Finish a Basement: A DIY remodeling adventure!
Search for answers to all you basement remodeling and home theater questions!
Get some great tips for designing your finished basement! Our basement design section will help you with your basement remodeling project as you finish a basement!

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Visit our project planning page to learn how to prepare to finish your basement whether you're remodeling your basement by yourself, or hiring a contractor to finish your basement
Visit our design page to see how we created our basement design, and for tips on how you can design the basement of your dreams
Check here for information on the tasks you'll need to complete to finish your basement. Complete with the lessons we learned as we remodeled our basement, and tips to help you avoid some of the mistakes we made.
Whether you're designing a dedicated home theater, or creating a multi-purpose media room, check here for tips on selecting home theater components, and calibrating, and setting up your AV equipment
Check here to follow along as we complete our DIY basement remodeling project!






 

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Our progress

basement design tipsThis is the place to come to follow along with our progress on the project. I'll update this every week or so, or whenever we accomplish something worth sharing!

Progress Topics


Phase 1: Basement prep and framing

Getting started - After all the planning and preparation, it's finally time to get going!

Down come the walls - My remodeling project starts off with a little demolition!

1st mishap - My first big mistake- luckily nobody was hurt!

Basement wall cracks - Whether it comes from wall cracks or rod holes, moisture is the number one enemy in any basement. Learn to see the signs of water damage, and fix your problems before they get worse!

Lumber and tools - Buying the right tools and the first batch of 2x4s is the next step in my DIY basement remodeling project.

Starting construction - FINALLY it's HAMMER TIME!

Moving ductwork - If your house is like mine, the builders aren't concerned with your finished basement when they decide where to run the ductwork. See how I solved this problem!

Finishing the 1st wall - One wall framed in...many more to go! Check here to see how I framed the wall around my furnace and main duct!

Around the corner - The next step was three short walls and a closet. See how careful planning helped me avoid a problem later!

Five short walls - One long wall is MUCH easier, but this area of the basement was a bunch of short ones instead!

The big wall - It was a much needed break to frame in this straight 28' section with NOT OBSTACLES!

One more crack to repair - Next it was time to pull out the Drylok again to repair a rod hole in the foundation.

Framing around windows - The two basement windows in the theater area turned out to be quite a challenge!

Framing the office - Nearing the end of the rough-in was not without its challenges. Guess what? More pipes and ducts to work around!

Finishing the office - The last wall of the office (with the door opening) presented another challenge...

Basement design decision - Full wall, half wall, or no wall? Which way would be best for the overall basement design and for the home theater acoustics?

Framing support poles - It's always a challenge to make sure the poles are square. See how mine turned out.

Framing the last wall - Just a short 8 foot section, and framing is complete!


Phase 2: Electrical and drywall

How much does an electrician charge? - Electrical work is something best left to a trained professional! This section to help you pick your electrician.

How much to install drywall? - Whether you're hanging and finishing the drywall yourself, or hiring a contractor to do the dirty work, check here for tips on making the job go smoothy.

Electrical rough-in - Finally it was time for the electrician to begin his work. Unless you're doing the entire basement yourself, finding a good electrician is a key part of any basement remodeling project.

Soundproofing - A simple, inexpensive way to add some soundproofing to your basement is to caulk the bottom plate of your  roughed-in walls.

Drywall, insulation, and ceiling hardware delivery - A 180 degree bend in my stairway made it very difficult to get everything downstairs. My basement was transformed from nice and neat, to one big mess!

Installing insulation - Installing insulation in your basement will keep it much warmer in the winter! Installing insulation in interior walls will help soundproof your basement too!

 

 

 


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