Basement is a multipurpose area of a house which can be converted into a workout area, a garage, an entertainment room or a laundry, depending upon the homeowner’s requirement. Before you frame your basement walls, it is important to ensure your room is free of leak and moisture. Read further to know how you can frame your basement walls.

BASEMENT WALL FRAMING:

 The first step to frame the basement walls is to design the wall layout. This step will ensure the ceiling joists are closely lined up with the wall studs. One must also ensure to keep the ground floor joists in place.

 On the basement floor, mark chalk lines to spot the walls. Install 2” x 4” treated lumber for the floor plates. Treated lumber is the best remedy to avoid the risk of damage caused to the construction due tof moisture.

 To bolt bottom plates in correct position, use concrete screw gun.

 Directly install the ceiling plates, just above the floor plates. Instead of a treated one, go for regular 2” x 4” lumber. Now, using framing nails, fix plates beneath the ground floor joists.

 When you take the studs in floor joists as reference point, start fixing wall studs on the 16”center. When you line the studs up, actually, you offer easy access for wiring, venting and plumbing process in the future.

 Slight level variations are a must in concrete floor. Hence, first measure and then cut the studs individually.

 To secure the studs’ top and bottom to floor plates and ceiling, use a framing nail gun. The nails must be inserted at 45 degrees.

 Make sure that there is a minimum of ½ inch gap between the existing basement concrete walls and the newly framed walls. This decreases the formation of moisture on the concrete’s inside, preventing the dampening of wood.

VAPOR BARRIER INSTALLATION

Checking the basement condition before considering the vapor barrier installation is quite important. Basements having various unfinished cement walls get waterproofed with certain special sealants. Nevertheless, in case you finish basement with false walls or drywall sheets, there are various things to remember.

WHY A VAPOR BARRIER?

There are various schools of thought on vapor barrier and its effectiveness, also called as vapor retarder. Such protective sheets are secured to the basement walls to prevent moisture that seeps into the walls of the home. Moisture affecting walls can cause a serious problem with mildew, mold and rot.

Let us also look at the various other problems that are caused due to moisture:-

 The barrier isn’t correctly positioned or loosely installed around pipes, outlets and various other connecting regions

 Vapor barrier facing insulation is installed when the barrier, rather than facing the wall, faces the room

 With an attached vapor barrier, supplemental insulation gets layered over any existing insulation

 Any such circumstance would render vapor barrier completely useless

The following materials are used as vapor retarders:-

 Paper-backed insulation, known also as Kraft paper that faces UI
 Paper-backed aluminum
 Visquine (polyethylene plastic sheet)
 Rigid insulation and
 Roofing membrane sheets

NECESSITY OF INSTALLING VAPOR BARRIERS IN BASEMENTS

The necessity of vapor barrier installation in the basement area arises based on the necessity and the direction faced by the barrier for moisture prevention. As a matter of fact, not all homes require such application.
Below is a simple thumb rule as guidance:-

 If the area where you reside remains cold for more than six months, better install vapor protection internally, with the barrier facing the interior of the wall or the warm side. This keeps moisture from condensation and from reaching outside walls.

 If it is humid and hot where you live, better install vapor protection externally, with the barrier facing the exterior or the warm side of the wood or siding. This helps to prevent the moisture from getting into the inside walls.

 If you have an even season mix, you wouldn’t require a vapor retarder at all. Review your area’s local building codes to find what most professionals recommend.

 Always note – if you pour a basement floor made of concrete, regardless of where you stay, you would require a vapor barrier. In most situations, what works is a cross-laminated polyethylene sheet. For more direction, check with your local hardware store.

TIPS TO INSTALL VAPOR BARRIERS IN BASEMENT

 Always check the walls for damage, including existing moisture and cracks. Before adding a barrier, these need to be repaired

 Before placing insulation and studs, most building experts recommend vapor barrier installation in basement

 Staple the material to the studs, if they already are in place. Simply pull it across tightly and, as far as possible, flatly cover large surfaces

 Ensure that you don’t cut or tear the material

 Use a sealant to secure the material and align your barrier right up to the pipes, electrical outlets, windows and various other obstructions

 Now install non-faced insulation over vapor barrier. In case the insulation has an already attached barrier, or if you install a new insulation over the old, create long cuts so as to avoid the bubble effect. Moisture may seep between barriers, leading to rotting in insulation

 If your insulation has the attached protection, you need not install vapor retardant. However, remember – the insulation side faces the exterior and the paper barrier side faces interior

 Try not to manipulate insulation in any manner. It need not be stretched, puffed or fluffed, and, while doing so, may tear attached barriers. Simply unroll and thereafter put it up

 Some rigid insulation also serve as vapor barriers. To see if the selection pulls double -duty, check your coding

 Based on the basement size, it takes four hours for two people. Depending on the type of material used and the square footage, the material costs change. To ensure you don’t require a permit, check the building codes of your area

 Also, when handling insulation, take necessary precautions. Wear long sleeves, work gloves, eye protection and a face mask

IS WOOD BETTER OR METAL FOR SUBTERRANEAN SPACES?

While renovating basements most choose to use metal studs for wall framing purposes. The decision is fully dependent on measuring the advantages and disadvantages of both metal and wood studs.

As indicated in the website of ‘ThumbandHammer’ we would like to share the comparison parameters between metal and wood studs:-

 Convenience: Here, metal wins easily over wood. It appears much lighter compared to wood, and, takes just the space of one lumber piece. This makes transportation easier. Usually, metal is cut with the help of aviation snips, meaning absence of sawdust. Nevertheless, one should wear gloves to protect the hands. Also, care has to be exercised to clean up the small pieces that end up on the floor

 Strength: Compared to the two materials, wood is sturdier. Though metal appears flimsy, once drywall gets screwed to it, it seems rigid and strong.Nevertheless, metal won’t be suitable for heavy mirrors or hanging cabinets. Most metal framing don’t have structural strength. They can only be used for partition walls

 Forgiveness: In case you make mistakes in measurements or if the stud isn’t vertical, as most metal studs are attached with the screws, moving and removing them is extremely simple

 Cost: Initially, it appears metal is inexpensive compared to wood. Nevertheless, the cost of electrical boxes for metal studs is more. And unless shielded BX cable is used, plastic grommets are used to run standard electric wires. Metal also needs screws for construction purposes and for attaching moldings. Though the initial lumber cost appears more than the metal studs, the additional metal costs put things evenly placed

 Stableness: Unlike metal, wood is more prone to warping and twisting. While wood wicks moisture metal rusts. Hence a sill gasket or a vapour barrier is required between concrete floor and bottom plate

 Ecological concerns: Sometimes, metal framing are promoted as an eco-friendly solution for wood. Nevertheless, both have their negative and positive points. Timber comes from trees. Generally, cutting trees down is considered bad for environment although wood is a renewable source. Though wood scraps are biodegradable, most end up in landfill
Metal can be easily recycled. Generally, recycling is believed to be good for environment, but metal-recycling causes some amount of pollution. The metal- ore has to be refined and mined to produce metal, which negatively impacts the environment.

 Fire related concerns: Unlike wood, metal is incombustible. A wall constructed with metal- studs is virtually fire-resistant

 Transfer of Cold: As metal is a good conductor of cold, metal studs transfer the cold. Hence, rigid foam insulation or polystyrene are recommended between metal and the outside wall. With wood, the transfer of cold is less

The choice of the material is purely based on the homeowner’s preference; however, consultation from an expert can do wonders to your basement.

Check with a professional in your area who can help you take the best and effective measure to keep your basement dry even during the rains.  If you are a resident of Pennsylvania suffering from basement problems and if your house is located in any of these regions, call us at 800 771 – 3244 or visit us at

http://www.keystonebasementsystems.com/about-us.html. Schedule your appointment and seek solution to your basement woes, now!

“Keystone Basement Systems, Inc. is a foundation repair company. KBS is not, however, a engineering firm and should not be considered as such.”

Source links: http://thumbandhammer.com/diy/framing.html

Tags: Advice, Basic information, Informative, Learning

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 16th, 2009 at 1:02 pm and is filed under Advice, Basic Information, Remedial measures. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.