I am considering finishing my basement. Current status: We live in Western Maryland in a 2 yr old home with a walkout basement. The foundation walls are poured concrete and the builder installed blanket insulation over these walls. It's figerglass with a white coating ( vapor barrier I think). The exterior of the basement was sprayed with a black sealent before they backfilled. The exposed foundation ( it's a walk-out) it finished with paint, and the insulation is on all walls, both those exposed and those beneath grade.

My question is about how to best frame out the walls. Should I stand off the new walls away from the existing insultion ( makes the room just a bit smaller? Remove the existing insulation and just reinsulation with kraft paper covered insulation ( hate to tera down exisitng blanket unless I need to 0? Push new framing tight to exisitng blanket, nail through, and just add more insulation?. I'm assuming PT wod for the sill and untreated for the remainder

Any guidance would be welcomed. I've gotten a few different opinions so far.

Mike

It would be fine either way. your not nailing trough it any way, frame a coventional wall system with bottom and top plate then if you feel the r value of existing insulation isnt great enough add more Tim; Rock Creek contractor service inc.

Mike, there has been some new studies on basement finishing in reguards to insulation and a vapor barrier below grade level and how moisture moves towards the inside of a house in a concrete wall that is below grade and moves out when it is above grade. Everyone has always told us to frame the walls, insulate with fiberglass, and poly (vapor barrier). The problem that they have discovered is that this traps the moisture in the wall below grade and is causing mold issues. Go to building science.com. There is good info on this site.

Hi Mike

Did you find any answer to your query. I have exact sam situation and would like to know what is best under these circumstances. I have read the new findings regarding vapor barrier and the recomendation is not to use it. My house is new and the basement is half finished. The part that the builder finished it, did not use a vapor barrier. That part is offcourse framed first and then batts installed.
This means we should cut the plastic sheet off of the insualation and frame right on top of it as you suggested by pressing it against the blanket.

Let me now what you found out about it.

I would really suggest that you stay away from conventional framing and drywall as much as possible. Even if your basement is very dry, Basements sill have very high humidity. Which causes mold, and musty smells. There are a number of new products out there you can use. Like, The Total Basement Solution, Owens Coring, Champion. All these companies have great new products. But if you much use drywall and studs your vapor barrier should go against the wall to protect the studs. This is not necessary to keep the studs dry it is more to keep the walls from wicking humidity into the basement. I also suggest that you get a ventilation system for basements. You can check out our website to see what we use. All though we don’t service your area it will give you an ideal of what you should have. www.thebasementguys.com