- Basement refinishing

Dear Shell,

I recently purchased a 30 year old bungalow. The upstairs floors are very cold to walk on. I removed a section of paneling from the outside basement wall in the rec room. I found 2 by 2 studs nailed to concrete with poly vapour barrier and no insulation. The floor is tile over concrete. My question is how do I make this into a comfortable space on a reasonable budget ? Here is some helpful information. 10 year old F.A.O. furnace, ceramic dehumidifier, 900 square foot basement, length wise concrete wall divides utility room and rec room. 2 heat ducts in ceiling 1 cold air return on floor in rec room. My plans include redoing floors and walls in the basement but I want to take care of the cold/damp problem at the same time.

Thanks, Jake

Dear Jake,

1. Consider a Humidex system for the basement ventilation. For info call 1-800-416 9111.

2. My 3rd book (The best of Shell Busey and More) has a full detail on Basement Finishing. It is $12.95 plus GST or if you have a fax we can fax the detail to you. Our fax number is 604-542-2237.

3. For the floor I would use a product called Delta FL for info call 1-800-465-1668 in Toronto. Consider a two-speed motor on your furnace to circulate the air continually.

It's just that easy.

Article courtesy of: Shell Busey