Im about to try some differnet techniques and would like some feedback…….Im going to finish my basement and have traditionally done basements wood stud and batt insul. but this time i think id like to try steel stud and dense foamboard.
Benefits: no mold buildup, if i also use paperless drywall, speedy framing, less dust and much less itch
drawbacks: faomboard has less r-value and lower draft resistance, how to attach the baseboard, and having to predict where to add axtra backing for nailing for the flatscreen, shelves, etc.
i usually frame the wall 1″ from the foundation for air circ., and do you frame trad. cali. corners with steel?
any and all tips would help.
thanks. dan lynn
joliet, il
Replies
You might glean some information out of this.
Basement Finish
Traditional corner framing can be done with steel, but an easier method is to pass through the sheetrock at corners and partitions.
You leave a gap in the track (3/4'') where one wall meets a another (corner or partition). Layout can continue through that intersection, adding a stud at the end of the abutting wall. Screw the abutting wall stud, through the drywall you passed through, into that stud you added.
Hope I showed that in the link-way harder to explain than do.
A Great Place for Information, Comraderie, and a Sucker Punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
http://www.quittintime.com/
Nice info there. Especially Blodgett's advice to travelers. Must be a Star Diner on the west coast, too.If I'm following your man of steel logic correctly, you are suggesting a steel-drywall-steel sandwich (made possible by the gap in the track), instead of a lapped joint at the intersections, yes?'Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it' ~ Chinese proverb
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Poor mans sketchup.
red-steel
blue-drywall
black arrow-screw this way <A Great Place for Information, Comraderie, and a Sucker Punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
http://www.quittintime.com/
Correct. I'll show you in March so you can finish the rest of that space.The best reward for a job well done is the opportunity to do another.
i just got a great book about steel framing from a friend of mine. i forget who its by but its a prefessional's guide and has some great details in there
like the steel-rock-steel sandwich for corners and partitions you referenced, box beam supports, header details and different ways to do soffits.
thanks again.
another question for ya: your insul. in that basement was true 16" wide, is that stuff more rigid than regular insulation? i would worry that it might sag or fall or lean against the concrete and absorb moisture. any problems with that?Dan Lynn, Dan Lynn Construction, Joliet, IL
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Yes, true full 16 and 24'' wide-available at good drywall/metal/ceiling suppliers.
Not more rigid.
In an 8' wall, no sag.'
Never had problems with it falling out the backside.
Now, I'd probably go the foam route against the foundation.
One thing you'll learn with steel framing-don't cut tight. Be creative with standoffs, working around ducts and other obstrucions, don't cut yourself.A Great Place for Information, Comraderie, and a Sucker Punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
http://www.quittintime.com/
Dan, you want the foam attached directly to the concrete. Read the Building Science material. There really aren't that many different opinions about the basics -- the details about XPS versus EPS are much less important than the basics of NOT using a true vapor barrier in a basement and DO put foam tightly on the masonry to prevent condensation and use foam that is semipermeable to vapor transmission such as uncoated EPS or XPS.Mike's advice about using borate treated foam if you can find it is good.Billy
borate treated sounds like good idea. that building science site is a phenomenal info site.
so now that im gonna do this, does anyone have any feedback on the stud crimpers for connections instead of screwing them together? obviously the screws are better for stressed installs like soffits and such, but is a tool like that worth it for the basic basement wall build? its about $90 central north american currency.....Dan Lynn, Dan Lynn Construction, Joliet, IL
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I haven't used the steel stud crimpers, but I think Malco makes them? If you crimp them be aware that changing your mind and/or adjusting the stud location just got a lot harder!Billy
Changing your mind is easy w/crimper. A tap with your hand, a kick with your foot.
A Great Place for Information, Comraderie, and a Sucker Punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
http://www.quittintime.com/
i thought of that. i figured if i went that route that drilling out the crimp should be quick and easy.
i just hate handling loose screws. after getting the quickdrive for decks and Duraspin for drywall and cement board, goin back to loose screws is a hassleDan Lynn, Dan Lynn Construction, Joliet, IL
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dan, it punches a hole through the track which lodges itself into the hole it punches in the stud.
No drilling anything out. Think ''punching'' a hole through two flat metals.
A Great Place for Information, Comraderie, and a Sucker Punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
http://www.quittintime.com/
i was referring to taking them apart if neededDan Lynn, Dan Lynn Construction, Joliet, IL
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Yes, I understand. You dont need to drill out to take apart. You kick the stud and whammo-no connection.
The stud and track "lock" together by a punch. All it does is push track metal into the hole-"locking" the two together.
Imagine driving a 16 penny nail through two pcs of metal. There's a hole-you pull the nail out. The two pcs are stuck together because you've "pushed" a small bit of the metal into the hole-extruded it into the other pc.
A Great Place for Information, Comraderie, and a Sucker Punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
http://www.quittintime.com/
i misread your previous reply.
if they come apart that easily, do they stay together pretty well?Dan Lynn, Dan Lynn Construction, Joliet, IL
QUOTES TO LIVE BY: 'The bitterness of poor quality lasts far longer than the sweet taste of a low price....' 'Anything worth doing is worth doing well' "If it was easy......ANYBODY could do it"
Well, yes and no.
If doing commercial-it's easy for you to move a stud-to walk through-etc.
Other trades can move them too-not always good for the layout if they bend pipe and mount an electical box.
But for your work, and if you can get behind it to crimp the backside-no problem holding it till you sheetrock.
If using standoffs for any reason to the back-you might want to screw those studs at the top and bottom.
Same with soffits/other work arounds to firm them up.A Great Place for Information, Comraderie, and a Sucker Punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
http://www.quittintime.com/
Re: Vapour/moisture barriers
When I did my basement in 95, Manitoba Hydro ( THe local authority on insulation matters) put out a series of instruction manuals for new and retro insulation methods.
The basement manual recommended securing poly with acoustic sealent and a 1x3 nailed to the inside of the basement wall at grade level. The poly wasallowed to drape to the floor and then out on the floor a couple feet. The bottom plate was secured to the floor on top of that poly. After the stud spaces were insulated, a poly vapour barrier was applied to the stud faces, floor to ceiling, and the first strip of poly was brought up the face of the studs. All laps of the poly were to be sealed with acoustic sealent. The wall finish was then applied.
The theory to the poly on both sides of the insulation was that any moisture from or wicking through the concrete below grade would be kept from the insulation and if enough was present, it could flow down the wall and out under the bottom plate. Of course. a properly sealed and intact vapour barrier would prevent any moisture from condensing in the insulation during our winter. In the event any moisture should get into the insulation , during our summer that moisture would change to vapour and permeate through that part of the foundation wall between grade and the floor joists.
It seems to have worked as planned as I have had no problems, but then I've had no need to open up any of those walls for a first-hand look either.
One local building practice for many years in the past was that floor joists and headers were set into the forms and the concrete was brought up to close to the top of the joists when the basement walls were poured. Of course it made for some difficulties when you neede to get a wire or a register boot into an exterior wall. When energy was cheap those joist spaces generally went uninsulated as were most basements. Later on, when people started insulating and finishing basements, those joist spaces were insulated and created a whole new problem. Generally, basement walls were 8-9" thick and wall studs were 3.5", so where those joist spaces were insulated, the cold from the concrete went up and people had a 3" band of frost on the floor all the way around the perimeter of their house. So, no matter how well you retrofit the insulation in the rest of the house, that 9" strip of bare concrete all the way around your house at the top of your basement wall is left uninsulated.
Paul
we have all learned a lot about the insulation/condensation/ventilation issues since '95.I've heard plenty of stories of soggy wet insulation found when the installation was as you describe, with two VB trapping any moisture that does get in.
The plastic on wall sounds like it could sometimes be good idea, but I would use an insulation that is not hurt by moisture like EPS or XPS and NO VB on the interior side, so if any moisture does move into the assembly, it can also have a chance to dry out again.
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>>If you crimp them be aware that changing your mind and/or adjusting the stud location just got a lot harder!
Na, just wackem once with a hammer and the crimp pops loose. way easier than backing out pan heads in light guage steel studs.
Yep, I got that wrong. Since I haven't used the crimpers I should have kept my mouth shut.
Billy
Guys get a steed stud manuel and look at it !! Crimpers are the best thing and worth the cash.But depending on if you want a floating wall like in a basement ( heavy clay soils and like poster from Manitoba dramatic temp swings) and the joists poured into the wall thing.
If you want to make a wall float you use a combination of crimps and screws to achive a variable wall system. Depends on ceiling also drywall or hung T bar ?
For my house all trusses I used steel studs for interior walls. screw large profile track to floor ( to float) regular to ceiling. after using a plumb of line to line up. Mark centers on top track, push metal in place roughly to start. Crimp on mark, down off ladder Put level on stud and crimp. I buck out opening with 2X4 towards jamb. Tried the cut and pocket PITA. and if the wet stud dries it will twist the metal and make you ill !! OOPs well go back and screw the top track to studs. put in studs over doors. Use the slip/corner method with drywall. !!! think ahead and put blocking were you need it. Light switches, light boxes ceiling fans , Shelves closet rods stair hand rails. pictures
After 11 years not one crack at the wall/ceiling joint. Thanks Jerry Kenrock Regina
he gave the instal manuel as part of the order AKA good customer service
BB
In basements, I put 1" foam on the foundation walls first and tape seams. this gives continuous inso behind framing. Wood frame and batt inso, unfaced. Unfaced is hard to get around here, so we peel the paper, pita.
For securing trim, you can use power grabber and nail your trim at opposing angles. You could add blocking like Calvin did for his cabinets.
I use the 1 5/8" steel track to frame soffits around ducts, etc. and then osb for the soffit sides. I just screw the track to the joists, and then level the OSB.
Dave Otto -- Otto Construction -- PA
i guess trim screws would do the trick for baseboards and casings, huh?
another good tip i learned for soffits from an old coworker......if ya have any I joists laying around from an old job, (or i usually buy leftovers from the lumberyard at discount), rip off one cord of the I joist so you have a tee equal to your needed soffit height, screw through the tee portion into your floor joists on both sides of the duct, or whatever you're burying and then screw horiz. battens between thr lower flanges made of 1x. keep you relatively close to the duct and the T joist stays prety damn straight....while screwing.
X=i joist ripped down to a tee joist attached to floor joist - O=1x or such attached betw. T joists
_______________________FLOOR JOIST__________________________----- XXXXX I I XXXXX- - X I I X - X I I X - - X I DUCT WORK I X - X I I X -- X I I X - X IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII X -- X OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO X -
what happened, head fall onto the keyboard?
For trim-if not using 16 ga studs, 15/16 ga fin. nails work if shot dead on to metal studs. Spots of const. adhesive a good add on.
You should have wood 2x backer attached to the opening for jambs to nail to. You can see that in my previous link. That takes care of the jamb/casing.A Great Place for Information, Comraderie, and a Sucker Punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
http://www.quittintime.com/
HA! no, i tried to type a diagram, but when it posted it got all screwy.....go figure.
thanks for the tips, im tryin to go towards keeping all wood away from the floor in the unfortunate event of water, so i'll prob. go thr trim screw route. i used to 6inch foamboard from the ground 6inches up friction fit betw. studs and batts the rest of the way up to keep the inspectors happy, but am always looking for better and faster ways.
You can airnail your base to the metal studs no problem, if not 16 ga studs. The nail pierces the stud, almost a weld when it does. Cross nail w/glue does well too.A Great Place for Information, Comraderie, and a Sucker Punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
http://www.quittintime.com/
gotcha, thanks. Dan Lynn, Dan Lynn Construction, Joliet, IL
QUOTES TO LIVE BY: 'The bitterness of poor quality lasts far longer than the sweet taste of a low price....' 'Anything worth doing is worth doing well' "If it was easy......ANYBODY could do it"
You can add scraps of 2x4 into the tracks that act as backing for your base trim, just drop them in between studs, no nailing required. If you are using a taller baseboard, then screw the 2x4 so it stands on edge in the track. Since your door jambs should be 2x4 anyway, you don't have to worry about backing for your casing.
That being said, you can nail into the light guage studs with no problem, and just cross nail between studs into the drywall. Unless you are using stain grade wood for trim, you should not get a lot of movement out of fingerjoints materials to worry that the nails will pull.
To get it to work, shift the font to Courier, a fixed font. And, be sure that you have paragraph (line) breaks at the end of each line. Because this text enter box is narrower than the screen box.
_______Floor Joist_________________
XX
how do you attach the foam to the foundation?
foam glue
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ravz
The best way to stick polystyrene foam to the wall is with a cementitious mortar designed to stick to foams, like any acrylic stucco base coat. Use adhesive only if the wall has been painted, which would prevent the stucco base from sticking.
"drawbacks: faomboard has less r-value and lower draft resistance, how to attach the baseboard, and having to predict where to add axtra backing for nailing for the flatscreen, shelves, etc."
BIG error in your thinking there. EPS gives you R5/inch while FG batts only provide about R3.3
EPS is solid so it cannot support a draft while batts are inherently good supporters thereof.
glue the foam to the concrete wall, then secure strapping or hat track over it to attach the finish surface onto.
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R13 in a 2x4 studwall is 13/3.5=3.71/inch which also allows burying conduit and pipe, whereas rigid foamboard needs to be cutout for pipes and such, which would require sprayfoam to fill the void and maintain solid R value.
question is, is it worth the time. also, dont you always want airspace behind concrete for moisture remediation? i guesss then drylocking the foundation before the foamboard would be a good idea....
"dont you always want airspace behind concrete for moisture remediation?"I suppose that depends who you are/is and the situation at hand.
Most all cellar moisture on walls is from two different sources and there are two ways of dealing with it.if the walls are leaking, you need to dig around outside and deal with that problem at the source with treating the wall and providing a proper drainage plane and foundation drain. If you don't, and this is your source of moisture, I guarantee that a wall insulated with FG batts will be full of mold in a few years, inch or no inch.The other common source of cellar moisture comes from condensation of moisture in the warm air when it hits the cool crete. Insulating with foam absolutely stops this in two ways.
#1, it is a VB that stops the moisture from passing through.
#2, it prevents that dewpoint condensation be being the better insulator with no air infiltration carrying warm moist air from the living space to contact the cool crete
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Ok, Paul. Educate me. And I mean that seriously not sarcastically.I am about to redo a basement that I finished 20 years ago and didn't know enough.So now I am going to remove the framing at the exterior block walls, and the FG insulation. I have read multitudinous times Andy Engel's article about the no-mold basement. I need to warm this puppy up.Andy recommends 2" on walls and 1" on the floor of expanded polystyrene
foam because it is permeable. He thinks there shouldn't be a vapor barrier in the basement.Now I am confused.Glenn
good info, thanks everybody!!!!Dan Lynn, Dan Lynn Construction, Joliet, IL
QUOTES TO LIVE BY: 'The bitterness of poor quality lasts far longer than the sweet taste of a low price....' 'Anything worth doing is worth doing well' "If it was easy......ANYBODY could do it"
I think Andy's article presumes any moisture in the basement is from the masonary or concrete. It also assume the newly finished and conditioned space will be the drier environment. The expectation is for the assembly to dry to the inside, thus the expanded polystyrene.
I've always wondered about that article myself. Piffen's comment about the colder concrete and dew point is also very valid. If the moisture is high inside the basement it will move to the condensing surface of the concrete or CMUs because the heat flow is always in the direction toward the cooler surface.
Confuse yet?
This discussion has gone back and forth for years here. The correct answer, I think, is likely based more on your local conditions than anything else. Figure out where your condensing surfaces are likely to be, where the moisture may be highest and which way the heat loss will drive moisture. Then plan your wall assembly accordingly.
Piffen will be along shortly to give you his reasoning.
Confused? A tad.If I take Building Science Corp's advise, I would use closed cell poly, which would act as a vapor barrier.I am not knowledgeable enough in this area to have a very educated opinion. The different views of whether a vapor barrier is needed, or if it should go on the inside or the outside of a wall is something I am trying to decipher.Then, ,which type of board: expanded or extruded polystyrene, or Polyisocyanurate (ISO) which, I believe is the least permeable and gives the greater R-value.Then, since I am on a roll, what about the floor? Andy uses 2 layers of 1/2" plywood. Any different suggestions or opinions?
Glenn
polyiso will hold water like a sponge. someplaces OK for walls, but not good for cellar floor or most roofs.I don't imagine EPS permeable. Spray water on it with your hose.
Do the same with your FG batts. Which soaks up water? So which do you want in a wet ( your assumption) environment?
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I'm only going by what I read.Andy Engel's article says to use EPS, that you don't want to use a vapor barrier. He claims it is vapor permeable.Rick Arnold claims that foil faced Polyisocyanurate (ISO)is considered impermeable.I'm don't know which of them is correct, but would certainly like to know the best product to use on the walls and floor of this basement.By the way, anyone know if Hilti's foam is worth the extra money over Great Stuff's, both for tackiness to put up the boards, and for around doors and windows. Using a gun with either one.Glenn
It is the foil that makes the Thermax impermeable. The foam alone is not. And you still have to tape the seams and keep it up off the floor or the ends can wick water if you have it there.
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Water absorption and transmission
The cellular structure of mo lded polystyrene is essentially impermeable to water and provides zero capillary. However, EPS may absorb moisture when it is completely immersed due to its fine interstitial channels within the bead-like structure.While molded polystyrene is nearly impermeable to liquid water, it is moderately permeable to vapors under pressure differentials. Vapor permeability is a function of both density and thickness. Generally, neither water nor vapor affects the mechanic al properties of EPS. from http://www.foamfabricatorsinc.com/Page.aspx?nid=62
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its entertianment in and of itself just to see how many different directions these answers go...... by the way whats the best pie tin to use for 9x13 cake, 1 1/2 thick with a projected rise 1/2-7/8" based on two two ounces of yeast content? HA! just kidding, PLEASE dont answer that anyone.....
based on what ive seen, read and observed in other homes, i think ill lay 1/2" foil faced foam against the foundation, pinch it to the wall with 3 1/2 steel stud, lay 2" EPS press fit betw. the studs and il still have unobstructed room to run pipes and wires in front of the foam without disturbing the r value. no wood, no batts, no problem. paperles drywall will finish it off.
i still like the idea of an airspace against the foundation for air circ., in the event of minor moisture.
thanks fellas...... 'til next time...Dan Lynn, Dan Lynn Construction, Joliet, IL
QUOTES TO LIVE BY: 'The bitterness of poor quality lasts far longer than the sweet taste of a low price....' 'Anything worth doing is worth doing well' "If it was easy......ANYBODY could do it"
I read somewhere that using steel studs cuts the r-value of the wall assembly in half.
Styro inside or outside the studs okay, but insulation in cavities not so good due to thermal bridging.
Also, foil faced anything needs an airspace to have any effect, and needs to stay clean and shiny.
good point, i hadnt thought of thermal bridging. makes sense, just like the dark dots that appear over the nail heads on poorly insulated ceilings.....
thats why i think its better to insulate behind the studs anyway so you get that continuous layer of insulation.
but that brings up the big debate in codes in my area: whether to vapor barrier to the conditioned or non-conditioned side of the wall. Dan Lynn, Dan Lynn Construction, Joliet, IL
QUOTES TO LIVE BY: 'The bitterness of poor quality lasts far longer than the sweet taste of a low price....' 'Anything worth doing is worth doing well' "If it was easy......ANYBODY could do it"
Good point about the vapour barrier.
In my climate ,southeast Ontario, placement of VB should vary with the seasons.
Very cold winters means it is on the warm side but our extensive use of air conditioning now means that reverses in the summer and water condenses in the cavity, soaks the insulation and runs down to the floor and, hey presto, my foundation leaks.
For me, it means being a huge proponent of ICF and non-wetting styro
that must get very tiring having to slip out that plastic and flip it to the other side avery other season...... haha.
the ICF craze seems pretty huge, but thats gonna make future remodels expensive i wwould think.
my old boss built a 'super insulated' house with two 2x6 walls spaced apart running the entire exterior. made for some deep jambs, window box seats at every double hung!
i'ld like to build a house under the garage. precast concrete garage floor over the housee built into the landscape no need for a walkout basement cuz the whole main floor would be a walkout. save on heating and cooling, run geothermal and passive solar. but of course the garage would have to be much larger than the house.Dan Lynn, Dan Lynn Construction, Joliet, IL
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"based on what ive seen, read and observed in other homes, i think ill lay 1/2" foil faced foam against the foundation"Please tell about where you have seen or read about foil faced foam against a concrete wall you suspect might get damp?
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read your posts re vapor barriers: foil face is impermeable which was the original issue going around. i didnt say ive seen or read about foil face in other homes, i said i'd do it that way. i thought the foil could reflect the cold back outwards, as in behind siding remodels,
but now after reading the building science article and thinking about any moisture that may enter and become 'stuck there' i'm back to square three or four.... at least its not square one. more like square 9 actually.
i like their input on foam on the exterior and only the upper interior walls. but that leaves alot of room for error in meeting the building code requirement for R value.
i cant wait to argue the point with the building dept that foregoing R value to combat moisture issues is actually a positive in the right direction.Dan Lynn, Dan Lynn Construction, Joliet, IL
QUOTES TO LIVE BY: 'The bitterness of poor quality lasts far longer than the sweet taste of a low price....' 'Anything worth doing is worth doing well' "If it was easy......ANYBODY could do it"
"i thought the foil could reflect the cold back outwards, as in behind siding remodels,"You need to remember your physics class from school. It is impossible to reflect cold. Cold is th absence of heat energy. The foil reflects heat, not cold.And that only works when there is a vacant space in front of the foil. All systems that employ foil as part of the detailing require that an inch of space be left in front of the foil.so IF you put this on the crete, it would reflect heat back to the room, if you leave space in front of it.I'm just very leery of using the Thermax directly on crete in a cellar. I would re=verse and use EPS or XPS directly on the crete wall - a time tested method many have done sucessfully. Then if you want still some foil faced, use it between the studs.
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good points. thanks! so as s sidenote then, ive seen siding guys use foil face on exteriors under siding. according to physics then, would that be a waste, since the foil faces out, its tight against wall material and tight against siding finish?
these conversations can go off in crazy directions......Dan Lynn, Dan Lynn Construction, Joliet, IL
QUOTES TO LIVE BY: 'The bitterness of poor quality lasts far longer than the sweet taste of a low price....' 'Anything worth doing is worth doing well' "If it was easy......ANYBODY could do it"
In some cases that is true.
First - keep in mind that that type of insulation has little strength to hold it together in a sheet for shipping and handling or installation, so some sort of skin has to be applied to hold it together. Using foil instead of an alternate is surely not too much more expensive.Second, some of us do add a rain barrier wall with strapping that does allow for a reflective radiant barrier to help.
but the radiant effect is an added bonus and not part of the measured R7.2 value, which is much greater than the R5 of the EPS material.Thirdly, in a heating climate, the foil faced foam belongs on the interior face of the stud wall. I have often done a very effective thermal wall by framing 2x4 filled with chopped FG or cellulose, then the Thermax on the interior face of the studs, then strapping, then sheetrock. This yields about an R20 wall with no thermal bridging.
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My advice is to use XPS. It is easier to work with (more stiff), and Building Science says it is fine in basements at the thicknesses you will use. I've used EPS on floors and it has too much "give" in my view. Both XPS and EPS are vapor permeable so the walls can dry to the inside. In most climates in the U.S., the walls would dry to the inside -- they could dry to the outside only if the soil is extremely dry.Read the Building Science information carefully and it will answer a lot of your questions:http://www.buildingscience.com/documents/digests/bsd-103-understanding-basementshttp://www.buildingscience.com/documents/reports/rr-0202-basement-insulation-systems/attachment_download/fileBilly
nice thing about eps is you can get it treated with borates ( Performguard )
also, you can get it in various densities ( on walls, say 1 lb / cf )
under slabs , say 2 lb / cf
if stiffness is an issue get the higher density and a greater thickness, like 2"Mike Hussein Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Mike, that's a very good point. I would go for the borate treated EPS over non-treated XPS. I rolled Boracare onto the floor and walls before I attached the foam, because I'm paranoid about building carpenter ant and termite farms with the foam. I don't know if applying it to the masonry will do any good at all.Billy
I like the Hilti foam a bunch. I usually buy by the case. They have both low and high expanding and one that is rated for firestop. I pretty much use the firestop because it is low expanding and is cheaper than the regular.
My local Hilti sales rep did a demo while back. He filled a bucket with great stuff and another with Hilti foam. After one month the Great stuff foam started to shrink and retract from the sides of the bucket while the hilti stayed true to the bucket.
I have never used the Great stuff gun, but the Hilti gun is the very user friendly.
Bruce
For baseboard , install 1/2 inch plywood, along the bottom holding up a 1/4 inch, baseboard will hide transition. For hanging doors, attach 2 2x4's to each side of the opening, setting them into the top and bottom track. Dry wall should be stood up.
Wier/Barlow