Developing a Basement - Tips and Recommendations

[rayne008]

Hey everyone,

Just looking for some tips and suggestions on developing my basement.

Its a pretty simple design, with one bedroom, large media room, fairly large square washroom and a utility room.

Just wondering if anyone had suggestions on where to get supplies, particularly bathtub / vanity and electrical fixtures.

Anything I should look out for, or perhaps a recommendation based on past experience?

I have it mostly framed in, looking to do the electrical this weekend.

Thanks

[Knalus]

I have a question for you - did you get a building permit from the city, and if you did, how rigorous was your drawings? What was the process like? I'm in the same process as you, but apparently a little further behind.

[Misterpants]

I just did this exact same basement in my house. I recommend not wiring for sound. I instantly regret having these ugly speaker outlets hanging out in the middle of nowhere.

I hope your basement is layed out better than mine. I swear the original builders lay out the water tank, ducts etc. in the most inconvenience of places.

The best thing I did was pay for someone to mud and tape. I am definitely not a "fine detail" type of handyman.

Best deals I got were I bought some awesome slate for my bathroom from my parents leftover supply for super cheap. (I know this doesn't help you). Also went to Deerfoot Carpets and they had end of the roll in just the quantity I needed. I ended up getting awesome quality carpet for less than lowest quality carpet they sell.

Have fun!

[Misterpants]

Originally Posted by Knalus

I have a question for you - did you get a building permit from the city, and if you did, how rigorous was your drawings? What was the process like? I'm in the same process as you, but apparently a little further behind.

The drawings can be drawn by hand. All you need are rooms layed out. WHere your tank/furnace/toilet/shower/smoke detector/CO detector are. Label the rooms and denote how big the windows are. Also put dimensions. That's it, nothing fancy.

[Old Yeller]

Originally Posted by Misterpants

The best thing I did was pay for someone to mud and tape. I am definitely not a "fine detail" type of handyman.

This 1000 times.

If you're handy, you can frame, do the electrical and even hang the drywall, but unless you've done it before get someone else to tape/mud.

I didn't and where a pro would maybe need to sand once and come back and touch up a few spots, I pretty much have no fingerprints left from the amount I had to sand.

Sometimes I still wake up screaming...

[Misterpants]

There isn't much that makes my skin crawl, but the sound of sanding drywall makes me run for the hills every time.

[undercoverbrother]

Make sure you put a heated floor in the washroom, especially if tile. It's pretty simple, essentially, an electric mat under the tile. Makes a huge difference.

[rayne008]

Originally Posted by Knalus

I have a question for you - did you get a building permit from the city, and if you did, how rigorous was your drawings? What was the process like? I'm in the same process as you, but apparently a little further behind.

I haven't got a permit.
I have a plan using Google Sketch-up with dimensions

[Kybosh]

Originally Posted by Knalus

I have a question for you - did you get a building permit from the city, and if you did, how rigorous was your drawings? What was the process like? I'm in the same process as you, but apparently a little further behind.

I made a real nice drawing with Microsoft Visio and they told me it was the nicest one any home owner has ever brought in. Hand drawn on graph paper with all measurements (windows, doors, stairs etc.) seems to be the norm. I also saw people make diagrams on napkins in the waiting room. . . not sure if those got approved.

[Misterpants]

Originally Posted by Kybosh

I made a real nice drawing with Microsoft Visio and they told me it was the nicest one any home owner has ever brought in. Hand drawn on graph paper with all measurements (windows, doors, stairs etc.) seems to be the norm. I also saw people make diagrams on napkins in the waiting room. . . not sure if those got approved.

If you had the $400...pretty sure they got approved.

[Ashartus]

Take your time to do everything properly, and measure everything carefully.

As others have suggested, pay someone to do the mudding/taping/sanding unless you're either experienced at it or a masochist. It's a lot of work and if you don't do a good job it is a pain to fix.

Wiring and cable is relatively cheap so it's better to have extra cables (network, cable, phone) that you don't think you'll need now than to regret not having them in the future.

If you don't get a permit that could cause problems when you sell in the future (legally you have to disclose work done without a permit). I've known some people who get the permit and then just hold off on the final inspection if you're worried about property tax increases.

[GP_Matt]

Originally Posted by Old Yeller

This 1000 times.

If you're handy, you can frame, do the electrical and even hang the drywall, but unless you've done it before get someone else to tape/mud.

I didn't and where a pro would maybe need to sand once and come back and touch up a few spots, I pretty much have no fingerprints left from the amount I had to sand.

Sometimes I still wake up screaming...

If you are going to go this route I would line up the mudders before you hang the drywall. A friend hung the drywall and the mudding guys wouldn't talk to him. They all said that they could hang the drywall and mud/sand faster than they could mud/sand the drywall that he hung. When he finally got someone to do it they charged way more than to do the whole project.
I didn't see his work, but it makes sense that the guys who do it all the time can fit the boards a lot tighter together.

[Rathji]

I agree about the hanging drywall being the part where you missing troubles come from. The problem is, unless you have framed it properly, Hanging dry wall is a pita/

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by Misterpants

I just did this exact same basement in my house. I recommend not wiring for sound. I instantly regret having these ugly speaker outlets hanging out in the middle of nowhere.

I am going to disagree with you on this. I have wires and conduit running all over the place in my basement. Many of the wires are in low voltage boxes and completely hidden behind drywall. I took before and after pictures of where they are, and paid a few bucks to have those pictures printed. The low voltage boxes are all on the opposite side of a stud from en existing electrical outlet so they will be easy to find.

The conduit has a few cables ran inside and labeled so I can easily fish another line through. I have already had to use it to run an extra network cable into our family room.

I will agree with paying a mudder. I didn't, and I see it every time I look at the walls.

[Caged Great]

From experience, definitely hire someone to do the mudding if you've never done it before. It is easy to learn if you ask the guy that you hire some how do you do that questions while he's doing it though.

The main thing is that if/when you do it afterwards and you screw up, the worst case scenario is that you have to sand it like a SOB.

[Northendzone]

install vacuflo tubing where you think you might want to install, audio/video wiring - makes it is to fish the wire thru later on.

look into the sub-floor, might make the basement a little warmer and +1 for the heating the bathroom floor.

and i was told by the guy that taped amd mudded my basement that it is cheaper in the long run to use full sheets of drywall for small areas, than using scraps as they htne have to be mudded and taped.......

[Titan]

Originally Posted by Rathji

I agree about the hanging drywall being the part where you missing troubles come from. The problem is, unless you have framed it properly, Hanging dry wall is a pita/

The problem is if the floor was not poured properly framing is a pita...Framers hate concrete guys, drywallers hate framers, mudders hate drywallers, Painters hate everybody.

[photon]

If you install tube for wires, you can leave a string in the tube to make it easier to fish through later.. and like ken said just leave the stuff you can inside the drywall and have a way to find it later.

And get a permit, it'll save you hassle down the road and it also means an experienced person will be looking at your work just to double check that it is done properly.

And +1 more for the in floor heating in the bathroom floor, we did that and it makes a nice difference.

We used Delta-FL on the rest of the floor (laminate on top).

http://www.deltams.ca/deltafl_deltafl.htm

[Knalus]

Anyone have any ideas on how to increase head space around a low beam?

[darklord700]

Originally Posted by Misterpants

If you had the $400...pretty sure they got approved.

I drew my design out in Exel and the city has no problem giving me a permit.