Hello,
I hope you guys can help me out with some ideas.
I’m doing the design for a basement renovation. The dilemma is the low ceiling height. There is enough room for strapping and gypsum to go on the ceiling, but that takes us right to our 7′ height limit (according to code).
First……..
They really don’t want to take up the whole concrete floor, but they’re putting in a bathroom and moving the washing machine and putting in a new floor drain (the old one is over grown with roots and all clogged up).
The contractor, the clients and I have agreed for now that there doesn’t seem to be any room for floor insulation. So it’s going to be:
tile on mortar on Ditra on mortar on concrete for most of the basement and
Marmoleum on adhesive on Halex on Delta-FL on concrete for the rest.
Or instead of Delta-FL we might use some other dimpled air gap technology.
So basically we have some ideas for a water proof layer that’ll give the concrete some space and that will have a little bit of insulating value, but I was just wondering if anyone has any suggestions on how we could get some insulation in there without losing another 2″ in ceiling height?
Second……..
The contractor is starting the framing first, but this is making me a little nervous because we’re using wood framing and that means the wood will be sitting right on the concrete. But then again if we are not adding any kind of structural sub-floor on top of the concrete, then we probably wouldn’t want to frame on top of the tile.
What do you think?
Edited 4/6/2005 4:58 pm ET by Bunny
Replies
DRICORE!!
The dricore itself is only 1" thick. and gives you an air space away from the concrete. Then Tile backer board and then tile. Total should be no more than 1 1/2".
"Sir! You are drunk!"
"Madam! You are ugly, and tomorrow I shall be sober!!" Winston Churchill
Is Dri-core the 2 x 2 panels with bumps on the bottom that they sell at Depot? If so, is it fix solidly to the ground or just laid out? If it's just laid out, there could be movement in it which will cause the tile to possibly break.
Dricore is nothing more than the DElta-FL (or equivalent) aready mounted on plywood.
About the framing- as long as your builder uses a pressure treated sill plate for the walls, there's no problem with the concrete/wood contact.
Actually, I'm pretty sure that's a code requiremient. At least, it is around here.
Hi Bunny
I don't know why people are so concerned about basement floor insulation. I live about 300 miles north of you and have much more severe winters. I walk around in barefeet downstairs. If the clients say they are worried about tile being cold on their feet get some easy heat or new heat mats. I think they are out of Kitchener and only reqire 110 volts. The dricore is Canadian invention too but you can't put ceramic or strip hardwood on it.
As far as framing with wood in the basement the OBC requires either 15 pound tar impregnated felt, 6 mil vapour barrier, or eythafoam sill gasket between the wood and concrete. Ask around here and you will get some experienced guys tell you that steel studs are the way to go.
Isn't the big home show on at the CNE grounds this weekend?
Have a good day
Cliffy
PS Your Leafs are still tied for first!
Edited 4/6/2005 9:37 pm ET by cliffy
Just did a basement renov. like the one you describe. Code (at least in my state) specs. pressure treated bottom plate, tap-con or ramset into the concrete floor. This should prevent rot at the bottom of the framing. Also, you can run Dri-Core up to the edge of the p.t. sill plate and seal the seam with insulating spray foam.
N. Kuchcinski
Builder/Remodeler