In the middle of trying to finish the basement of a 2000sq ft house. The basement itself is just shy of 1000sq ft.

Future TV and projector screen area

Storage area under the stairs, and mechanical area

Framing in progress

For the shower / toilet area......

Does this sound about right pricewise quote for the magnitude of the job?

Underground layout, concrete, plumbing drains, inspection, cement pouring, above ground plumbing, venting of exhaust fan, setting of owner�s fixtures (shower, vanity and toilet and laundry tub) for the sum of $2345.00 + hst, plus a permit. Please budget at least $60.00 for a permit.

This is the area everything is going in (8ft x 8ft) 64 sq ft

Fibrous insulation with a winter warm-side vapour barrier traps the inward summer vapour drive. The trapped moisture often leads to mould growth. Ditto the wood framing if it is directly attached to the foundation wall.

Typical outcome of using warm side vapour barrier and fibrous insulation

You could use a "smart" vapour barrier such as Membrain over the fibrous, if you can find it. Simpler yet, would be using extruded polystyrene (or expanded polystyrene or polyisocyanurate) boards followed by fibrous insulation to the warm side. No extra vapour barrier needed.

Photo and Illustration from Building Science Corp.

The house is only 5yrs old, and am not going to be here for long (military member that gets posted)anyway, so fingers crossed.

Or maybe not.

Minnesota energy and mould consultant Paul Ellringer has a collection of pictures of mouldy basements with fiberglass, vapour barrier construction.

"Sometimes when you open it up, the fiberglass is soaking wet. If the house is two to four years old, the studs are often beginning to rot," says Ellringer.

On the other hand, a controlled test of the fiberglass/ vapour barrier combination by building scientist Kohta Ueno on test houses in Huntley, Ill. and Kitchener, Ont. found no building failures, simply a higher risk of moisture.

Much depends on the presence of bulk water outside the structure, the permeability of the concrete and the climate. The less air conditioning is needed, the lower the risk.

Similarly, a study focusing on Canada by Dr. John Straube of the University of Western Ontario, found that the polyethylene vapour barrier construction only created moisture concerns in climates, notably Toronto, where there were high summer cooling loads.

So if you are in the blessed hinterlands you may be OK as is.

So the basement drywall and mudding is nearing completion, what is the best primer to use for the whole space before painting?

Thx