Finishing my Basement - Ready for Drywall - Part 5

[@nicholasi1955]

Great series. As a novice DIYer and someone who isn't a homeowner yet I find your content enjoyable but also quite humbling. I hope to one day be able to finish my own basement rather than paying other people to do it; some of the stuff you've done so far seems intimidating enough that I wouldn't have even thought possible for someone who doesn't work in the trades. It takes some confidence to be able to jackhammer a hole into your floor 😅

[@SomeGuysGarage]

Glad you've enjoyed it :) Honestly, anyone can do it, just takes time and patience and desire to learn. I started this series pretty well a year ago and I'm still working on it, it's not happening fast. I am also mostly self taught, just learning what I need to do each job as I go (though I have done a lot of these things before this basement). But start small, try painting a room or changing a light or faucet or building some shelves...then move up to building a shed or deck or something...then tackle bigger things. You'll build the skills you need as you go and then bigger projects become less intimidating. If you ever have questions, feel free to reach out and ask :) always happy to help!

[@FunkFPV]

I’m with you on drywall. I can spend 3 weeks doing it myself but I’d rather pay someone to do it in 3 days 👍🏻

[@SomeGuysGarage]

Yup, guy was here drywalling this past week, did a better and faster job than I could ever do...and it's all done so I can move on to next steps.

[@JamesLandolt-m1e]

If you are not in a hurry I think you can do as good or better job hanging drywall than even a professional that will rush through the job. The key is lipstick. We had stuff like canned round ceiling lights that could be tough to cut the holes for. We saw somewhere on the internet that what you should do is mark them with lipstick then put the boards exactly where they are going to go. Then take it down and cut where marked. Same with plugs and light switches. Worked like a charm. Remember - you are doing this for love and not for money - so you will do a better job if you take your time. But the mud work you need to leave to the pros. Also - I would like to point out a couple of other things. The walls lacked blocking. When we did our basement we got flunked on the framing inspection because the code where we are requires the blocking for all walls over a certain height (we had a standard 8 foot ceiling). I forget how high up the wall they need to be, but for fire safety this is something I would want to do regardless. Also it was a good idea to put the insulation between rooms. It eliminates the echo effect - you can hear some of the U Tube folks recording in rooms without this and you can tell there is no wall insulation. We did this throughout the house. We were told that you especially need to do this in 2 story open areas like family rooms that will have a large echo effect. Loved the video.

[@SomeGuysGarage]

@@JamesLandolt-m1e thanks for the long reply here :) Drywall has been done at this point, the guy who did it was amazing, had been doing it for 40 years, and had every last trick to make things perfect. There's no way I could have done it this good, even taking my time. What you said is probably true 9 times out of 10, but I had a reference for the guy I used and had seen his work and was very reasonably priced, so it was a no-brainer to just let him deal with it all. As for fire blocking, for the most part all these walls are just for finishing and not structural in any way. They're also filled with roxul, so would be pretty hard for fire to move through them. Not required by code in this place but there is some requirements for it here when they go multiple stories or over a certain height too. Insulation, I hit all the spots I wouldn't be able to access after drywall, I'll fill in the rest once drywall is on one side :) definitely agree on getting sound deadening in it all, my upstairs level has it between all the walls and you do notice just how much more "dead" the rooms are sound wise. Thanks again! :) I'll probably have another update video in a month or so... (mandatory: subscribe so you don't miss it lol)

[@JamesLandolt-m1e]

@@SomeGuysGarage Thanks for the response - no, none of these walls were structural - it was mostly on the framing we did against our poured basement wall. We used regular 2x4s (except for the baseplate part which had to be pressure treated) - and fiberglass batts as I don't think that products like rockwool were widely available in our area then. And the frame inspection was pre insulation. The basement wasn't complicated - about the same size as this project. Just a rec room and an office - so no plumbing involved. The biggest expense was the electrician and carpeting. Now this was about 15 years ago. This was by my wife and I - neither of which even knew what end of the hammer was the operational part. If we can do it anyone can. Your basement looks absolutely fantastic!

[@SomeGuysGarage]

@@JamesLandolt-m1e Makes sense, interesting that they required blocking for that use, but I guess that's at the whim of each local inspector. I used sill gasket under my bottom plate (which that or 6 mil poly are required by code), I don't like PT in the house though the new stuff isn't a problem like the old stuff 30 years ago lol I'll have done everything except the drywall in mine, electrical and plumbing included...it's been a fun project, not my first time though so does make it easier, but time consuming none the less. I always tell people who are interested in DIY, it's not that hard, just start small and take it on bit by bit and anyone can do it...I didn't learn to do all of this overnight, just takes time and desire to do it. Nice to see a fellow DIYer stop by here :) thanks again!

[@samuelandraws7136]

Thank you very much for the detailed explanation!! I have two questions, 1- Did you leave any air gab behind the Roxul Insulation or it is butted right against the XPS pink foam boards? 2- Did you add any vertical or horizontal fire blocking before the Roxul insulation on the walls?

[@SomeGuysGarage]

Yes, there's a small air gap between the roxul and XPS...this was mostly due to framing requirements, the foundation walls aren't perfectly straight, so I had to set the wall off a bit (at most an inch) to allow the framed wall to be straight. I did not push the roxul therefore tight to the foam board. No, I didn't add any fire blocking. These walls are not structural (the foundation walls carry all the load) and don't go between floors, they are just there for insulation and drywall purposes.

[@samuelandraws7136]

@SomeGuysGarage understood, am asking because I am going through the same process here in NJ are these are code requirements here (they mandated the fire blocking for all the exterior walls). Thanks again for the great videos and your prompt response! Have a Merry Christmas 🎄🎄🎁!!!

[@SomeGuysGarage]

@@samuelandraws7136 makes sense, we have something similar if the walls are over a certain height (regardless of how many floors they span) and load bearing up here.

[@PPGJeremy]

Isn't R5 XPS foam and then the 6mil poly creating a double vapor barrier and a bad thing? I also have R5 xps and foam sealed in around the edges and planning on Roxl like you have, but was anticipating the XPS foam sealed around the edges to create the vapor barrier. In the event any moisture gets between your 6mil and XPS, where is it going to go? Congrats getting this far; as someone also on the journey it's a lot of work.

[@SomeGuysGarage]

You need at least 2" of XPS to substitute for a vapor barrier. I was concerned about the same thing, but found reference in building code AND asked my inspector and all good this way. As I understand it, the 1" has enough permeability still to let the moisture out. It definitely is a lot of work!

[@kaspergruszczynski9919]

Hes right about the XPS, it does have a certain amount of permeability, but even so a double vapor barrier isn't the end of the world as long as it's airtight. If you want a safer assembly go with a smart vapor barrier instead of 6 mil poly. It will allow some drying inward in the right conditions. Basements are tricky because you get vapor drive in different directions above grade based on season, but inward below grade.