More stories about Basement

• Designing Concrete Basement Walls

  An engineer explains how wall thickness, rebar, and proper drainage all affect the ability of poured concrete foundation walls to resist lateral soil pressure.

• Q&A: Excavating in Frozen Ground

  Q. What’s the most cost-effective way to thaw a site for excavation? We are building a 16x24-foot addition with a crawlspace underneath, and the frost is already 12 inches deep.

• Notebook

  Report on pressure-treated lumber, basements in California, NAHB remodeler training, hinged truss plates, dirt for sale, toxic mold task force, more

• Q&A: Building a Wine Room

  Q: Can you provide some advice on construction details for building a small wine storage room in a corner of a garage?

• Q&A: Finishing Basement Walls

  Q: To finish an existing basement, I will be installing 2x4 walls around the perimeter. Should I install some type of waterproofing to the concrete walls? Can the 2x4 walls touch the concrete, or should I leave an air space?

• Q&A: Preventing Storm Water Backup

  Q: The municipal storm drainage system in our city shares pipes with the sewer system. During heavy rainstorms, water backs up from the municipal drain line into a customer’s basement floor drain. Is there any type of check valve that can be installed in

• Q&A: Crawlspace Insulation

  Q: I am building an addition over a 30-inch-high crawlspace. The local inspector has approved my plan to build a sealed crawlspace without ventilation. Should I install rigid foam insulation on the interior of the block walls, or should I insulate between

• Q&A: Leaving Rigid Foam Exposed in Crawlspace

  Q: I plan to install rigid foam insulation in a crawlspace. As far as I know, most types of rigid foam insulation can’t be left exposed but need to be covered with a layer of drywall for fire resistance. Is there a type of rigid foam insulation panel avai

• Q&A: Metal Lath Ceiling Demo

  Q: I need to remove a metal lath and plaster ceiling in a finished basement. The existing partitions were installed after the ceiling, and I want to disturb the finished walls as little as possible. What tools and techniques should I use for this demoliti

• Q&A: Polyethylene Water Service Pipe

  Q: I would like to use black polyethylene water service pipe for plumbing in the crawlspace of a house that has a black poly service line. Are there any code limitations on using polyethylene pipe?