Finishing a Basement, Part 1

Over the past few months, we have been finishing our basement. The end is in sight; this month, I plan to do a series of posts to recap what we've done and how. 

Introduction

We moved into our current home in 2021. The basement had been partially finished, but prior water damage had led to the former owners to partially 'unfinish' the finished area and install an interior french drain and second sump pump to address the problem. The basement had three areas: the previously-finished room with a kitchenette (first two photos), the boiler room (third photo), and the HVAC/storage room (fourth photo).

We wanted to re-finish the basement and change the layout, but there were three problems: knowledge (we didn't know what to do), money (we couldn't afford to contract it out), and uncertainty (we didn't know if the water problem was fully solved). Due to these reasons, we decided to wait and inspect the room in all seasons over a couple years.

While we noticed no water problems in the basement in the ensuing time, what did concern us was how frequently the newer sump pump was activating. A small section in our backyard—near the sump pump discharge—was frequently a swamp, and we suspected the same water was coming back under the home, hitting the french drain, and being ejected out by the sump pump repeatedly. We remedied that with an exterior french drain, some grading, and buried water tanks in 2022. In addition, we found and sealed two cracks in the foundation. These efforts improved the backyard, sealed the basement, and gave us confidence that it was time to proceed with the basement project.

We still didn't have the knowledge (or money to get it professionally done), so we consulted friends in our church who were handy (and extremely generous). They offered to help us with the project by consulting on design, directing what to buy, teaching us how to do each step, and helping do the work along the way. (We would need a lot of help.) It is with their time, talents, and tools that we were able to do this project, and we are forever grateful to them.

At a high level, we did the following to finish our basement. Subsequent posts will cover each in more detail.

• address water problems
• install an egress window
• design the space
• order materials
• demolish existing structures
• address things running under joists
• seal the walls
• install rigid foam insulation
• frame the walls
• build bulkheads/'bump-outs' where needed
• install electrical
• install rolled insulation
• hang drywall
• mud/sand drywall
• paint
• install kitchenette
• install floors
• install LVP on stairs
• install floor/door trim
• final touches

It's been a summer. I look forward to sharing it with you.