# Basement Furring Strips



## LanceM (Feb 4, 2008)

Hi,
New to the group here.  I'm just starting the process of renovating the basement and have found the answers to many of my questions on basement drywall and furring strips already by going through the archives.   My job is made harder by the fact that 15 years ago I did my first effort of installing furring strips and drywall and did a fairly sloppy job.  Before I can start again I have to deal with fixing past sins.  First,  I installed the original 2x2 furring strips by pounding masonry nails into the block.  Unbelievably it appears I dodged a bullet and the blocks did not crack.

1) Should I try to pull these old strips off the wall or will that do more damage than leaving them in?  They really were put in sloppily and are not in the best locations.  Also, after stripping the old drywall off the strips I have a dried bead of liquid nails sticking up.  If I leave the old strips in and put better ones around them the liquid nails is going to be sticking up above the new strips.

2) I do want to put a few outles in the wall.  Assuming I use the 2x2 furring strips you suggest how do I thread the electrical cable through the strips?  Just predrill a hole through the side of the strips before mounting?

3) We've lived in this house for quite sometime and the walls are dry and it's pretty warm down there without insulation.  Do you suggest installing a vapor barrier before putting the drywall in?
Thanks for the help.


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## inspectorD (Feb 4, 2008)

What was the condition of the concrete...water stains or white chalky stuff on the wall.
Any moisture on the old sheetrock, or mold ,black stains on the wood. 

This depends on how you want to tackle the issues.
Cheaper is not always the solution. 
If I where to do a basement, I use metal studs. Nailed to the floor and the ceiling. With tongue and grove rigid foam insulation board glued to the concrete wall.
Then you can do what you want...and its less expensive than wood.

Let 's figure this one out everybody...and post a boilerplate solution.


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## LanceM (Feb 5, 2008)

inspectorD said:


> What was the condition of the concrete...water stains or white chalky stuff on the wall.
> Any moisture on the old sheetrock, or mold ,black stains on the wood.
> 
> This depends on how you want to tackle the issues.
> ...



After pulling down the old drywall the walls are in very good shape - clean, dry, mold free.  The previous owner coated them with some type of epoxy or masonry paint that has held up well.   My main goal is tear down my old work and do a decent job this time around.   I'm not sure if pulling the old furring strips, which were attached with masonry nails, will do more harm than good.
   I guess if I go with the metal studs that answers the question about feeding the electrical through.
   The basement is surprisingly comfortable without insulation.
Lance M


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## inspectorD (Feb 5, 2008)

I would recommend you remove the strips and paint again. Then you are not trapping something behind the wall, which you cannot evaluate easily. Drylok or another masonry sealer will do the trick.  
Seal any holes with hydraulic cement or waterplug before you paint. And remove any loose material with a wire brush....and always wear a respirator.


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## BLZBUB (Feb 5, 2008)

I agree with inspector D.  Not only are metal studs cheaper than wood, they'll go up an awful lot faster than plumbing and string lining 2 x 2 furring (plus the convenience of pre-puched holes for electrical).  Pulling the old strips off will save precious space.  
The fact that there is epoxy already painted on the wall raises an eyebrow, though.  The previous owner must've had a water problem down there to go through that expense.  Make your hydraulic cement repairs thorough, and make sure there's no chinks in the waterproofing armor.  I've had great success using a paste made with a mineral called bentonite.  It's a volcanic mineral that swells when water comes in contact, making itself tighter in the opening it's sealing.  
I also recommend foam insulation behind the walls.  It might be comfortable in the basement without it, but that's probably only because the vents are closest to your furnace (or if you have a boiler, its the first loop in the system).  The cost / benefit ratio is too great to ignore if you're going through all that work.  If you really want to seal your home down there, use an insulation aprroved for below grade applications.  Spray in foam is ultra expensive, fiberglass doesn't fit the bill, but mineral wool between the studs with the foam board behind will really make your home much more efficient.


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## guyod (Feb 5, 2008)

Was the drywall wavy when you took it down?  Im having trouble believing you would ripe down all the drywall just because of a sloppy spackling job. Is that really the only reason? i just want to make sure you dont end up with the same problem


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## LanceM (Feb 6, 2008)

guyod said:


> Was the drywall wavy when you took it down?  Im having trouble believing you would ripe down all the drywall just because of a sloppy spackling job. Is that really the only reason? i just want to make sure you dont end up with the same problem



Well, it was a sloppy everything job.  It's a weird situation.  The basement housed an elaborate model railroad that I built.  The model was on a shelf that followed the walls.  I only put drywall half way up, from the floor to the bottom of the model railroad shelf.  It looked o.k. but of course once the railroad was removed exposing the wall with drywall half way up it looked terrible.   In terms of structure, water, room temperature everything appears fine.  It really is an appearance issue.  There are very few obstructions and I'm more experienced now so think I can make it look a lot nicer than the first go around.


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