Hey all, quick question. I'm just starting on refinishing my basement, it's currently bare down to the cinder block. The house is 17 years old, we've lived here a year with no water problems, and no evidence of previous problems.

I'm going to put up a 2x4 stud wall along all the outside walls, about 1" to 1.5" in from the cinder block. I'm planning on insulating with the rolled insulation, R-13 or R-19, with the paper side facing in, stapled to the studs, covered by drywall.

At the last minute I thought about sealing the whole basement with Dry Lok as well, as an added protection. I got one portion of one wall done over the weekend, and found the stuff to be nastier than I had expected to work with (have I mentioned I hate painting anyway? ). How important is the Dry Lok in the setup I've laid out? If I go back to my original plan and skip the Dry Lok, am I opening myself up to huge problems down the road?

 

The Dri-loc is merely insurance. If you have not had a leak and the landscape does not get changed to put water against your basement walls, you will probably be fine. I have done the Dri-loc thing and I agree with you. I would not have done it if I hadn't HAD to. Good luck on your project.

 

I am finishing my dryloc currently.
After reading the hazard lables, I opted for the water based formula. Other than cost,
Is there a difference between the oil based and the water based?
(other than 1 being oil based and 1 being water based)
it took me 2 hours to do 1 wall, using a dryloc brush and making sure I got the first coat covered correctly.

 

Thanks Majakdragon, that's what I was hoping.

Stevetra, I was using the latex based pre-mix stuff. I'm not sure if there's a difference between that and the water based. It was about the consistency of a milkshake. The directions said not to dilute it at all. It took me about 5 to 6 hours to put a good solid coat on a 20 foot section of wall, being sure to get all the little cinder block pores filled.

 

Moved to a new Thread

 

I recently painted all my basement walls with Dry Lok, my neighbor did the same a few years. At least it will help reduce moisture in the basement. After painting the walls, leave your basement door open for a few days.

 

Has anyone tried spraying on Drylok? On their website, they say that you can do it (and they recommend which equipment/nozzles to use). renting a sprayer (and back rolling, I guess) seems like a better option than brushing/rolling it on to begin with.

anyone have experiance???

 

Just an added thought. Personally I use a Concrete sealer prior to any basement finishing, but there is one other consideration.

Being a 17yr old house I would reccomend picking an area to dig down just far enough to see if the exterior below grade was properly sealed and/or fabric applied with a drain pipe system (depends on the grading of your home)

The worst nightmare is to seal the interior, invest time and money in finishing your basement and then notice over time that you begin to have a moisture problem leading to the growth of mold/mildew as products like Drylok form quite a barrier they can only do so much if the exterior wasn't properly waterproofed. There are many types of sealers that are similar to grout sealers which can be easily sprayed on and attain the same principle of selaing out moisture. Much quicker to use and allows for several passes.

When insulating you can choose to use un-faced, but you must have a vapor barrior on the interior(as you mentioned) stapled to the studs. Only use an insulation just thick enough to fill the gap. A common mistake is to purchase higher grade thick R values and jam it into the spaces, effectively destroying the properties of the insulation. Be sure to overlap the kraft paper facing should you use faced insulation and despite what some drywall installers might tell you, do no staple on the interior of the studs (they claim it makes it harder to drywall over the stapled areas of the studs.

My personal choice in basement applications is to also add a 6mil polyethylene sheeting (Visqueen/Painters Plastic dropcloth as it's commonly known) over the insulation insuring to overlap the seams. I do this due to the tendincies of basements to be quite moist and cooler which creates a condensation problem area/mold-mildew. Again this is a personal choice and the faced insulation which is in itself a vapor barrier, installed correctly, can be quite sufficient.

Regarding the 1-1.5" gap from the walls, I reccomend running a string line along the wall to find the point where you attain a unhindered plumb line. Snap a chalk line and square the layout. No sense giving up space if you don't have to and when I do this I add rigid foam board and use a combo of adhesive/crdrews to fit them flush to the concrete.

Although this may seem like overkill, I am very against leaving open air gaps as the walls will vary in degrees of leval which means some places won't allow the insulation to but up against the block.

Check local codes to insure, for example if your Electrical panel is in the basement) that you properlyframe it out as insulation must remain a set distance away. You will also learn how to address protecting any wiring runs(nailplates) and insuring insulated plumbing (mark key points such as shut off valves on the floor so that you can install an inexpensive access panel for the, JUST IN CASE TIMES!!!

Be sure to allow for the planning of boxing in beam/joist support, AC ductwork and type of cieling you plan on installing. I prefer aoustical suspended as they provide such eayy access for those JUST IN CASE TIMES!!!

Don't skip the permits especially since the electrical inspector will need to see the wire runs PRIOR to them being covered by insulation and drywall. He will check to insure you properly protected the runs(nailplates, stapling, stud holes) and receptacle outlet boxes installed to properly allow for the distance off the finished surface, i.e. dryall to stud gap allowed for when installing boxes. Don't fear them, but be sure to clean up the area prior to getting your rough inspection as a sloppy job site can be interpertated as indicitive of sloppy work.

Keep us updated and Best of luck


Sorry Moderators & Co-Moderators for the long post, got carried away again. Been doing good but I slipped

 

I think sealing the cement is very important. I have been researching this for a while, since I am starting to finish my basement. From what I have read, even if you dont have see water in your basement, unsealed cement still lets in moisture from outside. Cement soaks up moisture, and it has tiny capillaries in it that the moisture can go through. As some of it evaporates into your basement, more can replace it until your basement is nice and humid.

 

A water repellant material is the cheapest insurance you can buy considering the your time and the cash you are investing in your home.

I personally do not think or any of these materials (Drylok, Thoroseal, etc.) as waterproofers, they are absolutely necessary. You have to look ar the whole system consisting of drainage, sealing and water vapor to really be "waterproof".

Dick

 

I'm venturing on the classic project, finishing a basement, and will start with Dry Lok.

At my local Home Depot, they now rent a sprayer ($75/d), designed to spray Dry Lok! My basement measures 30' x 50', any ideas how many 5 gal. I'll need? I'm guessing 3.

My basement / house is only 6 years old, dry as a bone, but a bit musty / damp unless I run the de-humidifier. I think that's normal.

I'm 75% sure the roughly $400 I'd spend to do all walls at once will be worth a hopeful reduction in dampness / mustiness, so I'm not presuming it'll waterproof the walls, just help, and not something I can do later, so I think biting the bullet now, is worthwhile.

Anyone else tried spraying?

 

OK, did it. Sprayed 2 coats, on 160' linear feet of 8' walls using 7 gal. cans. it took about 2.5 hours for the first coat, and 1 hour for the second; took a 3 hour break in between. Clean-up took over a hour to rinse out the sprayer, and clean out the hopper bin.

A neighbor, a painter, had rolled his basement last year and took many days; mostly evenings; he used a 1.5 nap roller, I think an 18" roller. Not having access to those tools, I decided spraying might be an option.

For me, spraying in a single day was the way to go. Total costs ~$750: rental (75/day) and material (7 5 gals of watebase dry lok) was more than I had initially planned, but I feel better being able to see the results, and in a single day.

Hope your projects can be help by this. Good luck!