Basement Heating for a Fieldstone basement.

7 years ago

Hey folks!

We're about to dive into turning our basement into a bit of a play/mess/breakout room for the kids.

What we have: is a fieldstone basement. It is dry. We are kind of on a hill and most of the area around the house slopes away from it. We do have some humidity in the summer but run a dehumidifier for it and have not had trouble. There is some overhead wiring that will be taken care of. The ceiling of the basement is basically the subfloor of the first floor. The floor of the basement was redone with a vapour barrier underneath it when we moved in and had work done to install a Radon removal system.

Its not a huge clearance but it is enough. My 6 5" husband can walk around without hitting his head unless. Obviously has to duck to pass under the duct work.

Plan: Insulate the ceiling to trap heat in the basement when being heated, and drywall it. We feel this will also increase warmth on the first floor by eliminating drafts from the basement (old house, no underlayment between subfloor and hardwood. Insulate the rim joist even more and seal air leaks. Lay down a flooring. Build a drywall wall against external walls leaving an airgap between the two.

Looking for: Heating options. We have a hot air furnace for the house (it will be behind a partition wall). I do not think taking a feed off of that is a great idea as we don't need to heat that area continuously. Currently thinking of underfloor heating as the number 1 option and seeking feedback if anyone has used that.

What are the other options for heating? Want to avoid baseboard heaters so the space along the walls is clear and can be used.

I look forward to hearing experiences and suggestions on this. :)

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Comments (2)

PRO
Cynthia Taylor-Luce
7 years ago
I think you should talk to someone who specializes in heating and cooling systems. They will be able to look at your current furnace and analyze whether it has the capacity to handle the heating of this area. Are you saying you don't want to have the basement continuously warm? If you have a warm basement the heat will rise and warm your main floor from underneath. It will also help keep dampness out of the basement. This is a more complicated matter than getting people's opinions, in my opinion (!). Speak to a company that services heating systems and get a referral to a HVAC certified person to consult with.
worthy
7 years ago
Take a look at how Building Science Corp.'s Dr. Joe Lstiburek--a leading building scientist in North America--treated his rubble foundation.

Once you use the basement as living space, you don't then separate it from the abovegrade space with barriers and insulation. You separate it from the surrounding soil providing for proper drainage and insulation. Drywalling a frame inches away from the uninsulated rubble only encourages mould growth.

As mentioned in the previous post, check if your current furnace has the capacity to heat the basement as well.
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