Plastic underneath floor insulation? - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

old333 · 02-04-2009, 06:09 PM

First time posting here. I really appreciate if you can recommend a good products.

We've been converting a unfinish basement to a big storage area (not liveable but HO will sometimes stay in there for few hours) and now it's time to work on ceiling. It currently have fiber insulation between the joists and we simply don't want those fiber to flow in the air.

We gave up on drywalling since there are just too many pipes and HVAC running across the whole ceiling.

I have been searching but couldn't find suitable products for this kind of situation. As a simple sheet of plastic would solve the problem but it needs to be breathable or mold would grow.

Can you kindly recommend any good product I can use and alos where to get them?

Thanks in advance for your reply.

John Wu
Masa Homes
Newcastle, WA

neolitic · 02-04-2009, 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by old333

First time posting here. I really appreciate if you can recommend a good products.

We've been converting a unfinish basement to a big storage area (not liveable but HO will sometimes stay in there for few hours) and now it's time to work on ceiling. It currently have fiber insulation between the joists and we simply don't want those fiber to flow in the air.

We gave up on drywalling since there are just too many pipes and HVAC running across the whole ceiling.

I have been searching but couldn't find suitable products for this kind of situation. As a simple sheet of plastic would solve the problem but it needs to be breathable or mold would grow.

Can you kindly recommend any good product I can use and alos where to get them?

Thanks in advance for your reply.

John Wu
Masa Homes
Newcastle, WA

If the furnace, ductwork, and
plumbing are down there, why
insulate the floor?
Heat usually rises, hence your
major heat loss is through the floor
and into the living space.

Insulate the joist pockets and
call it a day, the floors will be
the warmer for it.

old333 · 02-04-2009, 07:17 PM

Thanks for your quick reply. I apologize for not explaining enough of what we really need to solve...We really just need to cover the insulated basement ceiling so the fiber won't drop and flow in the basement area.

We thought about drywalling but it's simply too much work. Just thought maybe there is some kind of breathable plastic or something to cover the insulation but couldn't find one yet.

Thanks again,

John Wu
Masa Homes
Newcastle, WA

WarnerConstInc. · 02-04-2009, 07:21 PM

Batten stips, furring strips, those things that look like a hanger for holding up insulation. Why worry if no one wants to go down there anyways.

rbsremodeling · 02-04-2009, 07:21 PM

I used a marine cloth for a basement once. The owner was a sailor and know exactly what he wanted.

I can not remember what the material was, HE had eye hooks around the perimeter and a few placed in the middle and we strung it up. It was washable and heavy as hell for its thickness. Light passed through it

skyhook · 02-04-2009, 07:22 PM

Shade cloth, soil retention fabric, attach through cardboard strips ( drywall shims) and t-50s. check your local Home Center, garden dept.

neolitic · 02-04-2009, 07:40 PM

Wouldn't it be easiest to just
rip it down?
I will say it again, it is not an asset.
It is an impediment.
Why humor a mistake?

old333 · 02-05-2009, 07:18 PM

Thanks for your inputs. I will try the landscape section.

HO wanted to leave the semi-finished basement as storage and work shop area. We didn't insulate the basement floor and surrounding wall. Hence we decided to leave the ceiling insulation and simply to cover it so the fiber won't drop down.

Thanks again for your reply. I will post more in the future. This forum is great!

John Wu
Masa Homes
Newcastle, WA