what I’m trying to do here is fill a void where a heating pipe comes in. There is a lot of cold air coming from the same void.
No. The chemicals that are in it will evenly corroded the copper pipes.
I just bought an AC to install into my wall but their is Foam Insulation there. What do I use to cut it out?
I would dig out the foam FIRST, to make sure that there were no pipes or electrical lines buried in it. Beyond that i would use a reciprocating saw instead of circular saw. Running a circular saw at a 90 degree angle is just begging for trouble. The right across your arm or leg kind of trouble. Use a reciprocating saw. Trust me.
I recently framed out a large section of my basement. Half of the framing was existing 2x3s, most likely 20-30 years old or more. The framing in the very corner of the basement, which was I assume had moisture over the past many years, the wood smells pretty bad.
It’s an odd smell, like something sour or rotten. The wood appears to be strong and no mold present, it just smells bad, especially on humid days. I think what I will do is rip out the affected studs and replace with new, but I’m curious of what that smell could be?
Next – for the walls that are 2" off of the concrete walls, I plan to you the polypropylene board insulation.
I’ve read in a few different postings that some guys cut the boards to fit perfectly between the 16" on-center studs and either caulk them in or use that foam stuff spray to hold it in place.
I assume I want to use at least 3/4" between each stud. Any thoughts on this?
Also I’ve checked Lowes and I can’t seem to find what I am looking for. They only appear to have either very thin foam boards or 12" wide pre-cut sections. I guess I need to buy 4×8 sheets of this stuff somewhere and cut it down myself?
Quick note – I have no immediate moisture problems in my basement, no puddling water to be found.
I’m sure there is vapor coming thru the walls, and I’ve painted the walls with some sealer for the heck of it. But nothing too major that I’m going to worry too much over. But that’s why I plan to use the foam instead of anything else.
Thanks in advance for any advice.
The U.S. Department of Energy recommend that:
1 – Extruded (not expanded) polystyrene board be applied directly against the basement wall (no framing or studs needed) and that the gaps between boards be sealed with mastic tape. The idea here is to avoid the use of wood studs directly against the basement walls, because wood soaks moisture and favors mold growth.
The smell that you detected on those studs is mold. Mold smells before it can be seen and way before it starts to actually rot the wood. And it spreads quickly too.
That is why the Department of Energy recommends that they be kept away from the basement walls. In their approach, the insulation boards, sealed in the joints with mastic tape act as a vapor barrier.
After lining the walls with insulation, furry strips can be placed on top of the boards to attach the drywall.
I am adding here a link to two of their issued PDFs on the matter I wouls strongly suggest you look into if you want your basement finishing job to last.
Two more things to consider:
- Keep in mind that the these measures only deal with outside ground moisture that seeps through basement walls. Below grade structures are prone to moisture from more than one source, one of which being condensation. Consider installing a good, energy star rated basement dehumidifier.
- Drywall and wood studs will also not withstand a basement flood or even a plumbing accident.
An alternative to these would be using finished, cement-core, insulated basement wall panels. They are 100% waterproof, non-absorbent all-in-one solutions that won’t get ruined if your basement is under water. They also have the advantage of being removable to access wires and plumbing or inspect the walls, and the cement core gives you walls that are sturdier than drywall, where you can hang book shelves and big screen TVs without needing to look for studs.