my wife and I are in the process of buying our first house. The house has a 750 square foot unfinished basement (cinderblock walls and concrete floor), and is brand new (rather, it will be brand new when it is finished in a week or two). We don't have the option of having the contractors finish the basement for us because we are using a program for first time home buyers, but we would like to finish the basement within the first two years that we live there. Unfortunately, we have received a quote of $30,000 – $45,000 to finish the basement. What we would like to do instead of tackling the whole project at once is to tackle the project in smaller, more affordable pieces. Here is what we would like to see accomplished:
- We would like to convert the basement into 4 smaller spaces (with walls)
- We would like to run electrical outlets every several feet throughout the outer walls (I am a bit of an electronics nut)
- We would like to insulate the outer walls and hang drywall
- We would like to install some kind of flooring (I am hoping for hardwood as adding hardwood to the whole house is my next major project for the house)
- I suppose we need to add some sort of drop ceiling, but I am not sure.
My question is compound. First of all, is there any major pitfall to doing this project incrementally that I may not have thought of? The second part is which order would be best for tackling these projects. Lastly, Which parts of this project should I (as a not terribly handy person) attempt to take on by myself in order to maximize my savings while taking on the least risk of screwing the job up? Thanks for the help!
Best Answer
First, handle drainage. If you want to install a sump pump, perimeter drain, or water proof the walls, now is the time to do that. You should also install any plumbing drain lines at this point.
Next, framing. Concrete transmits moisture, so use pressure treated, and a styrofoam underlay that would normally go under the sill plate, to keep the walls dry. With pressure treated wood, you need galvanized nails to avoid a chemical reaction that would eat a normal nail. Make sure the framing is designed for the drywall (16" OC studs, nailing edge in the corners and around the ceiling perimeter). And make sure the walls are positioned/sized for any plumbing or other utility lines. For exterior walls, the thicker the wall (2x6 instead of 2x4) the more insulation you can include.
At this point, utilities go in, including plumbing, electrical, hvac, and communications. I'm a strong believer in conduit for running communications lines (like ethernet, catv, and phone) so that you can upgrade those without opening the walls or running wires all over the floor. Note that with more outlets, you will need more circuits, and copper isn't cheap.
Insulation is done after all the utilities are finished. If you have water proofed the walls, then I don't have much against the standard fiberglass insulation. Actually, I like fiberglass because it's easy to work with as a DIYer, relatively cheap, and replacing a piece or temporarily moving it (e.g. in the attic) is simple. However, with moisture concerns, or if you live in a northern climate with harsh winters, then I'd favor the spray foam. The spray foam has the downside of being difficult (impossible?) to remove, but it functions as a vapor barrier and leaves no cracks that air can get around.
After this, you have drywall, paint, doors and trim, and touch-up paint. I like to paint the walls and trim separately so there's less work on edging.
As for the flooring, you would usually do this before or after the trim. With hardwood, you would often do the flooring first, and then the trim goes up tight against it. With carpeting, you would install your trim 1/2" above the floor and the carpet installers would install the carpet right under that.