Ask Me Help Desk

Ask Me Help Desk (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/forum.php)
-   Interior Home Improvement (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/forumdisplay.php?f=171)
-   -   Basement-How to staple plastic below fiberglass insulation (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/showthread.php?t=161080)

  • Dec 9, 2007, 08:28 PM
    Iamnew
    Basement-How to staple plastic below fiberglass insulation
    Hello, as you can figure form my user name, I am new !!!
    I have an unfinished basement and would first like to staple plastic on the ceiling, as someone told me that the fiberglass 'pink' insulation will emit 'harmful' fibers for the small children.
    So do I go to Home Depot or Lowe's and ask them for plastic sheets and a staple gun and fire away, or are there any specifications??
    Please help, Iamnew
  • Dec 9, 2007, 10:21 PM
    srhill3
    Is the insulation already installed? Are you going to cover it up right away with something such as drywall? Not having enough info I will offer this much. If you are not going to be finishing the room soon, buy a roll of, at least, 4 mil plastic and a bundle of lath. Staple the plastic enough to hold it up then nail up the lath. This will last and make a good seal. You can buy a brad nailer for under $20 at Harbor Frieght. That would work good on the lath. Also many other uses.
  • Dec 11, 2007, 07:30 PM
    Iamnew
    Thanks a lot for the reply, I will go to Lowe's or Home Depot and buy those.
    Now the next question, I want to create a wall/partition between the bigger part of my basement and the utilities with a door in it, this is primarily to prevent kids from entering the utility room.
    Any ideas, I think between the floor and the ceiling, it is 8 feet.
    Regards
  • Dec 11, 2007, 11:18 PM
    srhill3
    Best way for a newbe is to get a chalk line. Measure from the back wall of the LR. However big you want it, put a mark out from each side the same distance. Chalk a line across the concrete to make a straight line. Then in the joist bay of the ceiling directly, above your floor chalk line, put any kind of 2by wood flat on about 2' centers inside the bottom of the ceiling joist. This well give you something to nail your top plate and also something to nail your ceiling drywall to. Now use a plumb bob or make yourself a string with a wieght on it. Hold it on the end pieces of 2by in the ceiling joist. Drop your bob to the chalk line, Make a mark at each end. Then chalk across all the pieces you put in the Jts.

    Make 2-2x4 plates one for the top and one for the bottom. Lay them toghter on the floor. Start at one end. Make lines on both 2x4s 16" on center, put an x on the same side of each line. Next lay out your door. best is usually to swing in against a side wall. So if I was doing it that way I would use the stud against the wall, add a cripple 81" high to it. Don't forget to put the same kind of backing in the walls as you did the ceiling. Your rough opening for your door is 32" wide as you will need a 2'6" door there. So what you have marked on the plates are (stud and cripple) SC 32" CS. Nail one of the plates on the ceiling line and one to the floor line. An easy and cheap way to anchor the floor plate is to get a 1/4" concrete bit. Just drill through the plate into the concrete and pound in as many sinkers as the hole will hold. Now measure, cut and nail up each stud. Put them up one at a time. When you get to the door put two flat studs across the top of the cripples they should be 35" long. Finish out above that as if there was a stud there. Cut out the bottom plate at the dr opening.

    You will have to tow nail top and bottomuse 8d nails. Nail just the wide side two on each side. You will need some sinkers too.Your done.
  • Dec 12, 2007, 02:26 AM
    KBC
    AND you will need 5/8 inch drywall in the utilities room, this is fire code,especially if you are using wood studs!!
  • Dec 12, 2007, 03:11 PM
    srhill3
    If what KBC says is correct you would also need a solid core door. I have been retired 12 yrs so am not aware of a code change such as that. I would ask a local contractor that question. I know fire code is required between garage and house.
  • Dec 12, 2007, 04:43 PM
    ballengerb1
    While I have enjoyed reading this discussion I think everyone is skipping a important issue. Anyone else hear that pink insulation emits harmful particles? Not me, once its installed it is considered non-friable, it doesn't shed or give dust. I am also wondering why the underside of the first floor is insulated from the basement which is warm enough to be habitable. The 5/8th thing is the code for drywall between living space and garages. The Door doesn't have to be soild core, it must be fire rated too.

  • All times are GMT -7. The time now is 09:43 PM.