Partition wall in below-grade room
user-1118538293
| Posted in Construction Techniques on
I just finished framing some partition walls in a basement/below grade space. I cut out a short section of existing wall and the bottom plate was treated. I did not use treated wood for mine. In the past there were some water issues, but those are all resolved and the space is now 100% dry. Also, the concrete floor is painted with a floor enamel, and all the new wall sections are on top of that.
My question: did I just make a huge mistake by not using treated lumber?
Replies
You probably made a mistake, likely not a huge one though. If the framing is still exposed, you might douse the bottom plates with an appropriate preservative.
Also drill some holes and use an oil can to squirt some in.
yes, this is a nice topic.
From the sound of it you say partition walls you should be getting a permit to start with from the sound of it your are not just creating a utility closet.
Why aside from all the regular code requirements, you go to sell the house in the future. Local government say three bedroom one bath unfinished basement. You now have 4 bedroom 2 bath finished basement this is a red flag for any buyer.
How will they know in 2 minutes I can go online and pull the stats up on any house in the state. And even when permits were pulled.
Ok enough of that to the plate this is best dealt with by your local building dept. Some areas are very specific and not only want treated lumber but treated lumber with a sill seat ie foam sill tape under the bottom plate.
Why treated there is always some moisture in concrete maybe not the middle of the slab but it can wick in on the edges.. Concrete can take years to cure and fully wick off moisture.
A basement toilet or floor drain could back up and just a 1/4” of water is more then enough to wick into the bottom plate.
For this reason alone I would keep the sheet rock at least 1/2” off the floor.
Duct Tape a foot square of 6 mill clear plastic to the concrete floor in various places and see if any moisture forms.this needs to be on areas with bare concrete. Also you should do a radon gas test.
So the best answer is a call to your local code enforcement office. Some offices publish guide like this on line for various home projects Attic conversion. Detached garage construction, stair requirements etc.
. If you are worried about big brother tracking your number down borrow a phone, tell the phone owner the reason for your call. But building inspectors don’t have time for this at least in my area. But most are always more then happy to answer questions especially about a project In the planning stage wink wink.
In other words, you ought to do it over after talking to the building dept
Thanks to all for weighing in. I was most concerned with the concrete question because the purpose of the new work wasn't to make a new room, but to re-configure the entrances to existing ones. The concrete in this case is about 60 years old, and is painted all over and it's holding well, so it seems very dry. This was the reason I didn't think using treated bottom plates was urgent, but of course after the fact I have re-thought the wisdom of that.
At this stage of the project I will try to get some preservative under there (I am confident I can force some under) and watch it. If I lose my bet, I will just have to re-do it down the road.
Lesson learned!
Best practice and code are to use treated lumber if its in contact with conrete to prevent any rot, yet plenty of old houses never used treated lumber and the walls are still there a 100 years later.
You never know which type of house you have. How old is your place? How did the lumber look in the areas where you reconfigured the entrances?