Finishing off part of a basement. It's 13x17, which yields an estimate
of 5270 BTU's to raise the temp 15 degrees. I have gas/hot water in
the rest of the house, but it seems overly expensive to put the
plumbing in for that, so I was thinking of electric baseboard. I know
recurring costs are higher, but since it will only be used on weekends,
and need only be heated during the winter, I'm thinking that may be the
way to go. Any thoughts? Recommendations on good manufacturers or how
to select a unit? I haven't seen any mention of centralized thermostats
in my initial product research. Most units talk about built in
variable temp controls, which I don't like since I'd like to be able to
program the temp to go down automatically at night, assuming the kids
will always forget to turn the temp down as they leave. What do I need
to look for on that front?

Also, I see differing opinions on the desirability/need for foam
insulation between the walls and studs. Some books simply recomend
moisture proofing the walls with appropriate paint, others say you need
to put foam insulation between the walls and studs to prevent moisture
from condensing/rotting/mildewing the wood. Does anybody have any
insight into the differences in opinions?

Advise appreciated!

wrote in message

Finishing off part of a basement. It's 13x17, which yields an estimate
of 5270 BTU's to raise the temp 15 degrees. I have gas/hot water in
the rest of the house, but it seems overly expensive to put the
plumbing in for that, so I was thinking of electric baseboard.


That ia bout 1500 watts. You can figure the operating cost easy enough. It
will be more expensive that using the existing, but you already know the
facts there.


Also, I see differing opinions on the desirability/need for foam
insulation between the walls and studs. Some books simply recomend
moisture proofing the walls with appropriate paint, others say you need
to put foam insulation between the walls and studs to prevent moisture
from condensing/rotting/mildewing the wood. Does anybody have any
insight into the differences in opinions?


Forget the paint, mildew, etc. Think about the cost. It is just plain
irresponsible not to insulate the basement walls. You will save energy for
many years to come. Oil was $58 a barrel today. That should answer the
question.

How much more work is it to plumb the basement and put in a circulator
pump? I had the same situation as you years ago, but I decided to spend
the extra $$ up front and put in hot water baseboard. I'm glad I did.
The heat worked very good. A 13 x 17 room does not sound all that big,
but if it involves a lot of work to plumb, then I would go for electric
heat.