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Here’s the idea and the rationale. You tell me why it’s dumb or won’t work well;
We have a 1924 unfinished basement in a cold winter climate that we want & need to turn into living space – dry, but sometimes musty in high humidity weather – old block walls (6″ x 24″) – 6’6″ potential ceiling height suggests “cosy” spaces, which is fine with us – walls bow in at the midpoint about 1″, but hey, it’s 77 years old. I will do the work myself. I have time – no hurry.
The idea of finishing off with stud walls around the perimeter & a little insulation & sheetrock (the norm) worries me. Seems like the definition of “temporary” until the first unusually heavy rain & a haven for bugs and critters.
It occurs to me that a layer of nice brickwork over 2″ rigid insulation with little or no air space would provide a potentially interesting attractive and functional “finish”. I’ve never laid brick before but I can’t think of a friendlier place to learn. It seems to me the mass of the addition would help equalize the temp when we use the woodstove down there in winter to heat the house.
It’s heavy, dirty, slow and a bit more expensive that the norm, but does it sound like a reasonable solution otherwise?
-Randy
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One more thing;
A few faux pillars with rebar and/or brick "shear" walls perpendicular to the perimeter walls might protect against further bowing of the old block wall in a way that it's wood counterparts wouldn't.
-Randy
*My daddy did this in the 50's. He got good advice, to plan for up to 2 ft of water in basement (Central Illinois) He dug up any old sewer pipes under the floor and replaced (I got to learn oakum and lead, now a lost art?) to make sure you don't get sewage backup thru leaks in heavy rains. Added basement toilet (if any) need rubber gaskets vs wax and good bolt down so they dont leak when under back pressure (dad used softball and 2X4 to plug toilet during once in 5 year rain that would back up sewers to above toilet bowl) and floor drains need to be threaded type to accept standpipe or plug.Dehumidifiers run 100% of time in summer often. He did stucco brick for interior walls which has worked well (similar to what you describe), tile on concrete floor, provisions for raising most furniture 2 feet during 5 yr rains. Has worked well for 50 years, parents are still living there. For wall retention, he poured a 6" thick 4 ft high wall all around tied into floor as cantilever beam with rebar.
*If it were me, I'd paint the block walls with that white water resistant paint and hang some pictures. Pull the x bracing out of the joist channels and paint all that stuff white also. Paint the floors with colored cement paint, drop some rugs down and enjoy the basement. You're ceiling's too low to go to all that other expense IMO
*Randy, an outfit called Acoustic Ceiling Products makes a ceiling grid system that fastens directly to the floor joists, reducing headroom by only 1". It uses standard 2' x 4' or 2' x 2' ceiling tiles. I'm in the process of finishing off part of my basement and will use this product to allow access to the floor above.http://www.ceilingmax.com
*Sounds like a good idea to me. As long as you like it, why not?The only catch is that if you do have water coming in, it is now trapped behind the brick wall...a lot harder to get to.I probably wouldn't put in celing tiles. I think they are ugly, and really don't belong in a basement. The open celing joists would add to the feeling of more vertical space and would also work with the 'industrial' feel going with the brick walls and concrete floors.(Disclaimer...I'm a homeowner, not a mason...I have no idea if the brick is a good idea from a structural/building standpoint)
*I see no concern for moisture problems with what you describe.Use the white polystyrene bead board because it has a good perm rating and will allow the wall to dry to the inside as well as to the outside.The brick and beadboard can tolerate water pretty well, just have a plan to get rid of it when it gets in behind the brick.You need a dehumidifier.There is a slight chance for durability issues with the existing block walls because they will be colder in the winter and can freeze.-Rob
*Thanks for the posts, everyone!Art,Good points regarding planning for water backup. I suppose sewer line backup is always a possibility, but if it happened, I'd be more worried about my main floor toilet. Simple rainwater infiltration isn't much of a worry for us as the floor of the basement is only about a foot below the street and the street is a couple hundred yards from a 100' deep river gorge.Jim,I see your point. We may do exactly as you said, except for the perimeter walls. That wood stove puts out a lot of heat. As it is, with most of the heat being sucked into the block walls, it can keep the main level about 40 degrees warmer than outside in the winter. I'm shootin' for 60. As for low ceiling - I don't mind. I like cosy & and I'm not doin' this for resale value, but I want it to look nice, last, and not cause unforseen problems in the future.Darrell,I agree re: ceiling. I assume "weep" holes along the bottom course of brick would be wise in case the worst happens.Rob,I was wondering about "cold" block causing more frost pressure...I don't know how to judge the degree of danger there. Before the woodstove was installed, the basement might have averaged 55 degrees or so in winter. After finishing off & with the wood stove going most of the time, it might average 75-80. My hope would be that enough of that excess heat would get through the insulation that the net effect on the block would be almost the same as its first 70 years.Thanks!!More suggestions?Randy
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Here's the idea and the rationale. You tell me why it's dumb or won't work well;
We have a 1924 unfinished basement in a cold winter climate that we want & need to turn into living space - dry, but sometimes musty in high humidity weather - old block walls (6" x 24") - 6'6" potential ceiling height suggests "cosy" spaces, which is fine with us - walls bow in at the midpoint about 1", but hey, it's 77 years old. I will do the work myself. I have time - no hurry.
The idea of finishing off with stud walls around the perimeter & a little insulation & sheetrock (the norm) worries me. Seems like the definition of "temporary" until the first unusually heavy rain & a haven for bugs and critters.
It occurs to me that a layer of nice brickwork over 2" rigid insulation with little or no air space would provide a potentially interesting attractive and functional "finish". I've never laid brick before but I can't think of a friendlier place to learn. It seems to me the mass of the addition would help equalize the temp when we use the woodstove down there in winter to heat the house.
It's heavy, dirty, slow and a bit more expensive that the norm, but does it sound like a reasonable solution otherwise?
-Randy