Per yesterday's post, this month I am looking at the steps we took to finish our basement.
- Address water problems, inside and out.
- There's no way we were going to finish our basement without first verifying it was as safe as possible from water.
- The prior owners addressed the initial water problem, and we took that a step further by improving outdoor factors and sealing cracks in the foundation.
- A friend gave us great advice as we considered this aspect: "plan for neglect." In other words, use passive elements (like landscaping) where possible to keep water out of the area. Any solution that has active components (like sump pumps) or requires active maintenance is likely to fail at some point. In our case, we used both passive and active elements.
- Install an egress window.
- Our basement is entirely below ground and had no exits, which meant people couldn't sleep down there (legally or safely). We remedied that by having professionals install an egress window. While we had no plans to put a bedroom in the basement, the egress window enables us to have guests safely sleep there, and gives us an emergency exit should need arise.
- We contracted this out. No way we were attempting this on our own. They used the existing basement window, dug out the exterior to saw out a wider opening, install the window, and install a metal guard with gravel (and a sump pump) in the bottom. Everything was then covered with a metal grate cover (for stability/strength) and a plastic overlay (for waterproofing).
- This step went well, though months later we noticed a problem. They dug up an underground pipe when doing this aspect, and we assumed (wrongly) that it was no longer used. It turns out the original sump pump (which we had repaired), which is to the left of the window (looking at the house), discharged underground to a "T" junction. Water is supposed to go to the left (looking at the house), but when that path is clogged, it goes to the right- and right into the well. Thankfully, the sump pump in the well worked, and we had that "T" junction adjusted so that it would discharge its excess elsewhere.
- Design the space.
- My wife and I worked with our friends to produce a few potential layouts of the basement, using exact measurements and accounting for obstacles (like vents, pipes, etc.) and access (don't cover up things you will need to access, like internal faucet shut-offs). We went through several iterations, balancing ease of construction, access, storage space, and living space.
- In addition to layout, plan for electrical (and plumbing, if that's changing). Thankfully, the basement's existing wiring was sufficient to avoid changing anything at the panel, and our friend produced a layout that was up to code.
- Speaking of code, it helps to have friends who know the building code (if you don't yourself). It is a necessary part of the process and can force you to change plans.
- Order materials.
- Once we had a layout approved and vetted, it gave our friends the information they needed to estimate material quantities. The major decision here was the studs; we elected to go the standard route and place them 16" apart.
- We ordered the large items (lumber, drywall, doors, insulation rolls) in advance and had them delivered. The major companies give broad estimates on delivery windows, so plan to take a day off work to receive the items. They will not deliver if you are not home. (And our order was delivered over two days.)
- You'll need appropriate space (probably in the garage) to house the materials. Drywall comes in 4'x8' sheets, so that is the largest item.
- We ordered the small items (drywall screws, multipurpose screws for framing, electrical wire, junction boxes, caulk, etc.) in-store.
- The major hardware stores offer veterans 10% discount on many items.
- For lumber, some prefer to pick out their own 2x4s to verify they are straight. We didn't have the time or patience to do that. Thankfully, in our case, it worked out fine.
No comments:
Post a Comment