I have wood paneling on furring strips on cinderblock in my basement. For a contractor to redo it with drywall, he needs to do it to code and build out almost 2 inches to bring it up to R-13.
I know 1.5 inches is just that, but how much does this perceptibly make a room smaller? I tend to think it is worth it to have the work done, but worry a little about losing the space, since it is at a premium.
I would think that part of the answer would depend on how big the space is to begin with. The size of a closet? Then a 2-inch shrinkage may mean something. The size of a stadium? Who's going to know?
When I remodeled my basement recreation room splitting the 25X25 space into 2/3rd and 1/3rd to make an "extra" room and insulated and drywalled getting rid of the '64-vintage dark wood paneling in the process the space actually felt larger because of the lighter colored walls. Removing the old lighting fixtures and putting in recessed cans and track lighting also increased the visual space.
Actually it's on both sides of the room, so times it by two for lost space. I would suggest, guessing the room size is large enough to be worth finishing, live with the size shrinkage, or go to extruded foam. You might have enough space for the foam to give you the r13.
Just guessing....
tom @
If the room is currently furnished, and you plan to return the furniture to the same general positions, then the best thing to do is look around and measure to see if anything is not going fit after the loss of the 1.5 inches (or more if opposite walls will need built out). Otherwise, besides things like carpet that might need recut to size, you probably aren't going to notice it unless the room is closet size!
Oh, and if there is existing floor-covering, particularly carpet, make sure the contactor doesn't build right on top of it. Make him pull it up, or at least cut and remove where he's building. My bro-in-law had a new laundry room put in and the guy just built the new walls on the old capet. When he had a washer leak a few months later he found that the old carpet on the hall outside the room was UNDER the new wall, and of course was soaked.
I'm glad this question came up. I was thinking of doing something very similar to this as a place to hide my rather expensive rifle collection. Place them behind a false wall - it only has to be about 7 inches wide, so that to a casual or even thorough robber they won't be stolen. The trick is hiding the door.
I agree.
Fake windows.
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