DIY Home Improvement Forum banner

What to do with basement walls.

2K views 3 replies 2 participants last post by  RR. 
#1 ·
I've been in my 1930's house for over two years and until this point ignored the basement. The basement at some point was an illegal apartment with a kitchen and living area and two bedrooms, all very poorly done, with no insulation, walls framed with 2x3"s with cheapo wood paneling over them.

I have demoed about about half of it down to the bare concrete walls to find that the walls had all been painted at some point, the paint is largely peeling now and in some places the concrete behind the paint is crumbling.

Initially when starting the demo, I had high hopes or properly refinishing the basement with new walls, rigid insulation, the whole 9 yards but as I spend more time down there I don't think the finished product would be that appealing due to the low ceilings. After building a raised / insulated floor and putting in a drop ceiling the height would probably be 7' or less therefor I don't think it is worth the expense.

Plan B was to just paint the walls and leave them exposed but after seeing what the current paint has done to the walls and reading more about how paint traps moisture in causing them to decay I don't know what to do. Should I try to scrape off the existing paint and leave them bare? Should I try to repair them somehow? Is there a way to safely repair and paint?

Ultimate goal for the space is just a laundry area, storage area, and a work bench for miscellaneous projects, it doesn't have to be glamorous but it would be nice if it were tolerable for more then 10 minutes at a time.

Thanks for reading, I bolded the important parts in case you didn't feel like reading my long post.
 
See less See more
#2 ·
Do you have moisture issues down there?

How far is it currently from floor to joist?

Is floor in decent condition? Why build up floor, why not just tile or carpet?

How far do you have to drop ceiling, ie how far down do plumbing fixtures sit?

Are there any area where the drywall ceiling can go on the joist/

My first basement remodel, I was a young foolish kid and busted out the floor (needed replacing anyhow, very thin) and dug down 6 inches or so and repoured. Not for the faint of heart.

B
 
#3 ·
Moisture is a concern in one corner of the basement in a walled off room that houses the boiler and electrical panel. I think regardless of what I do, that room will stay unfinished. I also think the problem was largely due to my gutters not draining properly. I addressed that recently but I am waiting on rain before I can be sure if the problem is solved.
 
#4 ·
Just measured, lowest pipe hangs about 80" from the ground most others an inch or two higher.

Floor is in OK shape, would need a couple spot repairs. I was under the impression that applying flooring to an 80 year old basement in the Northeast would require some insulation / vapor barriers.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top