The Golden State: Where & How to Live, Secure, Visit, Enjoy and Thrive in California

First Aid For The Ailing Houses

Before any ceiling material is applied, any needed electrical wiring should be installed. The wiring before conversion of the basement is usually woefully inadequate for an area where the family will spend a good deal of its leisure time. Since most basement areas do not have adequate windows, lighting is necessary for daytime as well as night illumination. Before installing wiring (if you plan to do it yourself) be sure to check the local building codes for your area to be sure the work may be done by a nonprofessional. In any case, the code will give the requirements for the size and type of wire and fixtures. Your fire insurance should also be checked with respect to wiring done by a nonlicensed electrician.

Joists are often uneven in relation to one another. The difference in milling may be only an eighth of an inch, but this will affect a ceiling of plasterboard, insulating board, acoustical tile, or hardboard. To even out the joists, a straightedge should be used to locate the low and high timbers. The ones that project down into the room may often be planed down to the desired level. Those which do not project far enough may be shimmed up with narrow strips of l/»- or 2-inch pine nailed along the under side of the joist. Irregularities at certain points may often be rasped off with a coarse carpenter's rasp or Surform.

Echoes Noise is always a problem in basement rooms. This is usually caused by a variety of factors, such as low ceilings, hard wall and ceiling surfaces which reflect sound waves and the tendency to install resilient tile or linoleum floors. The ceiling is a key to a great deal of this noise. By installing an acoustical material on the ceiling, as much as one-third to one-half of the sound "bounce" may be eliminated. Drapes,bookcases, upholstered furniture, and rugs also serve to cut down the amount of noise reflected from the walls and floors. To install acoustical sheet or tile material, follow the directions given by the manufacturer. These will usually be similar to installing plasterboard or insulating board. Tiles may be insstalled by metal clips (rather complicated for the novice); or they can be glued to an existing ceiling or nailed in place with small finishing nails. The sheet material may be installed with nails or glue. Nails usually give the most dependable fastening job.

Acoustical tiles and sheets do not completely stop noise from passing through them. Therefore, they are not to be considered soundproofing, but sound-absorbing. If the problem is one of sound from the basement area being transmitted to the other parts of the house, installing acoustical tile will not do much more than an application of insulating board or plasterboard.