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Ad-Nauseam91 OP t1_iyav3nv wrote

Reply to comment by more_than_just_ok in Plan to frame part of basement and have a few questions by Ad-Nauseam91

Thank you and u/strongmans follow up question around the different temps in foundation higher up than lower. If I were to frame, insulate and drywall the walls, but leave the floor as is, that doesn’t create any weird effect? What if I leave the ceiling as is too (not sure I’d do that but curious if that changes anything)

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ComDet t1_iyb1ajv wrote

I would also recommend doing epoxy floor, and treated wood at least for the bottom plate.

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more_than_just_ok t1_iyb4qhw wrote

Epoxy floor would look nice. I said I would do it on my floor 10 years ago, but it hasn't happened yet. You can do treated wood for the bottom plate in each wall, the other option, u/strongmans mentioned it, is sill gasket, basically 3.5 inch wide closed-cell foam, about 1/8" thick that comes in a roll that you put between the bottom plate and the floor. It's also used between the top of the foundation and the sill plate (or anywhere wood touches concrete) in most newer houses.

If you're building just a few walls yourself, spend the extra money and use 2.5 or 3 inch deck screws instead of nails (Robertson #2 head if you can get them in New England?) Very useful when you mess up and need to redo stuff, and you can hold the board with one hand, the drill in the other while the drill bit holds the screw in place.

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nightwing2000 t1_iybav2m wrote

I thought Robertson (the square hole screw heads) was more of a Canada thing?

Yes, my go to reference for construction, Holmes on Homes, says NEVER have bare untreated wood touching cement. It can absorb water from the cement.

You also have to consider the risk of basement leakage. Cracked foundation wall leaking, or rain/melt water buildup leaking in, may damage the bottom of your walls. Is this a risk? How good is the foundation drainage? Would you notice?

And, in much older houses, the concrete basement floor may not be particularly level. A raised wood subfloor allows you to level things so you can use tiles or carpet. But you may have a central floor drain, you may never notice if there's a water seepage until mold shows up, etc. Basement floods do more damage if you have to replace a raised floor. (I saw a Holmes episode where he used a floor leveler compound, like a very wet cement that leveled like water but hardened - to get rid of excessive slope. Don't block the drain. )

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Mego1989 t1_iyblhsf wrote

Self leveling underlayment/cement. It's neat stuff! Very messy and expensive though

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Doctor_Frasier_Crane t1_iycmpz5 wrote

I used 12-inch wide 6-mil poly under my basement walls and wrapped it up both sides and stapled it in place. Provides separation from the floor and some minor flood protection. I can get up to 6 inches of water on the floor and still have some protection for the studs.

I also have rolled dimple flooring underlay to provide separation and airflow under the vinyl plank flooring.

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Dire88 t1_iybaqxg wrote

Technically, you can skip PT on the bottom and sill plates if using sill guard. But the cost savings for non-PT aren't worth it imo.

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strongmans t1_iychzmi wrote

You'll be fine. It's when you close in the walls preventing air movement is why you need a vapor barrier. I've done this method tons of times and never an issue. If it's going to be a shop why bother finishing the floor. Unless you want to spend the money and epoxy it for looks.

You can use PT for the sill plate if you want but it's going way overboard. The sill gaskets breaks the capillary movement of moisture. You shouldn't use PT lumber inside but it's not the end of the world.

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more_than_just_ok t1_iyb2s8v wrote

You can leave the floor as is, especially for a workshop, and leave the ceiling unfinished too. My basement is 70% fully finished (drywall ceiling, carpet) but I've left the laundry/utility room and a storage room with no ceiling and a concrete floor.

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JohnC53 t1_iybynw2 wrote

All the exposed joist space makes for a ton of additional storage if you get creative. Another bonus of leaving the ceiling unfinished.

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