Thread: Man cave digout

I need to wait for the electrics to be done before I can finish the walls and ceilings, so I’ve been working on some built-in furniture. I had planned a sink in the corner, and this has grown into a full benchtop with cupboards. The sink has a minimum height, determined by the level of the underground sewer line, so I had to build up the cupboard height. Also due to various drainage lines, I could not put the cupboards right against the wall, so I had to do some creative cutting on the back of the cupboards. This also made the countertop deeper than standard, so I had to join a couple of benchtop panels together. Finding clamps long enough was tricky. You can see in the photo that the sink cut-out make this easier, but on the main part, I’ve piggy backed two together to make the distance.

I have finished the kickboards as well, and started work on a matching workbench on the other wall, but haven't taken photos of that yet.

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In case you have not thought of this you need some sort of splash back behind the sink. This prevents water from dripping behind the cupboard.

Originally Posted by Christos

In case you have not thought of this you need some sort of splash back behind the sink. This prevents water from dripping behind the cupboard.

You know what, I had actually been thinking that it's just a man-cave, not a kitchen, so I don't need a splashback, but of course you are right! A splashback serves a good purpose and I definitely do need one, on the back and the side. Thanks for pointing that out.

No photos today, just a little story about a couple of flooding incidents...

The first was due to the recent rains. The light rain hasn't been an issue, but we had some solid falls yesterday, and there was a slow trickle coming out of the concrete wall behind the stairs, which wet the floor in that corner. I think the drainpipe across the room is the culprit. The pipe is half-buried in concrete now so I'll have to drill into the top of the pipe and fix the joints from the inside with some extra glue and/or sealer. Hopefully that fixes the problem. If that's not it, then I'll have more work to do.

The second flooding was more spectacular. I was running some cables through the ceiling, and forgot to check the other side of the joist before drilling through. I put a hole in our rainwater supply and let out the magic water dragon which sprayed all over the floor. I got the water shut off pretty quick, but not before half the floor got wet, along with the wall and part of the ceiling. I've macguyvered the hole with a rubber patch and a band clamp, and that's doing the job for now, but when I get the plumber back, I'll get him to fix it properly.

Quite an eventful 24 hours really, and the wet-dry vac has had a good workout.

I hope your cave has a sump for other unexpected water intrusions.

If u want to make ur sink more man cave, maybe u could use checkerplate as ur splashback?

One thing I have found with a similar construction I did was the need for continual air flow through the room to reduce the humidity and take away the musty smell that was all pervasive. I tried several different methods finally using a solar powered vent tube.

Originally Posted by johnredl

If u want to make ur sink more man cave, maybe u could use checkerplate as ur splashback?

On a renovation show yesterday, someone used diamond plate contact as a splashback (which looked terrible), but it got me thinking about using the real thing as a splashback. Did you see the same show?

Originally Posted by Chris Parks

One thing I have found with a similar construction I did was the need for continual air flow through the room to reduce the humidity and take away the musty smell that was all pervasive. I tried several different methods finally using a solar powered vent tube.

That's a cool idea. My cave is not smelling musty yet, but if I don't get these water issues sorted, it won't be long before it smells. What's the solar powered vent tube? My guess would be a 90mm drainpipe through the wall and up the outside, and painted black. As it heats in the sun, it will draw the air up and out of the room, and keep it cycling through. Am I close?

Originally Posted by surfdabbler

That's a cool idea. My cave is not smelling musty yet, but if I don't get these water issues sorted, it won't be long before it smells. What's the solar powered vent tube? My guess would be a 90mm drainpipe through the wall and up the outside, and painted black. As it heats in the sun, it will draw the air up and out of the room, and keep it cycling through. Am I close?

That's not a bad idea and one that I had but never tried, make it a 150mm stormwater pipe and give it a go. I first vented it through the ceiling into my workshop above the room using grids fixed into the workshop floor but eventually I had a solar tube installed and it moves a heap of air. We had water issues because of wrong construction methods, the retaining walls were laid onto the slab where the footings for the walls should have been put in first, the walls built and the slab poured inside the finished walls. Because of that and the large amounts of underground water (we live at the bottom of a hill) the water was finding its way between the wall/slab boundary. I finally fixed that with copious amounts of water proofing but it took a while. After that job and the problems we encountered I concluded that engineers should do a year of practical building on the tools and they might have a better idea of some of the practical problems that arise.

Originally Posted by surfdabbler

On a renovation show yesterday, someone used diamond plate contact as a splashback (which looked terrible), but it got me thinking about using the real thing as a splashback. Did you see the same show?

No. But I'm developing an unhealthy obsession with the stuff!

Originally Posted by surfdabbler

That's a cool idea. My cave is not smelling musty yet, but if I don't get these water issues sorted, it won't be long before it smells. What's the solar powered vent tube? My guess would be a 90mm drainpipe through the wall and up the outside, and painted black. As it heats in the sun, it will draw the air up and out of the room, and keep it cycling through. Am I close?

Im doing a job at the moment that is 120+ yrs old, solid walls (no cavities external and 230mm thick internals) floor 200mm under joists to ground, no cross flow ventilation because vents are level with face of joists. Replaced floor joists with 100x50x2 RHS, termifloor sheet flooring and water proofed on bottom side before screwing to joists. Put in 6 pvc pipes directed to the dead air areas under the floor, made a manifold box and plenum wall, fitting solar powered fan in roof mounted to manifold and force feed the warm/hot air from the roof down under the floor, opened up air flow openings in all internal sub floor walls and added 10 new external vents to external walls.

Solar Whiz Roof Ventilation | Solar Whirlybirds | Commercial Exhaust Fans

Lock up! I put some doors in the doorways today, so the cave is officially at lock-up.
I don’t think I’ve posted photos of the bench yet, so here are a couple of room photos. It’s nice to have the tools off the floor, so I don't have to keep squatting down.

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Some people asked for pics of the water leak, so here is a photo. I have since done some work on the pipe, and I'm also assured that the moisture coming through the wall should improve over time as the crystals grow through and make the concrete waterproof. The render was only a couple of days old, and apparently I have to leave it longer. I shall wait with fingers crossed. We have had some more rain, and it hasn't leaked again, but I'll have to wait for another real good downpour to test it again.

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Wow! Thats a herculean task you accomplished there.

I am not sure what you have for ventilation and climate control - but you ought to get some. Not sure if Radon is a concern down there - but it is heavier than air and accumulates in concrete bowls.

I always ran a dehumidifier in my basement (and my wood shop now). It makes everything far more pleasant.... And you wont have to deal with as many musty smells.