# Cellulose and mice/spiders?



## Bud9051 (Nov 11, 2015)

Basement walls are usually associated with moisture, it passes right through rocks. And cellulose does not do well with moisture, absorbs it and long time to dry.

You could match the old style mortar and fill the gaps with that. There is a recent thread here discussing old stone foundations. 

Bud


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## Master Brian (Apr 24, 2009)

Bud9051 said:


> Basement walls are usually associated with moisture, it passes right through rocks. And cellulose does not do well with moisture, absorbs it and long time to dry.
> 
> You could match the old style mortar and fill the gaps with that. There is a recent thread here discussing old stone foundations.
> 
> Bud


The foundation is concrete block and I'm not wanting to fill the gaps in that. I've already mostly insulated the walls. I might go to the insulation section as well and ask some of these questions, but for now...

Because the basement was not a full basement originally, the front half was dug out later, so now there are half walls that are about 3' inside the exterior perimeter of the house. These are capped with concrete, so I've overlaid them with rigid foam insulation and then plywood on top of this. I'm trying to make shelves and storage area into this area for the bathroom, but I don't want to open up a cabinet and have plumbing pipes showing. (*my plumbing is not ground level, it exits the house at about 4' above ground from basement floor) Essentially, I'm going to build a false wall in front of the PVC pipes to dress things up, but this will create a void of about 6-12" of dead space. I worry that if I leave that area unfilled, critters will find their way in and just be a breeding ground for spiders, mice, etc. So my thought is fill with cellulose....I might face it with cedar, which would help with insects as well.

I hope this is clear, if not I'll try to get a few pics. And my understanding is that cellulose, in the insulation form, actually handles moisture fairly well. That might be a bit mis-leading, because I realize it might suck up some moisture, but I am pretty certain it's mold resistant. Hmmm...


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## Bud9051 (Nov 11, 2015)

Note, same volunteers read all construction related forums so avoid double posting. When a move is warranted a mod can do that.

I'm sorry, a 100 year old house didn't shout out a concrete block foundation. 

I'm still not excited about using cellulose in this application. Read up on Roxul where they promote using in in basements. 

Pictures would help.

Bud


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## Master Brian (Apr 24, 2009)

I'll try to get the pics. I'm sure 1915 was not far from the switch to block. My last house was built int 1874(76) and it was the stone foundation. I might just leave the area void or add some batting, which if it ever got wet wouldn't be hard to pull out.


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## Master Brian (Apr 24, 2009)

To change direction a little and since the cellulose is questionable. All I'm really trying to do is create a little more insulation and hide some plumbing pipes in an area that will be cabinet/storage space, so what if I just use fiberglass batting and then install cedar boards screwed in place over this. The screws would allow easy removal for any repairs/water damage that might happen and the cedar would not only be a great wick for any humidity/moisture and not rot AND insects and rodents aren't supposed to be fond of it either.

Now my question is do I need to buy actual cedar 1x material or can I buy cedar fence planks and use that instead? They seem to be cheaper and if I'm not mistaken they are western red, which is ideal. Worse case is they are too rough, I can send them through the planer to give a nicer finish without too much headache.


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## Bud9051 (Nov 11, 2015)

Fiberglass insulation and moisture seem to be associated with mold, I think it relates to the glue used to hold the fg together. Roxul would still be my choice.

Bud


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## Master Brian (Apr 24, 2009)

Bud9051 said:


> Fiberglass insulation and moisture seem to be associated with mold, I think it relates to the glue used to hold the fg together. Roxul would still be my choice.
> 
> Bud


I'll see if I can find it at Lowe's. Seems to be listed on their site. Thanks!


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