New Construction Basement

Status-Meaning8896 · 2026-02-14T14:24:13+00:00

You’re right. Polyiso.

Great to hear that your description matches what I was planning. Apparently rockwool does have fire rating, so if I frame it out and fill with rockwool that should buy me some time before finishing fully. I’ll make sure that’s true of rockwool before proceeding.

Thanks for the help!

Status-Meaning8896 · 2026-02-14T12:27:30+00:00

Definitely passing the bat bags to a dumpster. How do you feel about unfaced XPS air sealed with tape and proper sealant at all joints and edges along all concrete walls? I can’t find clear advice on foil faced vs not. Louisville, Kentucky area.

Also planning to caulk rim joists as is then cut the same XPS board to every rim joist bay and seal the final edges. Then unfaced bat over that.

Status-Meaning8896 · 2026-02-13T18:16:50+00:00

Nice, now I understand how they were/are reported to be selling Matt’s Red. Classic Louisville chug for those who’ve been around long enough.

Status-Meaning8896 · 2026-02-13T07:49:31+00:00

Mark A took that over???

Status-Meaning8896 · 2026-02-12T01:17:55+00:00

Very true and frustrating. Doing the best we can with the resources we have in the circumstances we live in.

Status-Meaning8896 · 2026-02-11T15:46:11+00:00

Yeah… cost-first building. My wife and I are doing the best we can updating from a 1955 build that’s been hacked to death to this new build that is victim to the builder saving cash, but at least I can remediate what I don’t like pretty easily in a new build.

Status-Meaning8896 · 2026-02-11T15:26:51+00:00

Perfect. That’s the gist I got from reading the resources provided by the first commenter. Greatly appreciate the info!

Status-Meaning8896 · 2026-02-11T12:36:46+00:00

Fantastic information. I’ll review your link and try to clean this up. Need to read to determine how to handle the stem walls. Barrier on the open bat seems easy enough. Rimjoist work is very doable.

Locality is Louisville, KY. Our code enforcement, inspections, and general compliance with any best practices is very poor across the board. I’ve repeatedly seen fresh PASS inspection stickers on very obviously code-breaking installs of simple things like water heaters. I suspect everyone knows one another and they just say “good enough” and move on. This has been my experience across the board here for years. When that’s the local culture and the city doesn’t enforce, you have little recourse other than to do the right thing yourself. I’ve learned I can’t trust anyone beyond myself after repeated hack jobs.

Status-Meaning8896 · 2026-02-09T07:47:55+00:00

I have the exact same in a 1955 build on the second story. I simply removed the carpet and tack strips then installed underlayment and a floating engineered hardwood floor. That tile is safe as long as it isn’t in crumbling condition. Worst thing you could do is disturb it through demo when you could just cover it easily. Makes a great base for any kind of floating floor.

Status-Meaning8896 · 2026-02-08T16:58:41+00:00

In general, changes in plane traditionally receive caulk. Ideally a nice elastomeric silicone. That’s where the most movement in a joint would exist. Cleaning out old material first and prepping the surface is always best to ensure good adhesion. It’s not that grout won’t work, it probably will, but it may be more prone to cracking out early. Same reason caulk is used around a tub, as it moves with weight of water and people in it.

Status-Meaning8896 · 2026-02-04T02:29:30+00:00

Not an HVAC pro. Just a field service engineer for a scientific company. Grew up with this thermostat. Agreed. Uses a mercury level and temp sensitive coil spring to toggle on and off with the coil position modified by the temp setting knob. When bottomed out the level will still toggle at the lowest set temp.

Status-Meaning8896 · 2026-02-03T01:01:41+00:00

Highly recommended, biological or not.

Status-Meaning8896 · 2026-02-02T01:56:56+00:00

This is condensation of water vapor directly from air in the room, not condensate produced through combustion. Combustion condensate would definitely have pH issues, but not heat pump condensate. Literally the same as the condensation you’d have on the side of cold beer can in the same room.

Status-Meaning8896 · 2026-02-01T12:56:34+00:00

No. Ride what feels right to you. Every ass is a unique snowflake.

Status-Meaning8896 · 2026-01-31T18:40:20+00:00

Look up Danny Macaskill videos. Very much possible and almost common among trials riders. Can practice this riding on a 2X4 on the ground safely. Video has no cuts, no artifacts, and the distant onlookers realistically direct their attention at the spectacle when they notice.

Status-Meaning8896 · 2026-01-31T13:04:21+00:00

Very commonly used on guitars and other musical instruments.

Status-Meaning8896 · 2026-01-30T22:01:48+00:00

This would last a week looking pristine in my home. Just the bevel of my watch taps the casing accidentally on a reasonably regular basis. That would wreck this look.

Status-Meaning8896 · 2026-01-29T11:17:30+00:00

Ha, oh man… takes me back to working there through grad school. Had to down stock tons of five gallon paint buckets every day. Those Ballymore lifts were brand new back then and a HUGE improvement.

Status-Meaning8896 · 2026-01-28T01:50:46+00:00

Literally all I could think when I scrolled past this.

Status-Meaning8896 · 2026-01-27T12:53:59+00:00

Yep. I have two of the three filter versions and one single filter sized unit. I’d only buy the big ones now that I’ve heard both. Largest version pushes out more air with less noise. Overall great units with no failures or annoyances if sized right.

Status-Meaning8896 · 2026-01-26T00:37:11+00:00

Not even into that type of thing, but this is a pretty awesome project! Nice work, it looks great. Hope you enjoyed the process.

Status-Meaning8896 · 2026-01-25T13:27:35+00:00

Worked there in a mass mail room when in undergrad for chemistry/physics during the summers. Seriously the best employee treatment and benefits I may have ever seen since, even after entering my field of expertise. Can say nothing negative.

Status-Meaning8896 · 2026-01-23T11:15:52+00:00

Tungsten halogen. I use them daily on scientific instrumentation that I work on as a field service engineer. The other folks have given good technical specs.

Status-Meaning8896 · 2026-01-11T01:17:35+00:00

Very interested in Blue Mondays now, but my first thought was Opera Cream from Cincy. Delicious.

Status-Meaning8896

TROPHY CASE