[hpsguy]

New member here looking for some insight on my first basement reno.

The house we moved into is brand new and the frost/perimeter walls of the basement are properly studded, insulated and poly'd. The builder even sealed the bottom with acoustical sealant and properly tuck taped.

My issue is now that I want to run my electrical and some plumbing I'm not sure hot to best remove the poly? I don't want to make more work than I have to, so I was thinking of just cutting the poly horizontally at the middle and folding the bottom portion down, run my electrical/plumbing, then pull it back up and tuck tape the seam.

Does this sound reasonable?

Pics of what it looks like right now. I just finished installing the subfloor last weekend.

 

[stubborn1]

If it were me, I would try to run as much plumbing/elec in the joist space and drop vertically down into the stud space when needed instead of running horizonatally around the perimeter. Cut the VB down the center and retape after the rough work is completed. Caulk where the pipe/wire penetrates the top plate.

 

[carpdad]

I wouldn't lose time trying to work around the plastic and insulation. I would remove the barrier at least a foot away from the highest drilling, wiring, plumbing, blocking that I have to do. Put a new barrier, overlapping 6 inches and tape. Butt jointing the barrier is too flimsy to press in the tape.

Electric is going in, so you need to think about the fire blocking from the ceiling to the floor above. Minimum 2" mineral wool in my area.

 

[hand drive]

I would pull it down and re do. the insulation has to come down also to allow access into the stud bays... that is real nice of the builder to insulate but he did not plan it out in the order that is needed to be done.. probably needed it up to pass inspection and move on

 

[hpsguy]

Well the plumbing will be a single drop from a beam so its pretty much just the electrical that I'll have to think about. I plan on having 3 different main areas in the basement and was looking to put each area on its own circuit. I could do drops for the further ones through the joists. Running new poly isn't the end of the world I just didn't want to make more work than I have to.

 

[mae-ling]

As said above run electrical in the ceiling and drop it into the walls. Cut Poly on the center of the needed stud. pull insulation in that stud bay. nail on your box and wire with poly wrapped around box (or premade poly box wraps) Put insulation back, restaple poly, tape with red plastic tuck tape used for housewrap.