Finishing a <span title="basement....waterproofing,carpeting">basement....waterproofing...</span> etc.?

Question

I have a huge unfinished basement (60x30)that I can do virtually anything to but dont know where to start, how to do it or have the money.

I would like to go the cheapest way possible,but still look nice, any ideas on where to buy trim,ceiling,carpet etc?

Should I use some sort of sealant on the walls,poured walls?

Is that hard,easy?

Should we put padding under the carpet? I heard you shouldnt, but I just started checking around yesterday.

Any suggestion would be helpful,we plan on doing the work ourselves.

Also let me know what themes, etc. you did in your basement if you want. I can always use ideas.

Thanks In Advance

Answer 1

Your question is like someone asking what should I do with my life.  It is hugely broad.  The best I can do here is give you some initial pointers and suggest you look among answers, web sites and catalogues for further explanation and finishes.  

A basement can be a smart alternative to putting on an addition to the house as you don&#039;t have to worry about exterior walls or a roof.  But you do have other considerations.  Foremost is the question of water.  Is it dry and can humidity be controlled. If you don&#039;t address this first then you run the risk of losing your subsequent investment to water damage.  I have posted elsewhere on water issues at length which you should easily be able to find. Next is the issue of Radon gas.  You can get a test kit for this.    

When starting with an empty basement, several times I have pressure washed the walls and if necessary sucked up the run off with a wet/dry vac set up for wet pickup.  This will clean out any musty odor and allow any needed applications to the walls prior to finishing.  

By &quot;poured walls&quot; I take it to mean your foundation is poured concrete.  Most of these that I have seen have had cracks in the walls.  Any cracks should be repaired.  If you are ready to dig on the outside, this is the best way to fix/waterproof the foundation.  For a compromise treatment you can &quot;paint&quot; the interior walls with products (thoro seal, dura lock, etc)found where you buy your paints.

Your basement type (high, deep, or sloping), climate, and intended usage will all tend to dictate choices.  No matter what stylistic choices you make, Insulation, ventilation, and lighting will be very important considerations.

I usually recommend insulation only down to the frost line to take advantage of typical basement coolness in summer and natural earth as insulation.  Because you usually don&#039;t have the windows available on upper floors I suggest specific ventilation solutions separate from any Radon gas considerations.  Often I suggest a fan that comes on with a light to exhaust some air.   Usually I recommend more than adequate lighting and especially light color schemes.  High hats may not work very well as the distance from floor to ceiling is usually less than upstairs and the light does not have a chance to spread out.  Flourescent lights work well because they start spread out but not everyone likes what is available.  A dark basement can feel rather creepy.

However there might be other considerations.  I have built darkrooms in basements and saw a very unique finish designed by one who&#039;s passion was caving.  Typically a basement is for &quot;being used&quot;  hobbies, relaxing, hanging out, kids place are all possibilities.  One thought many have is to put a laundry in the basement.  Sometimes a shoot is installed to allow laundry to go to that room.  A better option is to install machines where the laundry is used, typically by 2ed floor bedrooms.  But a basement installation is usually more economical.  

While I wouldn&#039;t recommend padding on any basement that had any chance of water damage I would recommend it on steps leading to the first floor.  The exception might be an area where you expect to do a lot of standing for a long time (workbench etc) where you might not want to be standing on a concrete floor for a long time.  For that area perhaps not a wall to wall but an area rug with a pad might be good if carpeting is desired.  

Frequently people will divide the space and finish it differently, utility areas will receive little finish while TV rooms will receive more.

First you need a plan.  You might pay someone familiar with basements to help you plan your project.  If that person is a knowledgeable builder they may also be on call to assist while you begin construction.  If doing the work yourself takes more than a season at least you have a plan that you can keep coming back to.  It is a worthwhile project so, of course it is worth doing right.  As you refine your questions you can post specifics and give some a better chance of a targeted response.