I am in the middle of tow projects: 1. installing a wood stove in the basement and 2. finishing the same basement. Right now, the wood stove will be right beneath the two bedroom. I have hardwood floors and the flooring is exposed from the basement for a few weeks until the contractor throws the drywall and insulation up. My question is this: I would like to throw a convection register in the basement ceiling/bedroom floors while it is still easily accessible. I realize the potential fire danger with this and am installing the automatic closing registrers/fire dampers as well. I have researched the cheap small duct fans and wondered if they would help boost the natural convection process? Also, are the fire dampers normally code approved, thus bringing a convection duct up to code standards?
Advice for convection registers
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Convection wants to work in a loop. If there is a good return of cold air, there usually is no need for a boost fan in the register.
I see one big flaw with this plan. Directly heating the bedrooms with the stove would be uncomfortable for me. I like those rooms to be cooler than the rest of the house. Is there a hallway outside of the bedrooms? If so, that might be a better location for a vent, but really it depends on the circulation pattern of the convected air. Are you using the stairs as a return or supply? As always, a couple floorplan sketches are worth a whole lot of words.
PS: Don't insulate the basement ceiling, just the walls. And be sure they do it correctly with a vapor barrier.
I see one big flaw with this plan. Directly heating the bedrooms with the stove would be uncomfortable for me. I like those rooms to be cooler than the rest of the house. Is there a hallway outside of the bedrooms? If so, that might be a better location for a vent, but really it depends on the circulation pattern of the convected air. Are you using the stairs as a return or supply? As always, a couple floorplan sketches are worth a whole lot of words.
PS: Don't insulate the basement ceiling, just the walls. And be sure they do it correctly with a vapor barrier.
Thanks for the response BeGreen.
A couple comments and questions for you:
I don't really want to insualte the ceiling, but my children's bedrooms will be right above the room with the wood stove, which will also be the entertainment room and would like some sort of sound barrier and believe the dry wall will not be enough alone. Along those same lines, if it were my bedroom, I would like it cooler as well. However, with the children(both under the age of 2) in there, I want the room heated better, thus the need for the convection vents. So, you are thinking that the vents themselves without the duct fan will be enough?
Finally, if you don't recommend insulation for the ceiling, do you have any recommendations for sound deadening. The bedrooms above have hard wood floors and you know how sound resonates from below.
Thanks
Frank
A couple comments and questions for you:
I don't really want to insualte the ceiling, but my children's bedrooms will be right above the room with the wood stove, which will also be the entertainment room and would like some sort of sound barrier and believe the dry wall will not be enough alone. Along those same lines, if it were my bedroom, I would like it cooler as well. However, with the children(both under the age of 2) in there, I want the room heated better, thus the need for the convection vents. So, you are thinking that the vents themselves without the duct fan will be enough?
Finally, if you don't recommend insulation for the ceiling, do you have any recommendations for sound deadening. The bedrooms above have hard wood floors and you know how sound resonates from below.
Thanks
Frank
Kids rooms really don't need to be warmer, but that's your call. It could very well be that just by having the stove underneath the area the rooms above will get warm enough.
Can't tell more without seeing a plan. From the description is sounds like there is a lot fighting mother nature and if I can be honest, common sense. That said, Micore 160 is an excellent sound deadner, that is it's primary purpose.
Can't tell more without seeing a plan. From the description is sounds like there is a lot fighting mother nature and if I can be honest, common sense. That said, Micore 160 is an excellent sound deadner, that is it's primary purpose.
gpcollen1
Minister of Fire
- My bedrooms are above my family room with the stove. That room is usually 74 - 76 when actively heating as the heat needs to move up stairs. I expect that right at the ceiling the air is in the 80s. The heat travels well enough that the heat kicked on upstairs for the first time in weeks that i know of. I can hear the electric kick on even when I am sleeping.
I hear you on the sound though as we have the TV and surround down there. I plan on just living with a bit of noise and having warm floors upstairs. There are types of wall board specially designed for deadening sound. You could just use that but probably a bit expensive.
One of my thoughts as to cut a vent in the sheet rock at one end of the room and another in the same bay at the other end - hoping the air would naturally circulate and heat the floors.
I hear you on the sound though as we have the TV and surround down there. I plan on just living with a bit of noise and having warm floors upstairs. There are types of wall board specially designed for deadening sound. You could just use that but probably a bit expensive.
One of my thoughts as to cut a vent in the sheet rock at one end of the room and another in the same bay at the other end - hoping the air would naturally circulate and heat the floors.
Sheetrock on resilient furring strips can be used if you choose not to insulate. The strips prevent most sound transmission. Don't be confused, if your builder puts up 1x4 furring that's not what you want.....these are metal flatened z-shaped strips that allow the sheetrock to hang from the strip and have no direct contact with the under side of the floor system. I would not make openings in the floor. I have a 2nd story bedroom with no heat and as the kid that lived there has moved out the door is closed all the time. My wife preped the room for guests the other day and said she was suprised that the room was the same temp as the other bedroom that is still occupied, gets into the 70's up there all the time. The heat just finds it's way up there.
The other part about floor openings is smoke.......there is no way a person can operate a stove without spilling some smoke from time to time. If my stove was below my bedroom and smoke came thru a register and smoked it up, well lets just say I wouldn't be welcome going in that room for a while.
My 4yo has been sleeping just fine in the low to mid 60's since new, we haven't had any problems with her yet.
The other part about floor openings is smoke.......there is no way a person can operate a stove without spilling some smoke from time to time. If my stove was below my bedroom and smoke came thru a register and smoked it up, well lets just say I wouldn't be welcome going in that room for a while.
My 4yo has been sleeping just fine in the low to mid 60's since new, we haven't had any problems with her yet.
FyreBug
Minister of Fire
I almost have the same identical set up you have, except that I have the living room above the 'play room' downstairs. Another suggestion for sound deadening is suspended or drop ceiling. That's what I have and it works well.
I also have put a small venting register between the floor and an 'egg crate' tile instead of a ceiling tile where the register is. It helps in 2 ways, I get some convection heat rising in the living room upstairs and some heat as well between the suspended ceiling and floor joist which warms up the floor in the living room. The heat is slow and constant and never gets uncomfortable upstairs. But your set up might be slightly different than mine.
I also have put a small venting register between the floor and an 'egg crate' tile instead of a ceiling tile where the register is. It helps in 2 ways, I get some convection heat rising in the living room upstairs and some heat as well between the suspended ceiling and floor joist which warms up the floor in the living room. The heat is slow and constant and never gets uncomfortable upstairs. But your set up might be slightly different than mine.
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