The Handyguys address a listener question about his air conditioning and then talk about basement finishing systems.

Our listener Marc used our new call-in feature on the website and asked us about his air conditioning system. Marc’s question, in summary is

I live in a ranch style house that has two HVAC zones. We spend most of the time in only half of the house. Would it be OK to turn off the system in the half of the house we don’t use?

Great question Mark.

Before we answer – Mark has a great podcast and website for woodworkers called The Wood Whisperer. If you ever want to be inspired to do some woodworking yourselves make sure you check out what Mark is doing online.
OK, back to marks question. Short answer is yes. You will have spill-over from one half to another. A simple solution would be to just put up a heavy drape to keep the cool air in the part of the house you are in. We would also recommend not turning off the system completely but just turn it back. An automatic setback thermostat can help with this. There could be issues – Does the system share duct work throughout the house? Will the “design committee” allow for such a guy thing as a curtain in the middle of the house? Does the floor plan even allow for a separation?

Maybe you can make friends with an HVAC guy, invite him over for a beer, and ask his opinion.

Listen to the podcast to hear Marc ask his question and for our more detailed answer.

Thanks to Owens Corning for the picture of their system going in

Basement Finishing Systems

The Handyguys, Brian and Paul, have both done DIY basement finishing. We have been asked our opinions on so called basement finishing systems. These are not DIY solutions. A company will come in and use their system of pre-fabricated panels to put up your walls.

Handyguy Paul found an old webpage where the author recounts his experience with one of these systems. Check it out – Owens Corning Basement System Experiences.

Brian and Paul discuss the pros and cons of these systems. Listen to the podcast for all the details. Oh, and we ran out of time. Make sure you check out next weeks episode (link wont work until next week) where we finish the discussion! If you subscribe you will get the new show automatically. Cool.

Getting the Noise Out!

The Handyguys analyze the noisy question that is a major issue in modern homes.  How do you isolate yourself from disruptive sounds originating in another part of the house?  Whether the problem is noisy children or televisions; sometimes we just need to get away from it all.  The Handyguys are no exception… they need to record a podcast each week in a quiet room!

One of our listeners asks the Handyguys about the noisy problem:

I work from my home office and my children can often be heard while in the office or on the phone. The room is about 12 x 14 (12 foot ceiling) and on the main floor. Two walls are exterior and two interior. Aprox 3 feet of the walls have oak wood paneling on top of the drywall. The other 11 feet have drywall and a thick cloth-like wallpaper. It looks like the studs are 2×6 and the doors are paneled glass french doors (solid wood). There are no rooms above the office and the basement below is unfinished so all the sound is coming through the two interior walls.

We are ready to take down the wall paper and paint but want to do anything we can to make the office as sound proof as we can – preferably DIY. I’ve heard some people recommend cutting holes in the drywall and blowing in insulation and others say insulation won’t help. Some recommend double drywall but I think that would make the two door frames and window not look “right”. I’ve heard there are sound absorbing paints and sound absorbing drywall and on and on. I’ve heard that single pane glass and the gaps under the door could be the biggest culprit.

What is the first most effective thing I could do followed by the second and third and so on. I’d like to get to the point where the kids could be playing or even yelling and not be heard inside.

Thanks,

Greg

A Summary of Brian’s Response

Click on this thumbnail for a full sized version. This image illustrates various techniques and their efficacy (do handyguys use words such as efficacy?) for controlling sound passage between adjacent spaces. The passage of sound is measured by the scientific geeks using a number called the STC. STC stands for Sound Transmission Class. It refers to sound waves moving through air and objects. The higher the number the less sound can pass. The techniques shown use a combination of mass (sound doesn't travel as well through objects as it does air) and decoupling. Objects, such as studs with drywall, can pass sounds to adjacent spaces (even though they have mass) by decoupling spaces the sound passed through the mass of an object can't effectively continue. The best techniques use mass, a decoupled air space, and more mass. Insulation plays the role of mass but has a limited impact when used alone.

Brian provides three levels of mitigation against the noise that can invade your room.  In general, sound isolation requires you to:

• block Conduits of Sound

• add Mass to Walls

• decouple walls

Brian’s first suggestion is not practical for most handyguys as it includes some serious construction.  Greg could add another wall in order to decouple the interior wall, which connects Greg’s office to the rest of the house, with the inside office space.  Another wall would help a lot, especially one which is insulated and uses 5/8″ drywall. If this is not realistic, you could just rebuild the interior wall using 2×6 top and bottom plates with alternating 2×4 studs so that no stud is connected to both sides of the wall.  This decoupling method is used for the Handyguys home studio (see image to the right for more details on this method).

Brian’s less expensive and less invasive option is to beef up the interior wall with an additional layer of drywall.  In addition, Greg could replace the french doors with some solid core wood doors to add mass and decrease the sound transmission.  Furthermore, these doors can be whether stripped like exterior doors.  This middle level option is still intrusive as it will entail trim work with jamb extensions for the doors and/or windows.

The most realistic and cheapest option is to provide some weather stripping around the interior doors and to close off any HVAC duct work that could be transmitting the sound from the rest of the house (something you would want to do with any option described above).

For more details on Brian’s response, please listen to the podcast.

Applying the Principals of Sound Insulation to finishing your basement

Click on this image for a full sized view. This image illustrates some possible techniques for controlling sound between floors. The sci-guys have another measurement for this, its called the IIC, or Impact Isolation Class. It deals with the sound heard from impacts to the floor as head from below. Imagine, sitting in your home theater and hearing people walking around upstairs. Again, isolation and mass play a part. Also, carpet and padding above are critical for helping with IIC. There is even a technique that involves pouring concrete but we didn't draw that, ask us if you want to know about it.

How do the principals of sound insulation apply to the basement?  Many handyguys are concerned about sound transfer when turning the basement into a cool entertainment space or a kids playroom.  For the basement, the sound typically transfers through the ceiling, up through the stairwell or via your HVAC duct work.  Are there methods for isolating the sound when renovating your basement?

Listen to the podcast for more suggestions.

This show is part of our Basement Finishing Series. If you are considering finishing your basement you should ckeck out our other shows.

The Handyguys answer a basement remodeling question and then list some basement mistakes.

Don't finish this basement! Photo courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/goodnight_photography/

The basement finishing topic is popular among handy folks around the home. Many handyguys across America and the world have basements that they want to remodel to create new livable space. Basements are no longer scary, dungy places but can become vital living spaces to your home. But before you you begin finishing your basement, listen to our basement series and then listen to this episode about mistakes that “some” handyguys make when working on their basement.

But before we get to Brian and Paul’s list of basement mistakes, the Handyguys address a question from Mike regarding his basement:

Hey guys,

I have recently found your show and appreciate your knowledge and help. I figured as a new homeowner who likes to constantly improve his house, I would try to get you opinion on a project I am thinking of taking on during the cold season here in New England.

We are thinking of finishing a portion of our basement for a rec/bar room. After doing some research about how to refinish I have read about the traditional way of framing walls, using rolled insulation and drywall. There is another method of using furring strips attached directly to the foundation and foam board for insulation. I was wondering if you had comments on either method or why I would want to stay away from either method.

Between the two I had been planning on framing everything out, however the simplicity and lower costs of furring strips is attractive. This does come with some disadvantages (attaching directly to the foundation).

With building frames I would have to rerun the forced water baseboards, which is a little more complicated.

Overall my basement is very dry, there is one crack, and it is sealed with epoxy injection. The house is almost eight years old and already has cables and outlets run.Thanks for the help if you get to me!

 

The Handyguys are not thrilled about the furring strip technique. Sure you might save some time and money with this technique, but there are many drawbacks. We emailed Mike some suggestions.  Listen to the podcast for details.

12 Common Basement Design Mistakes

The Handyguys spend some time listing out key basement design mistakes. In this segment, Paul and Brian each prepare their own list independently without telling one another and then reveal their items live on the show. Here is a summary of the Handyguys basement finishing/remodeling mistakes. Please listen to the podcast for more details (and to see who comes up with more mistakes!).

1. You begin finishing a basement that is not a good candidate for finishing…. C heck out our episode #17 – “Is Your Basement Ready?” to help you determine whether your basement is ready.
2. Poor Capacity sizing and planning for utilities (HVAC and electric).
3. Assuming that drop or suspension ceilings are cheaper then a finished drywall ceiling.
4. Overestimating your skill limit.
5. Underestimating Costs.
6. Bad lighting switch locations.
7. Poor insulation and/or insulation techniques
8. Poor planning of low voltage wiring locations.
9. Trying to do it all yourself (i.e. not subbing out some aspects of the job as necessary).
10. Improper planning of combustion air availability for utilities.
11. Not using pressure treated wood for bottom plates and anywhere wood is in contact with concrete.
12. Chopping up basement space into many small rooms which can create an awkward flow and unused space.

Do you have some better ideas of basement mistakes in basement design? Let us know if you do.

This post is a new addition to our basement finishing series.

The Handyguys complete their basement finishing series with an interview of a basement refinishing expert Roger German.

Part 2 of 2 of Roger German’s interview, Part 6 of the basement finishing series.

Brian and Paul complete their interview with basement remodeling expert Roger German. Mr. German is the author of Remodeling a Basement from the Taunton Press’ “Build Like a Pro” series of books. This is the second half of our interview.
In part 2 of the interview, Roger discusses the following:

• Basement Extras
• Lighting
• Drop Ceiling vs. sheet rock
• More on water mitigation

Thanks to listening to this interview with Roger German.

This post will conclude our 6 part series on basements. As always if you have any questions about any DIY or home improvement topics feel free to contact us. You may also comment on these posts.

In next weeks episode we will address several listener/reader questions as well as provide plans and give guidance on building and arbor for your garden.

Part 4 in the Basement Finishing Series

The Handyguys are becoming the “Basementguys” in this new fourth installment of the basement series.  The Handyguys discuss basement materials and revisit some old advice they gave about mowing lawns.

First up… a discussion about some advice that Handyguys gave in Episode #15 on lawn care.  Is it true what one of the Handyguys said regarding your mower height?  Handyguy Paul said that if you mow the lawn lower, the grass will grow faster in order to get more sun and generate more food for the roots.  It sounded too good to be true so he sought out to prove his own advice.  Paul performed a little experiment on his backyard.  We could show you a picture here but Paul was a little embarrassed.  He cut a 30 foot swath down the middle of his back yard an inch shorter then the outside edges of his yard.  He wanted to see if it would grow any faster then the rest of the yard.  What was the result?  You will have to listen to the Podcast and see if the Handyguys offered good advice or bad advice.

The Handyguys then discuss the many choices that you have in regard to basement materials.  You want to finish your basement but what materials will you choose? Should you use steel studs or wood?  What about the pre-fabricated basement systems?  Drop ceilings or sheet rock?

The Handyguys also discuss sound blocking options.

Photo © 2008 Bungalow Chronicles

Good design will help your basement blend in with the rest of your house and not feel like a cheap addition. Planning and good material choices with a good decorating sense will go a long way.

Material talk and more discussions about your basement on episode #19 of the Handyguys Podcast.

Thanks for Listening

The Handyguys give an overview of how to plan for your finished basement.

Part 3 in the Basement Finishing Series

Now that your basement is ready to finish, you need to develop a plan to execute that construction job down under. The Handyguys know some creative visionaries can see the complete construction plan in their head and just start driving nails until they have a beautiful basement. However, for the rest of us, we need to write out some basic plans, study the building codes, and determine whether we have enough money to complete the work. That’s right, you are going to need a handful of hard earned cash to get your basement finished well.

But where do you start? First, you should determine if you can afford to finish your basement. The Handyguys tell you how much it will cost per square foot to get the job done. Make sure you can afford the job before you begin making your plans.

Once you have determined that your wallet is up to the task, get out the graph paper or install a design program such as Google Sketch Up to draw out your new basement. The Geeky side of the Handyguys suggests using the computer, but it certainly is not required. The building inspector just needs a drawing that shows your dimension, windows sizes, outlets and other items that the Handyguys discuss on this episode.

What about code issues? What do you need to consider to get those plans right? There is more to consider then just electrical loads, outlet placement, etc. You need to do load calculations on your HVAC system to make sure that it can handle the load of your additional living space. If your central heat cannot take the load, you will want to consider other sources of heat (generally you do not need to cool the basement space as the earth does a sufficient job).

The links below may be helpful for fulfilling your local codes. However, you must determine the codes that are established in your local jurisdiction! That is the only way to be compliant.

Check out the podcast for more information and view these helpful links:

General code checklist

Heat Loss and Gain Worksheet

The Handyguys help you determine whether your unfinished basement is suitable for finishing in their home improvement podcast.

Part 2 in the basement finishing series.

Are you tired of that dirty old basement which is filled with all of the junk that you don’t need? Have you been waiting to use that pneumatic nailer you recently purchased? Then it is time to begin finishing your basement. But before you shoot your first nail, you have to determine if your basement is a good candidate to be converted to living space. You don’t want to spend a lot of time and money finishing your basement if water, mold and moisture are going to ruin your hard work.

The Handyguys take a look at some of the hurdles you must face before even thinking of finishing your basement. They provide some tips for the do-it-yourself minded individuals who would love to see a nice play room, entertainment room or billiards room in your basement.

Do you have enough electrical power to handle the new space you want to finish? If not, you may need to upgrade your service. Consider talking to an electrical professional to evaluate your current electrical service and panel.

In addition, you must have adequate heating and a/c for the new space.

The common problem you must correct before beginning finishing work is to mitigate against any kind of water or moisture penetration. You don’t want that new Berber carpet to become moldy or soaked from a freak rainstorm. You should have a good water mitigation plan in place handle the threats that nature brings. If you have severe water problems, you may want to talk to a few local water mitigation contractors to see what products they offer to prevent water penetration. If you decide to have a drainage system installed, be sure to wait a couple of years to confirm that it stand up to all kinds of weather. You don’t want to discover that your new system fails during that huge thunderstorm when the power goes out.

Another common problem is Radon. This natural gas is not something you want trapped in your home. There are reasonably priced systems available to prevent radon gas from seeping into your home but you want to deal with this issue before you begin finishing the basement. It will make your life a lot easier.

In addition to problems from the outside, there are potential problems already in your basement.

Is your stairwell adequate?

Is your ceiling height high enough for finished space? Are utilities and ductwork going to be in the way?

Check out this week’s podcast for more details.

Part one of the Basement Series can be read and listened to here.

The Handyguys discuss how to evaluate home improvement ideas and whether finishing your basement is a job for the DIYer. They also discuss a new site for finding and reviewing contractors.

Episode #1 in the Basement Finishing Series

There are many projects to do around the house but sometimes the handy guy can bite off more then he (or she) can chew. The Handyguys discuss the basic issues to consider when determining whether a new projected should be contracted out or performed yourself.

Some of the topics discussed include:

• How Long will it take?
  • weeks, months, years to never finish
• How much will it cost?
  • A little to a lot
• When to bring in a subcontractor
• DIY satisfaction
• Do you have the right tools and skills?

Even if you have the ability to do the job, there are a lot of issues to consider before doing it yourself. In addition to carpentry skills, you need time, patience, lots of tools and a good back to finish your basement. If you are lacking in any of these categories, you may want to consider hiring a contractor for the job.

The Handyguys then discuss an article from remodelingmagazine.com. Its their annual cost vs. value report. Some of the data is excerpted below.

The Handyguys then discuss how to find a good contractor. Turn to your neighbors was Paul’s suggestion. But what if you do not have a neighbor or friend who has had their basement finished? What then?It was agreed that just hitting the yellow pages may not be a good route. You need some good, objective advice. You can get that advice at www.homestars.com.

This website is designed to help you review and research contractors that are in your local area. Check it out… it may save you a lot hassle in the future. Check it out!

Lastly – So, you are going to go through with it or you have already finished your basement.  The Handyguys will be continuing to talk about finishing your basement over the next few weeks. If you have finished your basement yourself and would like to chat with the Handyguys on the air about your experience just let us know. If you are in the middle of a project and would like to dialog on the air about where you are in the process we would be open to that as well. email us@handyguyspodcast.com or use the contact tab on the website.