Finish a Basement

[ArchE_Cat]

I can't wait to go to an omaha pak and sleep in the room built by goEMAW.com.

i just want a quick agreement that the window has to go. the way it's being described just sounds absurd. absolutely absurd. get rid of that stupid f8cking thing and then you just go from there.

windows in a basement is pretty dumb. kind of ruins the whole "basement" feel. To be really elite the basement needs the ability to be pitch black at high noon in the middle of the summer. SD seems pretty hell bent on the window though, may require an intervention.

also, its no a "pillar" its a column.

[gokatgo]

geebus, just watch hgtv for for a couple hours, they cover all this chit

[BigCat]

Don't listen to the idiots telling you to do it yourself. If you don't know anything about carpentry, don't try it. You'll end up fubaring something and have to call a contractor anyways. Just hire someone reputable and be done with it. jfc does nobody watch hgtv

[Trim]

also, its no a "pillar" its a column.

Not talking about a column.  I'm bringing a full pillar up there.  Just like the one in kougar's place.  

sd, just because I'm incorporating some aspects of kougar's setup, don't get any ideas about also furnishing the basement with his penis-shaped couches.

[hemmy]

Make sure to get a permit. Plumbing, electrical, and making it a sleeping quarters all require one. Other than that, I'd only put a bathroom in if you have a drain. If you have 2 drains, go ahead and put a shower in. Only put a bedroom in if you have a large enough window. You might actually want to consult an architect or a contractor and have them draw it out for you, unless you want tons of code issues (good luck selling a house with all of that going on).

In terms of finishing it out, framing isn't hard. Drywalling is easy. Mudding the drywall isn't. Get 2'x2' peel and stick carpet squares for flooring if you can't find any really cheap stuff. How high is it to your joists? That will determine what type of ceiling you have. Don't get a ceiling lower than 7'-6". The higher the better.

Some good sources are the family handyman, and believe it or not, youtube. I found out how to build a shower pan on there.

Don't listen to this guy.  Pretty sure you need a permit to even replace the pipes under your sink.  If a law is stupid, then it shouldn't be followed.

[Johnny Wichita]

I can't wait to go to an omaha pak and sleep in the room built by goEMAW.com.

i just want a quick agreement that the window has to go. the way it's being described just sounds absurd. absolutely absurd. get rid of that stupid f8cking thing and then you just go from there.

Great point Daris.  That's decided.  The window is gone.  SD, do you plan on removing the window yourself or hiring someone to do it?  Since you are already going to remove the window, you might as well knock out the entire view out wall and make the bedroom a full walk out.  While you are at it, you can make it walk out into a pit with a hot tub and built in hibachi grill.  Let me know when it is finished.  I'll come make some fried rice for everyone. 

[steve dave]

Kind of OT:  I will never own or get into a home hot tub.  It's like people soup.  You are marinating in other people's bath water.  I feel like I can trust a quality hotel or spa to keep their water at an almost skin burning chlorine level. 

[SleepFighter]

Kind of OT:  I will never own or get into a home hot tub.  It's like people soup.  You are marinating in other people's bath water.  I feel like I can trust a quality hotel or spa to keep their water at an almost skin burning chlorine level. 

As someone who was a pool man in high school, this is very LPHTIQ. 

[Johnny Wichita]

Kind of OT:  I will never own or get into a home hot tub.  It's like people soup.  You are marinating in other people's bath water.  I feel like I can trust a quality hotel or spa to keep their water at an almost skin burning chlorine level. 

What about the grill? 

[ew2x4]

Make sure to get a permit. Plumbing, electrical, and making it a sleeping quarters all require one. Other than that, I'd only put a bathroom in if you have a drain. If you have 2 drains, go ahead and put a shower in. Only put a bedroom in if you have a large enough window. You might actually want to consult an architect or a contractor and have them draw it out for you, unless you want tons of code issues (good luck selling a house with all of that going on).

In terms of finishing it out, framing isn't hard. Drywalling is easy. Mudding the drywall isn't. Get 2'x2' peel and stick carpet squares for flooring if you can't find any really cheap stuff. How high is it to your joists? That will determine what type of ceiling you have. Don't get a ceiling lower than 7'-6". The higher the better.

Some good sources are the family handyman, and believe it or not, youtube. I found out how to build a shower pan on there.

Don't listen to this guy.  Pretty sure you need a permit to even replace the pipes under your sink.  If a law is stupid, then it shouldn't be followed.

You definitely don't need a permit to replace a P-trap, tard.

[steve dave]

P-trap

pfffffttttt lol

[ew2x4]

LOL, i KNOW RITE?

[jtksu]

I can't wait to go to an omaha pak and sleep in the room built by goEMAW.com.

eff that.  The basement will be like half done and everyone will just sit around bitching about how bad it sucks and how everyone else's basement is so much better.

[steve dave]

I can't wait to go to an omaha pak and sleep in the room built by goEMAW.com.

eff that.  The basement will be like half done and everyone will just sit around bitching about how bad it sucks and how everyone else's basement is so much better.

Did you even hear about the windows?  Apparently not.

[1/64th]

Dude, I finished my own basement.  You pretty much just make sure everything is at 90 degree angles to each other and then just put twice as many nails/screws in everything just to make sure.  It really wasn't that hard.  But then again, I'm pretty much really good at everything I try.  But for real, don't go get permits for all that crap.  Waste of time/money.  I finished my own basement and sold it the next month without any problem from inspectors etc.  My in-laws went the "legit" way with the permit thing and the inspector wouldn't "certify" it because my dad-in-law didn't have the little plastic cover thingies on the light switches yet.  GMAFB!!!! 

[ew2x4]

Dude, I finished my own basement.  You pretty much just make sure everything is at 90 degree angles to each other and then just put twice as many nails/screws in everything just to make sure.  It really wasn't that hard.  But then again, I'm pretty much really good at everything I try.  But for real, don't go get permits for all that crap.  Waste of time/money.  I finished my own basement and sold it the next month without any problem from inspectors etc.  My in-laws went the "legit" way with the permit thing and the inspector wouldn't "certify" it because my dad-in-law didn't have the little plastic cover thingies on the light switches yet.  GMAFB!!!! 

I want pictures, square footage, and cost. This is like porn to me.

[steve dave]

Dude, I finished my own basement.  You pretty much just make sure everything is at 90 degree angles to each other and then just put twice as many nails/screws in everything just to make sure.  It really wasn't that hard.  But then again, I'm pretty much really good at everything I try.  But for real, don't go get permits for all that crap.  Waste of time/money.  I finished my own basement and sold it the next month without any problem from inspectors etc.  My in-laws went the "legit" way with the permit thing and the inspector wouldn't "certify" it because my dad-in-law didn't have the little plastic cover thingies on the light switches yet.  GMAFB!!!! 

Come to my house and do mine at cost plus me talking you up on message boards

[Doomagon]

Good website for general construction/renovation costs

Decide whether to do it yourself or hire a contractor

Not free, but Fine Homebuilding have great articles that are geared towards construction professionals for this type of thing

Like ew2x4 said, make sure the window is an egress, otherwise you can't count that space as a bedroom when you list and try to sell. 

Framing isn't hard.  Putting up drywall is a 2 person job.   Put the drywall up yourself and hire a crew to finish it for you.
Finishing the drywall is an art, and will look like crap if this is the first time you are doing it.
Here in Denver, you can take a series of (easy) tests that allow you (as a homeowner) to do your own renovation/construction in your home, without having to hire a licensed contractor (like electrical, plumbing, framing, etc,).  You still need to pull permits though.  A lot of people do renovations without pulling permits.  Its cheaper, less hassle.  Some people know what they are doing, some don't.  The permits (and inspection process) are there to protect the ones that don't.  You can really eff things up if you don't know what you are doing.  So read up.

Also, quick story on not pulling permits.  A while ago, there was a realtor in a suburb NW of Denver that had completely renovated his home without pulling permits.  And then he put it on the market.  Someone at the City put 2 and 2 together, went to see the home, noticed that everything was new on an older home, went back to the City offices, couldn't find any permits for the work.  So the city made him tear out everything, redo and go through permiting and inspections.  Cost him a lot of time and money.  So this realtor, really pissed at this point, used his realtoring position to go around and look at a lot of homes on the market on his area.  The ones that looked like they were recently renovated, he went to the city, checked on the permits (public record) and reported the ones that had done what he had done.  Real dick move.

This. This. Looks good when you do it, five years down the line you have giant cracks everywhere.

[Mikeyis4dcats]

As a 1999 graduate of the Construction Science department, I suggest you call Peter J. Kiewit & Sons.  They're in Omaha, you're in Omaha.   Match made in heaven.




 

[PandaXpanda]

Good website for general construction/renovation costs

Decide whether to do it yourself or hire a contractor

Not free, but Fine Homebuilding have great articles that are geared towards construction professionals for this type of thing
 
Also, quick story on not pulling permits.  A while ago, there was a realtor in a suburb NW of Denver that had completely renovated his home without pulling permits.  And then he put it on the market.  Someone at the City put 2 and 2 together, went to see the home, noticed that everything was new on an older home, went back to the City offices, couldn't find any permits for the work.  So the city made him tear out everything, redo and go through permiting and inspections.  Cost him a lot of time and money. 

Had a similar thing happen at a place I lived in Manhattan.  The previous owner set the basement up to finish it but then never got around to it. We had just purchased a projector and decided to finish the rest of the basement and turn it into a mancave (we had a pool table and one of those sweet arcade style "hot shot" basketball machines).  We got it done and it was amazing.  I mean amazing amazing.        .... Buuuut at the end of the semester the city came to inspect the house and basically forced them to rebuild the entire basement. 

[1/64th]

Dude, I finished my own basement.  You pretty much just make sure everything is at 90 degree angles to each other and then just put twice as many nails/screws in everything just to make sure.  It really wasn't that hard.  But then again, I'm pretty much really good at everything I try.  But for real, don't go get permits for all that crap.  Waste of time/money.  I finished my own basement and sold it the next month without any problem from inspectors etc.  My in-laws went the "legit" way with the permit thing and the inspector wouldn't "certify" it because my dad-in-law didn't have the little plastic cover thingies on the light switches yet.  GMAFB!!!! 

Come to my house and do mine at cost plus me talking you up on message boards

This is very tempting, cause I do value highly my MBSC (message board street cred)

[Daddy Claxton]

So, we have a new house but didn't have the basement finished.  Now wish we would have.  It's about 1k-1,250 sf with a rough in for a bathroom and daylight windows that would make for a comforming bedroom in one corner.  We want to put in the bedroom, a half bath, living area and MUD room with storage.  I have no idea how to do carpenter stuff.  What am I looking at to have this thing done?  How do I do it cheap?  

Go ahead and hire someone to do the man's work.  That will leave more time for you to do the cooking, cleaning and sewing. 

[steve dave]

So, we have a new house but didn't have the basement finished.  Now wish we would have.  It's about 1k-1,250 sf with a rough in for a bathroom and daylight windows that would make for a comforming bedroom in one corner.  We want to put in the bedroom, a half bath, living area and MUD room with storage.  I have no idea how to do carpenter stuff.  What am I looking at to have this thing done?  How do I do it cheap?  

Go ahead and hire someone to do the man's work.  That will leave more time for you to do the cooking, cleaning and sewing. 

Yeah, I think I'm leaning in that direction.  I'm an excellent cook and meticulously clean too.  Not really embarrassed by this at all fwiw. 

[Doom and Gloom]

So, we have a new house but didn't have the basement finished.  Now wish we would have.  It's about 1k-1,250 sf with a rough in for a bathroom and daylight windows that would make for a comforming bedroom in one corner.  We want to put in the bedroom, a half bath, living area and MUD room with storage.  I have no idea how to do carpenter stuff.  What am I looking at to have this thing done?  How do I do it cheap?  

If you want to do it at low cost, couldn't you hire mjrod? He's hispanic and that equals cheap labor. 

[jtksu]

So, we have a new house but didn't have the basement finished.  Now wish we would have.  It's about 1k-1,250 sf with a rough in for a bathroom and daylight windows that would make for a comforming bedroom in one corner.  We want to put in the bedroom, a half bath, living area and MUD room with storage.  I have no idea how to do carpenter stuff.  What am I looking at to have this thing done?  How do I do it cheap?  

If you want to do it at low cost, couldn't you hire mjrod? He's hispanic and that equals cheap labor. 

MJRod mows my lawn!!!!!