Know Your House: The Steps in Finishing a Basement

Keep the water out and let the sunshine in. Most important, you’ll want to fix any water problems in the basement. From making sure the outside ground is sloped away from the foundation to making sure that the drain tile system is clear and operating the way it should, you’ll want to inspect and verify that you’ve done everything you can to keep the water out.

One of my favorite ways to keep the water at bay is installing an interior drain tile system. This can be especially useful when, as in some older houses, an exterior system was never installed.

Another favorite method is to use oversize windows with large wells on the outside. While the tendency is to use smaller, less costly metal or plastic escape wells, I find that the larger ones can make the basement feel less like an underground cave and more like any other living space.

Mind the gap. It’s time to frame out for the wall finishes once you’re sure that the basement can stay dry — and you’ve done any remedial work, like increasing the size of a window or adding one. You’ll want to use a treated sill plate set on sill sealer to start with. Just as when you’re building an exterior wall, it’s always smart to use a treated wood when it comes into contact with concrete.

It’s also smart to place the new perimeter wall slightly inboard of the foundation walls. I do this because the foundation walls may not be plumb (straight up and down) and may have surface imperfections. And the space that gets created between the framed wall and the foundation wall is a great place to easily run conduit, cables and wires through. The added space will also increase the amount of insulation that can be installed.

Find a local pro to waterproof your basement

Keep the basement warm. An insulated basement can yield significant energy savings in cold climates. In fact, the 2012 International Residential Code requires new houses to have insulated basements in cold zones (zone 3 or higher). Certainly, insulating a basement in an older home is a good idea. Especially if the home doesn’t have insulation installed on the exterior of the foundation.

While it’d be less costly to install fiberglass batts, a better solution is to use a closed-cell spray-foam insulation. These types of insulations fill cavities, making an airtight seal, and can prevent condensation from forming on the concrete foundation walls.

A nice feature of spray-foam insulation is that the overspray can fill any gaps around the old sill plate and rim joist at the top of the old foundation. Any gaps that settling has created will get closed up, creating a more energy-efficient house.

Finish the walls and ceiling. The basement is ready for new drywall finishes once the framing, insulation, rough electrical and other behind-the-walls stuff are done and have passed inspection by the local building official.

Remember to leave a gap between the concrete floor and the bottom of the drywall. This will prevent any moisture in the concrete from being wicked up into the drywall. And if there’s one thing that can really cause problems in a home, it’s moisture trapped in building materials.

While drywall is by far the most common material used to finish the walls, there are many options for the ceiling finishing. Drywall is certainly one; just make sure you have access panels where there are pipes and other items you’ll have to get to.

You can also use drop-in tiles, which avoid the need for access panels but usually result in the loss of some ceiling height. And of course you can just paint the structure, leaving it exposed. This last option is especially nice where there’s a low ceiling and you want as much height as you can get.

Add some color. Once the drywall is done, you’re ready to paint, or at least prime, the drywall and start installing much of the trim work. While you can delay painting and trim work, I have found it best to do as much as possible before the floor finish is installed. It’s just a matter of not having to worry about damaging the floor finish while you walk around with buckets of paint and generate all that sawdust from cutting the trim pieces.

Find a contractor to help with your trim

Put in the finishing touches. Last you’ll install the floor finish and the baseboard and any remaining trim. Keep in mind that you can use just about any material you’d like for your floor finish. Your choice will be a matter of your budget, what you like and what you’ll use the basement for.

If it’s a playroom, you’ll likely want something that’s easily cleaned. If it’s a home office, hardwood is certainly an option. Some really nice basements actually have different floor finishes in different areas: something easily cleaned up in a craft area and something soft and comfortable in a sitting area.

When your new basement is all finished, and before the kids claim it as their own, you’ll be ready to party like it’s 1999!

More:
How to Refinish Your Basement the Right Way
Basement tips and before-and-afters
Find building pros in your area to refinish your basement