Finishing Basement

[Gracie09]

don't cheap out on insulation and waterproofing (if needed). It costs a little more now but can save a ton later.

 

[aaarcher86]

The dropped ceilings are good because then you can always access what is behind it. We've had to do that a few times. Ours is just 8" or so lower where the pipes are, so it is two different levels in some places, but it looks fine as it is around the perimeter, and is just a soffit. It depends how high your ceilings are to begin with. Fortunately for us the person that built the house did it with finishing it in mind so the ceilings are very high. We also put in a bathroom which is wonderful. When kids (teenagers) have friends over they are not all over the house. I think it was about another 5k, but well worth it if it's possible. We got tile for $1 each on closeout and a vanity on clearance too, since it didn't need to match anything.

Really? I might be willing to look into point a 1/2 bath in if it was closer to 5K. My mom just put one in her basement a few years ago and it was closer to $8-10K which pushed me away from it. Once the plumbing is in we could tile and do the rest ourselves. May look into it now.

 

[DisneynBison]

I just finished our basement last summer and fall. I did everything myself including electrical and plumbing (wow did I do a lot of reading and watching videos and asking questions). I did not tape and texture or put down the carpet though. Pulled all the permits and made sure it was done correctly.

I made so many trips to the Lowes, Menards and Home Depot that I ended up watching their clearance areas a lot. Just find out where they put their scratch and dent areas (usually some random isle or area at back of store). Picked up a great vanity for the bathroom that the forklift had hit the back corner of. It was the corner that was against the wall where I wanted to put it and no one will know it is there. That saved a couple hundred. I made a list on my cell phone of things I was going to need and watched for them to go on sale. I bought insulation this way and it saved a bunch. I way over insulated but it is North Dakota. Foam board on wall that is then the vapor barrier, then fiberglass in between studs. I even stapled (10,000+) up netting and blew in a cellulose insulation in the ceiling for sound deadening before I put up the ceiling sheetrock. It was a mess but it works great. We could talk between floors before when it was open now we can crank up the surround sound and it is barely heard above and definitely does not interfere with normal living up above.

As for the staining concrete floor. My carpet was done in November and it raised the temp in the basement 3 degrees just by putting that in. I have friends that used to work in carpet. Huge mark up and profit margin in carpet. I went through a reputable company (Carpet Direct) that does not have storefront and orders in the carpet you want so they have minimal overhead, worked great and we still picked how good of a carpet we wanted. Saved at least 25% over carpet stores.

Also ask when buying things in bulk ask what the best price they can do at the contractor desk and play them against each other. That saved me a bunch on things as Lowes would match plus another certain percentage discount.

 

[DisneynBison]

The good, we ended up with a little over 1000 extra square feet, with a bedroom, living room w/wetbar, office and a full bath for under $12,000.

The Bad, this is the first time in in 3 years that I have been at work and home during MLK week as the last two have been spent at Disney. I guess I got a good basement though.

Planning has already begun for next year this week for Disney though

 

[HopperFan]

Oh how I wish we had finished ours so much sooner! I think the best hint I would have is to really think long term what you would use it for either for you or renters AND what would make it very attractive to a buyer if you decide to sell it. Take advantage of clearance items even if you aren't ready for that item yet, do as much as you can yourself especially buying all supplies and hire the labor on the few things you don't think you can do to a pro level. BUT never spend too much as basements will never appraise as high as your other floors. So many around here spend a fortune to make it just as fancy and the'll never get that money back.

Our DS is disabled so our thought process was him living down there eventually, and if we sold it a nice in-law apartment. Right now college age son lives down there and it's great for that situation as well.

Our basement has:
- Upstairs the basement door is in a very public area so we swapped the regular door for a pretty french door. You can see down and it lets light through. (I wanted no door but DH did so this was a compromise)
- A large living room that the steps go down in to. 6 windows. Electric fireplace part of the entertainment center, large tv, soundbar etc. We did sheetrock, trimmed it and good padding with carpet. I do feel the carpet turned the entire look to a real living space. Furniture, floor to ceiling drapes. The ceiling is drop. We love the idea of sheetrock but I've been surprised how many times we have gone up in to the ceiling for electrical additions, cable, even several times to fix the squeaking floors upstairs as the house aged. We spent a little extra to get prettier ceiling tiles.
- Very large bedroom behind the living room and to allow for future options we put a double french door there with the glass frosted. Completely private yet wide opening if later it were a pool room, craft room etc. It has an alcove that leads to a large walk in closet (trying to keep some storage) and there is a code window there so it's a legal bedroom. Other side is door to workshop. Window installed by relative. Two walls have a long row of cabinets (all bought at Lowes on huge clearance) with counter top and one spot a gap so it's like a built in desk. We installed of of this.
- Bathroom. Built it big (it was before the bar was installed) so it it handicapped accessible and has a tall cabinet/counter with fridge inside. Coffee maker etc on counter and wall cabinet above with a microwave installed. Bathroom turned out really well.
- Office with two windows that is large enough for another small bedroom or could be opened wider if someone wanted to add a dining space if bar were renovated to a small kitchen.
- Back hall area that heads out to yard and has the heater room off of that that also has storage.
- Under stairs we left it open and has a twin bed slid in there. We can close it in later if we decide.

We hired for sheet rock (DH HATES IT), ended up with a trim guy who was reasonable for main room and a drop ceiling guy who worked off hours on his own for the living room.
We bought all supplies getting good deals and only paid them labor.
We finished the drop ceiling in bedroom, bath and closet.
We did ALL electrical and while having a pro do an outdoor hookup for hot tub, he did the connect works to the box and checked our work.
We did all the tile work in bathroom and back hall.
We hired a plumber to jack hammer and install all pipes and install tub/toilet that we had bought. We installed the sink and cabinet units and later cut into the wall to install sink in bar.
We built the bar and tiled the floor with help of relative.
We installed bedroom cabinets and counter tops.
We did all our own framing.
We ran all our own duct work and installed vents.
We put in all our own lights into the ceiling.
We painted.
We had carpet installed.
We did all molding after the main room was done.


Afterthoughts:
- Hated to use up what had been so much storage. Luckily we built lots of shelves in heater room and made bedroom closet very large. Remember to include storage.
- We initially tried some tile in bigger areas but once we went to carpet, so happy we spent that money. Wish we had done that from the start and saved the money.
- Doing much of work ourselves for bathroom made it much more reasonable than we expected. Glad we went for bigger with "kitchenette", bought nicer vanity/sink and finished it nice. Company uses it and it will be a nice selling point later.

 

[aaarcher86]

Nice tips, everyone! Thanks!

I've found some things on sale or clearance now (furniture, dance flooring, etc) and thought about buying it now and just storing it in my office until it's time to use. At least I'm not totally crazy from some of the comments lol.

I had no idea Lowes may match pricing or haggle. Nice! That'll be a husband job since I'm horrid at bartering or asking for things!

I'm getting a bit of early anxiety about doing the epoxy floor!

 

[tina.tina]

I'm getting a bit of early anxiety about doing the epoxy floor!

Are you talking about epoxy or acid stain? I love the acid stain look. I probably would not choose to do the epoxy stuff in living areas. It just doesn't look as nice.

 

[aaarcher86]

Are you talking about epoxy or acid stain? I love the acid stain look. I probably would not choose to do the epoxy stuff in living areas. It just doesn't look as nice.

We were set on acid staining first, and then while we were looking at videos and products and pictures we came across a video for the epoxy. The epoxy seems to be really durable and the ones we've looked at are kind of marble looking and shiny which DH really likes.

Something like this, but in a different color

My girlfriend here just acid stained her basement so I think I'll look at hers again before truly deciding.

 

[seashoreCM]

In most areas, ground temperature is lower than room temperature. So the basement rooms will feel cold unless you proactively insulate your basement flooring.

If you are mathematically inclined and choose the right materials for ceiling and floor you can save by having less waste material. You would custom stagger the rows rather than go by whole tiles or half tiles that the instructions suggest. This is usually easier if the material comes in "boards" as opposed to in rectangular or square "tiles." On one flooring project I had about 3% waste as opposed to the average 8% to 10% waste that the instructions say to plan for.

Find out whether your foundation walls were precoated with waterproofing on the outside. If so then you do not want a "vapor barrier" on the inside just behind the drywall.

Leave an inch of an air gap between the stud wall and the foundation wall if you use batt insulation. (I didn't, not sure how bad that will be.) Batts should not touch the concrete wall although some types of styrofoam may be glued to the concrete.

If pipes are enclosed in an exterior wall (except below frost line) then there should be no insulation between the pipe and the inside wall surface.

If the basement will be loud (home theater, etc.) you may want extra insulation in the basement ceiling.

You will save much in terms of costs if you don't have to relocate pipes, ducts, etc. to get more headroom.

Other hints: http://www.cockam.com/theater.htm

 

[aaarcher86]

In most areas, ground temperature is lower than room temperature. So the basement rooms will feel cold unless you proactively insulate your basement flooring. If you are mathematically inclined and choose the right materials for ceiling and floor you can save by having less waste material. You would custom stagger the rows rather than go by whole tiles or half tiles that the instructions suggest. This is usually easier if the material comes in "boards" as opposed to in rectangular or square "tiles." On one flooring project I had about 3% waste as opposed to the average 8% to 10% waste that the instructions say to plan for. Find out whether your foundation walls were precoated with waterproofing on the outside. If so then you do not want a "vapor barrier" on the inside just behind the drywall. Leave an inch of an air gap between the stud wall and the foundation wall if you use batt insulation. (I didn't, not sure how bad that will be.) If pipes are enclosed in an exterior wall (except below frost line) then there should be no insulation between the pipe and the inside wall surface. If the basement will be loud (home theater, etc.) you may want extra insulation in the basement ceiling. You will save much in terms of costs if you don't have to relocate pipes, ducts, etc. to get more headroom. Other hints: http://www.cockam.com/theater.htm

You lost me at mathematically inclined lmao!

But seriously, thanks for the tips. There's so much more that goes into this than I was accounting for. I'd always just kind of pictures, building a frame, slapping in some insulation, sticking up the drywall, and VOILA!

The husband thinks about all this extra stuff, but it's awesome to have these things to verify with him or even bring up on case he didn't think of it!

 

[DawnM]

We finished our basement off. We added more expensive insulation into the wall before drywalling it to help with keeping it warm down there.

We also put in baseboard heating. It isn't our first choice, but we had to have it "heated sq. footage" to sell as actual square footage in our house. We never use it. The great insulation we put in has caused us to never actually need the heat.

We did use tile (travertine) and not carpet, just because we were worried about moisture, although we really didn't need to worry about it.

 

[ColoradoMom!!]

1. Check codes. They had changed since our house was built and we needed an egress window put in. Budget buster! However, it does let in tons of light which i do like a lot.

This was my first thought. You really need a window that is large enough and provides escape in case of emergency.

Also, don't know if it has been mentioned - but a bedroom must have a closet to be considered a bedroom for resale purposes.

 

[sunnyday123]

this is all super helpful, since I'm going to start my basement soon.

Does anyone mind giving even an approximate dollar amount of what it cost to re-do their basement?

 

[zoemurr]

this is all super helpful, since I'm going to start my basement soon.

Does anyone mind giving even an approximate dollar amount of what it cost to re-do their basement?

This has so many variables it would be pretty hard to answer, but I'll try.

I think we ended at about 16k, but that was 10 years ago, and we don't live in an overly expensive area. (We had estimates up to 30k I believe.) We have 1,000 sq. feet or so. Didn't use high end finished, but didn't cheap out either. 3/4 of it is low pile carpet, 1/4 Pergo, which cost more than all of the carpet, but it is an art room. Did some custom work (built a stage, loft, and playhouse) that added quite a bit to the price. Full bathroom also added about 5k, but some plumbing was already in place, as was insulation. Dropped ceiling with upgraded tiles. Cedar closet, and built in shelving. Lots and lots of can lights. Small office space.

If you need a window that will add another 5k or so. I'm not sure if every basement needs to have one to be to code, but definitely if anyone is ever going to sleep down there. Not sure I'm counting the painter, or some fixtures we bought ourselves. After a point you try not to add it all up anymore. Obviously you can cut down costs by doing some work yourselves. We hired out and had it all done in 6 weeks or so. No regrets.

Best way is to ask around. I found these contractors through a friend of a friend by just asking everyone I came in contact with.

 

[jdmccon7]

We were set on acid staining first, and then while we were looking at videos and products and pictures we came across a video for the epoxy. The epoxy seems to be really durable and the ones we've looked at are kind of marble looking and shiny which DH really likes.
.

We are in the middle of the longest basement refinish project known to mankind. DH is doing it alone.

I just got some quotes on concrete staining. The contractor said my basement floor was sealed. He would need to grind off that layer before he could stain. All this would cost about $4000. No thanks. Just thought I would mention the sealant thing in case you haven't checked yet. Just pour a little water on the floor. If it sort of pools initially and holds the surface tension a while before soaking into the floor, your floor is sealed and won't take the stain properly.

I will have to look at that epoxy you mentioned to see if it will work for me. Thanks for the tip.

 

[puffkin]

Ours was about $30K.

The egress/access window was about $5K. The wetbar cabinetry, granite, sink, appliances (we did not do built in, just a microwave and beverage cooler), undercabinet lighting and tile work was about $4,000. We did not do a full plumb in, but just an ejector pump for the sink that saved money. The corner gas fireplace with blower and really nice wood cabinet/surround and mantle was about $5,000. The rest was carpeting, framing, sheet rock, insulation, trim work, painting, doors (we did a whole wall of closets to hide mechanicals and for storage), upgraded banister, recessed can lighting, and a new double paned slider for the other window. Oh, and the custom glass door with cat door cut out at the top of the steps was about $500.

Our finishes were mostly middle of the road, which matches the rest of the house. Its about 800 sq ft of finished space. It would have been around $20K for the basement (which seems to be on par with our area) but we added the wet bar and fireplace as a long term thing since it was easier and cheaper to do it now rather than later.

ETA: Don't forget to leave money in the budget for furnishing it. I probably spent another $5K or so just on a TV, surround sound, 2 recliners, end tables and coffee table, some kids furniture, storage baskets, entertainment center, some Shark decor (for DH), and a few other miscellaneous pieces of furniture for down there. We repurposed a couch from another room so that was one thing I didn't need to buy.

 

[sunnyday123]

Fyi, Pinterest has some fabulous ideas regarding basement finishing.

 

[Dictator]

This would be my concern as well. If it's cold on your feet and doesn't feel warm and inviting you won't want to go down there often.
Also pay attention to lighting and make sure it feels bright and open. The best budget tip to me would be to not cut corners on those two things or you'll have a brand new space that you won't want to use.

In my old house which we just sold in Dec, the basement was cold. Despite insultation. One reason was cheap carpet and padding. You don't realize how much cold comes from the concrete slab. As a result, we barely used it in the winter. It was awesome in the summer. But 1/2 the year we didn't want to be down there.

 

[zoemurr]

We were set on acid staining first, and then while we were looking at videos and products and pictures we came across a video for the epoxy. The epoxy seems to be really durable and the ones we've looked at are kind of marble looking and shiny which DH really likes.

Something like this, but in a different color

My girlfriend here just acid stained her basement so I think I'll look at hers again before truly deciding.

That looks nice, but I'm not sure why you are so against carpet? It is still going to feel like concrete. We lie on the floor to play games, and the kids have lots of sleepovers. (And I would always be terrified of someone falling on it. wont that be slippery?) I really wanted to have the hangout house. All of their friends love it down there. I guess it depends on what you're hoping to use it for, but I don't think it will be very inviting to sit on.

 

[DisneynBison]

Here are some of the pictures from some of the steps when I finished mine. Your thread reminded me I needed to have the final inspection done so they are coming over this afternoon. I think this link will work. Another thing I also did was added in a single outlet on its own breaker so I could put in a electric fireplace. I was going to put in a gas one but last year we had a time where there was some pipeline problems and they were worried about delivering gas. Well if we would have lost gas I had no back up heat source so I wanted to have a electric option for a back up and didn't want to worry about over loading a wire or circuit. Heck I over did it on wire as I put 12-2 instead of the required 14-2 but I should not have to worry about overload now. Now if there ever was a problem I know as long as I have electricity I will be able to have some heat in the house.

http://s1374.photobucket.com/