This year 2008, we will have been in our house for four years next October. Every winter for the past three years, we have had a on-going project in finishing our basement. For Christmas this year, I asked Pat for shelves in the storage room as I thought that if we could at least get that organized, we could get alot of "stuff" from around the basement into one spot.
He finished the shelves just after New Years and yesterday we spent a part of the day filling the shelves. It is amazing how much "stuff" we are actually storing. It really does make one wonder why we need to "store" things - if we need to put them in a bin on a shelf - do we really need them?
Well that question needs to be pondered and answered another day.
Said shelves with said bins - It should be noted that each of those bins is labelled with what is inside.
So to the most Horrible of all Jobs that needs to be done before the basement can be finished.
The Alberta Building Code was changed in about 2004 to require insulation and vapour barrier between each of the floor joists. Now this is usually a job the contractor gets one of his fledgeling peons to do while a house is being built. In our case, since our house was moved onto our foundation, the fledgeling peons are named Pat and Donna. It is a job we have been procrastinating about for nigh on three years.
Why procrastinate you may ask?
Well - let me explain the process -
First - get an estimate for someone to do the job - when said estimate comes back at $1200 - consider doing it yourself- unless you have a spare $1200 laying about.
Secondly - Decide to tackle each room at a time to make the job not seem so daunting.
Step #1 - Get containers of Accousti-seal (or black s**t as we like to call it).
To give you an idea of what Accousti-seal is like - think of black, gooey,tarry toothpaste-like s**t that needs to be "drawn" in a line all around the perimeter of each floor joist.
Step #2 - Dress in old clothes and wear plastic gloves - have a big box of plastic gloves on hand.
"Black S**t"
We tried to get away from using the black s**t by using Tuck Tape - - it was a pain in the neck as the tape sticks to itself or doesn't stick at all.
Step #3 - climb on a ladder - insert black s**t
into caulking gun - aim caulking gun at ceiling in between joists - squeeze until black s**t sticks to wood then proceed to draw a line around block of insulation - (notes to any fool attempting to do this - start at the top go half way down each side - apply plastic - squeeze more black s**t on bottom half and apply remainder of plastic)
We decided that Donna would do the job and Pat would cut the plastic and be the gopher - this division of labour is to keep Pat's sanity as when Pat tried to do the squeezing of the black s**t and the applying of the plastic, the air was blue and Pat was black.
Of course there are many pipes, ducts, wires and lines to add challenge to the job.
Sometimes there are two challenges - wires and ducts
Of course, there are the ones that we do not even want to think about.
Hmmmmm.......
And then there are the cantelivers - 2 feet of overhang that has to be insulated and vapour barrier somehow applied.
Any Suggestions?????
So far, we have completed the bedroom, the storage room and the bathroom.....
only 150 more to go.......
At this rate, we should be done in 2012.... SIGH...
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