Frame exterior wall in basement

[Andreas9090]

Hello!

I'm in the process of renovating our laundry room in the basement.

I'm not too fond of the plaster wall (outer wall) so I chose to frame it with untreated 45x45 studs that I had left over from a previous project. I placed sill gasket behind the studs against the plaster. I'm not particularly worried about this construction when it comes to moisture damage or the like, but what I'm a bit unsure of is which cladding to choose.

I'm deciding between paneling or drywall.

What would you choose? Feel free to explain your choice as well.

 

[Testarn]

What do you mean by "panel" and if you're thinking of plastering, what are you planning to do next? When was it last drained and what is the ventilation situation like?

Even if you're not so worried about the framing, I would consider what happens when it gets damp behind the cladding. It's not just moisture through the basement wall, but also a laundry room, so there will be moisture, and there's a big risk of mold and gypsum boards warping if they get damp on the backside, etc.

If we set aside the framing, I would probably use a fiber cement board and possibly have some form of ventilation behind it. I'm thinking that you could end the board a centimeter from the floor and ceiling to allow free airflow behind the boards.

 

[Andreas9090]

What do you mean by "panel" and if you're thinking of plastering, what are you planning to do next?
When was it last drained, and what does the ventilation situation look like?

Even if you're not too worried about the studs, I would think about what happens when it gets damp behind the cladding. It's not just moisture through the basement wall but also a laundry room, so there will be moisture, and there is a high risk of mold and drywall bowing if they get moist on the backside, etc.

If we disregard the studs, I would probably install a fiber cement board and possibly have some form of ventilation behind it. I'm thinking one could leave the board a few centimeters from the floor and ceiling to allow free airflow behind the boards.

It was drained in 2019 with isodrän, so the drainage is relatively new.

I'm not quite sure how to better explain what I mean by panel or plastering than I already have. What I should put on the outside of the studs, what cladding the wall should have.

I've thought a bit more since the post was made yesterday, and I'm leaning more towards installing exterior paneling as a wall with maybe a 2-3mm gap between each board. I will also install ventilated baseboards and a vent at the top of the wall so air can circulate behind.

You mentioned fiber cement board; I'll take that with me. An option that I had completely forgotten about.

 

[Harald Blåtumme]

Not very successful to attach wooden battens to the basement wall, then enclose with panels. It was such a construction we had to clear out of our basement about 15 years ago due to mold and rot in the wooden battens - the dew point moves inward into the room and there's a risk of moisture buildup. Now, we didn't have externally insulated foundation walls but as I see it, a basement wall needs to be able to breathe through a vapor-permeable layer (tiling, silicate paint or similar), moisture is absorbed into the walls even through the base.

My view is that steel studs should be used if building on basement walls or floors, and of course, non-organic sheet materials like fiber cement.

 

[Testarn]

I suspected that you meant some form of wood panel (boards) but to avoid making the mistake of assuming something incorrect, I thought I would ask. There are other types of panel boards one might think of.

Panel boards for facades are not always as dry as those you want for indoor use, so there's a risk they might warp in some direction once brought inside (even if it's a laundry room).

Your idea of installing them with a little spacing does allow for some ventilation and reduces the risk of rot and mold, so that's probably good.
Just to bring up one more point, it might create a very nice space for spiders and other small insects. I know how many spiders we have in our basement and laundry room, even though I’ve tried to keep small cavities to a minimum and regularly go around with the vacuum cleaner.
What you're planning to do will be difficult to clean from dust, cobwebs, and bugs.

 

[Chokladmonster]

What's wrong with the plaster? Isn't it better to spruce it up instead, or alternatively, put tiles?

 

[Andreas9090]

Not very successful to place wooden studs against a basement wall, then enclose with panels. It was such a structure that we had to remove from our basement about 15 years ago due to mold and rot in the wooden studs—the dew point moves inward and there is a risk of moisture accumulation. We did not have an externally insulated foundation wall, but as I see it, a basement wall needs to breathe through a vapor-permeable layer (tiles, silicate paint, or similar), moisture is also absorbed through the foundation.

My opinion is that one should use steel studs if building on basement walls or floors, and of course non-organic sheet materials like fiber cement.

I understand what you mean, but since I have sill paper behind the studs, it prevents moisture from penetrating into the stud. That's how it was always built in the past (from my experience), and I don't really see anything wrong with it. Then I agree that metal studs might have been a better option. But since I had the wood at home, I chose this path.

The air will not be trapped behind, if it becomes exterior paneling, there will be small gaps between each board. If I choose a sheet (e.g., fiber cement as suggested above), I will notch the sheet at the bottom and top between each stud section and set up a ventilation so the air can circulate freely.

It's unfortunate that you had to tear it down, but I suspect that in your case, the studs were placed directly against the exterior wall and that there was a complete lack of ventilation?

 

[Andreas9090]

What's wrong with the plaster? Wouldn't it be better to tidy it up instead, or alternatively, put tiles?

I will readily admit that I am completely useless at plastering and the quotes I've received are far from reasonable in my opinion. At least not worth the price for a simple laundry room of about 4 m2.

 

[Andreas9090]

I suspected you meant some form of wood paneling (boards) but to avoid making the mistake of assuming something that wasn't true, I thought I'd ask. There are other types of panel sheets one might consider.

Facade panel boards are not always as dry as those desired for indoor use, so there is a risk they will warp in some direction when brought indoors (even if it's a laundry room).

Your idea of spacing them a bit allows for some ventilation and reduces the risk of rot and mold, so it seems like a good idea.
Just to address one more thing, it could create a very nice space for spiders and other small insects. I know how many spiders we have in the basement and our laundry room, and I've tried to keep small cavities to a minimum and regularly go around with the vacuum cleaner.
What you're planning will be hard to clean from dust, cobwebs, and insects.

Absolutely, better safe than sorry.

We have no problems with spiders at all today, but they might dare to come out, as you say, with such a structure.

What do you think about your suggestion with fiber cement board and then placing a vent between each stud section, one toward the floor and one up toward the ceiling? That way, the air wouldn't be trapped and could circulate freely?

 

[Testarn]

Good for you that you don't have spiders - for me it doesn't matter much other than having to vacuum some webs now and then, but there are others in the house who aren't so fond of them

Of course, you can install vents in each compartment, then there will be some airflow/air exchange, just make sure they have insect nets and then seal against the ceiling and floor against pests.

 

[Andreas9090]

Great for you that you don't have spiders - for me, it doesn't matter much other than having to vacuum some webs now and then, but there are others in the house who aren't so fond

Of course, you can put vents in each compartment, then there will be some air movement/air exchange, just make sure they have insect nets and then seal against the ceiling and floor to prevent crawlers.

My wife is very happy about it at least. Thank you very much for the inputs. I'll go with your suggestion with fibercementboard and venting it

 

[anders07]

I understand what you mean, but since I have roofing felt behind the studs, it prevents moisture from penetrating the stud. This is how building was always done in the past (from my experience) and I see nothing wrong with it. I do agree that metal studs might have been a better option. But since I had the lumber at home, I chose this route.

The air won’t be trapped behind; if it becomes a weatherboard, there will be small gaps between each board. If I choose a panel (e.g., fiber cement as suggested above), I will notch the panel at the bottom and top between each stud section and install ventilation so the air can circulate freely.

It's unfortunate that you had to tear down, but I suspect in your case, the studs were placed directly against the outer wall and there was no ventilation at all?

The issue that can arise is that the air becomes quite stagnant behind the panels, and then the humidity can increase until black mold starts to grow on the wooden studs and potentially the plasterboard, especially if you have paper on the plasterboard. Just having openings at the top and bottom may work, but it's far from guaranteed, so connecting it to mechanical ventilation is preferable, particularly as you leave organic material behind the panels.

When you clad the wall, you also change the wall's insulating properties and move the dew point inward in the room, but now you have Isodrän externally, so there's probably little risk of this causing problems.

Personally, I wouldn't place anything organic against an exterior wall and then encapsulate it with the risk of stagnant air (or more or less stagnant air).

 

[Andreas9090]

The problem that may arise is that the air becomes quite stagnant behind the boards, and then the humidity can increase until black mold starts to grow on wooden studs and possibly plasterboards, especially if you have paper on the plasterboards.
Having just openings at the top and bottom might work, but it's far from certain, so connecting it to mechanical ventilation is preferable, especially since you leave organic material behind the boards.

When you cover the wall, you also change the wall's insulating properties and move the dew point inward in the room, but now that you have Isodrän on the outside, it's probably a small risk that it will cause any issues.

Personally, I would not place anything organic against an exterior wall and then encapsulate it with the risk of stagnant air (or more or less stagnant air).

I agree with you and thus choose to forgo the plasterboards for that reason. I will go with fiber cement board instead and place vents between each stud space