askjake

Basement insulation

I own a 10 year old OP home with a poured concrete foundation.  The basement was finished by the previous owner, but does not appear to have a vapor barrier or insulated walls.  There is an 8"-10" air space between the foundation wall and wood studs, but the area is still very cold.  What can be done to better insulate the space without tearing off the drywall?  Can spray foam insulation be used without a vapor barrier?  Any requirements for insulating around electrical panels / outlets?

Thank you,   Ryan

Ryan,

That's quite a bit of room behind the stud walls.  I wonder why they left so much room?  The purpose of the vapor barrier is to minimize the condensation that will build up when cold air meets warm air and the humidity level is high enough to cause condensation.  With spray foam type insulation, you do not need a vapor barrier since the density of the foam acts as the vapor barrier.  It would get very expensive to spray 8 -10" plus the stud depth of 3 1/2" full of foam.  You could get a price on this from a company such as Hayes Insulation, listed in the Kansas City phone book.  The only other alternative that I can think of is to remove the drywall and install a batt type insulation, like a R-19.  Regarding the electrical outlets, if they are properly installed, you can install insulation right up against the boxes.  Good luck and good remodeling. 

Jake

Popcorn on the brain

I have popcorn ceiling. What is best and most cost effective?

1) Scrap and re-mud?

2) Remud over popcorn

3) Rip down and re-drywall?

Jim K

Jim,

Quite a few people want to to get rid of the popcorn texture on their ceiling.  This look was popular from the 50's up to the 80's.  What we usually do is scrape the ceiling, which if it hasn't been painted is pretty easy to do.  After the scraping, we do a knockdown texture which is fairly subtle.  Then you can paint it. 

If you want a smooth ceiling, I would suggest to scrape then overlay the ceiling with new drywall.  It's a lot of work to scrape and mud and finish up with a smooth look.

Those are the two most common ways we handle the old popcorn.  By the way, although it is called popcorn and may look a little like popcorn, I suggest you do not eat it, as it is pretty dry. 

Jake