A cold, unfinished basement can be made into a cozy, welcoming space for your house by finishing it. Taking on this project yourself can be satisfying and economical, whether your goal is to add value to your property or create a functional office or cozy family room.
Having complete control over every aspect is one of the main advantages of doing your own basement finishing. You can customise the space to fit your unique needs and preferences by selecting the materials and layout. Additionally, you can save a substantial sum of money that would otherwise go to contractors by doing the work yourself.
This tutorial will lead you through all of the necessary steps, from setting up the area to adding the finishing touches. You can transform your basement into a gorgeously finished space in your house that you can be proud of with the correct equipment and a little perseverance.
- Preparation for finishing
- Waterproofing device
- Thermal insulation of the basement
- Video on the topic
- Cellar repair.
- Ventilation in the basement, condensation
- DIY basement repair. Ideas for the basement and garage. Decor for uneven walls.
- Economical repair of a damp, wet basement with a planter
- Wet walls in the basement of the garage. DIY waterproofing using my example
Preparation for finishing
The basement’s walls are typically made of foundation blocks made of reinforced concrete. Use bricks or foam concrete blocks in a shallow basement. It will be necessary to decorate these walls.
Waterproofing device
You still cannot do without waterproofing, even if all technological procedures were followed precisely and soil drainage was implemented during the basement’s construction. It starts not only with the house’s basement finishing but also with the cellar in the garage or barn. Thus:
- It is necessary to isolate absolutely all surfaces from moisture: the floor, walls, ceiling, places where door and window openings adjoin, technological openings. By the way, it is worth waterproofing all the external walls of the house, or at least the first floor.
- The first thing to do is to carefully seal the joints between the foundation blocks. To do this, 3-4 cm deep grooves are made in them, dust and pieces of mortar are removed from them, and a repair compound, the so-called hydroseal, is placed in the joints.
- You should not forget about the junction of the floor and wall planes. There are some nuances in the process of sealing joints, watch the video to better understand how it is done.
- Such work should be done not only in a house under construction, but also if it is already in use, and the basement waterproofing was not done properly. If during the construction of the basement, high-quality mortar was used for masonry work, with the use of waterproofing additives, there will be no need to chase the joints.
- They can simply be treated with a composition for waterproofing seams and reinforced with fiberglass strips. Thus, a kind of hydroshield is created that prevents water from penetrating into the basement.
There are instructions on the packaging of any material explaining how to use it.
- Then it is necessary to treat the entire surface of the concrete structures with a penetrating mixture. If you are going to finish the cellar in the garage, you can use bitumen mastic as a coating waterproofing – this will be much cheaper.
A wide range of pre-made waterproofing compounds and dry mixes made in the United States and abroad are available from modern industry. They are of a quality that makes it possible to forgo external basement waterproofing. They cause the concrete to become deeply crystallized, removing any remaining moisture and preventing it from flowing further. For the building’s whole service life, this type of waterproofing only needs to be done once. Such mixes can be used for waterproofing, making it possible to even finish a damp basement.
Thermal insulation of the basement
Prior to completing a house’s basement, insulation of the wall and floor surfaces must be done after all waterproofing has been finished. There is a wide range of materials available here as well for this use. Thus:
- As for the floor, the best choice of material for thermal insulation is expanded clay or foam chips. The low price of these materials provides significant savings, especially if the area of the basement is quite large.
- The technology for performing this work is as follows: the concrete base is covered with polyethylene film, wooden joists are mounted. These can also be metal profiles, as can be clearly seen in our photo.
- The resulting cells are filled with insulation and poured with liquid cement mortar on top, in which the reinforcing mesh is embedded. In essence, a base made of expanded clay concrete is obtained.
- After this layer has fully gained strength, a cement screed is made in the form of a self-leveling, self-leveling floor. The resulting structure will be an ideal base for any type of decorative floor finishing.
- If only ceramic tiles will be used for finishing, you can skip the screed, and lay the tiles not on glue, but on mortar – this is what experts usually do. And the tile floor is one of the most suitable options for the basement.
- Before finishing the walls in the basement, they also need to be insulated. But for this it is more convenient to use materials made in the form of rectangular panels: polystyrene foam; mineral wool; Isolon; vermiculite or basalt slabs.
- And this is far from a complete list of thermal insulation materials. For their installation, a wooden crate is also made, with a step corresponding to the width of the plate.
To simplify the process, you can buy plates with a vapor barrier layer applied to their surface.
If the heat-insulating plates are standard, a vapor barrier film will need to be glued on top after they are glued to the walls. A fiberglass mesh can fill this role; if plastering is to be done, it must be used in place of film.
Without having to pay for expensive professional labor, you can finish your own basement and turn an unfinished area into a comfortable and useful space. You can create a space that enhances the value and comfort of your home by handling everything from wall framing to flooring installation with the correct equipment, supplies, and a well-thought-out plan. This post will walk you through the necessary actions and advice to complete a DIY basement finishing project successfully.
Step | Description |
1 | Prepare the basement by cleaning the walls and floors. |
2 | Seal any cracks and waterproof the surfaces. |
3 | Install insulation to keep the basement warm. |
4 | Apply drywall or paneling to the walls. |
5 | Finish with paint or wallpaper as desired. |
Completing your basement on your own can be a satisfying undertaking that enhances your house with useful living space. You can design a space that is both practical and comfortable to suit the needs of your family with the correct preparation and supplies.
To achieve high-quality results, don’t forget to take your time with every step, from framing to installing drywall. For a durable and comfortable basement, it’s important to pay attention to details like insulation and moisture control.
Enjoy the sense of accomplishment that comes from turning an unused area into a comfortable and practical part of your house as you finish your project. Your efforts will raise the value of your property in addition to improving your living space.