| Whats behind my paneling? (planning basement remodal soon)
Barely any clearance behind low voltage plate | 
Yet the ductwork is far deeper |
It's always been so cold in the winter and although there is a propane fireplace that heats the room up pretty good, the cost to run it is pretty pricey. Just to explore I removed a low voltage catv plate that I don't use and also the register cover for the HVAC. This is an outside wall in the front of the house which is a little more than halfway under ground.
What I want see is if I need to reframe it or not. My worry is that its just furring strips and the whole thing needs ripped out and reframed with proper 2x4's. I could not believe what I saw behind the TV plate. There is also another TV outlet on the other outside wall that I do use and that looks the same. Not much more than an inch of clearance and boom right there is the cinder block wall. No insulation, no foam, no vapor barrier, no box, NOTHING! What crackpipe were they smoking in the late 70's? Also the carpet is glued down to the concrete slab! No vapor barrier! Man I wish I could sue the builder for this incompetence!
But here's what gets me... There are two HVAC ducts in the front (outside) wall, and two HVAC ducts in the back (above ground, outside wall). Here is a picture showing the clearance in the duct which is RIGHT NEXT to the low voltage wall plate. About 4" clearance from the paneling to the metal duct. How did they do that? This is a solid straight wall both inside and out.
What do you think I'm going to find in a few weeks when we rip out all the paneling? I checked the back wall where the patio door is and I do have an electrical outlet and wall switch. Behind those plates look like full size plastic electrical boxes so I'm hoping at least the wall with the sliding door is framed right.
This is going to be 3 outside walls to redo, and then the inside wall with a doorway which will be cake (just really replacing the paneling with drywall and putting speaker wire in the walls while I'm at it. |
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sk1939Premium
join:2010-10-23
Washington, DC
kudos:9 Reviews:
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| The two HVAC ducts were added probably by tunneling through the block wall (for worse).
What do I think you'll find? A potential nightmare given what you have already found, it's part of what makes renovations such fun projects, because it's opening up a giant, expensive, can of worms. |
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 alkizmo
join:2007-06-25
Pierrefonds, QC
kudos:1 | reply to cypherstream
said by cypherstream:What do you think I'm going to find in a few weeks when we rip out all the paneling?
If you're committed to renovating, why don't you rip out a panel right now?
It's probably 2x2 behind it. Just like my basement. |
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| reply to cypherstream
ive seen ductwork recessed into concrete block walls, could be that? |
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| reply to cypherstream
Like do you think they etched a path into the cinder blocks? Doesn't that mess with the foundation wall?
I'm not starting the room until most likely next weekend. I'm trying to think how any of this could of passed code. Didn't rip it out yet because I have furniture to move out and I'm away this weekend. Rather not rip it apart for a week without being able to work on it... But curious as to what I'm getting into. I'll keep you posted what I find! |
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 HallPremium,MVM
join:2000-04-28
Dayton, OH
kudos:2 | said by cypherstream:Like do you think they etched a path into the cinder blocks? Doesn't that mess with the foundation wall? In theory, yes. |
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 nunyaWho is John Galt?Premium,MVM
join:2000-12-23
O Fallon, MO
kudos:8 | reply to cypherstream
It's very common to embed the mechanicals in masonry (water, sewer, electric, HVAC) in a block house on slab.
That being said, you'd probably be better off insulating the wall (framing out).
--
...because I care. |
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bemis
join:2008-07-18
Reading, MA Reviews:
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| reply to cypherstream
said by cypherstream:I'm trying to think how any of this could of passed code. Built in the 1970s... hey it lasted 30-40 years right? So seems like they did a reasonable job... Some older members can speak more toward this, but I'm going to guess that "code" back then was even loser than today, so maybe this was acceptable?
My father owned a house built in the late 1950's, it was on slab--which is uncommon in our area--all the water pipes are embedded in the slab (including hot water heating) and even the ducts for air conditioning. You know where every bit of condensation would collect? that's right, the underground cavities that made up "ducts", so you'd have water/moisture in them that you were blowing all your air through... you know what happens to copper pipes after 50 years of being embedded in concrete? They turn into corroded dust. After 50 years all the plumbing was failing simultaneously and the "ducts" were disgusting and impossible to keep clean. To top if off, the slab only keeps the house a few inches above grade and a few cracks had developed here/there which allowed termites to attack not only the outside, but even some of the interior structures. It was like the housing equivalent of today's electronics--no serviceable components, cheaper/easier to just replace the entire thing. He spent a small fortune on that place and the entire time cursed the original planners/builders. |
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1 edit | reply to cypherstream
Ok without further ado, here's the crap I found under the paneling.
The Window sill is a few inches above ground level. Below that is ground. We are going to build a knee wall along that wall and basically have a wall to wall sill where we can put things like plants or pictures or things. I can't believe that its block under it and instead of framing out the room right its 1" furring strips straight on block like that. It also looks like somebody f'd up and initially cut through the block in the wrong place for the hvac ducting.
The "long" outside wall is furring strips right on block but they have this al foil "vapor barrier" just with cutouts for a mud ring containing the tv cable, and an electrical outlet which like the short wall with the windows was punched into the block to set the outlet box.
Because we have a brick fireplace to contend with, we will use 2x3" framing in front of this aluminum foil / paper backed vapor barrier. Otherwise the wall would stick out past the bricks around the fireplace. I think that would look weird with a recessed brick fireplace.
The other outside wall is framed out so it really just needs drywall. It's a walkout which goes to a patio under the deck.
This is what that al-fol is like:
»www.fifoil.com/Builders/Applicat···fo/?ID=1
Just for the heck of it, the last picture is the inside wall before all the paneling was taken off, to give you an idea of why we called it "the Brady Bunch room".
We might widen the doorway into the room... not 100% sure yet. |
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