How to Finish a Basement From Start to Finish! (DIY Basement Renovation and Remodeling Guide)

[@AndrewThronImprovements]

Here are the Time Stamps so you can easily jump around to specific basement projects: 0:00 - Introduction 0:44 - Full Basement Renovation Time Lapse 13:21 - How to Renovate Basement Stairs 22:31 - How to Install Rigid Foam Insulation on Basement Walls 26:04 - How to Frame Basement Walls 32:39 - How to Frame around Basement HVAC Ductwork and Pipes 36:07 - How to Run Electricity to your Basement (Tips + Tricks) 45:30 - How to Install Drywall in a Basement 56:46 - How to Replace and Trim Out a Basement Window 1:07:31 - How to Install Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVP) flooring in a Basement 1:18:31 - How to Install a Drop Ceiling in a Basement 1:30:32 - How to Build a DIY Basement Entertainment Center 1:38:31 - Conclusion Thanks for watching!

[@artemsolodkov9077]

,55😢😢😢🎉

[@89stroutt]

Great video

[@Poppinwheeeeellllllieeeeez]

Awesome....a subfloor would have been a good idea.

[@georgesplunk8358]

I want to do something like this ij my basement. But I want to participate in the process and learn equally. Will you be able to take on a project if you have a website perhaps one can go on there

[@abcdefghijklmnop514]

If anyone is looking to finish an old basement the only recommendation I would have as a GC is if your insulating the walls like that space them away from the cinder blocks and also use a dri core subfloor system. old basement were not meant to be finished so there is not water barrier or division system on the outside. You will get water in your basement so leaving an air gap for it to drain is crucial otherwise it’ll start molding and smelling bad. And sure you could get lucky and never have any water problems but with an old basement like that and all the TLC, why risk it for a few extra hundred bucks to include those systems.

[@gatolibero8329]

My thoughts exactly. I feel he didn't do enough to protect the walls and floor from moisture.

[@jforrest2140]

There are so many different ways to skin this cat. Through all of my research, the best way to ensure success at least on the walls is to ensure that the foundation was appropriately waterproofed from the outside with external french drain system. If you are worried about moisture in your walls, then do the right thing and prevent it from being there by doing the proper external waterproofing (dimple board systems, tar, french drain, sump pit, sump, gravel backfill, landscape fabric to seperate dirt and rock, etc). Don't bother with painting your walls with waterproofing on the inside or doing inside or subfloor installed french drains. If you have the wall waterproofing down the next best recommendation is silicone closed cell foam to the walls and taping the seams to minimize or eliminate the airgap between the wall and insulation. At this point you are trying to minimize inside air temperature and humidity from mixing with the temperature fluctuations of the blocks...in other words, stopping condensation and eventual mold growth. For the floors, yes you can do the dri core or whatever other brands there are if you want to lay hardwood floor. Personally, I'd never floor a basement. Paint it if you must with a concrete paint but then just throw some area rugs down. Maybe you would be okay with a wall to wall carpet if if can breathe enough. You are right though, basically any house pre-1990, you aren't supposed to finish like he did because of the amount of water that's in the slab. But again, I think a lot of it can be minimized through appropriately moving water on the outside of a house to a sump. Stop inviting water INTO your homes with internal french drains.

[@emilyc5309]

Rim Board Insulation?

[@TheNewEnglandah]

Especially here in New England

[@kyiatonise]

Agreed. My home was built in 1957 & I bought it 4/2023 & just experienced my first flood last week. I kept the concrete & painted it grey & put some rugs on it. I do want to finish the walls & leave the ceiling exposed but idk. May just paint the walls white, ceiling black & call it a day

[@lashawnraines5378]

I think you did an amazing job and now I want to finish my basement

[@johnbrown-cl6sj]

You showed a very detailed brake down of every step that you performed for your basement. This is one of the best video for finishing a basement that I have seen on KZbin. I am working on my own basement and starting to plan out my basement project at the moment. You even showed some of your mistakes that would save your viewers some major time during their project. Thanks for sharing, Sir! Keep up the good work!

[@jimbonevideo6941]

When wiring electrical add a "service loop" and keep about a foot of excess line looped above the box. Then if there is an issue in the future, or more likely you damage the wiring during drywall or install, you have some excess wire you can pull through the box and don't have to take down drywall.

[@lindaeubanks-mccormick2090]

idk how you look at something so bare and see THIS. You are a true craftsman.

[@andrewcarr2431]

Fantastic video. Your project came out great. Always check your local codes if doing your own construction, the inspectors are there to keep you safe, not be a pain in the ass. I've had more professional contractors get failures on my jobs than when I actually did it myself, not claiming to be perfect but you can take your time and check your work as you go when you are using free labor. And best tip is to try and think ahead. Once your framing is done, put on your drywall cap and go around checking for Nailer boards, then put on your tv mounter hard hat and plan for blocking. Makes it so much easier to have timber behind the wall and not use it, than to not have it and be messing around with various anchors or fasteners when the wall is painted, and room completed. Including my own 2cents after doing my own basement reno. you can use your leftover scraps of foamboard under the bottom plate to act as a thermal break between the concrete and the timber. At the very least use sill gasket or tape to increase the life of the timber and avoid moisture wicking up from the concrete. A "Ramset" gun is classed as a firearm, so be comfortable and safe when using. And if you are going to be doing a lot of stick framing, invest in a laser distance measure, it will give you a perfect length every time. If you leave your jack stud out of the doorways you can cut out the threshold using the circular saw as the distance from the side of the plate to the blade is exactly 1.5 inches (same thickness as dimensional 2 by lumber), then stick your jack stud in to complete the frame. Don't forget to reduce your blade depth accordingly. Hang drywall horizontally whenever possible, it adds shear strength to the wall as well as making it easier to tape and finish, unless it makes sense to use a whole board vertically. no seams are best and personally a couple of vertical factory seams are better than a single butt joint. Like your use of a spacer (scrap bit of drywall) to maintain a minimum 1/2" gap between the floor and drywall, especially on concrete floors. A lifter and basic drywall tools do speed up the job, especially when working alone (i've hung a lot of drywall...) A drywall T-Square is also the exact width of an electrical box (if you didn't know?), you can use that to mark and cut out, but your method worked quite well too! try not to screw too near electrical boxes, they get a lot of abuse when plugging cords in and out therefore prone to "nail pops". I love plastering, although my joints don't anymore so would have happily done your basement for you :-). All of these tips I learned the hardway :-).

[@Vallyrah]

I recommend that outlets be placed at a bottom height of 30 inches (not 16). The reasons are that it keeps outlets at desk height which is easier for adults and those that are wheelchair bound to reach, it places them at a height that is more difficult for toddlers and small children, and if you ever have a flood, it ups the severity required to short out the electrical make it potentially safer and easier/cheaper to repair.

[@JasonEllingsworth]

one day you might regret that treated lumber on the concrete. I did that in my late 20's, and now in my early 40's I am pulling up black mold. I learned the importance of using a product like dampro or DMX 1-step as a vapor barrier for the floor, and run it up to the foam on the walls, then covering that with osb (or plywood if you're rich), and adding your finished flooring to that. You build all walls on top of that osb flooring. If you ignore this step, you will gather moisture slowly over time and it will never dissipate. Need that continuous air space from under the floor, to behind the foam, and straight up to your joist tails and band board, where the lumber will draw in the air vapor and wick it outside of the space.

[@MaryAucoin-co5fy]

Andrew, your videos are so perfectly made. My wife and I just bought our first house ! The basement needs to be done and since I looked into your videos it cannot be more helpful than that ! You showed that anyone can do it and should do it. We know that process can be long but the results at the end will be indescribable.

[@charlesronk2989]

This is pretty much exactly how I did my basement. except I used Delta floor with 3/4" tongue and groove osb subflooring over it. Screwed down with tapcons. Glad I did because my basement wall has since cracked and during heavy rain water weeps in under the floor but doesn't effect anything. I have also had a condensate pump go out on my furnace and weeped water under the floor without issue. My basement floor is also never real cold. I also used the exact same drop ceiling, but only installed it in 2 rooms. Drywall is less than 1/4 the cost of a drop ceiling. So I only installed it where absolutely necessary, and used access panels for other needed access.

[@Pg-kf7vz]

liked the foamboard on the walls. When i frame I keep the bottom plate off the concrete floor incase of moisture. I screw pieces of dricore slats on the bottom. everything else was great. good job

[@nealwright5630]

This was a great build-out! I was skeptical about the suspended ceiling, but it looks great, and is practical as it allows access to the space above. I don't know why builders don't just build their basements with 9' ceilings. It would save so much headache!

[@nikimyrie7981]

Thank you very much. I am looking into hiring someone to finish my basement, but having an idea before hand definitely gives me an outlook on what to expect. Thank you.

[@chex313]

Drop ceilings have not changed at all in the 25 years since I did my basement. I used indoor outdoor carpet but I would do the vinyl flooring like this today.

[@michelleortiz-monasterio5272]

But its a beautiful remodel. Tasteful, clean and pretty. Just love so many of the details.

[@AndrewThronImprovements]

Appreciate it! Thanks so much for the support!

[@Itiswhatitispartna]

Right on brother. You are doing the world a great service and I wish you lots of success ! God bless

[@michelleortiz-monasterio5272]

Love the ceiling tiles. Nice. And I enjoyed seeing how you made the new steps and the window sill.

[@michelleortiz-monasterio5272]

Sorry, this comment was for the previous video. Nee one popped up before I finished typing.

[@michelleortiz-monasterio5272]

Love the stain color on the treds. Dont worry. It looks great.

[@2GoodLookin]

It would be nice if you could include how much everything cost if you or a professional did your basement project. Showing the savings will inspire others to do it themselves.

[@Jsbrinkley13]

download his free e-book from the link. the cost breakdown is in that.

[@murrfox]

You're looking at around $20k, with all the parts, fixtures, lumber, fireplace and myriad permits and inspections you'll have to go through. The document quotes $15.5k, but a few things are missing or can't be calculated accurately (inspections)

[@phill7507]

Easy! It will be cheaper to diy, if you can follow directions and realize what needs to be done, a project like this will save you thousands! You want to know if if saving a few thousand is worth it to know how much his project cost? Why? So people can be mad when they shop and it costs way more because the project differs? Or brag how they did it cheaper than him because again, project differs? People like you hurt my brain

[@Nate-hw8ii]

@@murrfox I imagine it would easily cost $60-100k to have professionals do this. Especially in expensive markets.

[@leprechaun3677]

@@Nate-hw8ii I just had 3 different quotes for professionals to complete my basement: 1.) $110,000 2.) $120,000 3.) $140,000 The area of my basement is 740 square feet; I’m in the Midwest. And that is why I’m now looking at doing everything myself. At least 50%-60% of the cost of having professionals do it is labor (but none of them tell you how much they’re charging in labor).

[@MCMAHON1250]

Always use metal studs . Concrete condensates and the studs wick moisture . That’s why there are so many moldy , musty basements . Also use spray foam if you can afford it . The warm air gets behind the foam panels and traps moisture that condensates on foundation .

[@jackalay23]

If you seal the foam sheets to the basement walls the cold concrete walls will not condensate because they will be insulated from the warm humid basement air. The wood studs are insulated from the cold basement walls and are in no danger of molding.

[@middleway5271]

Great job! I couple minor details I would have done differently but it's just a matter of personal preference. Well done!

[@lindaeubanks-mccormick2090]

Add soft led light strings up at the top edges of the ceiling for movie nights and romance. Also, on the stair treads, the dark color when the lights go out will be hard to maneuver. Add a strip of reflective tape for those emergencies when the electric is out and also will add some extra slip proof protection. Just a V shape in the middle of each will be nice. Make it look like the landing strip on an airfield xD

[@megachicago]

Hey Andrew, I watched each step of this project in previous videos & find your timelapse a wonderful way to review. For the day I tackle my own basement! Thanks again!

[@AndrewThronImprovements]

Appreciate it! Good luck with your project!

[@veeh4086]

It looks Beautiful, I enjoyed watching. I do renovations on a small scale and I stay encouraged by people like you . 🤗

[@georgejetson4378]

Great job! Just curious, what is your finished floor to ceiling height?

[@ChuelueVang-qn3xw]

This build-out was excellent! Although I had my doubts about the suspended ceiling, I think it looks fantastic and serves a useful purpose by providing access to the area above. Why builders don't simply construct their basements with nine-foot ceilings is beyond me. So many headaches would be avoided!

[@digi63]

Good video. I am wondering why you glued the panels directly to the block wall without first using a waterproof paint, such as DRYLOK and leaving a small gap behind for airflow and moisture?

[@CMCraftsman]

The thickness of the adhesive itself along with the joints in the block actually space the foam off the wall enough for airflow.

[@bmcd4448]

awesome! that ceiling is bomb for a drop! i bet that was a PIA

[@rnicoe]

Looks nice. You should box in that pole that in the middle of the floor. Low bearing pole.

[@armandoramirez1757]

Ur basement almost looks identical to mine and I’m in the process in learning how to diy. Ur video was so helpful . I downloaded ur e book and I will def study it. Thank u for videos

[@venmarabordo908]

It's really good...beautiful basement now🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

[@lilrog0909]

While working full-time i worked on my unfinished basement. The worst part was the carpet and staple removal from my stairs. I created 3 bedrooms and very small kitchen. At some point I'll be renting the space out.

[@guitarchitectural]

How long did it take you? Thinking of doing the same

[@28607Matt]

Just found you. Your a maniac...sweet diys is my job and the next is a full basement apt. Your gonna help alot...lol . Thanks man

[@myutube310]

Great video. Can’t help but notice the old Wizards mini basketball hoop 😅

[@andyvogel2144]

Cool video. I'll do this over the winter break for a room

[@ms.trudylea5576]

Amazing job on your basement.

[@gwp4eva]

i would’ve done the stairs last. they’re probably never going to get as much use in such a short span of time ever again, wouldn’t want to risk beating up a fresh new finish

[@marktolston445]

Great job! Inspiring me to finish my basement that I’ve started framing out.

[@Xelastic]

Great video, I'm in the process of doing my basement. Any thoughts on subfloor?

[@Lizardldy]

That electric fireplace is exactly what I didn't realize I need!

[@AndrewThronImprovements]

It’s definitely a nice touch

[@SinghTheMaster]

Amazing work with editing and for sure you got great skills. 👍

[@tim_jackson]

Looks amazing! Do you have a rough estimate of your building materials. We looking at like 50K or 100K?

[@cutejungle]

Waooo amazing job👏🏻🙌🏻👏🏻🙌🏻 you inspired me to renew my basement. Thank u for all the inf🙏🏻

[@AndrewThronImprovements]

Thanks! Good luck with your renovation!

[@bemckinn1985]

I absolutely love how you explain that inside corners get paper tape and outside corners get bead. Then so a picture of an inside corner bead lol

[@idv2178]

Great basement framing presentation. Nothing wrong with individual stick framing when you're working alone as oppose to framing the entire wall from the floor and attempting to install it upright against the concrete wall. If you are building a 12 /16 foot long walls, and you are by yourself, then good luck in trying to lift that assembly. To some DIYs the weight could be overwhelming. Just saying from experience.

[@AndrewThronImprovements]

That’s a very fair point! Thanks for watching!

[@MrTrewill]

This video was super helpful and detailed thank you!

[@AndrewThronImprovements]

I’m glad! Thanks so much for the support

[@gospelbros6202]

Jaw dropping I need this type of focus

[@AndrewThronImprovements]

Appreciate it!

[@icart83]

Thanks for the share! WELL DONE! How much time did it take you to finish it? In regards to electrician, you mentioned that you got it inspected. Can I do the work and got it inspected by the city? Is that how it works

[@namkebanyanklariti]

Thanks for this share you've got mad skills.

[@irmaolvera2932]

This is one of the best videos Thanks.

[@AndrewThronImprovements]

Appreciate it! Thanks for watching and I’m glad it helped!

[@tripodjohnson699]

Hey Andy, I noticed that you are doing alot of cool electrical work, however..is your home power on? ( looks like it) and if so, what are the precautions someone must take when attempting to do live wire work?

[@roderickbegin8010]

Great job! How long did it take you from start to finish?

[@Frey808]

Great video!!! I hope your channel takes off! Did your foundation have a vapor barrier (built before 1990)? Consider an egress window? Would love to hear your thought process and ideas when planning.

[@AndrewThronImprovements]

I appreciate it! I have an egress door in the basement so I didn’t add an egress window. Planning was the most important part and definitely took a bit of time. Thanks so much for watching and for the support!

[@Tornadosigiloso]

Awesome video, very instructive

[@OhiChicken]

This weed got me feeling like I can do all this myself tonight despite not even being able to hold the flashlight straight for once.

[@guangleichen5789]

Hi Andrew, fantastic work, I have one question regarding the pink moisture barrier, when apply moisture barrier, that definitely helps keep the moisture outside of the room, protect the stud, etc., but does this make the moisture level in the brick/cinder blocks higher compare w/o barrier? if so, will the moisture barrier which keeps the moisture level high in the wall eventually damage the brick/cinder block wall in long run? Thanks!

[@matthewrigsby7753]

Great content! I have been looking for something like this because we have an unfinished basement to tackle. You broke everything down as well which is much appreciated!

[@AndrewThronImprovements]

I appreciate it, Matt! Thanks so much for the support and good luck with your projects!

[@evictioncarpentry2628]

Depending on your area, you probably need to have floating walls in your basement by code, due to slab shifting. The wall only gets connected to the baseplate by a couple 6 inch nails thru the wall framing.

[@Toriaemerald]

Great job🎉

[@AndrewThronImprovements]

Thank you!

[@DarrenAdamMarley]

Oh nice! Love this DIY.

[@Esianegg]

Since you painted backwards, I was wondering how long you have to wait before you can go up the stairs?

[@ChrisHodges87]

Incredibly helpful. Thank you for doing this.

[@AndrewThronImprovements]

Glad it was helpful, Chris! Thanks for watching 👍

[@ChrisHodges87]

This was more than helpful. It was inspirational. Rock on.

[@coltenbillinger5440]

@@AndrewThronImprovements was there any reason for not insulating the ceiling and walls? I’m just curious because I’m around that stage and I’m having issues wrapping my mind around it.

[@owenmercer5443]

Talk about code requirements, where are your nm connectors on the recessed light junction boxes?! Thats a good way to get a short a few years down the road

[@JitBinning]

This is cool i wanna do this to my basement

[@StorytimewithNANTHO]

Great video. so how long did it take you to finish it

[@JoelTheSaunders]

this is dope. great job, man

[@aquamedic8857]

Sorry if I missed it, what CAD planning software do you use?

[@chriszeien9112]

When I designed mine, I used Solidworks. Very simple to layout walls and ceiling grids.

[@bobromero2485]

Great job. Everything looks great.

[@AndrewThronImprovements]

Appreciate it!

[@lincolnselk2470]

Super helpful. Thank you!

[@RC.56]

What’s the deal with pulling a permit versus getting inspections? Will be piecing it together one step at a time, do we just get a plumbing inspected and then the electrical? Or must we pull permit before starting any work? I do not plan to submit final inspection while we’re living here, as to not pay the taxes in the increased square footage. What do people do?

[@SallyWally710]

This has been such a helpful install with my new home. Only question is what application do you use to draw these out? for example 3:06

[@sswilker]

He's using Sketch-Up free version

[@janae0907]

Excellent work!

[@d_wandering_wonderer]

Andrew, why did you chose to to ceiling tiles as opposed to drywall for the ceiling?

[@waytootightent3240]

Amazing work! Very helpful!

[@AndrewThronImprovements]

Thanks for watching! Glad it was helpful 👍

[@Caroline.Shalom]

You are amazing!!! Great job!!!

[@McKannon]

Commenting for the algorithm. Much love.

[@HannahMattox]

This was just in my recommended list, and I noticed the "magic eye" test on that 2x4. That's a number in the measure of a good builder. So if this video is as good as I'm hoping, I'll be a new sub by the end of it!

[@underscr0e]

I had so many warped boards from home depot, after framing I am paying for the warped boards at the drywall stage 😢. Can you fill in gaps between the drywall and framing with something like construction adhesive? I am afraid of cracking or screw pops if I don’t….seems so halfazzed. Also one of my prehungs from homedepot has a twisted and warped frame….I guess a guy has to be super picky at these stores. I didn’t think an mdf door frame could twist and bend so much, and its impossible to twist and bend back.

[@RiV_7]

You went with just R-5 for insulation? My code in Zone 5 would be R-5 + R-13 between the studs.

[@RC.56]

Do you have to get permit before starting? And why. I ordered lumber and hired a framer that was going to start, but delaying it to put up foam board and maybe get permit???

[@Mike-ky2sh]

How much you chose to not add insulation between the studs? I am placing 1” pink foam board and also R13 unfaced insulation between studs because of the foam board.

[@chriszeien9112]

Good decision.

[@SaycoPworrell]

Awesome.. like to do that to my floors too but im not sure whaat to do about my floor drain..

[@theybanthetruth4955]

But you are clearly a professional, this is more than DIY for a novice, I can do the drywall, but the stairs and wiring is beyond me.

[@CarterM54]

Just curious why you went over bare concrete instead of installing a subfloor, even if it were just Dricore panels?

[@TonyMartinez-c1f]

I love working making this help me for Jobs

[@gracefeist1851]

We are about to do ours! Is there a good way to waterproof the concrete walls before insulation? We had some water issues. We are having a drainage company come but want to make sure!! Great job!

[@seemssafe2995]

fill cracks with hydraulic cement. I was told not to add any membrane to the wall before the xps foam

[@PinaLazenby]

Woww! This is amazing!

[@CelestialCadences]

The basement clearly has had water issues. What did you do to address those first?

[@AndrewThronImprovements]

I had interior drain tiles and a sump pump installed!

[@Braddy_Daddy]

great job man, love all your builds

[@AndrewThronImprovements]

I appreciate you watching. Glad you like them!

[@ryannguyen8652]

well done, thanks for the vid! nice work!!

[@AndrewThronImprovements]

Thanks!!

[@rockhardwood6046]

What is the function of the concrete wall topping over the drywall? Why is that step needed?

[@TheMrSbain]

Any reason you didn't adopt the same insulation approach (flash and batt) for the joist bays?

[@pixilatedshots7569]

Do you have a hard book by chance I’d love to share this with my dad but he doesn’t use technology as much so an E book would be harder.

[@unboxingsynapses9261]

Is there supposed to be a gap between the wall frame and the Foamulator?

[@streamingwithangelo3793]

Great Job...thanks for sharing!

[@AndrewThronImprovements]

Thanks for watching!

[@An0nymous_L0gic]

I'm going to be finishing a basement with 5 large dogs. What should I use on the stairs to protect from scratches? I feel like it's going to need additional protection

[@AndrewThronImprovements]

I would put stair tread covers or a “sacrificial” carpet that you can just replace when you are trying to sell!

[@datoalavista581]

Thank you for sharing !

[@iscott1976]

Andrew love the videos…very informative. Quick question…I’m in the process of remodeling my basement here in the Northeast (New England) is there any benefit applying Drylok waterproofing paint and installing foam board (closed cell) to the basement walls. Water does not drain into the basement; however there are some spots on the walls that do have moisture after a heavy downpour.

[@AndrewThronImprovements]

Hi! I appreciate it! Drylock is hit or miss depending on who you ask. Some people swear by it and other say it “masks” the real issue and can potentially allow for mold and water to accumulate behind the layer of Drylock. There are a lot of different opinions on the matter online. For my basement, I paid a contractor to install interior drain tiles and a sump pump to permanently fix any water issues - but it was pricey. Good luck with whatever you decide!

[@johntillotson4254]

Great work