Received Rod's read yesterday -- learned several things in just a couple minutes flipping pages.... (i.e., it's already paid for itself in my opinion).
I will continue digging through it in the coming days.....
In other news, I dismantled some of the 'old' work (the insulation and studs and plates)...
My next question will be how to treat the concrete before I cover it up.
The house doesn't have a water or humidity problem (it's dehumidfied 365 days/yr ... course, it only goes on mostly in the summer).
The house is 1959-1960 construction and most likely has no barriers to vapor on the outside of the foundation (if that was even a thing to do).
Should I use anything on the inner face of the concrete, in terms of potential 'seepage', or any other treatment.
I'm thinking that the only area I should put a barrier is just under the sheet-rock, but over the studs.
thanx,
K
Basement studio-room project in Boston area
Originally posted at johnlsayers.com, topic 5980.
That's too funny! Anyway, I tore out all the old studs and insulation (will try to re-use what I might be able to).... The book is great, and I see the issues with the fire-stopping that I need to take care of (actually pretty straightforward it seems). Thanx for enlightening me. EXISTING DUCT WORK: I have decided, if cost is not ridiculous, to use the JM Superduct stuff to replace the overhead sections of ducting that runs under the joists and between them. I will call a place called 'Homans' in Wilmington, MA to see if I can get the stuff there.... There is a main duct (8" x 14"), 2 square ducts (5") that run right over the middle of the room location (b/t the joists), and 2 circular (5") ducts that run right over the concrete walls by the last joist (always forget the name of that one). Since the concrete is 12 inches thick, most of the duct is over the concrete wall, and the penultimate joist sits just a couple inches from the inside plane of the concrete wall. Should I just then block off this area somehow, instead of trying to get sheet-rock b/t the joists? (might still be able to get the sheet rock up, but would HAVE to pull the ducts out I think... then should replace them with the JM stuff? $). I want to decrease the depth of the main duct, but widen it to compensate the loss in area -- IF that's recommended -- something like 6" by 18".... What do you think? ABOVE FLOOR AS SECOND LEAF: Obviously , I have also decided that turning the above floor into the second-leaf IS the best idea -- as I've been told, and now see in your book. Anyway, I'm about ready to add sheet-rock to the above floor, b/t the joists. JOIST STRENGTH AND SPAN: I have pretty much determined that the floor and joists can 'take' it.... The above room is a bedroom (thus 30 psf live) with 3/4" plank underlayment and red oak hardwood floor, AND wall-to-wall carpet over that. The joists are: 2x8 hem-fir (probably 'northern'), straight grain, few if even any knots, no termite/pest or water/mold/rot damage, and are 'old' lumber circa 1959. They appear to be an easy grade 2. Span is 12 feet even on the longest side, and about 8 feet on the other side. In summary: live 30 psf, dead 20 psf, L360 deflection, gives 12' 5" as a maximum span for grade 2, 2x8 hem-fir at 16 OC..... If it's only 15 psf dead, it would give 13' 1". Northern hem-fir would give the 14' 2" to 14' 6" range. ** Now questions about page 64: You show a similar floor, but with 2x10's, that says with hardwood flooring the dead load is 8 psf. 1.) Since the 2x8's are lighter, would that mean the dead load would also be a bit less? (probably not all that much, huh?) 2.) If so, would that allow for the carpeting weight, and do you think that I likely could add 2 layers of sheet-rock between the joists (as an added 5.7 psf?). .... Oh yeah, I am considering the Green Glue also, since I'm only using 2 layers..... STEEL JOISTS: Might try to get 3 layers on the inner-leaf ceiling, and go with 4 x 1.65 inch, 20 gauge steel joists -- may use 2 of those or some other 'boxed' or 'back-to-back' steel joists for increased strength/safety, IF that's feasible. The reason for using steel is the desire for a somewhat shorter depth in order to save precious ceiling height (walls will still likely use wooden 2x4 studs) CROSS-BRACING: Finally: 3) Can I safely remove ALL the crossbracing when I add the sheetrock, or do I have to do one section at a time, replacing the cross-bracing after each section is done? I intend to get some pics and updated plan diagrams up as soon as I can.... thanx for your help, K P.S. I haven't forgotten about the HVAC for the room.... Keep in mind that this is going to be a single room studio, and as such I will only require 1 inlet and 1 outlet. Also, I will probably wanting to be using the adjacent understairs area as a 'buffer' room that will house fans and such.... The remaining basement is dehumidified and cool 365 days of the year (probably due to the concrete, the surrounding earth, etc), so I'm initially planning on just 'equalizing' ventilation with the rest of the basement -- through isolated ductwork (as per your book)....Luftweg, I keep repeating to people the same mantra - but suppose I have to sit them down and make them breathe properly in order for them to get it. I haven't gone through it yet with you - so I will now. Repeat after me: (while kneeling in the lotus position with your hands raised and the thumb with pointer finger forming an "O" - the remaining finger poined upwards). Whatever I can make perfect I will make perfect - whatever I have to live with I will Live with....
When I met with the senior inspector at my building department, I asked about this, and he said I should be OK if I completely fill the gap between my walls with insulation. I told him I planned to use Thermafiber Sound Attenuation Fire Blankets (SAFB) - Nominal Density (2.5 pcf) or Roxul Acoustical Fire Batt (AFB) - ≥2" (2.5 pcf) and he appeared to be fine with that. I will verify this with when I get closer to framing activities. Either way, what's legal for me may not be for you, so yes, I would recommend consulting with your local building department. 8) --Keith :mrgreen:I had seen in Sharward's studio thread (he is referring to a Canadian source): "These findings indicate that, from an acoustics perspective, the best way of satisfying the code requirement for fire stopping is to use a double-stud wall with sufficient insulation so that the width of the air space in the wall is 25 mm or less. This approach does not reduce the effectiveness of the sound isolation of the wall assembly, and can actually improve it if the wall cavity is less than full to begin with. " Is this true? Does blocking the spaces with fiberglass 'take care' of firestopping? (I guess this is a cue to contact the local building codes?) I found this on the Mass. codes: 720.2 Firestopping materials: All firestopping shall consist of approved noncombustible materials securely fastened in place. Firestops of approved noncombustible materials or of materials of two thicknesses of one-inch lumber with broken lap-joint, or one thickness of 23/32-inch wood structural panel with joints backed by 23/32-inch wood structural panel, or of two-inch lumber installed with tight joints, shall be installed in open spaces of wood framing. Gotta figure this one out.... Might I have to use a single, wide top plate over both leaves of the wall?
Here are some pics showing my issue with 'semi-hidden' ducts and their termination points, and the thickness of the concrete wall ....
The ducts are resting over the top of the concrete wall; only about 1.5 inches protrudes inside the plane of the concrete wall.
Now, outside of the duct is another joist, and on the outside of THAT joist (about 4 inches further, NOT 2 inches like the below pic says) is ANOTHER joist.
1.) Since there is no way I could avoid a 3rd leaf here, and since the duct only comes inside the concrete 1.5 inches (and my inner leaf stud wall will be well inside of that), should I just box off this whole area instead of going through the pains of replacing the duct and adding sheetrock to the above floor in that area?
2.) Could I use the lead I have to wrap those ducts? Would that pose a hazard somehow? (melting? etc.)
The concrete wall is 12 inches MINIMUM (actually 13 to 14 in most areas).
3.) With that much poured concrete, might I be better off just using that alone, even though it's a single leaf, since there is so much mass already? Would doing that avoid flanking up to the air space, between the above floor joists and the inner ceiling leaf? Will 3 sheets of gypsum of an inner wall leaf and and an air space really make all that much difference with so much mass in the concrete wall already?
Yet, I realize that there will be issues with adding inner windows, and perhaps with sealing the inner-leaf ceiling and opposing inner-leaf wall sheet rock to the concrete walls.... (will there be?)
Attached below is pic of a possible construction scenario for along the north-side concrete wall.
I have used Rod's book (Home Recording Studio; Build it like the Pros -- Rod Gervais, 2006; ISBN: 1-59863-034-2) as 'inspiration' for this idea...
Of course, it differs in some ways from the diagrams in his book, mainly because there are some differences in the existing construction of my basement.
The things I'm NOT so sure of here are:
1.) The firestop; is there a better place I should put it? Note that I don't show the blocking support for it, as frankly, I'm not certain where it should go.
2.) The sheet-rock along the 'penultimate' joist, and yes I realize that the space between it and the last joist constitutes a third-leaf, but there's really not much I can do about that.
3.) I intend to replace the old round metal duct with John's Manville SuperDuct -- IF I can ever find a place where I can get it ! (have tried a couple suppliers from the JM site; they said they contacted JM for me, and someone at JM told me they never HEARD of it, even though the JM website has pdf files about it!!).
Now, I don't know what I should do about the tapered connector from the old metal duct to the heat register; I'm wondering if I should just apply some of the superduct material to the outside of it, OR use some of the sheet lead I have, or......?
In any case, the gaps around this connector NEED to be treated in some manner.... perhaps I should pack them with rockwool...
Any ideas?
Note that I don't show any mid-span bracing for the floor joists (these WILL be re-installed after the sheetrock to the above floor is attached);
I can't really have the inner-leaf ceiling joists lower than pictured -- due to ceiling height concerns -- so bracing for these needs to be done differently.
These will be 4 inch by 1.68 inch, 20 gauge steel joists, as these appear to be able to give me the better strength, deflection, and span characteristics than wood joists of similar depth... again, the need for shorter depth ceiling joists is due to ceiling height concerns.
thanx for looking,
K
Quick update....
In the process of sistering the 2x8 joists; bought the new ones today which are 14' spruce-pine-fir #2...
They will be glued/screwed to the old ones.
Every joist will be sistered from over the sill to over the center beam
(the areas are 'clear' from any electrical, plumbing; there is only the main heating duct (but it's not really in the way at all); I'm lucky that I have good access).
This appears to be mostly a precautionary measure, as the above floor is not saggy or bouncy, but when the 2 layers of 5/8" sheetrock go up who knows? (although, from what I've been seeing on span tables, it might still be 'okay' without them -- but nearer the limit of still being okay... that is if the old ones are at least #2's, which they definitely appear now that I've made comparisons).
The new joists are 1/4 inch deeper than the old ones.
I will have to notch the ends in some manner to fit over the sill and center beam.
After the sister act, solid 2x8 blocking will be put in to replace the cross-bracing.
I'm going to put these in BEFORE the layers of sheetrock are added..... I think...
**** Is there any reason that I should put the blocking in AFTER the sheetrock is added?
There's nothing about this that will affect any caulking seals, is there? (although of course there will be more of them, which isn't the best thing)
Before sounds better since it appears less likely the sheetrock or any caulk seals will get disturbed by the tauma of blocking in...
Also, I will have to notch the blocking to allow room for the inner-leaf ceiling joists (so having them in first allows a greater depth of blocking.... if they were done afterward, they could only be 2x6 blocking, and the notching would further compromise them).
So of course, the strips of sheetrock will also be shorter.
Finally, I also bought the 5/8" sheetrock enough for both layers of the outer leaf ceiling.
Damn. I guess I'm gonna go for the Green Glue too?
I don't know exactly why, but this stuff 'feels' like it could be a scam in a way..... then again I have no direct evidence to support that notion -- it's just the whole marketing of it that seems suspect in some way....
If I do get the GG, I will almost write it off as 'possibly' being a waste, and then hope I'm wrong -- but how would I ever be able to tell the difference anyway? how does ANYONE know?
K
Go over to studiotips.com's forums, and you'll find several threads there where Green Glue has been challenged and its claims have been proven with independent lab tests. I too was a little skeptical at first (as we all have to be when it comes to "sound proofing products"), but that stuff is the real deal. 8)
Oh geez, I must have read a few of those such threads... In fact, I found them because I had read an earlier post by you, linking to them... thanx Sharward..... In other news, today I picked up 6 sheets of Johns Manville 1 inch SuperDuct board; each sheet is 4' by 10'.... It costed $1.71 a square foot. Part of these will be used replace the existing galv. steel ductwork above my studio area; the rest will be used to construct ventilation for the studio itself... Planning on making a little 'buffer room' adjacent to the studio, which will contain most of all the 'required' duct length and 180 degrees of bends to allow the superduct to absorb much of the escaping sound.... Looking into perhaps using reverse-flow auto muffler design aspects to see if there is a way to make it as compact as possible. Because the basement is dehumidifed and is naturally cool 365 days/yr (and do my pet chinchillas love that!), and because I won't be operating tons of equipment, I will at first just 'equilabrate' the studio air with the air of the rest of the basement. If that's inadequate, then I'll take it from there, but at least the ductwork will be in place already. The studio will be a one room design, and as such I'm only planning putting in one big inlet and one big outlet. Hopefully I can have have all the above floor's joists sistered by this weekend.... I better order the Green Glue so that I can have it for the inbetween joists sheetrock layers... OH, now that I will be sistering the joists, I wonder if I should plan for THREE layers of sheetrock between the above joists? The floor should be able to take that I would think, as there will be TWO 2x8 #2 northern hem-fir joists per each 16 OC spacing..... (?) Plus, once I put up the inner-leaf ceiling, I won't be easily able to go back and add another layer.... yet I WOULD still be able to add another layer to the inner-leaf ceiling and/or any of the walls... K revision: the sister joists are spruce-pine-fir, NOT hem-fir (as I could not find these).... the originals ARE very most likely northern hem-fir, and I can tell already that they are harder than the new s-p-f, and probably alot stronger too...Go over to studiotips.com's forums, and you'll find several threads there where Green Glue has been challenged and its claims have been proven with independent lab tests. I too was a little skeptical at first (as we all have to be when it comes to "sound proofing products"), but that stuff is the real deal. 8)
Did somebody mention chinchillas?[Because the basement is dehumidifed and is naturally cool 365 days/yr (and do my pet chinchillas love that!) . . .
External image, not preserved — original: http://www.sharward.com/photos/albums/userpics/10001/normal_threemuskateers.jpg
Meet Gonzo, Gizmo, and Libby -- a daddy and two sons from different litters, all black velvets. Gonzo's at least twelve years old now, and the boys are about eight and five. (We lost their mommy about five years ago. :()
Chinchillas are cool! 8)
Sorry, but I don't think that's going to fly. I'm pretty sure code calls for mechanical ventilation directly from outside when there is no window. Talk to your local building department. Don't assume that you'll be able to tweak your ventilation system to meet code later -- you must design the space with ventilation as an integral component in the design. Retrofitting later can be extremely costly, in terms of money, space, isolation, or any combination. Also, I would hold off on modifying your ducting until you have your permit, because those changes will probably also require an inspection. It's tempting to do something, but don't get ahead of yourself and end up having to reverse things later. --Keith :mrgreen:. . . and because I won't be operating tons of equipment, I will at first just 'equilabrate' the studio air with the air of the rest of the basement. If that's inadequate, then I'll take it from there, but at least the ductwork will be in place alread.
Hiya Luftweg!
Just read thru your thread and wanted to say that I think you show great attention to detail and because of that you are going to have a superb outcome, no matter what roadblocks you may have or what you encounter to get there. I have no doubt that you are one who succeeds.
And hey, I thought MY posts were long but I think I've met my match!
Also, I feel a little neighborly love towards ya.....I'm just a holler away up here in NH. I was born in Salem, MA and love the Saugus area and all the nifty things it has to offer. I'm there a couple of times a month just for the Christmas Tree Shop alone! :lol:
Lastly, I have just about nothing to offer in the way of advice since I'm hobbling along here as a newbie and my entire barn conversion has been aided along by this forum as well. The questions you ask are way over my head as this is a virgin project for me. But perhaps you can benefit from my mistakes/journey or my own questions that were answered. If you haven't already visited my thread it's called Kathy's Barn Conversion!.
Nice to see a local!
There must be something about studios and chinchillas?..... Cute family of chinchillas there! .... Black velvets are definitely my favorites..... Anyway, I have 2: Lola and Manni (the main characters in "Run Lola Run")... they are 3 yrs old... Here is (somewhat younger) Lola getting ready to take a bath.... (note that her whiskers have been chewed down a bit by Manni.... he doesn't do that anymore and they are now rightly very long) KDid somebody mention chinchillas? ... Chinchillas are cool!
Hmmm,
Previously I've owned 2 chinchillas. Almost got another one last year but decided my son was to young for that type of pet, so we got a cat.
Well now that we are completely off topic...
Keith... have you had any problems with cats and chinchillas in same house?
And I'll share a chinchilla tragidy story, one of my personal worst moments. :cry:
1st Chinchilla, Blacky we (old girlfriend, her son & I) got from a pet store. It was about a year old and was not kept at pet store in the correct cage, it was in a glass cage... making the chinchilla a little wild (and it had other problems). We let the blacky run through the house, but unlike the our 2nd chinchilla, Blacky would not eventually go back in the cage (which I built correctly). So, one morning Blacky was under the stove, girlfriends son at age 8 would jump to startle the chinchilla and get him out from under stove. Well instead of the jump and Blacky running the other way... it was the jump, Blacky ran under the sons feet and the son landed in Blacky and killed his own pet. :cry: We woke up to screaming and that day really sucked.
Within a week we got our 2nd Chinchilla "Boots" at a few months old and he was raised great and was friendly. Boots is now in a happy home in Canada, as we had to give him away.
Once my son is older I do plan to get another Chinchilla, which is a cute, non smelly, quiet pet. :D
Marc
Oh, what a horrible story! :( That had to have been awful.
Our chins don't run loose in our house. We have large cage (30" x 30" x 24") for them, and one of similar size for our bunny. We handle the chins occasionally and we always make sure the cats are a safe distance away.
There have been a couple of times that a chinchilla has gotten loose without our knowledge, and they seemed to not get chased by any of the cats during those times! :shock:
I do have a couple of chinchilla tragedies of my own, but I won't share them here... Maybe in my own thread someday if the chinchilla subject comes up. Sorry for the chinchilla hijack (ooooh, band name maybe? :lol:). :-)
--Keith :mrgreen:
Update:
Joist sistering almost done, and looks very good.
Will be soon blocking mid-spans between joists (possibly at thirds).
I did slightly 'load' the sister joists by raising them a tiny bit while gluing and screwing them together (one joist at a time).
Planning on adding 3 layers of sheet rock between the joists because the above floor must certainly be able to 'take it' with EVERY joist now doubled up.
(I would have this checked out with BA)
Also, no sheetrock would be suspended from below the joist (via RC or otherwise), so there would be ONLY 3 layers of sheetrock TOTAL (and these would be 1.5 inches narrower strips, due to the added joist width).
Hmmm, should I add a layer of the 1 psf lead I have?
All the inner leaf sheetrock would be suspended by isolated inner-leaf ceiling joists.
Still have not decided about the Green Glue just yet.... but I need to soon!... (whether I do or do not use the Green Glue or lead(?) has no bearing on the number of sheetrock layers)
After the between joist sheetrock with cleating is done, then comes the construction of replacement duct work for the above floor....
Will be using the Johns Manville SuperDuct board that I bought last week to construct the 5 ducts needed.
The between joist ducts will actually directly abut the insides of the between joist areas (essentially the between joist areas WILL be the ducts... the duct board will be fitted almost exactly to these dimensions).
The main duct will be assembled from the duct board and replace the section that bisects the studio, plus a short distance past it (to make mounting easier).
K
Although, a direct connection would not apply to where the layers of sheet rock meet at the corner intersections, right? So, I connect a top plate directly to the above floor joists? I don't think a 'direct' connection to the floor joists is the best, but rather a connection through a resilient material (in order to allow deflection of the joists under load, and not have floor pressures on the basement stud wall). Should I use Celotex or something for that? My idea for the outer-leaf wall was to: 1.) use isolation brackets on the top plates 2.) have the outer-leaf sheet rock extend up alongside the joist, but spaced about 1/2 inch away from the surface of the joist 3.) fill the gap with rock wool, firestop latex, and acoustic sealant (or just the Boss 816 which might serve both the firestop and acoustic purposes ?) (see pic below) Then again, I'm thinking that this seal might not hold under deflection of the floor joists.... hmmm.... Thanx for the help... I wish I could see what you are thinking in pictures... Is there any way you could direct me to such? Remember, I'm not floating any floor, but just using the concrete floor as both the inner and outer leaf.... yet the walls and ceiling will be true double-wall, double-leaf construction.... KThere can (and should) be a firm connection between the outer leaf wall and the outer leaf ceiling. The decoupling should occur between inner and outer leaves. There is no need to decouple one outer leaf assembly from another outer leaf assembly... Just as there is no need to decouple one inner leaf assembly from another inner leaf assembly. Remember, the goal is to prevent sound energy from following a structural path from the noisy place through the inner leaf along a firm connection to the outer leaf and into the quiet place. --Keith
It depends on which top plate and which joist overhead. If it's an outer leaf top plate and an outer leaf ceiling joist, then yes. Simply put, think of a box. Now think of a box inside that box that is "floating" inside of it -- no part of the inside box is touching the outside box. That is your ideal room-within-a-room. Each side of each box is firmly connected, yet there is no connection between the inner box and the outer box. Now, gravity being what it is, it's impossible to have a room float inside of another room without some decoupling devices. That's where floating floors, or, more ideally, floating rooms, come into play. Ideally, the entire room would float on elastomers (pucks of some kind) so that the bottom of the inner room doesn't have a firm connection with the bottom of the outer room. If you're really doing individual inner room framing for walls and ceiling, as it seems from your illustrations that you are, then you don't have to worry about (and, in fact, should have) firm connections of the walls and celings. This is one of the reason that doing independent framing (as you are) makes the design so much simpler. You don't need RC. You don't need RSIC clips. You don't need hangers. You probably don't need anti-sway braces. All you need to do is make sure there aren't any firm connections between inner leaf and outer leaf, and make sure there aren't any air leaks. --Keith :mrgreen:So, I connect a top plate directly to the above floor joists?
What you want is this; because your outer leaf can touch other parts of your outerleaf, and needs a continuous mass so there aren't weak spots. 2x lumber only equates to about 1" or less of gypsum in mass, so I'd extend your outer layers up to coincide with the beef between joists as shown in the re-do of your sketch.
Also, unless you need the iso there's no need to have the right half of the pic beefed up in the ceiling (ignore this comment if there's more sound iso required there) Steve
Actually, now that I see it, it seems absolutely right to extend the sheetrock to the floor.... One reason that there might be sheetrock on the joist space outside of the studio, is that my subfloor is plank, and not plywood... Of course, I guess I could just seal the short spaces between the planks at that first between-joist area that is outside of the room.... One other concern of mine is: if the stud wall is rigidly mounted to the above floor joists, won't there be a deflection issue? that is, shouldn't the joists be allowed to deflect freely, AND couldn't any live load pressures supported by the outer-leaf stud wall work to loosen acoustic seals of the outer-leaf sheetrock? Should this be addressed at the floor level (some sort of resilient material beneath the base plates)?.... or not at all? thanx, KWhat you want is this; because your outer leaf can touch other parts of your outerleaf, and needs a continuous mass so there aren't weak spots. 2x lumber only equates to about 1" or less of gypsum in mass, so I'd extend your outer layers up to coincide with the beef between joists as shown in the re-do of your sketch. Also, unless you need the iso there's no need to have the right half of the pic beefed up in the ceiling (ignore this comment if there's more sound iso required there) Steve
One other concern of mine is: if the stud wall is rigidly mounted to the above floor joists, won't there be a deflection issue? that is, shouldn't the joists be allowed to deflect freely, AND couldn't any live load pressures supported by the outer-leaf stud wall work to loosen acoustic seals of the outer-leaf sheetrock?
Should this be addressed at the floor level (some sort of resilient material beneath the base plates)?.... or not at all?
No - if your outer frame doesn't let the floor joist sag in the middle, it's no big deal - that concern is only when you're placing extra, un-designed-for support under TRUSSES, which are calculated for each chord of the truss.
Only real concern here is, for isolation's sake, you don't hard-connect your inner leaf or its frame to your outer leaf or its frame... Steve
Some pics of the 'sister act'..... (the lines are the marks for where to put the screws)
I will have to say that the quality of the old joists seems above that of the new #2 (sruce-pine-fir) 2 x 8's that I sistered them with...
They are more likely # 1's...
For example (although I know this doesn't relate 'directly' to strength), when drilling screw holes in the new joist, the drill proceeded easily...
but the drill slowed and had a harder time going through the old joists...
They were screwed and glued (Titebond II).
In any case, when all the joists are sistered, I should no doubt be able to do 3 layers of 5/8 sheetrock! (I have consulted span tables that reflect that I will get at least a L/360 deflection... and certainly less deflection and more strength under the doubled joists).
At this point all joists, but two, are sistered.
Every joist will have been sistered completely; the span is 12 feet (about) and the sister joists are 14 feet long, so they completely rest on both the sill and center beam.
Plus, they have been 'pre-loaded' (with the aid of a hydraulic jack).
Next up is pulling down the between-joist heat ducts so I can sister those last 2 joists and finish blocking....
I will be installing some sort of 'temporary' heat ducting back.... this will probably be just some sort of foil and thin panel (read: cardboard) material to hold it up.
Ultimately, after the sheetrock is put up, I will be reconstructing all the above ducting with Johns Manville SuperDuct board, which should greatly reduce any sound that gets into the between-leaf ceiling space, and ultimately into the ducts (and thus into the above room).
K
I'm pretty sure that wood hardens as it ages and dries. Your new lumber was probably pretty "green", thus easier to drill through.
For documentary purposes, here is a bridge that was washed-over.
It is about 1/2 mile from my house.
The street I live on also had about 2 feet of water across at the worst time of the event (at the lowest point of the street); it had actually become a small pond at that point, connecting yards on both sides of the street (where the water was even deeper in the backyards of those houses).
My house is one house up from that! (note: I don't mean from these pics; alas, I don't have the pics of my street).
But with the dual sump pumps we nary saw some pretty minor seepage around the perimeter of the basement...
This was a good test -- a '100 year flood', as they called it.
Certainly, however, part of my work will be devoted to installing perimeter 'gutters', like Drytrak or SquidGee, that lead to the pumps.
It was a wake up call for sure.
All the talk you hear or read about making sure your basement is dry, before you begin serious finishing work, should be heeded.
K
Wow... :shock: That's downright frightening.
I worry about this a lot here in Sacramento, particularly in our part of town.
From our local newspaper in a recent multi-part series:
- In cities across the nation, rivers, streams, lakes, creeks and seas have made their sinister mark, inflicting damage and heartache when they flood.
There is, however, no major city in America more at risk of a catastrophic New Orleans-style flood than Sacramento . . . marked by a potentially deadly combination of geographic, hydrological and demographic factors unmatched anywhere in the United States.
. . . places such as Natomas, downtown, east Sacramento, Rosemont, North Sacramento, Oak Park, Curtis Park, Land Park, River Park, Greenhaven, the Pocket, south Sacramento and assorted neighborhoods along the north and south sides of the American River would fill up like giant soup bowls during a disaster-level flood.
Sacramento's levees offer less protection than those in many other cities. . . Engineers discovered after the floods of 1997 that seepage is occurring deep beneath Sacramento area levees that could cause internal erosion and unforeseen failures.
Beyond the levees is another concern: Folsom Dam, which holds back the American River to the east of the downtown core, is ranked No. 1 on the federal Bureau of Reclamation's safety priority list. With nearly a million people living downstream, no other dam in America has greater need of additional protection against a monster storm . . . a major flood in Sacramento would spread for miles and run as deep as rooflines in some places. . . more than 300,000 people and 140,000 structures are in the direct path of a serious flood in Sacramento.
In the eyes of the nation's top flood experts, only one other big city could rival Sacramento for the top catastrophe-prone title.
And it has been largely destroyed.
Luftweg, check your post about steel studs for an important link... STeve
http://www.buildingscience.com/resource ... ldings.pdf
(just in case)
Okay, so I'm getting more near to the point where I will be blocking access to parts of the concrete floor and walls...
To reiterate, the house is 1959-60 construction.
12-14" thick poured concrete walls, with poured concrete floor.
I 'assume' there is no vapor barrier or damp-proofing on the outdoor faces of the concrete....
So, how should I treat the concrete?
There is currently a black colored sealant on the inside face of the concrete.
For much of it, it is intact, but in areas where the 'old' finishing work was(studs with kraft-faced fiberglass batts) there are a few spots where it has peeled off and some lime seems to have leeched through.
The basement has only within the last 3 years been keep 360 d/yr dehumidified, and I again 'assume' that there has been condensation behind the stud walls before this.
Should I treat the concrete with something, just paint it, or.....?
Of course, as the new stud walls go up there WILL be a 3 inch space between them and the concrete walls.
In this space will be a perimeter gutter leading to the sumps; I'm also intending on somehow venting this area (?)...
thanx for any thoughts,
K