So the fun begins on my Basement Renovation

[TDIGUY]

Ok so I checked another area of the basement and it is foundation wall then 1/2" space followed by the 2x4 framing and r13 insulation with vapour barrier on top.

No tar paper

[good2know]

You are nearing a critical decision point - whether to take it all down or not.

Your best bet (in terms of quality of finished product) would be to pull the fiberglass. Move the walls in so there is 1.5 inches behind the studs. Get everything foamed then put the batts back in.

Note check that 1.5 with your local building inspection folks.

Other 2 layer wall assemblies include horizontal roxul behind the studs, foam sheets against the concrete, or even fiberglass/fiberglass. Not needed if foam but standard house wrap makes a great moisture barrier against the concrete.

2 layers eliminates thermal bridges, eliminates an air gap behind the studs, and helps reduce air flow.

[TDIGUY]

Thanks for all the input.
The plan for the next couple weeks is moving around everything so o have a clear workspace then tearing down the rest of the drywall to see what else I find. From there I can finalize my design so I can go for my permit.

[good2know]

I just became aware of this:

https://www.amazon.ca/CertainTeed-90...GJ7BE577X3AZ2R

[TDIGUY]

So here is where I am at so far,

I checked with the town and they say that because the walls are already up, they would have met code when they were installed and they do not require me to change them

I am leaning towards pulling the existing insulation leaving the framing as is and having it spray foamed. plus having the sill plate sprayed as well. Pretty sure that is one of the biggest spots i am loosing heat right now as most of it is not even insulated.

I speaking with the town, they have also told me I do not need a permit as I am not touching any of the load bearing walls therefore it is all cosmetic and no permit required from them. Electrical is separate and I will be getting that permit. Doesn't hurt to have someone check my work.

The one piece I am touching regarding load bearing is replacing the jack posts that were removed, on that they said since i am replacing what was already there also nothing required.

please feel free to let me know if you see any flaws in this plan.

If I leave the walls as is and spray foam, since it is not a continious depth of foam due to the studs would it still count as a vapour barrier?

[good2know]

Best to check these distances with local building staff. Could be different up here (near Ottawa).

What one person needed to do was paint the studs with vapour barrier paint to seaql them.

Also putting the fiberglass back in the wall, and installing a vapour barrier on that would be good.

I am surprised the building code people dont want to inspect the replacement steel posts. They come in different sizes and strength so how do you know which one to use? Same with insulation if you redo all of it.

Have you been able to determine if the plumbing meets code?

[good2know]

http://www.buildinghomes.ca/communit...ad.php?t=22649

[TDIGUY]

Thanks,
I am leaning towards putting the batts back in and installing a new vapour barrier around the entire basement then spray the sill/rim. Insulation value is essentially the same as with spray so i am not gaining a lot but it will be a large expense I could use on something else.

I am hoping to rent a bin this weekend so i can do all my demolition and clear out the space so I can get a better idea of what else will be needed so i can nail down my final design.

Current design is attached, the lighter flooring at the front is a dance stage for the kids. It will also have the TV mounted centered between the windows for our Home Theater space. Where the bar is shown I will be also adding a back counter with a sink since the main drain is right there it should be easy to tie into without cutting into the floor.

The biggest challenge now is potentially moving the floor drain, as it sits now it will be in the middle of the walkway to the bedrooms/living room, I want to bring it into the Laundry Room.

[good2know]

Good plan. I dont see the furnace and water heater though.

I went through the earlier pictures again. You may wish to consider installing a larger electrical panel. Yours looks full and its always good to have a couple spare slots. There is also the pony panel option.

An identical brand should allow you to reuse all the breakers.

[TDIGUY]

Furnace and water heater are in the room the bar butts up to that is where they are currently and trying not to move them unless we decide to go tankless.

The electrical panel is at capacity for breakers but it is a sub-panel as when they moved the house the put a 200A main panel in the garage and hooked this one up as a sub panel. Part of this basement project will be sorting out the wiring and hopefully a larger panel to add a few slots. There are a couple circuits in the house that run from the panel in the garage and I am hoping to change that so everything in the house is on the same panel. Then the panel in the garage would just be to the panel in the basement, the pool and my workshop which has it's own sub panel.