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can a newbie finish a basement...

19K views 73 replies 16 participants last post by  AtlanticWBConst. 
#1 ·
I want to say thank you to everyone on the forum for the wonderful advice you give to ppl like me.

I just bought a new place and I hope to get some work done on the basement. Put in bigger windows which i think i will let some construction company do for me and then try to finish the basement.... relistically I hope to put a wet bar, laundary room, home theater and an office...

I know I am setting the standards really high but I guess by doing that I might achieve something good.

My question is, can a newbie do this...?
 
#4 ·
Thank you for the quick reply.... I want to say I have almost all of the abilities stated and I might probably use this as my work out for a while :). I am working on a floor plan, and some 3D diagrams as well, I will be posting them shortly so I ask more questions.

In the main time, here are some questions I have in mind. In the picture I can obviously see that they have polystyrene insulation put on the wall.

My question is how far from the insulation do I start mounting the frame....

secondly, can I assemble, the frame on the floor and lift it into place?
 
#7 ·
newbie and basements

I agree with YM, if she can do it, anyone can :)

Seriously though, you just need to know when to hire out certain things. If you don't feel comfortable doing a certain job, get some "professional" estimates and compare that with the DIY price (don't forget to factor in "inconvience time"). I, for one, didn't feel too comfortable moving around supply lines and connecting new drain lines, so I hired out. I wanted to add a new bathroom. However, I didn't want to turn my newly remodeled basement into an indoor pool. So, I went the "safe" route and hired a highly-experienced plumber. He let me do the grunt work of jackhammering, which saved me $500+.

I also had the electrical box upgraded so it could handle all the new wiring. Friends and family gave me conflicting opinions on DIY, but I ended up going the "professional" route again. Of course all the interior wiring I'm doing myself.
 
#8 ·
enlarging windows

If your basement is a walk-out, this step is a little easier vs. a fully below grade basement.

A concrete cutting contractor will charge you at least $500 to just show up. I wanted to enlarge the 3 windows in my walk-out, and decided I didn't want to fork over the $1000-2000 they wanted. So, I rented a concrete saw with diamond blade for a day for $80. My brother and I knocked the job out in 6 hours.
 
#14 ·
This is the picture of the basement

This it picture of the basement... I have not started with it yet:( I am currently working on the exterior paint job and I am almost do. The house is radiant heated so there are not too many pipes down there. I dont want to make any holes in the floor or in the wall to fasten the frame... what are my options. As you can see the place is very dry, and I want to make sure I leave it like that :).

 
#17 ·
This it picture of the basement... I have not started with it yet:( I am currently working on the exterior paint job and I am almost do. The house is radiant heated so there are not too many pipes down there. I dont want to make any holes in the floor or in the wall to fasten the frame... what are my options. As you can see the place is very dry, and I want to make sure I leave it like that :).
Your in for a project :thumbsup:
To fasten the walls with no holes in the floor might be an issue. You would be best with a tapcon every 24" into the concrete through a PT 2x4 and screw into the floor joists above with the header. Also use heavy duty liquid nails on the floor. You might want to double up on the base plate as it makes adding baseboard allot easier. You can use a standard 2x4 over the pt one on the floor. place some building paper between them so they don't interact with the pt. Make the walls tight top to bottom and shim where needed to do so. Leave a 1" dead air space between the wall and the block. fill the 2x4 with R13 and your all set. I allow for drainage where there might be water like a wet area, furnace etc by either drilling a passage way on the bottom of the base plate or cutting a notch there.
Have fun and ask question if you run into them.
 
#19 ·
Basement pic

Judging by your basement pic, it looks like you have a nice big open space. Lucky you! I'm just starting my basement and have to navigate around a bunch of pipes, ducts, etc.

I had the same question as you about whether I could handle a DIY project that big. I guess I'll find out (although I'm planning to sub out some of the stuff).

I'm also working on a Web site that I hope will be helpful to people like us. I'm making it a chronicle of my progress, providing lots of tips and resources to help with the various phases of the project. I'll post a link as soon as it's "live".
 
#20 ·
looks like a large place and should be relatively easier to do considering there is no painful pipes on the ceiling for the painful soffets.... and relatively simple square area...... you definitely can do this .... all you need is time and an interests in your blood.
 
#22 ·
Looks like from the pictures you have a relatively easy space to work with.

Is that a sump pump or a sewer clean out on the left side of your picture? Easiest, IMO, would be to just jog your wall into the room for just enough distance then back again and installing a small pre-hung door to access that area. Like this

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I would try and incorporate the two posts near the stairs into a wall that ran along the stairs. Put a door in that wall to access the area behind the stairs.

I would then build another wall, incorporating the post on the left of your picture, to enclose your boiler room. Use the area behind and to the right of your stairs as unfinished storage, the boiler room as an unfinished boiler room. Keep the rest all open. You can easily add walls to divide it up later if you need to.

Good luck
 
#23 ·
Not to be a jerk or anything... But I am kind of picky about these things. Have you gotten a permit yet? If not you should apply to get that as early as possible. Sometimes it might take a while to get it. You may also want to ask questions about what kind of inspections will be required. Whatever you do please do not skip out on the permiting process. This will only come back and bite you later on. And that may result in fines and may require you to cut holes in walls so they can see what has been done and if it meets code.
 
#27 ·
.... You may also want to ask questions about what kind of inspections will be required. ...

This is a very good suggestion. I write this because every town or city seems to have their own particular requirement areas that they like to be extra diligent (picky) about.
What I mean is that they obviosuly want everything done to code, however, there a certain matters that they specifically "Want to see done"...or done a certain way...

Example:

http://nashua.qscend.com/filestorage/51/70/151/Basement_Handout.pdf
 
#24 ·
I have not get a permit yet but i intend on getting one. Right now, I am just waiting for some more rain... Since it is a new place, I am just trying to figure out if I am going to have any moisture problems. So far it has been rainning a lot and not yet.
 
#31 ·
Calculating Framing materail...



I would want to do this two rooms first.... room A is 13 x 10 and room B is 13 x 20. At 16" apart, are my estimates for approx. 75 pieces of 2x4 (+_ 3) accurate? I know I will need some Top and Bottom plates as well.... Anything else that I will need?
 
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