I have a fully framed basement, but no electrical, plumbing, or insulation yet. I left approx one inch between the stud walls and the foundation. I have found out that as of the first of the year my city requires fire blocking, top and bottom of external walls plus every 10 feet horizontally. I never put in a moisture barrier because my basement seems very dry and I was given conflicting advice on how to do it...so I pressed on. I figure this is my last chance to put in a moisture barrier...but now with the required fire blocking, don't have a clue as to what can be done. For the fire blocking I'm thinking that I'll put rock wool along the top and add on 2x4's every 10 feet horizontally, pushed and caulked to the wall and scewed to an existing stud. I plan to use paper backed fiberglass insulation between the studs. All but the top foot or so the for foundation is below ground. I live in the St. Louis MO. area....so hot humid summers and temps at worst in the single digits in the winter. Is there anything moisture barrier wise, that I can still do that is worth doing?

Hi, We rent the 1st floor of an old 3 story house. The landlady + husband live on the 2nd and 3rd floors. We get along but the house suffers from some problems which the landlords have chosen not to invest in fixing. Primarily important among these problems is the lack of insulation in the first floor, especially as the winter approaches and with the expected rises in heating costs. The living room is covered with a wooden floor, made up of 2x4s. It looks fine but closer inspection reveals that the 2x4s are the only thing between us and the basement. If you look closely between cracks you can actually see the basement. I don't even know if this is up to code, but, regardless, the most important consequence is that in the winter the cold tends to seep in from the basement through the cracks. Although we have a rug that covers ~1/3 of the living room floor, the living room can still be drafty in the winter. I would like to improve the situation and am planning to speak to the landlady about this, but would like to have some plan/suggestions ready. I don't have much experience in home improvement (never owned a house) but would even be willing to help, if I knew what could be done. Short of major work, what could be done before winter is upon us? Could I (or they, more precisely) buy insulation and stuff it on the ceiling of the basement (held by what? Chicken wire?). How is piping handled? I wouldn't cover the entire basement ceiling, just the area below the living room as that is the most affected area of the house. Is this feasible? Are there problems with this idea? What else could be done? Any help would be very much appreciated. Not only are we worried about the rising costs in heating but we have a little (1 month old) baby to worry about. We can't just bundle ourselves up and ignore the cold now! Thanks, Alex