La Villa Spa

Basement Finishing Question

G

Grind

Member
Feb 12, 2006
92
0
6
I'm working on finishing the 2nd half of my basement (the first half was so much fun, I couldn't wait to get going on the 2nd half *sarcasm*). I have a furnace in this half that I'd like to put behind a door for asthetics and more usable space. From what I've been able to google, it appear that you can't put anything closer than 6" to the front of the furnace (this would be the door) and you need 36" of room in front of it for service (not a problem, since you'd open the door and have a whole room in front of it). I'm thinking a 36" door would be plenty wide enough for service/replacement.

Anybody have any insight into this? I'm a handyman in training and really don't want my furnace to explode. It sucks air in from outside, not the room, so I don't have the issue of available air. On the other sides of the furnace, there would be plenty of open space.
 
Why not put 2 louvered doors like a closet, this way you can have an even wider opening.
 
Your furnace won't explode or anything catastrophic. You just run the risk of starving it of air necessary for combustion with the door closed. You say the combustible air is supplied from outside so this won't be an issue in your home. (You have two pipes connected to your furnace, 1 air supply and 1 exhaust right?)

Some furnaces use the air inside the house for combustion (no supply pipe routed to the outside). If that was the case just cut a 12"x8" opening in the door or in the drywall of the room and cover the opening with a 16"x10" cold air return grill.

If your hot water tank is enclosed in this room, and gas fed, the 1"-1.5" gap under the door should supply more than enough combustible air to that appliance.
 
I would suggest that you make sure that there's enough room for the eventual replacement of your furnace to occur.
 
asn said:
make sure you have permits. LOL!
Click to expand...

And a licenced gas pipefitter to handle the gas lines....because, you don't want your house to explode...right?

I may be wrong but if you decide to move the gas lines yourself you'll probably find:
1) Your insurance will be null and void and you'll probably find this out when you need to make a claim
2) If you go to sell your house and the city has no record of permits and or a licenced individual moving the gas lines, you probably won't be able to sell it.
3) If you do it even the slightest bit incorrectly, you and your family COULD DIE!!!!

Since you're a handyman in training I will give you this very very important word of advice:

Unless you know exactly what you're doing, and know the correct procedures for doing it, do NOT attempt anything that could kill you, or someone else. For eg: unless you have the design approved by a structural engineer/architect, don't attempt anything that is load bearing. What I mean is, you can't kill anyone by installing drywall incorrectly, you can't kill anyone by installing a faucet incorrectly, you can't kill anyone by installing tile or wood floor incorrectly, but you CAN kill yourself, you family and your neighbours by incorrectly disconnecting your gas lines.....
 
Get thee to a library and read

"The Ontario Building Code"
 
you don't need a permit for anything thats not structural, don't worry about putting a door or walls up.

your furnace will be totally fine, make sure you have room to change the filter.

have fun
 
rubmeister100 said:
And to add to tboy's advice, use only experienced houselifters to dig out and underpin your foundation when you dig down two more levels for the underground parking garage!

pssssst, tboy my friend, he only asked about a DOOR! ;)
Click to expand...

No, he asked about moving the furnace behind a door! quote: I have a furnace in this half that I'd like to put behind a door for asthetics and more usable space" I take this as meaning he wants to move the furnace and put a door in front of it to hide it. Now I may be wrong but if he was just going to build a wall around the furnace he'd probably have said something like "I want to hide my furnace and put in an access door to....."
 
torontochris said:
you don't need a permit for anything thats not structural, don't worry about putting a door or walls up.

your furnace will be totally fine, make sure you have room to change the filter.

have fun
Click to expand...

Another fountain of misinformation. You need a permit for just about everything not cosmetic in nature. You DO need a permit to install new partition doors because there are by-laws that limit the size of door you can use (if it is the only bathroom it has to be handicapped accessible), the location of outlets and the number of them required, the size and type of wire used and where junctions are made etc etc etc.
 
don't both

alienencounters said:
Hire someone to do it.
Click to expand...

contractors suck. (generally speaking) and they're hard to book.

its easy to put a door in, let me know if i can give you any advice. i rebuilt my house from the brick walls in, its good to know you're own house too, and you'll feel good after doing it.

its not a big deal, the hardest thing is starting.

chris
 
tboy said:
Now I may be wrong but if he was just going to build a wall around the furnace he'd probably have said something like "I want to hide my furnace and put in an access door to....."
Click to expand...


you're wrong
 
Rub: no, after you pointing it out I could see how it could mean that.....which reminded me of all the times you meet with a customer and have to decipher what they are saying they want, to what they actually do want.
 
If I may make a couple of suggestions.
Since you're turning the basement into usable space. Install sound insulation in the walls and use a fire rate door, it will also cut down on noise migration. You don't want to hear the fan cycling everytime the furnace or AC is in use.
 
Permits !

torontochris said:
you don't need a permit for anything thats not structural, don't worry about putting a door or walls up.

your furnace will be totally fine, make sure you have room to change the filter.

have fun
Click to expand...


Actually torontochris, If in this wall that is being put up has a light switch or a plug in it... then it does need to have permits as well as inspections. The electrical authority will want to see any changes to the electrical system in your home. Also if there is any modifications to the structure this will need a permit as well.

Best bet check with the City about permits. (You can call and ask question about various changes without identifing yourself to them)


MMouse_10
 
Actually your furnace is under the Natural Gas & Propane Installation Code, CAN/CSA-B149.1-05 & it's pretty specific about combustion & supply air requirements, clearances for access & to combustibles, etc. You don't need a permit to move your furnace, or build a room, or a wall, or anything around it, but if anything you do is ever found to be against abovementioned code, a licensed gasfitter can shut your furnace down on the coldest day of the year if he finds a code violation that constitutes an immediate hazard (non-immediate hazards will still get your equipment tagged but you have 45 days to deal with it).
Spend a couple of bucks to get an expert opinion before you do anything with your furnace or water heater........


TBoy is right - furnaces/gas appliance can kill everyone in the house by CO poisioning, or a gas explosion can take out your house & both neighbours.


P.S. I am in the HVAC trade & see so many basement renos that screwed up the hvac equipment, or venting, ductwork, etc. etc. it would make your head spin
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Ashley Madison
Toronto Escorts
Top Bottom
Back