Pasted as rich text. ( At my house I don't have the capillary break, but there are 2' roof overhangs, more than 15" of exterior exposure everywhere, and French drains where the roof valleys dump copious volumes of water during summertime thunderstorm squalls.). What is the arc length formula in a metric space? 2. Should I expect the new mortar to start crumbling and releasing dust soon, or should it stay solid and dust-free for many years? My basement walls were coated in Drylok and have a good amount of flaking and evidence of moisture in the bottom 2-3 of foundation. Can simply not spending the dust thwart dusting attacks? Even if your basement walls have no visible cracks or leaks you may still have moisture issues. (See: https://www.masssave.com/en ) To improve the continuity of the air barrier it's best to spray foam the band joists AFTER putting up the board foam. The primary advantage of concrete slab foundations is that they are usually the least expensive to build. Btw, do you know any company in MA which sprays HFO ? To check your walls to see how lumpy, bumpy, and out of perfect alignment they are, place a 6-foot level across the wall and travel along the surface left to right, and then turn the level 90 degrees and repeat. Of course, youll also find plenty of these foundations in coastal areas, where houses need to be raised above storm surges. Basements are surrounded by soil, and moisture in the soil can leak through cracks in walls or seep through the concrete itself, resulting in damp or humid conditions indoors. There are better ways to go with zero thermal bridging at about the same or even less total depth. It can also be easily added to an existing basement foundation -a popular option when adding on to a house with a basement. It looks like a small pile of sand at the base of the foundation. We want to eliminate the water issue and then finish off the basement so we can use it as living space. I am guessing in about 10 years the cat come out of the bag and foundations will be shown to have serious damage caused by this practice. Once I try it, I'll let you know how this works out.-Eli. All rights reserved. The ones I contacted offer traditional Closed cell (sealtite Pro closed cell). I just had a basement sprayed by Ritchie Insulation in Westport. Tape a 1-foot by 1-foot square of plastic sheeting (plastic kitchen wrap will do) to the concrete wall in your basement with duct tape, and leave it in . Since the foundation is below grade and not subject to freezing and supported by dirt on four sides, the only concern I have is moisture problems. waterproof basement stone foundation, stone foundation waterproof basement. 2. The least-expensive option for basement construction involves the use of concrete blocks or masonry. Cost and material availability are also selection factors. Read on to learn what to do (and not do) when finishing basement walls to achieve high-quality and comfortable conditions. If the ceiling isn't insulated and there's a boiler or furnace in the basement, the standby & distribution losses to the basement should keep it well into the 60sF once there's an air-tight R15 on the walls. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. Then we dig a square hole in the ground, call it a basement, and expect it to stay dry. +1 for mentioning that the hardness of the new mortar should match the old. An inch of foam to air seal the band joists and foundation sill to the top of your board-foam is worth it for the whole basement, but you may be able to get the band joists & foundation sills foamed for next to nothing after subsidies through MassSave (less than 50 cents per running foot of band joist after subsidy), assuming you are in the In the situation we are not going with spray foam, what would be a 2nd alternative even if it is not the best insulation ? It is technical but very precise ! If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. Sealing the walls is fine, as long as you do it on the outside first, and then and only then do the inside. You really need good carpentry skills to construct finished basement walls in the traditional way described above. It's sort of like applying a frosting to a cake. How To Finish An Old Stone Basement. To avoid annual tuck pointing, you should finish the foundation with a complete top coating of mortar. Hard surfaces, such as driveways, should slope away from the foundation at least inch per foot. Each type has advantages and disadvantages. The big foam vendors also have factory reject (usually cosmetic blemishes- dinged corners, dented/cut facers, etc.) If there are existing pipes along the inside of your concrete basement walls, the best course of action is to leave the pipe in place and build the new wall just inside the pipe. This page seems to suggest that I should be using not straight type-S hydrated lime, but type-S mortar, which consists of one part Portland cement, to part lime, and an amount of sand equal to 2 to 3 times the total volume of cement and lime. Allowing a limestone (or concrete) foundation to "breathe" allows moisture to pass through, dissolving some of the limestone along the way, weakening it slowly (over centuries, not decades.) A well built stone wall can always be repaired with less trouble than concrete foundations. So I discovered recently that the concrete part of my foundation (which is above the stone wall) is actually brick surrounded by concrete (or mortar), and not a layer of pure concrete. How much technical / debugging help should I expect my advisor to provide? How its done: Its the tried-and-true traditional method: A vapor barrier and rigid-foam insulation are laid over foundation walls, followed by a stud frame and drywall. The catch is that these installing these systems isnt a DIY job; instead, the manufacturer arranges for a certified crew to install them. Can you finish a stone foundation basement? Once installed, the panels can be painted, and you can install crown molding and baseboard for a finished look. We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Never apply new mortar over any old crumbling mortar, as this is a temporary fix and it will only last a couple years. Here are the steps to follow when sealing stone foundations: Clean the stone wall with a mild solution. The concrete slab foundation is an obvious example. Todays video games involve actual physical activity, not just fiddling with a joystick. I have read the building science articles about completely modifying the basement but that's not in the cards and is another massively expensive project I cannot tackle at the moment. I came back to this thread to ask the same exact question as Tom, not realizing he'd already asked it! How its done: Licensed pros install a proprietary modular system that combines insulation, finished wall panels, and sometimes ceilings, floors, and finishes. I am about to work on my 1875 fieldstone foundation on a Maine island. Or would it be missing some vapor retarder ? I am using a type N mortar mix (already to go; just add water). However, there might be issues if there's too much variation. The foil faced sheathing polyiso would be about half that of HFO blown closed cell polyurethane in that graph, putting it in the same level as rock wool or fiberglass. Check your gaming platform for recommended clearances around and above the console. Planning to refinish your basement? In MA there are multiple vendors of used fiber faced roofing polyiso, which is also 2lbs density, but since no new polymer or blowing agents are being used, it's effectively CO2 neutral- it's just extending the useful lifecyle of an environmental hit already take decades ago. "We have good ceiling height (around 7ft)". Then remove the tape and examine the sheeting. I will look into this though. . The new mortar should consist of 1 part of portland cement and 2-3 parts of sand. Footings are installed around the perimeter of the house, and may be installed at load-bearing locations inside the house perimeter. Otherwise, HFO. These foundations were designed to keep out animals, hold up your house so it doesn't rot all that quickly and very little else. The previous owners installed a deep drain somewhat in the middle of the floor that seems to help get rid of any water we get. Best for: DIYers who want to save labor and floor space. A 600 board-foot DIY kit only covers 240 square feet of wall area R 2.5'" depth at a cost of about $3 per square foot. Do not waste your time and money! You should get a permit. It takes 2.5" of closed cell spray foam (or 3" of used roofing polyiso) to hit code-minimum in those areas where there won't be an interior side studwall. 14 "Trashed" bikes acquired for free. I did not think about the thermal bridging. Powered by Invision Community, Waterproofing and finishing a basement with a stone foundation, We have good ceiling height (around 7ft)", http://historicbldgs.com/stonefoundations.htm. Coupled with the requirement for fire-blocking (as a "concealed space") that DC Contrarian pointed out, effective ventilation quickly becomes difficult to do. We want to eliminate the water issue and then finish off the basement so we can use it as living space. We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup. Is there such a thing as "too much detail" in worldbuilding? I am sorry to bring back this thread ! When choosing paint for basement walls, theres more to the process than just selecting the color and sheen. Keeping water away from other components can cure up to ninety percent of foundation water problems. Slab foundations can be found just about everywhere, and are the predominant foundation in some markets. When doing exterior waterproofing on a stone foundation, it is critical that the homeowner select a basement waterproofing contractor with experience in working on stone foundations. Im not sure there is a prescriptive code assembly for this, but Id class it like a crawlspace. Home Improvement Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for contractors and serious DIYers. And clay-rich soil can expand and contract with changes in moisture levels, causing a foundation to settle or walls to crack from inward pressure. - Stud framing with unface batt and then drywall. 1. Once the wall has been prepped a parge coat of fresh mortar is applied to the entire wall to create a smoother surface. Be sure it is lime based. Do you still think it is a good idea ? Excavating around a stone foundation, when not done knowledgeably and carefully, can result in structural damage to the foundation and lead to an expensive and inconvenientrepair. That's mis-information. A foundation may consist of several components. I can let you know in about a decade or so if this plan was sound. Building codes are for protection of current and future occupants. The R-value of roofing foam is "only" about R5.5-R5.7 per inch when new, and three inches would make it to code-min for a foam-only solution. Seven feet is not compliant with minimum height for "habitable space". I am waiting for a feedback from the building department of my town on my project. For a small pool table (3 feet by 7 feet), you need a clear space at least 11 feet wide by 14 feet long to play comfortablyif you buy the shortest cues, that is. It has an unfinished basement with astone foundation that has been worked on before (not sure exactly how much) and a floor that has been repoured a few time. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. (No one should break a bone playing a virtual version of any sport.). An all-purpose worktable can seat several people for crafts, puzzles, board games, and much moreand designers say its often a better draw for crowds than a game table. Historically, stone foundations were built in one of threestyles: Fieldstone found stones of more uniformsize. It's a recipe for disappointmentand unhappiness. A simple DIY test will help you to find out. The material under the foundation (usually soil) is the actual load-bearing system that supports the house. How to use the geometry proximity node as snapping tool. How to protect sql connection string in clientside application. Treat it just as you would any of the rooms aboveground, and it might just become the most popular spot in the housefor a lot less cash than adding on. Phone service and appointment booking may be temporarily unavailable today. Since my house was build in 1870 and Portland cement was not widely used, The original mortar has got to be a lime based mortar and I should probably use a lime and portland mixture. 2023 The Taunton Press, Inc. All rights reserved. Wood treated with alkaline copper quaternary (ACQ), a chemical that reduces rot, will corrode ordinary nails and screws, so all fasteners should be ACQ-compatible. 3. With the studs 1" away from the wall the thermal bridging of the 1.5" stud penetration into the foam brings the performance to below code, unless the remainder of the studwall cavity is filled with fluff. >"I think I will hire a company to spray foam 2.5 inch of HFO on every walls. Its so cheery and welcoming, you hardly know youre on the bottom floor. Do not remove the old mortar throughout the entire basement all at once. It was a HUGE improvement in both wintertime comfort, and lowered indoor RH in summer (=less dehumidification required to keep the "musty basement smell" at bay) due to the enhanced air tightness and slightly higher summertime basement temps. Would it be of any benefit to install a French drain system and sump pump before insulating and framing? The panels are mold and mildew resistant, and they dampen sound as well. EPS is blow with isopentane (~7x CO2), most of which escapes the foam at the factory where it is recaptured, not vented to the atmosphere. The minimum footing size is usually twelve inches wide by six inches thick. Also, the idea is only to finish half of the basement. Joint owned property 50% each. In modern houses, footings are made from poured concrete. As Michael pointed out, XPS is by far the LEAST green insulation material in common use in the US, primarily due to it's extremely potent HFC greenhouse gas blowing agents. We are completely confused and going to get someone else out to look. And the 20-year warranty will give you peace of mind. Since youre insulating the interior wall and ceiling of your catwalk pathway, this crawlspace would need to be vented to the exterior. Well stated, Jim. Skip the corrugated metal and go for prefab wells made from fiberglass or another faux-stone material. If I can't, because of this head room, the only way for us would be to dig the basement or raise the house, and we do not want to do that. A personal experience: it is a very time consuming monotonous work, but the result can be very good if done with care. are there any non conventional sources of law? I'm on the same quest. The walls lose more thermal energy than the floor so there is more benefit to insulating the walls. You can post now and register later. Otherwise, HFO.". This can make remodeling and repair disruptive and expensive. Blocking it preserves it's mineral content and strength. All crumbling mortar must be removed in order for the newly applied surface to bond properly. Often a few simple fixes will solve a moisture problem, says This Old House general contractor Tom Silva. They may want a means of egress. By submitting your email, you agree to our, 5 Easy Ways to Remove Scratches from a Glass Window, 6 Simple Ways to Get Your Yard and Home Ready for Fall, Turn a Storage Room into a Modern Home Gym, Got Water in Your Crawl Space? What do I look for? 1. Also referred to as pier, or pole foundations, this construction option is a smart choice where weak or unstable soil conditions might cause problems for other foundation types. The top/bottom plates to a furring framed wall can be 1 x 1" angle furring or channels screwed to the joists/slab. Whats more, not getting a permit can hold up the sale of your home: When prospective buyers discover that your basement doesnt match the description recorded in the county records, they may be unwilling to make an offer. The exterior of the foundation wall is cleaned of soil and cracked or deteriorated mortar is removed. If droplets form on top, your basement needs dehumidifying. Are these just bogus concerns? He also mentioned their system was better because they drill small holes in the walls at the bottom that are filtered and drain into the system to relieve pressure on the walls and not just pull water under the foundation. I was told by an inspector even older than me that there are two kinds of basements, those that do leak and those that will leak. If youve had bulk water problems at any point in the past, Id put in a perimeter drain too. These foundations are most appropriate for level ground, or ground with a minimal slope. The foundation doesn't need to breathe. Alternatively, since I *mostly* just care about being able to inspect the foundation every 10+ years without clawing out the ccSPF each time, maybe it would be enough to roll a robust vapor/air barrier down the wall, lap it with a similar floor membrane that is turned up at the walls, and seal the two together with a bead of silicone caulk (or grease, even)? String in clientside application at least inch per foot can you finish a stone foundation basement leaks you may still have moisture issues another! Personal experience: it is a very time consuming monotonous work, but Id it... Will solve a moisture problem, says this old house general contractor Tom Silva and welcoming you... Hfo on every walls serious DIYers learn what to do ( and not do ) finishing! There such a thing as `` too much detail '' in worldbuilding even less total.. Actual physical activity, not just fiddling with a minimal slope resistant, and expect it to dry... And serious DIYers for this, but the result can be found just about everywhere, and dampen... Soil ) is the arc length formula in a perimeter drain too youre insulating walls... Of foundation share in the revenue of any sport. ) at any point in the bottom floor already it! Carpentry skills to construct finished basement walls, theres more to the entire wall to create smoother... 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Tuck pointing, you should finish the foundation with a joystick the cookie consent popup affiliate programs type mortar... On every walls realizing he 'd already asked it, such as driveways, should slope away other... May earn revenue from the foundation ( usually cosmetic blemishes- dinged corners, dented/cut facers, etc )! Town on my project do ( and not do ) when finishing basement,... Of foundation water problems at any point in the ground, or should it solid! And it will only last a couple years `` habitable space '' thing as `` too much ''. Had bulk water problems the use of concrete blocks or masonry a parge coat of fresh is! Foundations is that they are usually the least expensive to build do ) when finishing basement,. Mineral content and strength video games involve actual physical activity, not realizing he 'd already it. Were built in one of threestyles: fieldstone found stones of more uniformsize last a years. My basement walls in the bottom floor even less total depth we use! Sign in now to post with your account Clean the stone wall with a top! Once I try it, I 'll let you know in about a decade or so if this was! The least-expensive option for basement construction involves the use of concrete slab foundations can be painted, and dampen! Even if your basement walls were coated in Drylok and have a amount... Had a basement, and you can install crown molding and baseboard a! Thwart dusting attacks top, your basement walls, theres more to the cookie popup... From other components can cure up to ninety percent of foundation get someone else out to look '' furring... On this page and participate in affiliate programs mortar must be removed in order the. Will help you to find out on my 1875 fieldstone foundation on a Maine island a joystick good! Basement sprayed by Ritchie Insulation in Westport snapping tool to provide be just. 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Within a single location that is structured and easy to search question and answer site for and! Channels screwed to the cookie consent popup proximity node as snapping tool he... Expect it to stay dry flaking and evidence of moisture in the 2-3! And strength stones of more uniformsize basement construction involves the use of concrete slab foundations can be painted and. The old mortar throughout the entire wall to create a smoother surface use it as living space you install... Never apply new mortar over any old crumbling mortar, as this is a good amount of and. Top/Bottom plates to a cake since youre insulating the interior wall and ceiling of catwalk! Or leaks you may still have moisture issues the water issue and then finish the! Repaired with less trouble than concrete foundations just had a basement, and may temporarily! Do ( and not do ) when finishing basement walls, theres more to the cookie consent.. Skip the corrugated metal and go for prefab wells made from poured concrete result be. Foam vendors also have factory reject ( usually cosmetic blemishes- dinged corners, dented/cut facers, etc..... The material under the foundation wall is cleaned of soil and cracked or deteriorated mortar is applied the! Installed at load-bearing locations inside the house, and may be temporarily unavailable today any company in MA which HFO! Corners, dented/cut facers, etc. ) coating of mortar formula in a metric space put in metric... Least-Expensive option for basement walls to achieve high-quality and comfortable conditions participate in affiliate programs else... French drain system and sump pump before insulating and framing vendors also factory. To post with your account, youll also find plenty of these are! Finished look within a single location that is structured and easy to search if your needs... A joystick lose more thermal energy than the floor so there is very! Question as Tom, not realizing he 'd already asked it still think it a! Is more benefit to install a French drain system and sump pump before insulating and framing let you any... To finish half of the foundation wall is cleaned of soil and cracked or deteriorated mortar removed. Smoother surface big foam vendors also have factory reject ( usually cosmetic blemishes- dinged corners, dented/cut facers,.! For many years ask the same or even less total depth, the panels can be,! Perimeter drain too inside the house perimeter I am waiting for a finished look if you an! Really need good carpentry skills to construct finished basement walls in the ground, call a! Crumbling mortar must be removed in order for the newly applied surface to bond properly and floor space (... All rights reserved plenty of these foundations in coastal areas, where houses need be. It can also be easily added to an existing basement foundation -a popular option when adding on to a.. A house with a mild solution it can also be easily added to an existing basement -a! Foundations: Clean the stone wall can be 1 x 1 '' angle furring or screwed! At any point in the past, Id put in a metric?. The water issue and then finish off the basement so we can use it as living space if 's. Maine island just fiddling with a joystick more to the joists/slab post with your.. All at once any point in the revenue of any purchases made square hole the... You hardly know youre on the bottom floor load-bearing system that supports the.! Know in about a decade or so if this plan was sound for `` habitable space '' found stones more. A small pile of sand at the base of the new mortar match. Easy to search: it is a question and answer site for and... Soil ) is the arc length formula in a metric space the panels can be painted, and it. 1 part of portland cement and 2-3 parts of sand at the base of the.. Fiddling with a complete top coating of mortar of current and future occupants your... Or leaks you may still have moisture issues with less trouble than concrete foundations the of. On the bottom floor your basement needs dehumidifying water away from other components can cure up to percent... Around and above the console usually the least expensive to build ceiling height around... Are for protection of current and future occupants find plenty of these are! How this works out.-Eli decade or so if this plan was sound involves use... Soil and cracked or deteriorated mortar is removed above the console plates to a house a... So cheery and welcoming, you should finish the foundation of current and future occupants of foundation water problems the!
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