Begin by going to www.NARI.org and find a chapter of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry in your area. NARI members are held to a high standard and they commit to a Standard of Ethics in writing. On www.NARI.org you can look for design build contractors with Certified Remodelers (CR) and Certified Lead Carpenters (CLC) on staff. The contractor will know if they need the services of a structural engineer (P.E.) to specify what needs to be done. You're welcome to contact me directly with your questions.

Dennis D. Gehman, CR, MSA, CLC, CKBR, CAPS

President

Gehman Design Remodeling

PA 000297

355 Main Street

Harleysville, PA 19438-2417

O 215-513-0300

F 215-513-1280

dennis@gehmanremodeling.com

www.gehmanremodeling.com

NARI = National Association of the Remodeling Industry

CR = NARI Certified Remodeler

MSA = CertainTeed Master Shingle Applicator

CLC = NARI Certifled Lead Carpenter

CKBR = NARI Certified Kitchen & Bath Remodeler

CAPS = Certified Aging in Place Specialist

You said your basement is made of treated wood? As in there is no concrete or masonry walls below grade?

If that is the case, my first suggestion to you would be to hire a contractor to excavate around your house, demo the basement walls, and replace them with concrete or masonry, followed by correctly installed waterproofing and draining backfill. This will not be an easy or cheap fix. Your insurance may help cover the cost of this repair.

I have never seen a below grade basement built with wood. That just doesn't make sense.

If you do have masonry or concrete walls, and they are leaking, especially through treated plywood that is attached to them, this is an indicator of a more serious problem outside. You may need to excavate around the house and replace the soil with a different type that allows for rapid drainage and prevents any sort of hydraulic pressure from building against your walls. Soil such as sand or gravel, or a mix of the two is ideal for this purpose. Also you should install proper waterproofing against the exterior walls to prevent water from contacting the wall at all.

Hydraulic pressure is incredibly powerful, and if you are experiencing water accumulation and build up sub grade against your house, and it is pushing through the wall, then no product you apply to the wall will stop it or be effective. You have to resolve the cause of the problem first.

Hope this helps.

Unfortunately I think WoW Home Solutions answered you correctly. This is an issue that should have been addressed in the planning phase by a forward thinking builder and/or architect, and at the latest in the building phase (assuming you had your home built; if it was a production tract home, then I'm sorry... and prepare yourself for more problems down the road....). Now that your home is completed, there is no easy or cheap remedy to this issue.

The only thing I can suggest that may work (emphasis on may/might/maybe) is to strip the existing drywall off the ceiling and replace it with soundboard. Insulate with spray foam (professional application) while it's all opened up. The spray foam will absorb some of the vibration and deaden the transfer of noise.

I'm no attorney-but this is how I understand things as a layman.

Risk is a broad term and I don't know if you are talking to the safety and health or the finanical well being of employees and buyers.

As far as the safety and health of employees there are hundreds of different specific regulations (that carry the weight of law and are mostly administered by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration or a state agency) that address different industries and different scenarios, but as an overall approach the General Duty Clause lays the foundation for pretty much any of those https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_id=3359&p_table=oshact

The "code" reference probably relates to plumbing, electrical, building etc. codes.  They certainly regulate various trades and carry penalties of various types (generally financial or with financial consequences, not criminal) for failure to follow them.

As far as industry guidelines and manufacturers guidelines, failure to follow those certainly expose the builders to potential civil lawsuits to compensate someone for alleged damage as a result of that failure.

If there was a situation that resulted in a charge of criminal negligance that results in injury, then I imagine any of the codes, regulations and installation would be brought in to support (or refute) such charges.

In a word...yes.

As Katie mentioned, you need an appropriate length fastener and a cap nail is ideal.

What you haven't mentioned is what the wall depth is as well as climate.  If you have 2x6 walls, 1" foam may not be enough to keep dew point at bay. 

The basement is leaking through the foundation or block wall?  If so, there is nothing you can put on it that will keep the water back if there is enough of it outside the wall.

You need to fix the water issue on the exterior or allow for drainage to the interior in a controlled method. 

+1 to the previous comments. Depends on what the foam manufacturer specifies as well as what the exterior sheathing is going to be. I would also recommend a thicker foam for additional insulation and thermal break if possible. Depends on what climate you are in and what the wall construction is when it comes to optimal foam depth.

This is based entirely on the Manufactueres recommended installation techniques per the scope of work to be performed.  Such as location, what your fastening to etc.

Here is a product that is safe and non-toxic for waterproofing walls and even floors. They have various products for different needs. Hope this is helpful, good luck! 

Product Details

Hey C.J.,

The manufacturer's installation specifications should specify the type and length of fasteners that should be used with installing the 5 inch foam board.  You may want to contact the local store where you purchased the material for the manufacturer representative in your area. Hope this advice helps!

Eric Consuegra, 

AROCON Roofing and Construction, LLC 

Hey C.J.,

It is always important to read the manufacturer's installation instructions for approved fasteners. Depending on the thickness of the foam board, the fasteners may need to be a little longer to penetrate through the studs/sheathing enough. 

Hope this helps!

-Katie

I don't recall where I saw it, but there is a product (similar to door & window flash, but wider) that goes on the plywood, along with a primer. You would need to start the application down at the footing and overlap it to just above grade.