[kenw232]

How do I finish my basement? I'm going to need to strap 2x4s to the exterior walls. I'm concerned because I have to nail/screw into concerete walls. How the hell do I do this?

What about interior walls? can I screw into the basement floor?

I should have full insulation and a plastic sheet acting as a vapour barrier correct?

anyone recommend heated floors? what you think?

 

[Just Bill]

Owens-Corning makes 2" thick EPS foam boards(available at Home Depot and building suppliers) that have notches in them for furring strips. Install this directly on the wall with adhesive and screw the furring strips to the wall with tapcon screws. That gives you insulation, moisture barrier, and you can hang drywall on the furring strips.

 

[Baron]

Seal the exterior walls of concrete, build walls laying down if you can and then stand up a few inches away from exterior. Use metal studs if moisture might be a problem. Use Polyisocynerate foam board (High R sheathing) against the wall with construction adhesive and pin the wall against it as you go if you want a non moisture collector type insulation.

Plan venting and air spaces as needed.

Construction adhesive under shoe (Base plate) and a few cement nails will do the trick or tapcons.

 

[Baron]

If you want to heat the floor, but most cellars aren't that cold if you elevate the floor off the cement about one inch, with some of the new products they have and you can just lay a tile products that looks like tile but interlocks together.

 

[bjbatlanta]

Frame a 2"x4" wall in front of your concrete walls. Allows plenty of space to run electric, plumbing, etc. You can insulate with fiberglass batts if you need to. And if your walls are poured like many I've seen they're not very plumb anyway. You can attach the bottom PRESSURE TREATED plates either with concrete screws (I'd advise borrowing/renting a hammer drill) or shoot them down with a powder actuated tool (again borrow or rent). If you don't have any moisture issues now, you should be fine. If you do, correct them first. The heated floor would be your choice. If you have a regular HVAC system, it wouldn't be necessary and I personally don't know what the cost/payback factor would be in the long run....

 

[Bob Mariani]

Best to use foam sill insulation under the base plate to act as a capillary break. Do not use poly vapor barrier anywhere is will only trap moisture and lead to a complete failure of the wall system.