Decorating basement (Home theater)

[ElecTriX]

Hello forum members at Byggahus.se!

This will be my first post on this forum, and before anyone scolds me, I have been searching for information for about a month to find what I'm looking for but haven't figured out exactly how to solve it.

My partner and I have now bought our first house, which has a so-called "raw basement." According to the inspection report, it states the following;

The basement is primarily a raw basement, i.e., consists of materials such as concrete, stone, and plaster. However, there are smaller elements of wood in contact with the concrete slab and foundation wall, such as shelving systems, stairs, sauna, and furniture. Some of these were damp during the inspection near the concrete/foundation wall. Microbial odor was detected in the pantry, which can be traced to the shelving system and cardboard boxes directly against the concrete slab.

As it is currently only concrete walls and concrete floors throughout the basement, exactly how should I proceed to build my "nirvana"? The intended home theater room is in a corner and thus has two exterior walls. I'm mostly concerned about the following points that will be problematic when it comes to potential moisture;

• Carpet - How can this be resolved in a reasonably economical way so that there are no moisture issues underneath?
• Walls - It would be best if drywall could be put up (probably with metal studs?)
• Ceiling - Preferably, I want a drywall system (I don't know exactly what it's called, but they are usually found in offices). Could this also be a problem with moisture even though it's in the basement ceiling?

Note that this room will be fully heated if that affects anything.

What I'm wondering is if you have any tips on exactly how I should deal with the floor, walls, and ceiling? All opinions and tips are warmly welcomed!

//New homeowner

 

[Norrlandskusten]

Yes, just as you say, this is a constant discussion...

Frankly, I believe that you should not have organic materials in a basement.
You will probably NEVER be able to drain away all the incoming moisture.
Even if you drain around, moisture can migrate through the concrete floor.
Personally, I will go for tiles and steel studs in interior walls.
(at least against the floor/outer wall)

Now you're going to build a home theater and probably have acoustic requirements.
I don't know the price range (since I have different requirements) but look at flooring systems with mechanical, forced ventilation.
Nivell, platon.

For the walls, it's probably easiest to set up with steel studs, an air gap, and ventilation.

I _think_ you don't need to worry about the ceiling.
Of course, depending on the ventilation solution and humidity in the basement.
If you use open ventilation in the summer and try to dehumidify your garden via the basement, it might get quite chilly in the basement.
I think I peaked at 85% this summer with closed vents.

But there are actually a plethora of threads on the same subject.
For example:
http://www.minhembio.com/jcoboy/49727/

Or:
http://www.byggahus.se/forum/golv/28585-kallarprojekt.html

 

[ElecTriX]

Thank you for your response!

My first thought was indeed tiles if you ever want to use the room for something other than a home theater.

But how does moisture affect tiles? And if you have regular carpets (which still cover a fairly large area)?
Exactly what do tiles do, positively and negatively, against the moisture coming from the concrete slab?

I have read a lot about Platon, cellplast, träspånsskiva (I think it was called?) but there are so many different solutions and it's like being in the worst jungle right now.

 

[Norrlandskusten]

Tiles on a concrete base make a basement that is, in principle, impervious to moisture damage.
Even if you have a water leak, you can just send the water down a floor drain and smile.

So any potential penetrating moisture dries out through the grout lines.

The downside is, of course, that tiles on a basement floor are REALLY cold to walk on if you don't have underfloor heating.
I have dug out, insulated, and installed underfloor heating in my future basement bathroom.
The rest of the basement will probably just get tiles directly on the old concrete floor and needle felt carpet.
(The kind you have on balconies...)

In general, I'm negative about solutions with mechanical ventilation.
I don't want more systems to keep track of.
Everything breaks down sooner or later...

 

[blob]

The tile and grout joints do allow moisture through.

I was in the same situation as you before, and it all boils down to a few things.

You'll probably conclude that tiles are the least risky solution, then someone might say it will be cold, and you'll consider underfloor heating. The problem with that is it can cause more moisture migration and it's uneconomical since it also heats up things other than the floor.

You may come across the niveller floor solution, which seems good, but unfortunately, it's quite expensive.

In that case, I think Platonmatta is the most sensible, as you can lay a nice floor on top.

It's also not entirely wrong to just paint the basement walls with silicate paint since you avoid having to frame them, and the walls allow moisture to pass through.

A caveat in all this is that I really don't know either and am a complete beginner, so keep researching this topic. Not all craftsmen know what's right either if you hire someone to build everything. Check with the inspector on what he thinks seems best. Good luck.

 

[ElecTriX]

Tiles on a concrete base make a basement, in principle, invulnerable to moisture damage. Even if you have a water leak, you just push the water down a floor drain and remain cheerful.

So any moisture that seeps in dries out through the grout.

The downside is, of course, that tiles on a basement floor are VERY cold to walk on if you don't have underfloor heating.

So you don't need to lay anything between the concrete and the tiles? The fact that the floor is cold is a trade-off I'm happy to make and I don't see it as a huge negative...

The tile grout does allow moisture to pass through.

I was in the same position as you before, and it all boils down to a few things.

You will probably conclude that tiles are the least risky solution, then someone will say it will become cold, and you will consider underfloor heating........

It's not entirely wrong to just paint the basement walls with silicate paint since you avoid framing and the walls allow moisture to pass through....

Interesting. But something needs to be done about the walls as they are very "coarse" (don't know the right word?). Can the walls be sanded down so they become more "smooth"?

 

[blob]

So you don't need to put anything between the concrete and tiles? That the floor is cold is something I don't mind and don't see it as a major negative..

Interesting. But something needs to be done about the walls as they are very "coarse" (don't know the right word?). Can the walls be sanded to make them more "fine"?

I'll leave that for someone else to answer I actually think it can look quite nice with a rustic feel in a home theater room.

Please see Krauta's magazine pages 22-23 for examples. Much nicer than "regular" home theater rooms

http://multi.mediapaper.nu/?PubId=4E31D3B8AE96C66AEDFDC41A67775633

 

[ElecTriX]

It's not too bad with a little rustic feel, probably makes a difference depending on the color you have. Currently, it's completely white.

I looked at the magazine from K-Rauta and it didn't look bad at all! I see they also have a large carpet/rug. I wonder what kind of carpet that is.. Could it be the one that llehs mentioned above, "nålfiltmatta"?

 

[Noseone]

You can reduce the concrete feeling with thicker fabric, curtains, etc. I know I've seen this when I've been dreaming away in the galleries on minhembio.com

 

[jarlh]

If you have a tile floor and bare concrete walls, the sound quality is likely to be pretty poor. The sound will bounce around like a bouncy ball in a dryer.

Framed walls with plasterboard (preferably double) will likely make a big difference. Heavy furniture (e.g., sofas and full bookshelves) can also help. (Lighter textiles, such as rugs and curtains, only help with higher frequencies, so the bass will still be muddy.)

 

[ElecTriX]

If you have a tile floor and bare concrete walls, the audio quality is likely to be quite poor. The sound will bounce around like a bouncy ball in a tumble dryer.

Studded walls with plasterboard (preferably double) will probably improve things a lot. Heavy furniture (e.g., sofas and full bookshelves) can also help. (Lighter textiles, such as rugs and curtains, only help with higher frequencies, so the bass will still be muddy.)

Regardless of whether it's plasterboard walls or just concrete, absorbers will be purchased and installed in the room. Then we'll possibly have rugs on the tile floor. You probably have to test things a bit when it comes to sound; the main thing is to avoid moisture problems/damage.

 

[blob]

off topic, what toys are you going to have in the cinema?

 

[ElecTriX]

Yes, it's a bit OT, but it's fun to write a little anyway

There will be new purchases for a screen and projector, possibly speakers too.

Projector
The projector I've been eyeing is a Sony VPL-HW20, I've read a lot of positive things about it and it doesn't have any unnecessary extras like 3D (I still think it's a hype so..). More info

Screen
Since I haven't measured the wall where the screen will be, I can't answer the size of the screen, but I guess it will be over 120" anyway. Preferably from a good manufacturer like Kingpin and probably a DIY or fixed frame. I previously had a motorized screen, but since the room will be dedicated as a theater room, I'd rather go for a "fixed" one

Speakers
I'm considering possibly selling my current speakers and buying integrated speakers, but I haven't looked into this at all yet.

 

[blob]

Seems very nice, feel free to update with pictures as

 

[ElecTriX]

The construction won't start for a few months, but I will post construction pictures on Minhembio