Best Basement Remodeling Ideas

Four Handy Things to Have About When It Is Done

Hoover Wet/Dry Cordless Hand Vacuum, $30; Walmart

Preserve the Racket Down Below

A) To soundproof the ceiling, add fiberglass batts with no vapor barrier between the joists. Then fasten one or two layers of drywall to them, using resilient clips and metal furring channels (called hat channels, for their shape). This isolates the drywall from the joists, minimizing journey that is sound and eliminating vibration.

Don't Skimp on Lighting

The base; if you're using them, then space them closer together to avoid dark spots. A great rule of thumb: Divide the ceiling height from 2 to get the most distance between headphones.

Up the Cozy Factor

Tip: Make sure temps stay toasty.

Strategies for a Beyond-the-Basic Bedroom

Here, the wainscot ties the sleeping nook in with the remaining rooms.

Finishing Foundation Walls: Professional Basement Refinishers

How it's done: Licensed pros install a proprietary modular system which combines insulation, completed wall panels, and at times ceilings, floors, and finishes. Some kinds are attached to a level track, so that they go up fast. Owens Corning makes the best known of the systems.

Finished Basement

Secrets to Success for Construction Basement Walls

Fix moisture problems first, then follow our pro tips on methods and materials.

Fix a Staircase

Occasionally a finished basement flooring makes the bottom stair somewhat too shallow, throwing off the entire run. Tom Silva's fix: Measure the development of each measure. As you move up, you can remove the treads and add spacers to pad them out if any are shorter than 7 inches. Just keep heights under code maximum, and make certain they don't differ in height by more than 3/8 inch.