Started Building My Walk-in and Smoking Lounge.. NEED SOME HELP

[salibas007]

Ok.... so last week I started building my walk-in (6x6) my smoking lounge (12x12) and playroom (15x12).. all part of my kingdom in the basement (where no wife nor kids will be allowed , and security will be enforced with a finger print scanner).

here are some of the development pics.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/15259914@N08/sets/72157623402920201/

now I’ll be insulating the walls with R12 insulation prior to putting on the drywall, and I’m also putting in a vapor barrier in the walk-in.. but i have a simple question, and I’ve been getting different answers.. so I thought maybe some of you more experienced guys can help me out...

1) in the walk-in, do i install my vapor barrier between the studs and the drywall, or between the drywall and the Spanish cedar (I'm covering the room (walls and ceiling) with 3/8" Spanish cedar planks)

2) do I need to install a vapor barrier on the ceiling ?? (the walk-in is located in the center of my basement)

3) is an air exchanger for the smoking lounge more efficient than a bathroom fan ?? (let's assume they both displace the same CFM)

thanks guys

[Addiction]

1. I don't know.

2. I don't know.

3. I don't know.

I am however jealous. That was really all I had to add.

[BeachCougar]

1) in the walk-in, do i install my vapor barrier between the studs and the drywall, or between the drywall and the Spanish cedar (I'm covering the room (walls and ceiling) with 3/8" Spanish cedar planks)

No reason to use Drywall at all, especially if you are covering the walls in spanish cedar. I put vapor barrier in before the insulation and then another layer after the insulation was in the walls.

2) do I need to install a vapor barrier on the ceiling ?? (the walk-in is located in the center of my basement)

Yes, I would and did.

3) is an air exchanger for the smoking lounge more efficient than a bathroom fan ?? (let's assume they both displace the same CFM)

No idea.

Good luck. Make sure to post pics as you progress.

[tkoepp]

1) Place vapor barrier under the sheetrock, on top of the insulation.
2) Yes
3) I prefer the exhaust method vs. an air cleaner. But the exhaust fan can remove heat also, so this may be a factor. With a exhaust you will create a negative pressure in the house, so you will have to make sure you have adequate air inflow to accommodate that. I would recommend an 8" inline exhaust fan, mounted away from the room, then make the run to vents in the smoking room then put a timer electonic on the switch of the timer. A bathroom exhaust fan might not have the cfm to move enough air.

Hope that helps

[mikes]

Ok.... so last week I started building my walk-in (6x6) my smoking lounge (12x12) and playroom (15x12).. all part of my kingdom in the basement (where no wife nor kids will be allowed , and security will be enforced with a finger print scanner).

here are some of the development pics.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/15259914@N08/sets/72157623402920201/

now I’ll be insulating the walls with R12 insulation prior to putting on the drywall, and I’m also putting in a vapor barrier in the walk-in.. but i have a simple question, and I’ve been getting different answers.. so I thought maybe some of you more experienced guys can help me out...

1) in the walk-in, do i install my vapor barrier between the studs and the drywall, or between the drywall and the Spanish cedar (I'm covering the room (walls and ceiling) with 3/8" Spanish cedar planks)

2) do I need to install a vapor barrier on the ceiling ?? (the walk-in is located in the center of my basement)

3) is an air exchanger for the smoking lounge more efficient than a bathroom fan ?? (let's assume they both displace the same CFM)

thanks guys

In my walk in I did not install anything over the dry wall after hearing horror stories of mold growth even WITH a vapor barrier installed. I primed and painted with three layers of exterior grade latex. What my friend told me is that he put up the barrier ontop of the dry wall but that everywhere he attached it with staples the humidity seeped behind the plastic and that's where the problem started. Maybe you could hang it with some sort of glue product so you would not have holes in your vapor barrier. Anywhere you are going to be putting the planks you need that barrier including the ceiling. If you do go this route don't forget to overlap and seal these seams somehow. Then comes the issue of sealing the holes you drill into the planks to hang the shelf, which will also break the vapor barrier. It would just suck to get this all built and a year later have to tear it down ;o(

You can also think about using green board or even better a cement based board like hardy backer board which will not allow any humidity behind it to the insulation or studs. I wish I would have thought of this b4 I built mine. Would have gone with the

Your fan can be a squirrel cage fan that is mounted in another space so you do not get all kinds of noise that you get with an in room mounted unit like a bathroom fan. Get the biggest unit you can that will accept the largest gauge flexi duct! Don't forget that you also need replace the air you take out for the fan to work properly.

Your Man Cave sounds great! I am off to look at the pix now ;o)

[salibas007]

Ok.. seems like I can't get the same answer from 2 people...

so to be safe, maybe I should install the vapor barrier between the studs and drywall AND between the drywall and the spanish cedar ??

also, will I have to seal every nail hole that is used to attach the cedar planks to the drywall ?? and if so, with what kind of sealant ??

[Addiction]

Ok.. seems like I can't get the same answer from 2 people...

so to be safe, maybe I should install the vapor barrier between the studs and drywall AND between the drywall and the spanish cedar ??

also, will I have to seal every nail hole that is used to attach the cedar planks to the drywall ?? and if so, with what kind of sealant ??

If I might make a suggestion?

Maybe speak with a professional? I mean ICC is great but opinions are like aholes, everyone has them. You might want to consult a professional for this sort of thing.

[salibas007]

If I might make a suggestion?

Maybe speak with a professional? I mean ICC is great but opinions are like aholes, everyone has them. You might want to consult a professional for this sort of thing.

I am dealing with a pro.... it's just that he's a construction guy, and not a walk-in builder.... I'm yet to find people that specialize in building walk-ins.. i checked with the LCDH for who built their walk-in, and they had no clue.

i think to be safe, i'll be using a barrier under and above the drywall, and I'll see if I can get some bathroom grade drywall.... and then, i'll seal the nail heads with some sort of marine sealer.... (this is what I had in mind at least)

[Addiction]

I am dealing with a pro.... it's just that he's a construction guy, and not a walk-in builder.... I'm yet to find people that specialize in building walk-ins.. i checked with the LCDH for who built their walk-in, and they had no clue.

i think to be safe, i'll be using a barrier under and above the drywall, and I'll see if I can get some bathroom grade drywall.... and then, i'll seal the nail heads with some sort of marine sealer.... (this is what I had in mind at least)

Yeah but does the construction guy need to be a walkin guy?

I mean if you tell him "This room is goign to be at X humidity and needs to be abel to maintain that humidity, I also need to be sure I don't end up with mold due to high humiddity and I need the room not introduce smells or odors." doesn't that cover everything he needs to know?

[mikes]

Call Bob @ Aristocrat Humidors and see what he has to say. I think he has built a few walk in humis for local shops in Dallas.

Also give some thought on how many electric reciprocals you need in the humi and where to put them. Also maybe run a water line in there so that you can use an auto filler for the humidifier you place in there. What kind of lighting will you have and where will that be? Floor type? Do you have enough studs for the shelf you are going to use? Where is your humi cam going to go ;o)? Will you need a cat5 drop in there for the cam and or your cpu when you are posting to ICC from your walk-in. How are you going to cool the space?

[DocLogic77]

Ok.... so last week I started building my walk-in (6x6) my smoking lounge (12x12) and playroom (15x12).. all part of my kingdom in the basement (where no wife nor kids will be allowed , and security will be enforced with a finger print scanner).

here are some of the development pics.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/15259914@N08/sets/72157623402920201/

now I’ll be insulating the walls with R12 insulation prior to putting on the drywall, and I’m also putting in a vapor barrier in the walk-in.. but i have a simple question, and I’ve been getting different answers.. so I thought maybe some of you more experienced guys can help me out...

1) in the walk-in, do i install my vapor barrier between the studs and the drywall, or between the drywall and the Spanish cedar (I'm covering the room (walls and ceiling) with 3/8" Spanish cedar planks)

2) do I need to install a vapor barrier on the ceiling ?? (the walk-in is located in the center of my basement)

3) is an air exchanger for the smoking lounge more efficient than a bathroom fan ?? (let's assume they both displace the same CFM)

thanks guys

Note...I'm not anything close to a builder but Im basing my advice off of how we built mine.
1) I would put it between the spanish cedar and the dry wall.
2) I would
3) Not sure

[DocLogic77]

Yeah but does the construction guy need to be a walkin guy?

I mean if you tell him "This room is goign to be at X humidity and needs to be abel to maintain that humidity, I also need to be sure I don't end up with mold due to high humiddity and I need the room not introduce smells or odors." doesn't that cover everything he needs to know?

Pretty much. My brother in law built mine...he is superb but had no experience with walk-ins. I told him what I wanted and he delivered. My room holds humidity well and haven't yet had an issue with mold.

[avid smoker]

1) in the walk-in, do i install my vapor barrier between the studs and the drywall, or between the drywall and the Spanish cedar (I'm covering the room (walls and ceiling) with 3/8" Spanish cedar planks)

2) do I need to install a vapor barrier on the ceiling ?? (the walk-in is located in the center of my basement)

3) is an air exchanger for the smoking lounge more efficient than a bathroom fan ?? (let's assume they both displace the same CFM)

thanks guys

1) I would install the barrier between the studs and the drywall....I would strongly recommend using green board.
2) Yes, vapor barrier the ceiling
3) Generally the air exchanger will be more efficient than the bathroom fan depending on square footage. Remember to have a positive air inflow to minimize negative air pressure and block any air returns so smoke doesn't recirc throughout the house.

If you need to consult a pro, ask a person who specializes in building wine walk-ins. It's the same principle just different temps. Good luck!

[avid smoker]

Forgot to mention that your vapor barrier should be 6 or 8 mil plastic sheeting.

Also, I recommend rigid foam board insulation. Use 1 ½” rigid (Celotex/R-max type with foil on both sides) for interior walls, 3” for exterior walls and ceiling. Stay away from R12....it's not the proper insulation for a walk-in. It will also retain mold if you have a leak in the vapor barrier. All cracks should be filled with expanding spray foam.

[cadillac doc]

Depending on where you live, I'm not sure I would install a vapor barrier. My walk-in is 5'x6' with no vapor barrier. The humidifier doesn't even kick on except in winter, usually Dec-March. Are you going to panel the ceiling also?

[scthornton]

As for a vapor barrier and drywall, you want to prevent moisture from getting on the back of the drywall first and foremost. The paper backing on the drywall is where mold will grow. I would not even consider building a walk in with normal drywall, you need the green board or moisture resistant drywall and a vapor barrier. For my walk in I also used waterproof paint on the drywall itself. Error on the side of caution so you don't have to redo anything in the future.

[salibas007]

thanks for the tips guys.. they are greatly appreciated...

now here's the latest update... I decided to forgoe the drywall, and replace it with plywood instead (after talking to some pros that have gone down the road I'm going).

as for the vapor barrier, it is an aluminum type, the same used in the Novoclimat houses, so that should be as efficient as it can get....

I'll be using expanding foam to cover all all the holes, and YES, teh ceiling will be covered in SC as welll...

so this is how it'll be for now: 2x4's with insulation, followed by vapor barrier, then plywood and then SC..

my room is in the basement, and chances are the humidifer will not work much for a good part of the year, except to balance out the cooling device's sucking up the moisture...

now for a conctruction update:
drywall is done in the playroom, and entrance to the area... I'm almost done insulating the smoking room and the humidor.... after that, I still need to pass my speaker cables in the ceiling of teh smoking room, and by next saturday, all drywall and plywood will go up..

this is tarting to look like a room now !!!

[jdtexan]

Great project, please share lots of photos of the progression with us.

[salibas007]

Here's the latest update

all drywall has been installed, all joints have been pulled and sanded.

All the cables have been passed and terminated (RJ45, RJ11, cable and 5.1 surround)

for the walk-in: I installed the vapor barrier, 1/2" plywood and 1/4" Russian birch. I also installed the cooler, and the humi should be wired up on the week-end

all ventilation ducks have been installed in the smoking room (now I just need the air exchanger)

doors and baseboards have been ordered, and should be delivered in 2 weeks.

I Also received the ceramics for the walk-in, and it'll be installed on Saturday

I'll post the link to the pictures soon

[salibas007]

Here's the flickr link with the latest pics

http://www.flickr.com/photos/1525991...7623402920201/