Finishing You Basement Walls

Many homes in the past as well as the present are built with unfinished basements. Why you ask? I never really could figure that out, but I can teach you how to turn that dark damp dungeon into a beautiful palace, correctly, and professionally.

Doing this your self can be a real chore. Start by cleaning the entire area where you will be working on. Then you can start working on the walls. Follow these steps below to correctly finish your basement.

1. Look at the amount of moisture in your basement. Are the walls moist? Is there standing water in any part of the area? (If you make the kids wear lifejackets when they go downstairs, you may have a water problem). You should call a professional for ideas on how to get rid of water seepage. It will be money well spent and will prevent many problems later.
2. Estimate the amount of drywall and furring strips (long, thin wood strips which enable you to attach the drywall to the concrete face) you will need. For every 4 feet of wall, you will need one sheet of drywall (we are assuming that your ceiling is less than 8 feet!) and 4 furring strips.
3. Screw the furring strips to the wall leaving a space of approximately ½ inch from the bottom of the strip to the floor in case water seeps in. Make sure the strips are plumb (use your handy-dandy level) and drill holes about 16 inches apart into the wall (use a masonry bit). Drive in hardened concrete screws with your even-handier-dandy drill.

1. Shim the furring strips to create a flat plane for the dry wall. (Is this the point where the author makes a bad pun about doing the shimmy?) Start with the strip nearest the corner and use a long level to see if it's plumb. Use a shim, if needed, to bring it level. Repeat the process to make certain all the strips are plumb with the first.
2. Add insulation and a vapor barrier. Both are available at your local home improvement store. Placing insulation panels between the strips increases the R-value of the basement. The R-value measures the basement's resistance to heat loss. All you have to do is cut the insulation panel to size and press it between the strips. The plastic vapor barrier will help minimize moisture penetration. Staple the barrier to the strips, but try not to get overly enthusiastic with the stapler and breaking the surface of the barrier. The more holes are in the barrier, the more moisture will penetrate.
3. Cut the drywall. Drywall should also be placed ½ in off the floor in case the floor gets wet. Use a straightedge or a T-square to mark the cut line on the drywall face. If you don't have a straightedge or a T-square, use the edge of a furring strip. Drywall is easy to cut using a utility knife. Just cut through the paper facing. The piece to be cut off is then snapped toward the back of the panel. You can then cut through the paper backing with the utility knife. Easy, huh?
4. Screw the drywall to the furring strips. The best way to measure where you need to screw is to snap a chalk line along the drywall at each furring strip (do you remember how far apart you placed them?) Use 1 ¼ inch drywall screws and be careful not to screw so deep that you break the surface of the face paper.