basement renovations tips!

Basements

When doing basement renovations you should always and I mean always, have a good plan. A Plan should have the following this it! Lighting, walls, bathroom, utility room, storage, family room, and maybe a kitchen and an extra bedroom. Don’t forget sub floor, Insulation, and drains!

Some of these things you probably wont need but that is why you have a plan.

First thing you should do is not the framing, it’s the sub floor. A good sub floor should always be used, why? It will save you money in the future! A good quality sub floor will come in handy when you have one of these problems. Cracks in the foundation or potential cracks if it new construction. Sump pump not working or drains backing up.

If any one of these problems occurs your whole basement renovation would be a waste of time and money. Mold will set in then you will have real problems. It also helps when building walls. The best sub floor that I found is a product that you can at the home depot store. It is wood with a rubber backing on it.

After putting in a good sub floor you are on the way to doing a job like any professional. Companies that don’t put sub floors in when doing a basement renovation are just after your money. They know what can happen in the long run and they think that you will call them again. Abba’s Service always recommends a good quality sub floor even when the customer does not want to pay the extra money. We do explain why. If they still don’t wish to have one, then it is not are problem, it’s there own!

Now it’s time to start building. Got that calk line or soap stone ready. Start by drawing where your walls are going to be, for every room.

After you finish with the layout, get your drill some deck, screws, cutting saw and lots of 2×4s. Start building your walls from the outside walls in covering over each line that you have made. The easy way is to take 2×4 and screw it directly to the sub floor first. Directly above that install a 2×4 on the cross beams and make sure the both are in perfect alignment. Then take another 2×4 and install both ends cutting the extra off so they perfectly between the 2×4 on the ceiling and the floor. The joists should line up perfect and you want to toenail them in. Every to feet. You just built your fist wall! Great job I bet. Now do the rest of the walls the same way.

It is now time to do the electrical. Hopefully you have breakers this would be a lot easier for you to do this your self. Run the wires from the utility room making sure you staple every wire along the way. When cutting in any joist always cut holes with your drill and a hole saw bit. Never notch any beam, make complete circle holes. It will make the beam stronger not weaker.

You should run each wire to a dimmer switch for your lights then run the wires for your pot lights, grounding your dimmer switch and every box. You can run up to 7 pot lights off every switch. I always stay with 4 because it is better for the breaker. Run the wire through the joists and leaving extra wire where you are going to each pot light. All plugs should be on there own breaker and you should run only 4 plugs for every breaker. Remember one pug should always be a GFI on each line and it is usually the first plug. In the Bathroom make this plug a GFI because it is near water and it is code. You should have permits any time you are doing electrical. And have them check it out before you close the walls up.

After installing the wiring it is time for insulation. Make sure all walls and cavities are filled. Best insulation for a basement renovation is spray foam period. If you wish to use the pink stuff it is up to you. After installing the insulation on all the outside walls it is time to install the construction poly. Very important and more than you think, you need that vapor barrier or there will be condensation in the walls in the winter. That is why I like spray foam, it fills every crack and every joint, there will never be a problem with a draft anywhere at anytime. Then with the poly you have the best insulated basement on the block. Don’t forget to tuck tap every joint of the poly!

In the basement do not use regular drywall use the blue stuff. Gypsum board is the best. If you decide to use regular drywall that is up to you. Remember you are already saving a bundle by doing this job yourself, so don’t be cheap! Use drywall screws and make sure they are all indented just a little. Start installing your compound and tape. If the screws are out to fare indent them first. There is nothing worse to see than a screw sticking out of a nice wall. There should be one thin layer of drywall compound under the tape. One thicker layer on top and another layer the next day. Fan the edges towards the middle of the drywall. This will insure you will have a flat wall.

After the drywall is done cut holes for each pot light, and pull the extra wires you left earlier through the holes. Now you can see how this extra wire has worked out for you. Most pot lights come with a template for cutting holes. You can install the light now if you wish. Just don’t put the covers on yet.

Sand all the walls with a fine sanding sponge, you will get tired! After all the walls have been sanded clean all walls with a damp cloth. And shop vac up any drywall dust before priming and painting.

Prime all the walls with Kilz primer. Most people will always use one coat, I say you should use two. It stops the paint from being sucked through the wall. One coat let dry for 1 hour and then the next. Leave one day before you start painting. Don’t worry if the lines are straight or not because it does not matter.

When you paint the next day never go over the same place twice. Paint from the floor to the ceiling in straight lines and come back the next day for the second coat. 2 coats of primer and 2 coats of paint. Your basement is looking just like a professional job right! Think about it, what will it look like with the second coat of paint.

Will in between drying times you might want to get started on the bathroom all the same rules as in the bathroom section but with a twist. Don’t install bathtubs in the basement ever!

I hope that you already have a ruff in for the bathroom then it is easy. To build that really nice standing shower. If not you need a jack hammer to cut through the cement for the drains. In this case make sur that you cut dep enough so there is not a hump in the floor latter. Make the toilet closest to the main drain. The reason for this is if you flush the toilet and it gets plugged up then the paper will plug the shower drain. If the drain for the shower is farther away then it supplies more water for the toilet drain. Your shower will never start to smell.

If your installing a kitchen you should remember to install an exhaust fan and the same for the bathroom. It is code if it is an apartment!  Cabinets for your kitchen should always be fastened to the wall joists and island should be fasted to the floor. All drains need to be put through the cement as well.
Counter tops should be fastened down on top so they don’t move and silicone every joint so water does not get in.

A recap shows your progress. New insulation totally air tight, walls are straight, drywall done, paint done, kitchen done, lights done, paint done, bathroom done, and now the floor.

If you did not use a sub floor you just limited yourself. Stay to tiles and carpet. You might think laminate is ok but your wrong. In about one year or less the moisture from the cement will make it look like hell and you will say I told you so. No sense wasting money remember, you want to last.

If you put a sub floor you can install any type you wish. Even real hardwood. That’s right real hardwood, I bet your happy now! You will need a hammer a block for knocking the floor in place, and a hardwood nailer and air compressor.

You are probably dripping at the mouth right now! Start at one corner in the inner part of the house, and work to the outside walls. A hardwood nailer will do all the work for you so don’t worry. Before install the hardwood install a underlayment that is good quality. Hint if it red color it is the good stuff. The first section should be installed with a brad nailer two shots in every board straight down. These will be the only nails you might see, if you didn’t put them close enough to the edge of the wall. Make sure that the Hardwood Is 1/4 inch off the walls, for movement. Real Hardwood expands and contracts with humidity.

Work in lines up and down the room until you can not get the nailer in the last edge anymore. The rest you can install with a brad nailer the same as the other side.  Make sure all edges are firmly secure.

Now you can instal the baseboards making sure you miter every corner and end. Before you install the baseboards and trim around openings install each door with shims and a level. Make sure all doors are secured to the 2×4 with 3 inch deck screws. Locks handles fixtures should be installed last. Congratulations of your beautiful Basement.

When installing wood always use deck screws, they do not rust and they will last longer so you will ever have to do this job again!