Hello Jeff, 1974 house, ranch, single home with about 1200sq living area, unfinished basement. Radon air system in-place, sup pump, in ground water drainage as well for water level riser... just in case! Have not seen anything this past 4 years but is there...! Absolutely beautiful Q&A session. Loved it, Jeff kudos to you man, love the show, been following for a while now. Well, mostly you just described my basement there. Im building a french drain as a method to get rid of the problem, to remove water from foundation.....redirecting it towards the slope ( back yard). Front of the house has been split into 2 sides, to the left when there was a clogged pipe for roof drainage that takes care of the garage and drains to the side slopped away (fixed,) dug about 2feet down, ran a havy duty landscaping cloth and a perforated pipe that connects with the existing pipe which drains away from the house. On the right side, dug about 2.5 feet deep ( manual labor, not a good idea, loool)still the on the front towards the further corner on the right side, used a non-fibered foundation coating on the exposed outside concrete (both sides as well), installed a heavy duty landscaping cloth and a perforated pipe along to get the water away from the foundation toward the side of the house to follow the slope toward the back yard. I have learned that I need to do the side of the house as well to remove all water from sitting next to the foundation, this will be done with tools from our friends at home depot :). A mini escavator, to dig and transport the gravel,....it will certainly improve the inside of the basement humidity quality, currently humidity is under 50%, trying make an office and just a simple hang out room, closed closet, enclosed mechanical room, etc... trying to keep it simple! any thoughts or ideas, tricks, tips, would be very much appreciated! Thanks Gino
I have sooo many projects that have to be done in my home, but with no support by family, I feel really defeated, bathroom floor leveling is a still a big issue
using a self levelling concrete to level a bathroom is a great solution in many cases. send me a message on the members forum and feel free to send a pic so I can offer help. Cheers!
I’ve been there! Had a house fire back in 2015 and basically found out that in order to fix the property and be able to do it within the insurance budget I had to learn a lot on my own quick. Thankfully RU-vid can be a great help and this channel especially has been a major resource for myself and many others! I haven’t seen any like it as far as the quality of the content and information as well as the entertainment and knowledge provided are unmatched by many others!
As always, another very informative video. Right at 3M!!! Congrats! Sorry about Michelle's injury! It was good to see all of you. Take care and thank you, Jeff!
Below Slab vapor barrier. I was talking to some of the flatwork guys from the 80's and 90's. After inspection, they would poke holes in the vapor barrier to let the concrete cure faster. You may have vapor barrier, but it probably has holes in it.
1890's house in NE Ohio. This is exactly why my basement is a workshop, and not actual living space. Waterproofing / mitigation would cost more than the house is worth. (very bad housing market here. 2000 sq ft, 3 bed, 2 bath is only worth $50,000) I have 9' headroom, a ton of space, and only a little water in spring / fall / really heavy rains. Keep everything off the floor. Build everything with treated lumber on the bottom, or put it all on casters. Perfect workshop, and storage for holiday stuff.
Missed the show..cause I’m traveling in Florida for work too. BLUF: water comes into my basement over the foundation wall right where the iron beam is. Can I dig down some and seal that up with some kind of barrier and if so should I put the dirt back or put rock or even fill it with concrete? Story Have a house in Kansas City, 1980, basement surrounded by dirt on 3sides, the 4th side (with stairs and wall) is garage. Garage side of home is on a steep slope. Foundation is crack right at the stairs. Can see daylight, quarter inch gap. It’s even, no back and forth movement. I used the orange schluter to make sure water didn’t come in there. have done outside water mitigation. I get almost no water in the basement EXCEPT if it rains heavy for a few days. I BELIEVE it’s coming OVER the top of the foundation wall where home and foundation meet. It comes all in a rush like it’s backed up somewhere. Where water comes into the house is right where the iron beam and AC cables are. Only work I have done is your black dimpled subfloor method and a closetless room. My question to anyone who has read this: can I dig like a foot down below the top of the foundation wall on that side of the house and use some kind of house wrap tape or something similar a little above and a little below that seam? Would that stop the water from combining in there? Would I then put the dirt back at a slope or should I put like dirty rocks that would eventually get as hard as concrete..I could do a french drain too
Hi Jeff, 1975 4 level split basement in Saskatchewan, finishing bottom 2 levels, I've put dricore down in living spaces but what can I put in the utility room/ laundry on the concrete floor to keep it clean? There is a sum pump and open drain. Paint the concrete floor or stick vinyl sheets on the floor? Floor is pretty wavy so tiling would be harder. Also, want a cost effective option that also looks good 😊. Cheers, appreciate your wisdom!
Going to be finishing a 2800 sq ft basement next year. This will be on a brand new home build in Kentucky. Watched damn near all of your interior work vids over the years since I became a Sub. I'm assuming I'll be waterproofed based on new build standards. This will be a walkout basement with 9ft ceilings. Doing a bedroom/bath, craft room, massive bar, media room, lounge area, and man cave. I'll be doing strapping for ceiling. I'll join the channel well before so I'm not just joining to ask direct questions then bounce. Questions, Still treated lumber for base on walls? Best way to utilize 2x4x8 or buy 2x4x10 and have a massive pile of scrap lumber. Don't recall see you covering that gap since most work you've are not 9ft ceilings. LVP best option for flooring? 10 ft drywall or 8ft and configure it in with drywall mud Guessing 1/4 in is fine for ceilings using 4x12 sheets? Thanks, if you're up for it when the time comes. You're more than welcome to shoot some vids while I build this out ;)
All of my properties are over 100 years old. I’m thinking about finishing the basements in my rentals since it increases the ARV by about $7500 and with 16x32 row homes this only costs about $1300 in materials to do
My 75-year-old cabin is 24 ft by 32 feet. I plan to raise the cabin, demo, and build an all-new basement. For below the slab, your thoughts on 10 inches of ¾ inch crushed rock, then two 1-inch layers of rigid foam insulation, then a layer of 10 mil plastic moisture barrier, then pour the slab. Your thoughts?
Hey Jeff! Love your videos! Helped me build the confidence to do some DIY stuff and now I'm loving it! I have a basement question for you. Northern Ohio, built late 60s with an addition in 99. Its a 3 section basement separated by block walls. Im working on the first section which is part of the original home. Just demo'd everything and no insulation. So my plan is (from outside in) Rigid Foam (foil faced), 2x4 framing, batt insulation, drywall. My question is in regards to if i need a vapor barrier between batt and drywall? And do i need mold resistant drywall or can i use fire resistant? Had i known about Reality Renovision i would've contacted you sooner! Could've done a multi part series with all the work I'm planning
Hi Jeff. I'm planning to finish my basement this winter. I live in Ontario and I was wondering how much clearance I need around my furnace and main ductwork?
So I have a walkout basement in a newer home (10yrs old). The rough plumbing that was preinstalled designates that it is suitable for dwelling and has moisture barrier in the concrete walls and flooring. 1000 ft.² of open space with few large windows and sliding glass door, and the back walls are below grade and concrete, does not smell musty and I don’t believe much moisture comes through the wall if at all, do I still use a foam board insulation?
Hey Jeff. Love your videos! They've already helped me through a bathroom remodel and now I'm onto finishing the basement. I've got a 1926 home in Minnesota. I want to finish part of my basement for an office and additional bathroom. There is no current moisture mitigation, but my basement has stayed dry over the last 5 years that I've owned it (good gutter setup). I run a dehumidifier in the summer to keep the RH at 55-60%. Can I skip the french drain and sump system and just start finishing my basement with DriCore subfloor and foam board offset from the wall like you describe to allow the moisture to equalize?
Hi, Jeff. When you show how to insulate area nearby basement stairs and say "put rigid insulation and drywall on the wall", is this method is not code complied? Because its also reduces stairs width. Thank you for answer in advance!
I totally understand but even with code existing buildings need the inspectors to allow certain adjustments to the ideal. this is a very common practice in the industry and is widely accepted as the best mix of modern code and old school construction. Cheers!
Hey Jeff, you helped me soo much with my DIY Reno's, I value all your videos dearly. I live in Toronto. I was not able to do exterior waterproofing. So my waterproof company installed a interior membrane from ground level to the weeping tiles. Is it ok to spray foam insulation right on the basement wall/membrane from top to bottom? And if I there was no exterior or interior water proofing on the walls except for weeping tiles...is it still ok to spray foam directly on the brick walls? Thanks!
Thanks for your great videos Jeff and helpful tips, very informative with thorough instruction and advice! My question is what if the stairs were shot when I bought the home and had to rebuild them to make them safer? Is that still compliant with the grandfather rules and code?
so if your inside attempt at sealing a wall by painting on something only lasts say 5 years, how long is the sealant on the outside of the wall going to last? My dad built his house in 1986 and a rolled on tar like substance was put on the outside walls along with a drain all the way around. His basement stays pretty dry to this day. Is there nothing like this nowadays that can be rolled on the inside? I'm building my house from the ground up, what do you suggest I do for moisture mitigation? Thank you
I’ve seen sound techs baffle their wall/ceiling studs where they leave a gap …if that makes sense. Where it’s a 2x8 in wall, but they use 2x4 studs where 16in on center for one side and in between those, for the adjacent wall
Love the channel Sir! Question Jeff, I ran all my electrical in my basement, but I forgot to tie in my mechanical room for a switch and one light. My bathroom is sharing the same wall and I only have one outlet in there. Can I tie off that bathroom outlet so I don’t have to run a line all the way to the other side of the basement to the box?
I have an interior french drain in my unfinished basement. No water problems at all since installation and has been 2 years. Would i be okay to start doing interior framing over the concrete that was poured on top of the french drain? Also how important is to level the basement if using DMX and LVP for flooring once walls are in place?
yes feel free. using a 1 1/2" ram set after boring a half inch hole will work perfectly since the drain pipe is about 3" from the surface. as for the dmx 1 step and vinyl as long as you pass the garbage bag test yes. otherwise use dricore and then add the walls. Cheers!
Hello Jeff. Thanks for your videos. We have a 1940-50 basement we are wanting to do just a basic floorplan for extra living area for TV. Before the pandemic, my husband and I started purchasing the basic supplies for our basement. We stopped when the prices sky rocketed on lumber. We purchased Roxul board and Roxul batt. I noticed in one of your videos you were using a blue dimpled product for air flow and moisture management as part of sub floor. Would you recommend this for the wall as well? to go behind the Roxul Batt. We purchased 2X4 Amdry sub floor.
Thank you for all you do for the DIY families!! The question that I have is: I have a home that was built in 2012 in Saint Robert, MO, USA, with a sizeable roughed-in basement. I will finish it, and I want to put Vinal foolering down. I have talked to a couple of contractors about putting a subfloor in, and they say that they never do BC; that is only for homes in colder climates. Should I still put the subfloor in? or have a thick mat on the concrete then the flooring?
the need for a thermal break is real and has nothing to do with a cold climate. the dirt around the house is 50 degrees and the dirt under the floor is 50 degrees. without a thermal break the floor temp is constantly going to feel cold especially in the summer months when the a/c is on. Cheers!
Thank you so very much!! From watching your teachings, I had a sense that I needed one =) Again thank you for what you and your team do!!!@@HomeRenoVisionDIY
Have a dry basement system installed in the basement. With a sump that the the tech says hasn’t had to come on in all the time it’s been there, since the eighties. House built in 1906. No moisture with the plastic test on the wall. My problem is the floors all slope to the old drains . Is it safe to level them ?
House I’m buying in Colorado built 2015 has an unfinished basement. The small walls in there have floating walls and the concrete is cut for movement. Since the floor is cut for movement, do you think it’s a bad idea for vinyl plank flooring? Thanks
Hey Jeff, after watching all your basement-related videos, im getting closer to starting the job over about half the area. One hiccup has really been bothering me, and thats the slope of my basement. Its "flatt-ish", but theres about a 2.5 in difference from the front to the back over a 20 or so foot span. Thats a lot of self-levelling, and i was considering a loose-lay vinyl floor, but im concerned. Is there a way to solve flat but not level or a flooring you would suggest ?
Thank you! Great info! Any basement renovation prep recommendations for south eastern Wyoming? Haven't done the plastic bag test yet but seems fairly dry.
Hi Jeff! Currently finishing my basement. It has Standard concrete foundation walls. My basement staircase is right up against the wall. While the rest of my basement is insulated, framed, and drywalled. I only want to intrude onto my step width as little as possible (less than an inch ideally). Any idea how i can finish off that wall with a simple barrier, air gap, and drywall? (im thinking 1/4" foam, 1/4"shims for the air gap, and 1/4"drywall) Anything to make the wall look finished, and not cold to the touch. Open to any ideas.
Thank you for addressing the issue of finishing the space where stairs come down along cement walls. I'm not sure if the solution you described of attaching drywall to the rigid foam would be suitable for me. My cement walls are formed with the brick molding and are not so flat. Would you be staggering this drywall set on the rigid foam so the ends of foam and drywall do not line up? Does the gluing method hold up well?
Hey Jeff what are your thoughts on basement walkouts. Also with regards to moisture issues in the basements, would closed cell spray foam be a good option to mitigate? I live in the Greater Toronto Area. Thanks
spray foam is actually a bad return on investment in a basement. if you ever have a foundation issue you will never find it without destroying all the work.
I'm so glad! Most people just don't know, what they don't know until they run into problems. I am just trying to offer help before you make a bad decision. Cheers!
my Furnace and oil tank is on one side of the basement and all my water is on the complete opposite side of the basement .... house was built in 1965 so i guess they didnt plan it well. What do i do about that?
Basement with glued-down carpet, I want to level the floor with floor leveler. It's quite wavy to walk on. Ripping the carpet up, there's residue from the glue - is there a good way to clean that so I can prime and level?
Im finishing my basement into a two bedroom suite (all according to building code in Ottawa). I have a dry basement except for water that collects sometimes (about once every five years) into a sump hole that has a sump pump in it. I suspect that the hole is not properly done because it has no barrel or any structure and the hole is just a 12" square cut though the the poured concrete floor to be about 10" deep. . Should I leave this 'sump hole' alone, or does it need to be dug out to be deeper or wider?
as long as it works don't bother. the water in that region is not going to fluctuate too much except in heavy snow years. I would install a lid that is insulated with rigid foam to eliminate the ability for water to escape into the atmosphere. Cheers!
I’m also wondering this!don’t mean to piggyback off your question but looking at the possibility of adding a bathroom at some point in the basement but all plumbing is above the slab. I’m also going to consult a plumber if I can to see if it’s possible or even practical to trench out a new waste drain and rough in the new fixtures and proper venting as well and what the cost would be if it can be done at all
@@rlthereal I put 2x10s down as a "deck" that would become the floor of the bathroom and ran drainlines over the slab. Finished with a single sheet of vinyl and a drain in the middle (all with a 3 degree slope), so it's all easily cleanable. Problem is... the cheapo dual flush home depot toilet... sometimes doesn't want to flush... and when you drain the tub, it back-flows into the shower (the shower and tub are on a common drain, and the toilet is on a different one -- I had old capped drains in the basement, but had to put everything on the deck because they weren't where I needed them to be.
That seems like a good way to do it (avoiding digging new lines). My only problem I didn’t mention is my ceiling height from cement floor to above joists is only approximately 6’10” at the most. My floor space should work (approximately 5’4” x 8’ ). Also it is directly next to waste and water lines which is a plus I guess. I’m not sure which way is more cost effective probably to avoid it altogether lol
once a system is balanced they are of no value. either build the mechanical room large enough to incorporate them or install access doors in the drywall if you want access.
They are not allowed in clothing closets. Because things like clothing, and shoes are flammable so not a good item near panels. They are allowed in storage closets though. As long as it meets the clearance codes.
