Insulating uneven basement walls for possible fish room?

Devaji

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So I have an unfinished basement that I recently cleaned out,power washed the walls/floors primed and painted both floors and walls.

was gonna be just used for storage.. but got me thinking about a possible fish gallery/room down there.

I have always wanted a large FOWLR. Maybe a seahorse tank and a few planted tanks.
bit it’s in the basement and I knew in Oder to use and enjoy it I would need to finish it out.

so here is my question how would I go about insulating the walls that are uneven? It’s an old slap foundation poured in the 30s before plywood came along. So it’s not levelby any stretch.
I don’t think sheets of foam board work work here as there is prob 1/2” or more from being level.

I like the look of the painted wall but living in the cold north insulating it would be best to keep the heat on and cold out.

the basement in not heated so I was just gonna heat this room.
 

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JGT

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If it is the walls then as gtinnel says frame it out and insulate. For even better insulation I’d go with spray foam vs. fiberglass batts. Much higher R value for the thickness, water resistant, air tight and no need for vapor barrier. This would need to be done by a pro. Then use mold resistant drywall, tape, mud and paint.
 
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I’m a little confused. You mention insulating the walls but also say it’s not level. Walls are plumb ( or not). Floors are level (or not).
good point. in truth it's both. the floor in not level & the walls are not plumb.

If you don’t care to lose 4” of space you could just frame out a 2x4 wall in front of it, then use regular rolls to insulate between the studs.

I can’t see the video so I’m just going by how I would finish a concrete wall.

yeah that might be the best bet. but with lumber being so high these days i was wondering about other options. was my 1st thought i just hate finishing dry wall. ha


If it is the walls then as gtinnel says frame it out and insulate. For even better insulation I’d go with spray foam vs. fiberglass batts. Much higher R value for the thickness, water resistant, air tight and no need for vapor barrier. This would need to be done by a pro. Then use mold resistant drywall, tape, mud and paint.

man spray foam is insane expansive in my area. we did a huge full house reno when we bought the place before C-19 and got a quote for just our ceiling & WOW. cant imagine what it is now with everything going on. but it is an option.
 

Gtinnel

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yeah that might be the best bet. but with lumber being so high these days i was wondering about other options. was my 1st thought i just hate finishing dry wall. ha
You can use furring strips and attach them to the wall, but it would be a pain to shim them out to where they’re all flat. It also doesn’t allow for very much room for insulation.

I also hate finishing Sheetrock, but it is the only wall covering that looks good in my opinion. I bought an old house, completely gutted and rebuilt it and finishing the sheet rock is the only part that I hired someone to do.
 

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good point. in truth it's both. the floor in not level & the walls are not plumb.



yeah that might be the best bet. but with lumber being so high these days i was wondering about other options. was my 1st thought i just hate finishing dry wall. ha




man spray foam is insane expansive in my area. we did a huge full house reno when we bought the place before C-19 and got a quote for just our ceiling & WOW. cant imagine what it is now with everything going on. but it is an option.
Eh, you get what you pay for. I built an addition on my house with 18 foot ceilings and a 20x16 window wall. Spray foamed the entire thing. Warmest room in the house in the winter, coolest in the summer. And super quiet. As the old commercial used to say, you can pay me now or pay me later. If you are gonna do it, do it right. Furring strips ain't gonna cut it from a comfort standpoint.
 

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Here's another possible option for you: https://www.insofast.com/insulation-panels-for-interior-residential-walls.html This is what I'm using to (very slowly) finish my basement and installation is very easy. Granted, my walls are pretty square, but because these are applied with heavy duty construction adhesive, you could account for some variations when putting them up. In my experience so far, they work really well.
 
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Devaji

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Here's another possible option for you: https://www.insofast.com/insulation-panels-for-interior-residential-walls.html This is what I'm using to (very slowly) finish my basement and installation is very easy. Granted, my walls are pretty square, but because these are applied with heavy duty construction adhesive, you could account for some variations when putting them up. In my experience so far, they work really well.
I saw those yesterday. glad you are liking them that is an option for sure.
the basement stand around 58-62 almost year around. I know it's not high R value but could keep in some heat and cold out. i'll look into it some more.

mind posting or PMing a pic of your project?
 
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Devaji

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Eh, you get what you pay for. I built an addition on my house with 18 foot ceilings and a 20x16 window wall. Spray foamed the entire thing. Warmest room in the house in the winter, coolest in the summer. And super quiet. As the old commercial used to say, you can pay me now or pay me later. If you are gonna do it, do it right. Furring strips ain't gonna cut it from a comfort standpoint.
I hear that but once cry once. I thought of building an addition but the basement seemed like a good place to start.
living in a resort area doing anything is 5-10X the price else where that is if you can find someone to go it.


Oh and leveling the floor should be easy. Assuming it's also cement, Use a self leveling compound. Then pressure treated sleepers, subfloor, finish flooring.
yeah it's cement, I did do a radon seal before the priming and painting. IDK I was just hoping to leaving as is. the other half does not want to finish out the basement so $$ is tight. at this stage it's just an idea.

once I know my options I can get a budget and see if it's in my future.
 

dennis romano

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I have finished a few basements here in NJ. When I finished my basement/fish room, I used green(blue) board drywall which is usually used in bathrooms. It prevents mold from growing due to the damp atmosphere. I also use a good bathroom paint. If you do decide to frame it out, use pressure treated boards anywhere that the framing touches the floor or put plastic between the framing and floor concrete. Moisture constantly wicks through the concrete and may cause the bottom to rot.
 
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Devaji

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I have finished a few basements here in NJ. When I finished my basement/fish room, I used green(blue) board drywall which is usually used in bathrooms. It prevents mold from growing due to the damp atmosphere. I also use a good bathroom paint. If you do decide to frame it out, use pressure treated boards anywhere that the framing touches the floor or put plastic between the framing and floor concrete. Moisture constantly wicks through the concrete and may cause the bottom to rot.

I am guessing you framed out your basement before the drywall? I belive that is the only way to do it correct?
 

dennis romano

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I am guessing you framed out your basement before the drywall? I belive that is the only way to do it correct?
Framing/insulation, then drywall. Depending on how unlevel the floor is, you may want to do that first. A level floor and straight, plumb walls make the job so much easier.
 

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Mapie Self Leveling Primer, you absolutely need this before putting Mapie Self leveler Down. You need plenty of ventilation for the primer fumes. Follow the instructions to the “T” You will have to put down boards and use a cheap caulking on the boards to control the Leveling Compound. If it’s a big area, that you are going to have to walk in the leveler, you need spiked shoes. Old pair of Baseball Soccer Cleats will do. Then tile over the leveler.BTW If you are going to use Foam Board, to meet Codes, you need a Metal Fire Stop every Ten Feet, in the foam.
 

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I made a drawing using metal studs. The top Plate was a 2” x 6” Metal, with no holes in it. The bottom plate was 2” x 4” Metal with no holes in it. My plan was to put Foam board in, with the top. Inside the Top Plate, for the Horizontal Fire Stop. On the bottom 2 x 4 plate it would hold the Foam Board against the wall. 2 x 4 Vertical Metal Studs would hold the foam board against the Block wall. Every 8 foot there would be a metal Stud 90 for a Vertical Fire Stop. Fire Stop Foam or Caulk would fill in any gaps. The Space inside the 2 x 4 Vertical Studs would be filled with Rock-wool, for an Energy Star Rebate. This would be done after the rough in wiring. I’ll try and post the drawing, but I’m having WiFi connection problems with my old laptop.
 
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