Workaround Basement Insulation for electrical work.
 

Hi:

A fellow I know has a relatively new home (3 year old?) with a poured
foundation. The exterior walls of the un-finished part of the basement are
covered with some kind of "foil" covered product that seems to be held in
place with a little glue here and there and one or two "concrete nails" with
backer.

He wants to extend some outlets. While there is exposed & accessible romex
in the basement it's likely the electrical inspection was done before the
drywall was installed and the inspector ASSumed that the wood studs would be
covered with drywall. Some were and some weren't.

Anyway, he wants to extend some outlets to areas where thee is this "foil"
stuff.

What's the best approach?

1) Put the outlets and surface wiring on top of the "foil" or

2) Put the outlets and wiring under the foil and cut out access to the
outlets.

In the case of #1, we would use metal boxes and metal conduit.

Or should something else be done?

Thanks

Workaround Basement Insulation for electrical work.
 

"John Gilmer" wrote in message
net...
Hi:

A fellow I know has a relatively new home (3 year old?) with a poured
foundation. The exterior walls of the un-finished part of the basement
are covered with some kind of "foil" covered product that seems to be held
in place with a little glue here and there and one or two "concrete nails"
with backer.

He wants to extend some outlets. While there is exposed & accessible
romex in the basement it's likely the electrical inspection was done
before the drywall was installed and the inspector ASSumed that the wood
studs would be covered with drywall. Some were and some weren't.

Anyway, he wants to extend some outlets to areas where thee is this "foil"
stuff.

What's the best approach?

1) Put the outlets and surface wiring on top of the "foil" or

2) Put the outlets and wiring under the foil and cut out access to the
outlets.

In the case of #1, we would use metal boxes and metal conduit.

Or should something else be done?


*I'm not sure if the foil that you mentioned is for insulation purposes or
is a moisture barrier of some sort. Either way my long distance opinion is
to put everything on top and do not disturb the foil.

Workaround Basement Insulation for electrical work.
 

On Jul 24, 9:16*am, "John Grabowski" wrote:

snip

*I'm not sure if the foil that you mentioned is for insulation purposes or
is a moisture barrier of some sort. *Either way my long distance opinion is
to put everything on top and do not disturb the foil.

Seconding John's recommendation, pick up the necessary supplies of
Wiremold at distributor, box store (if they have it) and do the job.
Appearance-wise, it will look much neater than conduit, but with the
same advantages with respect to grounding.

Joe

Workaround Basement Insulation for electrical work.
 

On Fri, 24 Jul 2009 09:23:13 -0400, "John Gilmer"
wrote:

Hi:

A fellow I know has a relatively new home (3 year old?) with a poured
foundation. The exterior walls of the un-finished part of the basement are
covered with some kind of "foil" covered product that seems to be held in
place with a little glue here and there and one or two "concrete nails" with
backer.

He wants to extend some outlets. While there is exposed & accessible romex
in the basement it's likely the electrical inspection was done before the
drywall was installed and the inspector ASSumed that the wood studs would be
covered with drywall. Some were and some weren't.

Anyway, he wants to extend some outlets to areas where thee is this "foil"
stuff.

What's the best approach?

1) Put the outlets and surface wiring on top of the "foil" or

2) Put the outlets and wiring under the foil and cut out access to the
outlets.

In the case of #1, we would use metal boxes and metal conduit.

Or should something else be done?

Thanks

Frame the wall inside the foam, install wiring in the framed wall,
fill cavity with rock wool and cover with drywall.

Workaround Basement Insulation for electrical work.
 

Frame the wall inside the foam, install wiring in the framed wall,
fill cavity with rock wool and cover with drywall.

Huh?

Inside what "foam?" Should the new framing be put over the existing "foil"
based insulaton material? Or should that stuff be taken down when the
framing in installed?

Workaround Basement Insulation for electrical work.
 

John Gilmer wrote:
Frame the wall inside the foam, install wiring in the framed wall,
fill cavity with rock wool and cover with drywall.

Huh?

Inside what "foam?" Should the new framing be put over the existing "foil"
based insulaton material? Or should that stuff be taken down when the
framing in installed?

The other poster was assuming the foil is a foil-faced solid foam
insulating panel. W/O knowing for sure what it actually is and how much
insulation value it has, etc., hard to say for absolute certain, but I'd
concur w/ the post--simply leave what's there where it is, frame the new
wall inside it and go on as conventional construction.

I certainly wouldn't use loose rockwool, however, as that implied if do
add any additional insulation; whether it would be needed or even of any
value depends on what the existing actually is as noted above...

BTW, if there's sufficient open floor space, quickest way to proceed is
to frame wall sections flat (w/ enough clearance to stand them up and
then put in place by using the second top plate mounted to the joists
and nail into it rather than framing in place.

--

Workaround Basement Insulation for electrical work.
 

On Fri, 24 Jul 2009 09:23:13 -0400, "John Gilmer"
wrote:

Hi:

A fellow I know has a relatively new home (3 year old?) with a poured
foundation. The exterior walls of the un-finished part of the basement are
covered with some kind of "foil" covered product that seems to be held in
place with a little glue here and there and one or two "concrete nails" with
backer.

He wants to extend some outlets. While there is exposed & accessible romex
in the basement it's likely the electrical inspection was done before the
drywall was installed and the inspector ASSumed that the wood studs would be
covered with drywall. Some were and some weren't.

Anyway, he wants to extend some outlets to areas where thee is this "foil"
stuff.

What's the best approach?

1) Put the outlets and surface wiring on top of the "foil" or

Sounds like the best choice.


2) Put the outlets and wiring under the foil and cut out access to the
outlets.


Best not to break the barrier already there. Why create another job?


In the case of #1, we would use metal boxes and metal conduit.

No need for metal conduit for inside-wall conduit. Plastic is much
easier to work, less $ too.


Or should something else be done?

Thanks



For concrete/brick walls you may need surface mount conduit and boxes.
The surface mount is an option on top of drywall that is already
there, but in-the-wall is a much cleaner look.

Workaround Basement Insulation for electrical work.
 

On Fri, 24 Jul 2009 20:25:06 -0400, "John Gilmer"
wrote:




Frame the wall inside the foam, install wiring in the framed wall,
fill cavity with rock wool and cover with drywall.

Huh?

Inside what "foam?" Should the new framing be put over the existing "foil"
based insulaton material? Or should that stuff be taken down when the
framing in installed?

Over the existing foil-covered whatever (foam or fibreglass board is
the most common I've seen).

Workaround Basement Insulation for electrical work.
 

On Sat, 25 Jul 2009 10:18:46 -0500, dpb wrote:

John Gilmer wrote:
Frame the wall inside the foam, install wiring in the framed wall,
fill cavity with rock wool and cover with drywall.

Huh?

Inside what "foam?" Should the new framing be put over the existing "foil"
based insulaton material? Or should that stuff be taken down when the
framing in installed?

The other poster was assuming the foil is a foil-faced solid foam
insulating panel. W/O knowing for sure what it actually is and how much
insulation value it has, etc., hard to say for absolute certain, but I'd
concur w/ the post--simply leave what's there where it is, frame the new
wall inside it and go on as conventional construction.

I certainly wouldn't use loose rockwool, however, as that implied if do
add any additional insulation; whether it would be needed or even of any
value depends on what the existing actually is as noted above...

BTW, if there's sufficient open floor space, quickest way to proceed is
to frame wall sections flat (w/ enough clearance to stand them up and
then put in place by using the second top plate mounted to the joists
and nail into it rather than framing in place.
Nobody said anything about LOOSE rockwool. Roxul rockwool insulation
bats are preferred over fiberglass for basement use because the Roxul
product is not degraded by moisture and does not support mold growth.