inch drywall from sill plate to front ...
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Water dripping down basement walls during heavy rain from the south and from one window header
I would appreciate advice. I have had water dripping from the window header in my master bathroom during a heavy rain from the south. I also have noticed a trickle of water down my basement wall which ...
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How to insulate and wall off basement partition for best long-term air quality outcomes?
Background
Project description: U.S. heating zone 5, in a 1960s ranch-style house with basement matching original home footprint, we're partitioning the empty half of the basement (no mechanicals, ...
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Risks of not repairing a slightly dripping downpipe in the cellar?
When I flush the toilet on the upper floor, water runs out slightly in the pipe in the basement (right at the opening where it is rusty. The opening is actually meant for cleaning the pipe).
I got ...
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Salt Deposits on Basement Brick Paint Surface and faulty Sseal around water supply pipe entry
I've noticed salt deposits appearing on the paint surface of the bricks in my basement. What are the specific factors or conditions that typically cause these salt deposits to form? I'm particularly ...
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New Basement Bathroom Drain Issue
First off, I live in Virginia, I know plumbing code varies state by state. I am roughing in a bathroom in my basement. I was planning to use a shower drain as my sink drain that is already in my ...
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Basement Window Cracks/Gaps Around Foundation - Can see through gap from inside
I have a basement window that has gaps around the foundation of my house (see pics below for details). I'm becoming more worried because I can now see outside light from the inside of my window. ...
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Is my sewer line broken?
Home Built: 1955. New York City.
https://imgur.com/a/mpjRvKl
Landscape is pitched towards the street, so I don’t think grading was an issue. I moved in a year ago and in the front corner of the ...
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Does electrical wire need to run though floor joists or can it run above the side of foundation?
I’m looking to install a new electrical outlet in the basement and I know it needs to be in conduit coming down the wall but my basement has a large gap above the foundation where it appears other ...
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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 ...
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Are there any reasons I shouldn't remove this odd nook from a basement room?
I'm thinking about taking out this weird nook in my basement, along with the white-topped blocks/supports that surround it.
Is there any reason I shouldn't? In other words - is there a likely purpose ...
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What are the pros and cons of paint vs epoxy for concrete floors?
We will be finishing our basement in our new house - over the next two years or so. Eventually, we will put down flooring in most of the basement (although some parts will remain unfinished). ...
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