# How to Prep. Basement Walls for Painting



## Ron6519 (Mar 28, 2007)

Why are you painting the concrete walls?


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## vcheez (Jul 12, 2010)

We are trying to make them look pretty. It's a "honey do list" thing. 
We are fixing up the basement but do not want to go so far as to finish by adding sheet rock. 
Painting will make the place look nice and clean. 
Do you have any pointers on how to prep and the walls in this relatively moist environment?

Thx, VC


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## stadry (Jun 20, 2009)

may have missed this along the way but don't recall a pro or anyone else saying drylock materials are worth the effort,,, if your honey has another list handy, go for that 1 1st,,, whatever you do the the bsmt wall will not last if there's ANY indication of moisture,,, bsmts contain warmer moisture-laden air - when that contacts cool walls ( ambient earth temp is 65*f ), condensation occurs.


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## Ron6519 (Mar 28, 2007)

vcheez said:


> We are trying to make them look pretty. It's a "honey do list" thing.
> We are fixing up the basement but do not want to go so far as to finish by adding sheet rock.
> Painting will make the place look nice and clean.
> Do you have any pointers on how to prep and the walls in this relatively moist environment?
> ...


Unless "honey" knows what she's talking about, I'd ignore her. Blindly following the advice of the uninfomed has no good end.
Moisture will continue to come through the foundation wall from the exterior. Painting it will just trap the moisture for a short period of time until the paint fails and peels off the wall.
If you want less humidity, put in a dehumidifier.


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## vcheez (Jul 12, 2010)

Ron6519 said:


> Unless "honey" knows what she's talking about, I'd ignore her. Blindly following the advice of the uninfomed has no good end.
> Moisture will continue to come through the foundation wall from the exterior. Painting it will just trap the moisture for a short period of time until the paint fails and peels off the wall.
> If you want less humidity, put in a dehumidifier.


Thanks for your advice but ignoring the old lady usually ends with me have some lonely nights. 
I'm not painting to stop moisture. Like I said, we don't get any water in the basement and I have tested the walls and we do not currently have a moisture problem. The efflorescence I see is from many years ago. I have already corrected the problems that caused moisture intrusion in the past. Now we just want to make it look nice and we think that painted walls are nicer looking than bare walls.

Assuming that I have no moisture problems in the basement, does anyone have a recommendation on how to proceed with painting and is there any special prep or is the recommendation not to paint the basement walls?

Thanks in advance, VC


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## vcheez (Jul 12, 2010)

itsreallyconc said:


> may have missed this along the way but don't recall a pro or anyone else saying drylock materials are worth the effort,,, if your honey has another list handy, go for that 1 1st,,, whatever you do the the bsmt wall will not last if there's ANY indication of moisture,,, bsmts contain warmer moisture-laden air - when that contacts cool walls ( ambient earth temp is 65*f ), condensation occurs.


Ok. If drylock is a waste of money, do you have any basic suggestions on how to prep. the walls for painting? 

Thanks for the info on condensation temperatures. I'm not sure how to avoid mother nature. Will installing a dehumidfier will help reduce the affects of condensation? I did a moisture test and did not see any condensate on my plastic squares.

Thanks in advance, VC


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## vcheez (Jul 12, 2010)

Hey Guys,

I know you're busy helping us do it yourselfers out there but I'm just following up to see if anyone has any advice about painting my basement.

I must have mislead you to thinking that I'm trying to paint to fix a moisture problem. *"There is no moisture problem" *We are painting to make it look nicer. I can move my post to the painting forum if that is more appropriate but I thought that work in the basement and prep of the walls would be something that the construction forum could help with.

If you guys don't recommend painting a basement, please let me know and if you have any other suggestions on how to finish off the basement I would appreciate hearing your suggestions.

Thx in advance, VC


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## coderguy (Jan 10, 2011)

I don't think anyone is mislead. As someone with huge basement problems; the most I can do is clarify...

It isn't about having a moisture problem or not; it is about the natural way basements work. Even with a treatment of the walls on the outside; basement walls aren't painted/treated. If a basement is finished it is finished spaced from the walls a bit.

They have to breathe, moisture does come through; even just seasonally. This small amount of moisture/vapor is usually free to escape; but drylok/et all trap it.

So I think the general advice is that if you paint it; you may cause a moisture problem.


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## jdm001 (Nov 6, 2009)

I agree, I'm a homeowner not a pro, but I would always use the drylock. It'll only cost you $100 bucks. No matter how dry it is, concrete will absorb water (it'll wick it away too, so you won't notice it).

As a nice bonus, the drylock can even act as a primer for your paint. 

Make sure to use huge brushes and really push it into any chips, small hairline cracks, or any uneven surfaces. It will be a HUGE mess (wear old clothes and cover your hair), but it will keep the floors dry, give you a flatter and more even surface, and it'll make it easier to paint onto.


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## jdm001 (Nov 6, 2009)

Oh, also, if you have level walls, aren't running any low voltage or electrical wiring along it, you can easily frame to the existing walls. 

It's not ideal, but you can get 1By pressure treated boards to use as studs. Frame along the walls by pre drilling everything with a concrete hammer drill. First you glue it to temporarily hold it, then drill through the wood and into the concrete. Secure it with tapcon screws. You can then throw drywall up by attaching to the framing on the wall studs. 

For an average sized basement (say 20x30, outer walls only) should take a weekend and about $150 worth of wood, glue and screws. Probably 2X that in drywall.

I'd still drylock it too. You don't want mold or mildew smell behind the drywall. Last, you should use greenboard on the bottom if you have a sump, sewer drain, or any other possible water problem (backed up sewer, plumbing leak, etc).


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## coderguy (Jan 10, 2011)

jdm001 said:


> I agree, I'm a homeowner not a pro, but I would always use the drylock. It'll only cost you $100 bucks. No matter how dry it is, concrete will absorb water (it'll wick it away too, so you won't notice it).
> 
> As a nice bonus, the drylock can even act as a primer for your paint.
> 
> Make sure to use huge brushes and really push it into any chips, small hairline cracks, or any uneven surfaces. It will be a HUGE mess (wear old clothes and cover your hair), but it will keep the floors dry, give you a flatter and more even surface, and it'll make it easier to paint onto.


I'm not sure who you are agreeing with?

I don't see any positive, use or especially bonus from using drylok. All I got out of our previous homeowner using it is to clean it off the walls as it peels. Once it is off the walls those parts can breathe again.

I'm not going to get into putting studs directly on the wall. I'm hoping some of the more experienced posters chime in here.


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## jdm001 (Nov 6, 2009)

I've done my basement myself, to code, and passed inspections and electrical test. I had one small bathroom where I had to stud to the wall so I didnt lose 4" of space and that passed as well.


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## vcheez (Jul 12, 2010)

coderguy said:


> It isn't about having a moisture problem or not; it is about the natural way basements work. Even with a treatment of the walls on the outside; basement walls aren't painted/treated. If a basement is finished it is finished spaced from the walls a bit.
> 
> They have to breathe, moisture does come through; even just seasonally. This small amount of moisture/vapor is usually free to escape; but drylok/et all trap it.
> 
> So I think the general advice is that if you paint it; you may cause a moisture problem.


Hey coderguy, this is good information. It clarifies the potential problem of painting a basement wall and is pointing me in another direction that may have better longterm results. I really appreciate you taking the time to read my entire post and to educate me without making an abrupt statement with no explanation.:thumbsup: I will ask you however if you think the basement walls will be damaged if they hold moisture that is not able to escape. Please let me know. The basement walls have been standing virtually undamaged for 90 years unpainted so I definitely don't want to do something that will jeopardize the strength and longevity of my foundation.



jdm001 said:


> It's not ideal, but you can get 1By pressure treated boards to use as studs. Frame along the walls by pre drilling everything with a concrete hammer drill. First you glue it to temporarily hold it, then drill through the wood and into the concrete. Secure it with tapcon screws. You can then throw drywall up by attaching to the framing on the wall studs.


This sound like a great way to make the place look nice. Is this your own technique, standard practice or did you have a guide to follow? 

I did see a conflict between your explanation and coderguy's. You said that you would drylock the wall underneath the sheet rock and coderguy said that it is best not to paint a basement concrete wall to prevent moisture from being trapped in the walls. In your code compliant basement construction, did the City inspector know that you drylocked the concrete underneath the sheetrock? Please let me know.

Thanks in advance for your time, VC


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## jdm001 (Nov 6, 2009)

vcheez said:


> This sounds like a great way to make the place look nice. Is this your own technique, standard practice or did you have a guide to follow?
> 
> I did see a conflict between your explanation and coderguy's. You said that you would drylock the wall underneath the sheet rock and coderguy said that it is best not to paint a basement concrete wall to prevent moisture from being trapped in the walls. In your code compliant basement construction, did the City inspector know that you drylocked the concrete underneath the sheetrock? Please let me know.
> 
> Thanks in advance for your time, VC


It's fairly common practice, I saw the glue plus tapcon method on the 1By's on an old episode of Home Time from 1990ish.

It is to code. You HAVE to use PT lumber on the bottom of the framing, and it should be framed exactly like a regular stand-up frame. Most people even use flat 2x4s but I liked the thinner ones, it was much lighter and easier to work with. 

I will say it is a PAIN getting good insulation in, and you'll need thin electrical boxes. That is MORE difficult, but if you're just throwing up drywall with no wiring and insulation (or use flat foam insulation, that'd be super easy and you can pressure fit it--but it's a lower R value so I had to fight the insulation a bit).

On the Drylok, it's one of those things that every pro has an opinion but there is no "industry method." My inspector (whom used to be a foreman) said it's "good stuff, and better and easier than a vapor barrier (which can be tricky to install properly for a first timer).

I called Drylock, they were super helpful. They told me my only issue would be behind the studs where the tapcon screws are. If I use a cheap drill bit, the concrete will make a hole but the face can break away a bit. They said inspect all the holes before putting in the screws, and hit them all with more leftover Drylok if there's more than a thin hole.

Here's their FAQ (last page) here: 
http://global-4-lvs-usa.opera-mini....se DRYLOK Masonry Waterproofer - Brochure.pdf


You can call the 800 # yourself to feel more comfortable. Of course they ARE biased, but you also know they'd NEVER say "yeah that's good" or "that will pass code" if they know they'd be liable. So get your own Piece of Mind. Dont take his, mine, or anyone elses advice as gospel... just consider it council.

Jm


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## jdm001 (Nov 6, 2009)

Here's a picture of my completed wall with insulation using this method. Notice how the insulation is "puffy" due to the short thickness of the studs. I had to be careful not to compress it too much, as it lowers the R value!

In the second picture, you can see it with greenboard on it before I mud and taped it. In this picture, under the soffit, you will see a big doorway (for a sliding pocket door). 

Behind it, the other room, is all framing done off the wall in the traditional method. It's hard to see, but shows how you really can't tell the difference between the two, once the Sheetrock goes up,


Hope this helps!


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## vcheez (Jul 12, 2010)

Thanks for posting the photos. It provides me with some good ideas? What do you think you would do with sloped basement walls with regard to framing? I don't know if its because my house is so old or because the concrete may not be reinforced but the the basement walls have been poured such that they slope. The base is much wider than the top where the it touches the mud sill and cripple wall. The bottom is approximately 6-8" wider than the top so the basement have a very steep slope? I'll take a photo and post tonight just so you can see what I'm talking about. Would you frame walls vertically or lean the studs onto the sloped walls? Please let me know what you think



jdm001 said:


> Here's a picture of my completed wall with insulation using this method. Notice how the insulation is "puffy" due to the short thickness of the studs. I had to be careful not to compress it too much, as it lowers the R value!
> 
> In the second picture, you can see it with greenboard on it before I mud and taped it. In this picture, under the soffit, you will see a big doorway (for a sliding pocket door).
> 
> ...


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## Ron6519 (Mar 28, 2007)

Walls are generally vertical unless you want the avantgard basement wall look.


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## jdm001 (Nov 6, 2009)

The way I was originally shown by a contractor at a friends house where we helped frame it, was to take a chalk line and measure 4 inches out from the wall (if the top stuck out more, youd have to use a plumb bob to mark the furthest extruding wall, then measure 4" from that).

If the wall is bowed, but straight; then just snap a chalk line at each wall at the 4" width, then put the inside edge on the line, and it should put the outside edge about an inch and a half from the bottom of your wall. If you have perpendicular joists above, mount the top plate on that. Metal framing is about 20% more expensive than wood studs, but its easier to frame since everything is square and true, and you cut it with snips instead of using a table saw. Might help your efforts.

Sent from my iPhone using DIY Forum


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## BlueBSH (Oct 29, 2009)

easy solution, get some 1x4 furring strups, nail them to the block wall using approved fasteners, put 1/4" or 1/2" drywall over that and paint, there you didn't even touch the block with paint and it will look much better then painted block :laughing:


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## vcheez (Jul 12, 2010)

Thanks guys for all of the advice. It's only been about a week since I've been been researching my basement refinish project and I have learned a lot from the DIY Chatroom. It seems that main concern is that basements are wet by nature even if you live in a relatively dry non-flooding environment with no visible standing water. I have given up my ideas of painting the basement walls and am now considering framing and sheet rocking the walls. My buddy is a carpenter and he will help me. Unfortunately, where I live in a California, basements are rare and there are not a lot of contractors who have extensive experience refinishing basements so I really need to make sure that the right approach is taken when framing and rocking the walls. I can't afford to rip this out and re-install next summer.








I attached a photo to let you know what I'm working with. The basement walls are sloped and are 6' from the floor to the mudsill (base of the cripple wall). I only want to run have the sheet rock wall run up to mudsill and not attached the floor joist. I have shelving that runs the perimeter of the basement along the cripplewall and I like the way it looks. I would like to have finished walls up to the base of my shelf. 

I was wondering the following: 


if its okay if the studs touch the concrete wall.
do I need to install a vapor barrier between the concrete and the studs.
do I need to insulate. It rarely gets below 50 degrees outside and that only lasts for a couple of months.
Those are just a couple of questions. I saw examples of people putting 6mil polyethylene between the concrete and the studs and others putting xps foam between the concrete and the studs. I saw another example where the guy used some blocking so that the studs did not actually touch the concrete. I've seen so many examples that I don't actually know what is best so I thought I would bounce these ideas off of you guys to hear what you have to say. I will say that the 1 x 4 furring strip example sounds the easiest but I wonder if there will be a problem mounting the wood directly to the concrete.

Thanks in advance, VC


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## AGWhitehouse (Jul 1, 2011)

You can paint the concrete walls. They will need to be washed properly and primed with the appropriate primers. But, remember it will be like painting exterior items. Within a few years (maybe 5), you'll likely have to paint it again or touch it up as some areas will begin to crack and peal.

If the form lines are an eye sore, they can be sanded out using a specialty sander and paper that can likely be rented. It will leave you with a pretty smooth surface that will look much better when painted.

Go to your local paint store (not the box stores), an actual paint store. Tell them what you want to do and they should know exaxctly what you will need.


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## AGWhitehouse (Jul 1, 2011)

vcheez said:


> if its okay if the studs touch the concrete wall. It's not recommended. Bond break is recommended via plastic strips or foam sill seal.
> do I need to install a vapor barrier between the concrete and the studs. I don't recommend it.
> do I need to insulate. It rarely gets below 50 degrees outside and that only lasts for a couple of months. If it is not required by your locals energy codes, then it is totally your choice.


Furring is likely the easiest route, though you will have the sloped walls. you could taper cut your studs to maximize finished floor space.


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## vcheez (Jul 12, 2010)

Thanks for the response. I appreciate the input. Is there a minimum distance that a door or wall can be installed adjacent to a furnace or water heater? My furnace and water heater are installed in the middle of my 65' x 30' basement. My plan is to finish approximately half (30' x 22') of the basement and leave the back side of the basement including the utility area unfinished. I want to put a door approximately 12" in front of the furnace but it seems like that might not bee a good idea so I was wondering if there are any rules about the distance a door or wall can be installed near a furnace. Thanks, VC


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## AGWhitehouse (Jul 1, 2011)

I'm not sure what the clearances would need to be. If you look up your boiler installation manual it may tell you right in there what the minimum clearances are and also call your local Building Department and ask if they have any specific requirements beyond the manufacturer's.


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## Gary in WA (Mar 11, 2009)

If I was doing your basement: the plastic “moisture test” only checks for moisture at that particular little area at that particular short-time-slot of year of the test. Drylock is a band-aid, as said already, it re-directs any water to an easier entry such as between the concrete wall/slab. You actually want the moisture (to a degree) to slowly move through the wall to dry inside, foam board is the best way. Be sure to have egress per CA Code; 
“Basements req escape & rescue openings EXC _______________________1026.1*
Basements <200 sq. ft & only for mechanical equipment ______________ 1026.1X5*
The UBC req’d escape from all basements, though only requiring one escape
opening. The CBC req’s separate escape from each basement sleeping room but not
from adjoining areas of the basement provided there is at least one escape opening.”

If you go with steel studs, be sure to get ones with extra thick coating as the box store ones will get eaten from the p.t. chemicals in the bottom plate. Use a foam poly sill sealer under the bottom plate for an air/thermal/capillary break to the slab. Foam air seal the rim joists for sure. Use regular (50 perms) drywall rather than water-resistant green board (25 perms) because if you have a basement water leak either board will probably need replacing. Also, the regular board won’t slow down the moving water vapor (½ as much as green board). You don’t want incoming moisture condensing/molding inside the wall due to a low permeability material- vinyl wallpaper, oil based paint, or asphalt paper-faced insulation. 
R-5 continuous (foam board) insulation or R-13 cavity (batt) insulation is required as you are in Zone 3. Air seal the drywall (ADA of Building Science) to slow any basement air from reaching the colder concrete wall behind the foam (tape joints). 

http://www.buildingscience.com/documents/information-sheets/5-thermal-control/basement-insulation

Look inside the furnace cover access door, it is usually posted there---- eg- 3' clearance in front.

Gary


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## vcheez (Jul 12, 2010)

GBR in WA said:


> You don’t want incoming moisture condensing/molding inside the wall due to a low permeability material- vinyl wallpaper, oil based paint, or asphalt paper-faced insulation.
> R-5 continuous (foam board) insulation or R-13 cavity (batt) insulation is required as you are in Zone 3. Air seal the drywall (ADA of Building Science) to slow any basement air from reaching the colder concrete wall behind the foam (tape joints).
> 
> http://www.buildingscience.com/documents/information-sheets/5-thermal-control/basement-insulation
> ...


Great Resource!


Thanks for the info. It gives me more to think about and answers a few more questions.

How is the foam board attached to the wall? Is it glued or screwed? Do I use the foam board that has a plastic skin on it? Is 1" thick enough for the foam board? What is batt isulation? If I don't sheet rock all the way up to the floor joists, will there be a problem for me to get a permit? I don't want to rock the ceilings for a few reasons:


I have old galvanized pipes although they are in good shape, I will replace someday with copper and I don't want to rip out the ceiling.
I can easily spot a leaky pipe with the exposed ceiling.
It's easy to run electrical or low voltage cabling through the house without much hassle.
We like the unfinished ceiling look. Its kinda popular these days.
 Where can I find specific information on basement egress? I suppose the CBC would be a start. I have outdoor entrance only through a large double door. Then we have a bunch of small windows that run the perimeter of the basement ceiling. I know those are too small and too high to be legal paths of emergency egress.

Thanks again for all of your time chatting with we about this stuff. I'm learning a lot and having fun at the same time. 

VC

Thanks


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## AGWhitehouse (Jul 1, 2011)

vcheez said:


> How is the foam board attached to the wall? Glued
> 
> Do I use the foam board that has a plastic skin on it? I wouldn't, XPS foam is best.
> 
> ...


My take in read above...


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## Gary in WA (Mar 11, 2009)

Your local B.D. would tell if foam board needs a positive connection to the concrete, some do....also egress rules. The adhesive pattern at f.b./concrete is very important to prevent convective loops; http://joneakes.com/jons-fixit-database/743



Batt insulation is fiberglass, rock wool, blue-jeans, etc. that is cut/formed to fit in the stud cavity (non-continuous vs continuous- f.b. with taped seams). The ceiling will need to finish to use the space for living. Run the cables and pipes now, while open. No plastic, foil, or fiberglass facing on the foam board.



The drywall needs to cover the face of the studs with any f.b. behind it. You could run a wide top plate on the top of the concrete/foam board, just so the top plate stops any fire path to the upper wall or ceiling spaces. Our guide by a quality Building Inspector: http://www.diychatroom.com/f98/how-fireblock-framing-37190/index2/


More reading from BSC, but a lot more in-depth: http://www.buildingscience.com/docu...rol-for-new-residential-buildings?full_view=1


Remember the smoke alarms (should exist now).


Gary


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## AGWhitehouse (Jul 1, 2011)

GBR in WA said:


> The ceiling will need to finish to use the space for living.


Is there a code section requiring this?


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## vcheez (Jul 12, 2010)

GBR in WA said:


> The ceiling will need to finish to use the space for living.
> Gary




Thanks for the info. I spoke to a build dept. official yesterday and went over some of the requirements for making the basement City approved living space. He told me that a finished ceiling is not required. He had a very strong accent so it possible that I didn't quite understand him. Nevertheless, it's going to be cost prohibitive for me to do all that it takes to bring my basement up to code and to add the additional area to the square footage of the house. He mentioned the following items that would break my bank.


Distance from floor to ceiling shall be 7'6". My distance with an unfinished floor and no finished ceiling is around 7'3". I have two long cross beams that span the entire 75' distance of the basement and they are at 6'9". Everyone in my family is short so its no problem for us. He did say that the City will make exceptions but it did not sound like my place would fall under that category. I'm not going excavate to get a few extra inches.
Access from inside the house is required. I don't have access from indoors. Although I have outdoor access only via a pretty nice double door entry down a beautiful brick stair case, I would still need to add stairs from indoors.
I need 10% natural light. I plan to make 660 sq ft of space therefore I would need to have 66 sq ft of window space. I could come pretty close to this by making the double door a glass door but I might end up with 57 sq ft of window space.
Those were the main show stoppers. 

When I first came to this forum, my intentions were to get some advice on how to make my basement look nicer and cleaner. I got excited researching and hearing from you guys and started thinking I add square footage to my home. I started getting a little greedy I guess.

I'm back to my original plan of making the improvements without trying to get the City to increase the recognized square footage of the home. Now my dilemma is do I pull a permit for the work that I plan to have done even though I'm not going to go all the way to make this are used for living.

I know I need to pull a permit to do the work I'm planning on but I'm not sure what the City will be approving if don't comply with all of the requirements.

Any thoughts on my comments will be appreciated. 

Thanks in advance, VC


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## AGWhitehouse (Jul 1, 2011)

vcheez said:


> He told me that a finished ceiling is not required.


I didn't think it was required.

As far as a permit goes, ask your Building Department. If you are only doing "cosmetic" work (no structural) then you may not.


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## Gary in WA (Mar 11, 2009)

Sounds like you may want to find out exactly what he said. 

IRC 2009 requires a finished ceiling of drywall or other approved fire-resistant material in a habitable space, including basements.


*SECTION R305 CEILING HEIGHT* 

*R305.1 Minimum height.* _Habitable space_, hallways, bathrooms, toilet rooms, laundry rooms and portions of _basements_ containing these spaces shall have a ceiling height of not less than 7 feet (2134 mm).

Definition:
*HABITABLE SPACE.* A space in a building for living, sleeping, eating or cooking. Bathrooms, toilet rooms, closets, halls, storage or utility spaces and similar areas are not considered _habitable spaces_.
*CEILING HEIGHT.* The clear vertical distance from the *finished* floor to the *finished *ceiling.


*R305.1.1 Basements.* Portions of _basements_ that do not contain _habitable space_, hallways, bathrooms, toilet rooms and laundry rooms shall have a ceiling height of not less than 6 feet 8 inches (2032 mm). 
*Exception:* Beams, girders, ducts or other obstructions may project to within 6 feet 4 inches (1931 mm) of the finished floor.




*SECTION R805 CEILING FINISHES* *

R805.1 Ceiling installation. *Ceilings shall be installed in accordance with the requirements for interior wall finishes as provided in Section R702.
*SECTION R702 INTERIOR COVERING* *

R702.1 General.* Interior coverings or wall finishes shall be installed in accordance with this chapter and Table R702.1(1), Table R702.1(2), Table R702.1(3) and Table R702.3.5. Interior masonry veneer shall comply with the requirements of Section R703.7.1 for support and Section R703.7.4 for anchorage, except an air space is not required. Interior finishes and materials shall conform to the flame spread and smoke-development requirements of Section R302.9. 

*R702.5 Other finishes.* Wood veneer paneling and hardboard paneling shall be placed on wood or cold-formed steel framing spaced not more than 16 inches (406 mm) on center. Wood veneer and hard board paneling less than 1/4 inch (6 mm) nominal thickness shall not have less than a 3/8-inch (10 mm) gypsum board backer. Wood veneer paneling not less than 1/4-inch (6 mm) nominal thickness shall conform to ANSI/HPVA HP-1. Hardboard paneling shall conform to CPA/ANSI A135.5.


Underlining is mine.


Gary


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## jomama45 (Nov 13, 2008)

If you want to just clean it up, like the thread started, you could simply use a cement-based paint, or anything that was fairly breathable on the walls w/o doing future harm to them. But certainly stay away from the Dry-lock, and any other similar product.


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## vcheez (Jul 12, 2010)

jomama45 said:


> If you want to just clean it up, like the thread started, you could simply use a cement-based paint, or anything that was fairly breathable on the walls w/o doing future harm to them. But certainly stay away from the Dry-lock, and any other similar product.


Thanks for the tip. I'm gonna swing by the neighborhood paint store to get some advice and some paint. I do plan to paint one wall that has a large black iron drain pipe and bunch of plumbing in the way. I would lose a lot of area framing around it. So I will take your advice and avoid the Dry-lock. I don't think any of the experts here have said anything affirming the use of Dry-lock in a basement on an exterior wall. Just for my information, will some one please tell it what application would Dry-lock be recommended.
I have gotten pretty excited about putting up some real walls in the space and have already started working up the cost so I want to go a little bit further than just painting. The guys who shot me down for wanting to paint have motivated me to make the place look better and to spend more money.:wink:



GBR in WA said:


> Sounds like you may want to find out exactly what he said.
> *SECTION R305 CEILING HEIGHT*
> 
> *R305.1 Minimum height.* _Habitable space_, hallways, bathrooms, toilet rooms, laundry rooms and portions of _basements_ containing these spaces shall have a ceiling height of not less than 7 feet (2134 mm).
> ...


Yes. Like I mentioned, he had a very strong accent and even though he was very knowledgeable, he is pronunciation of many words were tough for me to understand. I could always make an appointment and go down to the Bldg. Dept. and talk face to face but I want to stay on the "down low" until I actually have plans and estimated project cost figured. Thanks a million for the code references and your underlines.

Let me know if a TV room is considered a "space for living". I consider it a space for hanging out watching the ballgame without the distractions of the main house. 
Based on the code references that you included, it sounds like my 7'3" height maybe acceptable even I have add a finished floor.


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## coderguy (Jan 10, 2011)

vcheez said:


> I don't think any of the experts here have said anything affirming the use of Dry-lock in a basement on an exterior wall. Just for my information, will some one please tell it what application would Dry-lock be recommended.


Making a concrete swimming pool (it says right on the can).


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## jomama45 (Nov 13, 2008)

coderguy said:


> Making a concrete swimming pool (it says right on the can).


And you claim to just be a homeowner, but you know more than me about this. I really didn't no there was any recommended use for it............:laughing:


vcheez,

Make sure you tell the folks at the paint store that you NEED something that's highly breathable, or you'll be picking pieces of it off the floor on a continual basis. I've mixed my own in the past by simple using white Portland cement, bonding agent (admixture), and water. I've also used a little PVA primer in the past as well to get a little better consistency.


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## vcheez (Jul 12, 2010)

coderguy said:


> Making a concrete swimming pool (it says right on the can).


Well....at least I know what to use when I make my basement hot tub.:wink:


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