Man Cave Part 3: Insulation and Framing.

Insulation, check.

Framing, check.

When I tore out the fiberglass insulation that was previously in the basement. I swore I wouldn't repeat the mistake the previous owner made. Were this an above grade installation, that would have made sense, but this was the basement.

First, it acted like a sponge when we had the water in the house. The bottom few inches of every piece that had been exposed to the water was moldy.

Second, it was a haven for mice. When I tore it out, I discovered numerous dead mice laying at the bottom of the frame pockets, just behind the insulation.

So, this time out, I decided to use rigid foam insulation, It was inexpensive, easy to handle (all six sheets weighted less than 20 lbs. combined), and installation was a breeze.

I measured out each piece, used a utility knife to cut out what was necessary to fit around access panels, etc, and used Liquid Nails construction adhesive to attach it to the wall. If you decide to do this, make sure the wall is clean and be sure whatever adhesive you use is appropriate for foam. Liquid Nails was perfect as I needed an entire tube for each piece and it's relatively inexpensive: about $1.69 a tube.

Once the panels were in place, I taped all the seams.

I was going to use a product made by Armstrong called, QuikStix for the framing. It was a galvanized steel framing material that looked like a very easy product to install and was guaranteed to last 10 years.

Unfortunately, it was only available regionally at Lowe's and I would have to special order it by the case. That would leave me with a lot of waste (I needed 12 rails and the product came in cases of 10!) and it was twice the cost of wood. I also couldn't get anyone at Armstrong to tell me how you would frame a door with QuikStix. It's too bad this didn't pan out. I love trying new things- if they work.

I considered conventional steel framing, but again, it was very expensive and would be as difficult to install as wood.

The only real drawback to using wood was the way it can change shape was a result of environmental shifts - particularly in damp or wet environments - and the weight of it.

I only needed about 50 timbers, so I discounted the weight part. I used pressure treated bottom plates which I will have also sealed with caulk at the bottom to prevent any future water issues from impacting the new space.

My brother, Jay, helped me install the framing. No way around it, framing was at least a two-man job. He's also had experience with framing - I hadn't done it in 25 years - and he had the right tools to get it done. He was invaluable in this process and I owe him big time.

I had a circular saw and a nice Delta chop saw, so that part was covered. Jay had an impact driver and a .22 caliber nail driver. I can't imagine having tried to do this without those tools. (I think an impact driver is on my list of tools I need to acquire.)

We built the frame in place- that means we placed the top and bottom plates and then cut the uprights to fit. The other conventional method is to build the frame laying down on the floor, then to raise it into place. That would have been next to impossible with this room. Every upright had a different length. We went with 24" centers since none of this is structural.

It was also serendipitous that I was able to do the angled door into the space that I had originally hoped to do. When I was planning, I couldn't get it to work, but, as we laid out the frame, there it was- the perfect alignment of everything to accommodate my original idea.

 
We also installed one of the doors. The space has an 81" ceiling so I had to go with 78" doors. Even with the shorter door, we still had to trim down the jamb and cut 5/8" off the bottom of the door.

Next up, the wiring. Fun!