How to Raise a Full Basement

Before converting your basement into a usable living space, you’ll want to raise it up. This provides a sub-floor — off the cold concrete — allowing you to install hardwood flooring, carpeting or other flooring of choice. Before proceeding, you must ensure the basement is sealed against water, as moisture can rot the sub-floor from underneath. The average do-it-yourselfer can complete the process, avoiding the high cost of having the sub-floor installed by professionals.

Broom
Industrial vacuum
Builder’s felt
Construction adhesive
2-by-4 treated lumber
Level
Shims
Ramset fastener
Concrete nails, 2 1/2 inches long
Plywood, 5/8 inch
Flooring screws

Instructions

- 1
  Remove all objects from the basement floor. Sweep the floor and vacuum it with a shop vac.
- 2
  Lay down 15 lb. builder’s felt across the floor. Overlap the felt by at least 2 inches with each pass. Allow an excess of roughly 4 inches to lay up against the walls along the perimeter. Press the excess felt to the walls using construction adhesive.
- 3
  Lay 2-by-4s flat along the edges of the walls to create a perimeter. Use a level and shims as necessary.
- 4
  Lay additional 2-by-4s flat within the perimeter. These pieces are known as “sleepers” and they traverse the length of the room. Space the sleepers out every 16 inches. Use a level as you move the sleepers in place, using shims as necessary to keep everything level.
- 5
  Fasten the sleepers to the concrete floor using a ramset fastener and concrete nails. Place the nails every 24 inches along the sleepers.
- 6
  Apply construction adhesive to the sleepers. Lay plywood on top, perpendicular to the sleepers. Secure the plywood into the sleepers every 12 inches using flooring screws. Once the sub-floor is installed, carpeting or hardwood flooring may be installed over it.

How to Raise Flooring

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Floors