For questions generally relating to habitable spaces in a home below ground level, and to foundation types that include a space of this type.
16
votes
5answers
13k views
Should I use steel or wood studs for basement exterior walls?
Related: When should you use metal studs?
I'm planning on finishing my basement. (assuming all water issues are resolved)
I'll be putting up a water barrier (tar paper) on all exterior walls, ...
27
votes
5answers
19k views
Should I use a subfloor for a finished basement's floor?
We are refinishing our basement and have not yet decided what to do for the floors. Part of the basement will be tile, and we are all set. However, the rec room side is going to be carpet. The ...
4
votes
3answers
3k views
Can I lay down solid wood planks on top of my basement concrete floor?
I live in Oakville, Ontario and have a detached home with an unfinished basement with concrete floor. I would like to put hardwood flooring in part of the basement. Instead of tongue and groove ...
13
votes
5answers
5k views
What is the recommended home design software?
I am going to be finishing my basement. I would like to design the new basement myself using design software. What is the recommended home design software?
6
votes
3answers
3k views
How do I level a basement floor but not the slab underneath?
I'd like to install laminate floor on top of Delta FL in my basement.
The basement slab is not level, it slopes (from all directions) towards a floor drain (that, via a pipe, leads to a sump pump) ...
4
votes
4answers
2k views
How do I correctly measure this basement window for a replacement?
I have three of these metal-framed basement windows which I would like to replace but I am unsure of what dimension I should measure and use for the replacements.
Initially I measured the outside ...
4
votes
1answer
374 views
How do I cut grooves in self-leveling concrete to incorporate an existing drain?
This is a follow up question to my previous question about leveling a basement floor without losing the drainage. After the feedback I decided to use self-leveling concrete and cut (or form it in ...
1
vote
3answers
193 views
Will plaster on basement walls and ceiling provide insulation?
My basement's insides are completely unfinished. It has bare brick walls and bare concrete beams-vaults as the ceiling. I though of coating the walls and the ceiling with 2 inch thick plaster with the ...
9
votes
2answers
5k views
How can I level my basement floor, which has a 4-inch dip?
I googled today on how to level a basement floor. Most people recommend using SLC (self leveling concrete)... I don't think I can just use that because of the pitch of my floor (and from what I hear, ...
6
votes
4answers
2k views
There is water in my basement and the outdoor sump pump failed. What am I doing wrong?
My house has water problems with the basement. Here's what the entrance to my basement looks like. When I get a really heavy rain storm, water manages to rise up and start seeping in under the door. ...
3
votes
1answer
220 views
Is this old basement floor concrete, grout, or something else?
What is the likely construction/material of the basement floor shown below?
It's not very flat, and the surface appears sandy. It's almost as if some kind of skim-coat was applied to the dirt floor. ...
3
votes
4answers
1k views
How should I encapsulate a basement wall with chipping paint on a porous surface?
I have a basement wall with several layers of chipping paint. I can't say officially, but I'm pretty certain the bottom layer (dark green in the photos) is lead-based, while the upper layers are not.
...
2
votes
1answer
91 views
How should I finish around this hole in my slab?
This hole in my basement has a roughed-in drain pipe for a bathtub (can't really see it, but I've verified it's there):
As you can see, it's about 12"x16". As I prepare to finish the basement, I'm ...
1
vote
1answer
2k views
Can I install sheet vinyl flooring in a basement that gets wet on occasion?
Our basement is usually dry, but every so often we have torrential rainstorms in the spring and we are downhill from our neighbors. We get some water overnight in a small stream that we can mop up. ...
