Then drywall is attached to integrated strips, resulting in a thinner wall. InSoFast panels have labor-saving chases for wiring and back-side channels for drainage. How it's done: Licensed pros install a proprietary modular system that combines insulation, finished wall panels, and sometimes ceilings, floors, and finishes.
Some types are attached to a level track, so they go up quickly. Owens Corning makes the best known of these systems. A high-tech printing process gives scratch-resistant floating vinyl planks a wood-like appearance that's so realistic you might do a double take. And the year warranty will give you peace of mind.
Ceiling tiles have gotten a huge face-lift in recent years, so your basement need not look like a bland boardroom. You'll need a few extra inches of headroom to hang the grid; ask the manufacturer:. A dim basement is a real turnoff, so you'll need more fixtures than you've got elsewhere. Recessed cans broadcast light in a cone shape that's wider at the base; if you're using them, space them closer together to avoid dark spots.
A good rule of thumb: Divide the ceiling height by 2 to get the maximum distance between cans. Skip the corrugated metal and go for prefab wells made from fiberglass or another faux-stone material. Top them with grates or plastic covers so that people can't fall in, but make sure the toppers can be removed easily by a young child to ensure emergency egress.
Sometimes a finished basement floor makes the bottom stair a little too shallow, throwing off the whole run. Tom Silva's fix: Measure the rise of each step. If any are shorter than 7 inches, you can remove the treads and add spacers to pad them out as you go up.
You don't need a full kitchen. But you'll get plenty of mileage from a mini fridge for beverages, a cabinet to hold snacks, and a microwave for heating leftovers or making popcorn for movie nights.
Keep a tray handy for stacking and transporting dirty dishes upstairs. Pro2ProTip: Make sure temperatures stay toasty. Give it a separate thermostat, and put supply registers near the floor, not the ceiling. If you need supplemental heat, try electric baseboards or radiant mats.
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By choosing I Accept , you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. How to Plan for a Finished Basement. By Jeanne Huber. Pinterest Email Pocket Flipboard. Remember to Plan Your Layout First Put the main socializing area in a spot that gets the best natural light, to draw people in.
Bedrooms need a window for egress, so they'll need to be located at the perimeter. The last step in a basement remodel, aside from enjoying your newly remodeled space, is to make sure your work passes inspection this is for safety and efficacy. The permits you acquired in the early stages will tell you how to go about this it will likely be a city inspector.
While certain basement-remodeling tasks are doable for the average homeowner painting, for example , others require advanced skills and a great deal of experience e. Dawn Weinberger is a freelance writer in Portland, Oregon who has contributed to numerous publications and websites over the past 20 years, including RD. She writes about everything from health and medicine to home improvement and business. Samantha is an editor who covers all topics home-related including home improvement and repair.
She edited home repair and design content at websites like The Spruce and HomeAdvisor. She also has hosted videos on DIY home tips and solutions and launched multiple home improvement review boards staffed with licensed pros. Select Region. United States. United Kingdom. Dawn Weinberger, Samantha Allen. Contributor, Editor. Editorial Note: Forbes Advisor may earn a commission on sales made from partner links on this page, but that doesn't affect our editors' opinions or evaluations.
Find A Basement Finishing Contractor. Was this article helpful? Share your feedback. Send feedback to the editorial team.
Rate this Article. Thank You for your feedback! Something went wrong. Please try again later. Our Guides. More from. By Christin Perry Contributor. Information provided on Forbes Advisor is for educational purposes only. Your financial situation is unique and the products and services we review may not be right for your circumstances.
We do not offer financial advice, advisory or brokerage services, nor do we recommend or advise individuals or to buy or sell particular stocks or securities. Performance information may have changed since the time of publication. These posts could not be removed since they were structurally necessary. It was the start of a year-and-a-half basement finishing project, but it was well worth all of the effort.
Jamin and Ashley of the home design blog The Handmade Home began by installing drywall over the cinderblock walls, applying spray foam insulation, and enclosing the necessary but ugly supporting adjustable steel posts. Next came paint, flooring, and furniture, all fusing together to make a lovely daylight basement for work and play.
Basement Remodel from The Handmade Home. The basement provided space for kids to romp around and play. But that's all it was: space. Home design gurus Chris and Julia decided that it was time to fill it out and give the space more utility and function.
They already had a good start, as the walls, ceiling, and floor were finished. With all of the kids' play equipment banished to the backyard, Chris and Julia's basement remodel is a prime example of how to re-purpose a largely ignored area of the home.
A giant sectional sofa invites family to gather, nibble, talk, and play games. Stylish pendant lights , along with recessed lights , brighten and cheer up the space. This basement couldn't even be used for storage because it was too damp and moldy. Design experts John and Sherry of the popular blog Young House Love first had to apply Drylok moisture-sealing paint to the cinderblock walls and regrade the exterior ground to promote drainage away from the house.
This ultra-cheap basement remodel heavily relies on IKEA furniture and Flor carpet squares to create a clean, functional space for working and for storage. It's a remodel that quickly addresses a pressing need, yet leaves open possibilities for future fixes. This basement didn't have much going for it. The area was too dark, gloomy, and very rough around the edges. But the homeowner had a vision for a bright, sparkling multi-purpose room.
Post-remodel, this basement is now very easy on the eyes and nothing short of incredible. Now, the kids can play contentedly for hours on rainy days. Plus, with the addition of a guest bedroom and full kitchen, the basement can accommodate in-laws when they come to visit. The basement had definite potential, but it was dark and cluttered.
It needed some major help before it could be transformed into the comfortable family area that the homeowners dreamed of. Out with the old and in with the new for this revamped basement.
The ratty brown carpeting was ripped out and replaced with luxury vinyl plank flooring. A fresh coat of white ceiling paint dials up the light by reflecting ambient as well as the artificial light from the industrial-look ceiling fixtures.
A finished basement is not always the same thing as a designed basement. Sometimes, the basement begins with the basics: walls, a ceiling, lights, and a floor.
But that is little more than a box; you need more than that. Gwen Hefner and husband Micah wanted to turn their tiny, airless basement space into a comfortable mancave. They had the basics to start with. The next step, Gwen says, would be a true test to her design skills. Because this basement space was so small, Gwen says that her main concern was creating interest and warmth. She eliminated those worries by creating wainscot-style paneling from Metrie.
Painting the ceiling white and the walls a different color would have created a horizontal line. The eye would use this line to establish the height of the ceiling. Instead, walls and ceiling blur together, making the ceiling look higher than it really is.
Basement Mancave Remodel from The Makerista. As a busy Mom of three kids, wife, and a very active lifestyle blogger, Landeelu Anderson didn't exactly have a lot of time to tend to her packed basement.
But as an ardent believer in clearing the clutter from one's home, life, and mind, she knew that it was time to act. She had her work cut out for her. Before anything, she had to evict all of that clutter. Pure design genius animated this basement remodel from lifestyle blogger Landeelu. For one, she decided to paint her doors a dark color, giving them a custom look that stands out from the cooler gray walls.
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