I just bought a new (1.5 year old) house with an unfinished basement. The basement is insulated with your standard pink fiberglass roll insulation (pink side out, most without paper backing). I plan on finishing the basement at some point down the future, but it will probably be a couple of years at least. I would like to use the basement as a workshop in the mean time, but didn't know about the insulation. It's on the walls and in the ceiling; do I need to be concerned with working down there? Are there any health hazards I need to be aware of in working around exposed insulation, or is it highly recommended that I figure out some way to cover what I can?
Thanks in advance!
using as a workshop without putting 6 mil vapor barrier on the insulation will allow your sawdust to move into the insulation ,causing the sawdust to become food for mold if you have one of those leaky basements.
and being fibreglass . it will continue to release small bits into the air with air movement and get all over the house.
unless you have allergys or lung problems ,you may not notice that scratchy troat.
Remember the past or all is lost. http://www.geocities.com/theeagles_page/
and being fibreglass . it will continue to release small bits into the air with air movement and get all over the house.
unless you have allergys or lung problems ,you may not notice that scratchy troat.
Remember the past or all is lost. http://www.geocities.com/theeagles_page/
Thanks, Eagle. Some of the walls are covered in plastic; it would be pretty eassy to finish the walls and cover the ceiling, too. Thanks for the advice.
6 mil plastic is not recommended for basement walls and you should be placing 1/2" drywall over the insulation to create required 1 hour fire rating for the room.
You can install an approved vapor retarder over the insulation before installing the drywall, but 6 mil plastic is not considered an approved vapor retarder for framed walls in basements.
You can install an approved vapor retarder over the insulation before installing the drywall, but 6 mil plastic is not considered an approved vapor retarder for framed walls in basements.
I would very much like to drywall and finish the whole thing, but financially it's going to be a year or two for that to happen. In the time being, I would still like to be able to use my unfinished basement in some capacity, as a workshop and for storage.
That said, and with plans to eventually stud out and drywall the whole thing, do you still see a problem with using plastic? As of right now, there's nothing, so I wouldn't think it could be a downgrade. It would still be an unfinised basement.
That said, and with plans to eventually stud out and drywall the whole thing, do you still see a problem with using plastic? As of right now, there's nothing, so I wouldn't think it could be a downgrade. It would still be an unfinised basement.
I would very much like to drywall and finish the whole thing, but financially it's going to be a year or two for that to happen. In the time being, I would still like to be able to use my unfinished basement in some capacity, as a workshop and for storage.
That said, and with plans to eventually stud out and drywall the whole thing, do you still see a problem with using plastic? As of right now, there's nothing, so I wouldn't think it could be a downgrade. It would still be an unfinised basement.
That said, and with plans to eventually stud out and drywall the whole thing, do you still see a problem with using plastic? As of right now, there's nothing, so I wouldn't think it could be a downgrade. It would still be an unfinised basement.