Guide to Finishing Your Basement

Deciding What the Basement Will be Used For

• The first thing you need to do is to decide what the basement will be used for once it is finished. Options include converting it into a bedroom, a home office, a game room, a media room and a home gym. The size and way the basement is built will have an impact on your intended use. For instance, if the ceiling is low, it might be unusable as a gym because you won't be able to fit equipment in the room, or you might hit the ceiling when you exercise. If you're using it as a home office where you will meet with clients, lack of an exterior entrance means that people will be going through your home to reach the basement door. Usually, steps can be taken to contend with issues such as this, but it can drive up costs significantly.

Financing

• The financing you have for the basement will have a major impact on what you'll be able to do in the project. Finishing a basement is usually much cheaper than building an addition, so acquiring the financing to pay for it is usually easier. For a more extensive renovation, you can take out a home equity loan or line of credit, or you can take out a personal loan or pay for it with cash or credit cards (just pay off the bills as soon as possible to minimize the interest you're paying). You can also reduce the costs of the project by completing some of the work yourself. While you will likely have to hire a licensed professional to do electrical or plumbing work, you can complete other tasks, such as finishing the walls and floor yourself, depending on your skill level.

Design

• Design how you want the finished room to look. You can either hire an architect or use a computer-aided design (CAD) program. For a really basic remodel, you can sketch out the design on paper. When designing the layout of the finished room, one thing that you'll most likely have to contend with is your home's furnace and water heater, since these are often found in basements. If these are located along the wall, or in a corner of the basement, you can disguise them by building a closet around them. If they're spread throughout the basement, or in the middle of the room, you will have to work around them. One thing to consider is the age of the units; if they're due to be replaced within the next few years, consider replacing them as part of the remodeling project and place the new units in a place where they won't be in the way. Also, take into account any special needs that a given design will require, such as installing a bathroom if you're converting the basement into a bedroom.

Construction

• The first step in the construction is patching any cracks in the walls and floor. You can patch small cracks yourself by digging into the surface around the crack and applying patching compound, but if the cracks are large, have them inspected by a professional, as it can be a sign of major damage to your foundation. Construct the walls by installing pressure-treated boards called sill plates to the floor around the perimeter of the room, then constructing the wall frames and nailing them to the sill plates and ceiling joists. Hire licensed contractors to complete any electrical, plumbing and heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) work that needs to be done. Insulate the walls, then cover the studs and ceiling joists with drywall. Coat the walls with primer and two coats of paint. Install cement backer boards to the floor to create a subfloor, then install the floor surface. Options include tile, hardwood and carpeting, but tile may be your best choice in a damp environment like a basement.