Thinking About Finishing Your Basement? Watch This First!

[@barbarautecht7376]

I feel like my dad just lectured me and I still have no idea what I did wrong

[@thetourminator]

LOL !

[@dominicherrera4610]

LolHahahahahaha

[@joedavis1427]

Lol

[@frankboehm591]

Same

[@yvonjasser]

I don’t want my basement anymore

[@PNW_Sportbike_Life]

Our house was built in 1925 and had a basement retrofitted in around 1960. It’s been finished since 1980 (maybe) and we just pulled up the carpet and pad, painted, replaced the MDF baseboards and put in some aqua seal laminate flooring. Thankfully, we didn’t notice any water damage, moisture issues/mold. Not likely it was ever really meant to be finished, but it was, and we took it to the next level. Now it’s the ultimate living room!

[@ShawnBo]

I scavenged for a comment like this- we want to build our 1938 out! I just figured no drywall, open space, laundry was already down there and we paint kilz everywhere 🤷🏽‍♂️

[@jh-nb]

This info is gold. We have a walkout basement built in 91. Our ejector pump went out and we had a sewage backup. After tearing up carpet we went to install lvp. In the middle of installing lvp a compression fitting failed and we had another flood in the same area. Pulled up lvp to make sure it dried well then put back down. I never had a basement growing up in the south. They have been nothing but water issues.

[@darrinfyfe7728]

My house was built in 2011 but I went for the dimple anyway. Our previous house had a few water incidents so it was just being super cautious. Also we got the tar coating and the dimpled membrane around the foundation. And we got the entire basement closed cell spray foamed (purple stuff) floor to joist including the overhang. Not worried about water that much anymore. Overkill? Sure, but peace of mind is priceless.

[@boozelord]

I've finished two basements using your dimple and 5/8 plywood subfloor. Works fantastic, and actually keeps the flooring relatively warm in the winter. Concrete basements are already wavy and not flat, Adding the sub floor system smoothes it out a little more. I've used vinyl planks on the sub floor with great results. Definitely recommend.

[@falsealarmno]

Hey. Did you build your stud walls 1st or did put your underlayment down and it stopped at the wall?

[@boozelord]

@@falsealarmno I built walls first. However if I would do it over again, built the sub floor first, build walls on top. Save you on pressure treated wood, less cuts for flooring. Just make sure your concrete anchors are long enough to go through bottom plate and through sub floor into concrete.

[@kristinastarchom.8696]

what if there is already tiles on the floor is that okay ?

[@brobins2207]

Jeff mentioned relative humidity, but did not dive into it....i have finished 3, 1970s basements, oldest about 20 years ago. Used foundation wrap on subfloor back then too. BUT, i also removed the humidifier from the furnace, and added cold air returns at the floor level in the basement. This ensured that the relative humidity remained more stable throughout the house, as the furnace and AC drew air from all levels of the house, ensuring better circulation. Better circulation gives better control over relative humidity. This made the basement space very liveable. I would suggest this to anyone finishing a basement. That first one i did 20 years ago, is now my cozy at home office for last 11 months, since there is four of us in school/working from home...do not regret any of the work I did.

[@Gerard1to]

I wouldn't recommend taking out humidifiers attached to furnaces like that.. people are most comfortable in 50% humidity and that needs to be controller via the humidistat. Removing that humidifier means that the house will be incredibly dry and that's not good either.

[@rjwohlman]

Holy s*** I am in the middle of finishing my basement and had a huge rainstorm that brought water in. This is super helpful thank you so much.

[@HomeRenoVisionDIY]

Glad I could help!

[@moisesshooter9]

@@HomeRenoVisionDIY Maybe go into the process of how you would finish a basement of your own? possibly part of your Farmhouse renovation!

[@SINSTER7THREE]

Check your down spouts

[@ThatTechJunkie]

@@SINSTER7THREE Thats the issue im having, Both spots that water is coming in, Is were the gutter is dumping...

[@Delekham]

@@moisesshooter9 HE can't! His basement is "Unfinished"! Geez, I wonder where all that moisture is going....He is starting to talk like a Politician! Edit: He did do it for a Deck! For his Farmstead...NOPE!! Flip and Sell is what he is looking at.

[@brolsonmusic]

My house was built in the 50s. It's got a fully finished basement with full bath and laundry, bedroom and family room. we don't have a sump pump in the basement, but we do have a backflow device installed in drain. It's dry down there and I keep my recording studio and guitars down there with humidity at a perfect 48 to mid 50s. (great for guitars) no mold, no leaks. Been there almost 5 years with no problems.

[@TRiggetyRex]

Im trying to build a place to store my guitars too. BR Olson do you run a humidifier a lot? I live in the NE USA

[@brolsonmusic]

@@TRiggetyRex I run a dehumidifier in the summer months that drains to my furnace room drain. I also use a whole house humidifier in the winter, but it's barely on. My basement stays right around 40-45% all year.

[@joelongtin7532]

We're fortunate in Minnesota. Our 1972 house's basement was built with rough in plumbing for a toilet; drain tile; water barrier; sump pump. But we did experience a blocked sewer line off the laundry, which led to a small flood in that room... We're going to install a heating element throughout with an inexpensive vinyl floating floor above it. Thanks for showing these layered subfloors. Really good advice!

[@Bree0074]

Same issue.... please let me how it goes ... gotta figure something out for mine as well. Thanks

[@gregsteller8074]

Did the heating element in the floor help dry the water events that happened?

[@Gerard1to]

A blocked sewer line? A sewer line is the main building drain that picks up all the drainage in your house and carries it to the municipal or private sewer system. If your sewer line is blocked then using any fixture in the house would eventually back up and overflow through a fixture in your basement. Get a camera in there to find the problem and a snake to clear the blockage if that's the issue. It might be something else completely.

[@jessicaf8307]

Single female homeowner with a fixer-upper and I just wanted to say thank you so much for your videos. You come up again and again for my projects. How to pick a good interior paint, deck staining, installing a new toilet, and more. I trust your advice above others. I think of you like my friendly Canadian uncle. :) Best.

[@PhunkyChikin]

Great vid! Before finishing your basement, consider these points: -Watch Jeff’s video. -tape 1 ft. square plastic sheet on your concrete and see if any moisture collects under it after a week or so. If not dry, there could be issues. -Make sure soil grade is sloped away from house all around, and drains in window wells are not clogged. -Install backup sump system, water powered or battery powered. -Instead of carpet or flooring, how about just painting the concrete?

[@nerdsunscripted624]

What about vinyl or similar flooring to get past the feeling of the cold concrete on your feet, if you want to make the space actually livable and not just “technically finished”?

[@scor440]

Could be issues….no there are issues get it right!

[@VanguardShags]

@@nerdsunscripted624 - That's exactly what I did four years ago when I purchased a 1942 house. After doing the taping down the clear plastic trick mentioned above (zero moisture in two weeks of testing in multiple spots) I cleaned the cement floor as much as possible then applied several coats of sealer to the concrete, added an additional cheap plastic moisture/vapor barrier and added snap-together luxury vinyl planks (entirely vinyl, with no organic materials). So far, so good - it looks great, and while still a little cold, it's much nicer than the cement.

[@bigben1194]

@@VanguardShags I'm purchasing a 1940 house soon, and it has a full basement. Did you get the walls waterproofed before you did the finishing? I'm watching this video to decide if I want to finish it or not lol

[@indoorsolutions7154]

@@bigben1194 well, it’s been a year…….sure hope u didn’t finish that old basement……you simply CAN NOT EVER!

[@KC-jq9kw]

I owned a home built in 1965, and that basement was as dry as a bone. Always. It was finished in wood paneling, had a full bathroom, laundry room, living room, and bedroom in the basement. It was built by Minonite people I was told by some elderly people who were there when the homes were built. I updated and improved everything. I redid the electric and plumbing from when it came into the home and through the home. New panel and everything. It was a very well built home.

[@viking6535]

If you don't have a vapor barrier under your slab, you can coat the floor with the waterproofing that's used for tile in shower surrounds. It's usually red or pink, it rolls on like paint. After it dries it's lke a rubber membrane. You can then put down flooring

[@Pressingontoperfection]

Is it called redguard

[@TheGoddessonfire]

Yes Red guard or Red seal membrane which everyone told us wasn’t necessary but we did it anyway.

[@keithboyd1157]

No, you can't.

[@BenGartner7]

@@keithboyd1157 curious, why not? Considering this for an area of the basement over which I plan to install rubber gym flooring

[@keithboyd1157]

@@BenGartner7 Depending on the age of your home, all houses need to breath, and most houses were built without paying attention to the ground water table beneath. if you cover your basement floor with a rubber sealant, you're basically forcing moisture to find a different spot in which to rise. That means it will make it's way up your walls due to hydrostatic pressure and you'll then have problems with mold growth on your basement walls, especially if they've been covered over too. Unless your house was specifically built with a waterproofing membrane prior to the concrete floor slab being laid, then you need two things for your basement, a dehumidifier and open space. Water pressure from beneath can crack your basement floor if you coat it with a rubberized solution, and that causes even more problems. By All means use a small area for a gym etc, but make sure the sub floor allows moisture to evaporate from beneath. Every now and then change position of the mats you use for the same reason.

[@medor6635]

Me.. almost crying 😭 watching your video! Last month my little girl was playing in a little plastic pool in my front yard, it broke from the middle with all that water rushing towards my late 80’s finished basement thinking nothing happening there..wrong!! Got flooded and damaged a lot of my music equipment. This video make so much sense on how things were built back in the time! Jeff, you’re truly the best. I’ve learned so much from your videos. 🙏

[@jule1121]

If water is rushing towards your house your yeard is graded in the wrong direction (it should be angled away from the house). Fixing that will go a long way :)

[@Belboz99]

The house I grew up in was built during the early '60s. We used the basement as a living space, basically an extra family room on half (laundry and mechanicals on the other). The way it was setup though, not by us but either built that way or by previous residents (we moved in in 1978) was that the walls had wood panel on studs, studs were anchored to foundation IIRC, no insulation. The main issue with water is that if you have water it's gotta be allowed to dry. Both of these products do that as you mention, but so does a bare concrete floor. So what we had were shag carpets thrown directly on the concrete. It was an annual ritual, sometimes 3-5x a year, to drag out all the shag carpet and shopvac the floor... up until we regraded the yard, putting in a retainment wall around the one side of the house, and some french drains that actually hooked up the neighbors gutters to run across our property, as well as our own... and we had the city fix a mulberry tree that was growing out of the sewer up the hill from us. But anyway... long story short... despite over 50 floods in that basement, neither the wood panels nor the studs ever rotted, because they were allowed to dry. That's the crux of the issue.. It doesn't matter so much if it can get wet, it matters if it can get dry.

[@tessapatsey1294]

U wouldn't by chance have lived in Michigan would ya lol I swear I read your comment and I kid u not exactly to the letter sounds like what we bought with the connecting neighbor drain system to the wood paneling on half the basement and laundry on other lol. Nice to see we weren't alone in feeling it worked for the time until it didn't which is where I'm now at.

[@mcg1119]

But what about mold? Carpet is a mold magnet. So are other materials (wood can grow mushrooms if there's panels or wood flooring,). This is the most sensible basement video. The water thing is important for the foundation, HVAC, etc.

[@ssquirrel88]

You forgot to mention the backdoor rubbing against a finished floor. House was built in 2006 walk out basement. Over 18 years never had water in the basement. I used the thinner 3/4 Dricore dimple because the bottom of my back door would rub a finished floor if over the insulated version. It has a R value of 1.4.

[@brianbanks3044]

i have a1987 home...i put just carpet down with padding and had 2 water events...both were sump pump failures...when I finished the walls with sheetrock a few yrs later, I had them install the boards 2 inches off the floor for such water events in future...so far so good...but a few keys to my reno, have a dehumidifier in basement, paint walls or put up barrier before sheetrocking, make sure weep holes are clear so water in wall/cinder blocks goes to drain tiles and not through the walls...make more weep holes if necessary because its hard to do once everything is done .....and finally, upgrade your homeowners insurance to cover flood damage caused by sump pump failure...i found it was well worth the extra money....thanks for the great videos

[@HomeRenoVisionDIY]

Don't forget 3 strikes and your out. Cheers!

[@brianbanks3044]

@@HomeRenoVisionDIY yeah, i got a back up for the pump, a new check valve and hopefully i only need the 2 strikes now....thanks

[@sanuvirsan6681]

I didn't even start yet, I am already having an Idea where I was going to F up the job. Thanks a million Jeff, cheers

[@Jadesky22]

i live in a house built in at least the 1950s maybe earlier.. my grandma had a fully finished basment added in the early 2000's - have to gut all the walls due to water management issues now - gotta get the foundation sealed up and see if anythings salvageable

[@davec.3198]

There is no such thing as a 'sealed' foundation. There are only foundations that seep some moisture and some that seep tons of moisture.

[@M1978-p8j]

Absolutely no guarantees. There are a lot of shit for brains contractors out there

[@apscoradiales]

@@davec.3198 If you waterproof the whole basement like in a tub, it won't leak. But, that will cost you more than the whole upstairs part of the house. We, as architects, "tub" entire large building like that, and they do not leak.

[@krakken-]

Just for a different reference point, 7 years ago I used the dricore subpanels to install a solid wood (oak) floor in a 1924 basement. I LOVE it. It's so much more comfortable, looks great, and feels very solid.

[@AdamEarl2]

To test if you have a vapour barrier, lay down a 6ftx6ft sheet of plastic on the bare concrete. Leave it for a few days. If moisture builds up under the sheet, you don’t have a vapour barrier

[@Real.Estate.Report]

Good advice Adam thanks for sharing

[@davec.3198]

Yes and no. Do this during the 'wet' season and you have some real data. If you do this on the driest week of the year in July/August, you have a bad sample.

[@brobins2207]

..and it is best to tape the plastic to the floor (creating a tight seal)

[@davidkirkham6497]

At what time of the year would this test be done?

[@natalieallard5120]

What If my concrete is painted. Will this stil work or will the paint itself work as a vapour barrier?

[@89dutchboy]

This video saved my bacon. Brand new house, builder did not install a vapor barrier under the concrete but did install rough in plumbing. At least I know what to do now.

[@dantemustdieee]

Jeff, you rule. I'm in the middle of refinishing my basement after a flood a couple of months back. In addition to the tips here, your other videos helped me convince my wife its okay to take on myself as long as she could wait a few months. I'm feeling like a pro because of you and saving thousands. Thank you.

[@ihasmax]

This hits home. Our last ~1970's home had a finished basement put in about 5-10 years before we bought it (so ~2005/10). Then we had a big rain and the whole carpet soaked and some of the drywall needed to be replaced. They did not put any subflooring down, the carpet and pad were attached directly to the concrete. Unsure exactly what the fault was but after a new sump pump backup and new drain tile put in that was an expensive reminder of what can go wrong, but at the same time it felt worth it for how awesome having a finished basement was. With our new house we are being much more diligent about water remediation in the basement if we decide to finish more of it out (it had roughed in plumbing and a cheaply finished smaller portion which makes me optimistic it can be done).

[@kris580]

As someone who wanted to finish a basement of 1933 house... thank you for this reality check. It’s not what I wanted to hear, but needed to hear. Now looking into building out instead of down. We will keep our unfinished basement for storage only!

[@Hello-zf5lq]

Not even storage - mold spores will settle on yourself things and spread through the house and you will get exposed to more mold than you regularly do

[@kris580]

@@Hello-zf5lq Thanks for the heads up. We keep all our storage in plastic bins (no cardboard) and it's all raised up off the ground. Thankfully there is no mold (that we know of). We've been in the house for two months now and seems that (a little) water comes in along one wall when we get super heavy rain. Cleaned out the gutters and plan to regrade the soil along that 4' stretch of wall. Hoping the basement will stay dry after that! We continuously run a dehumidifier as well. No mold, knock on wood!

[@mommychrissy]

Same 🤦🏿‍♀️ guess will get a shed house back

[@ShawnBo]

Our house is 1938 but I don’t see any evidence of water.. I didn’t want to go to crazy, just paint kilz everywhere in white and throw a couple of shelves down there. It was also plumbed for a shower down there- so I’m quite confused tbh

[@quirt70]

Perfect timing for me to see this video. We just purchased a house and I noticed a bit of mold in one the basement walls, turns out the previous owner put down an underlay and then really cheap laminate, it absorbed moisture of course. Underneath the underlay it was all mold, the entire floor. Scrubbed it all with bleach and now running with a blank slate except the walls are all built. Thx Jeff

[@Din3sama]

My house was built in 1950 and when I bought the house the basement was half finished. Probably in 1970 like you said with wood paneling and a drop ceiling. I am wanting to refinish the finished side and your videos are so helpful!

[@ashleymarie1512]

We bought our home that has a sub pump and is half finished. We are making water corrections outside and inside the home to push water away. The home was built in 1950. We also use dehumidifiers. Thanks for the sub floor help because we want to use tile

[@jender7]

Spot on! Bought a house 3 years ago in Naperville IL. The house was built in the 50’s. The owner had finished the basement and upon inspection , and luckily before purchasing the home, we found considerable mold/water damage throughout, behind the walls, under the sub floor, etc. We had the owners pay to gut the basement and rehab/ remediate before we purchased. Honestly, I don’t think I’d fully finish a basement period, regardless of year built. Anyways, just my experience and as always, great video.

[@tiffanymackey2382]

We recently bought a 1958 house and have considered finishing the basement down the line, so this was very helpful! Thank you!

[@tobysarsi6864]

Thank you for this video. My parents house was built in 1972 and was unfinished. Then they hired a contractor to make it finished and over the years we had basement flooding events due to ground water rising above the single sump pump pit and we had a huge, long basement. So we had hired a waterproofing company and they put in 2 additional sump pits and pumps and connected them all with black tubing and jackhammered the concrete to connect all the pits with the tubing that was laid in gravel. The waterproofing worked, thank goodness. And we run a dehumidifier and that works wonders to remove the moisture and prevent mold from forming on everything. So you speak the absolute truth Jeff!

[@miketalley505]

Also was raised in a house that was built in the 1930’s, just carpet on cement floor, wood on walls, a bar made out of wood, was perfect for 40 years, then the basement flooded. But it worked for us for 40 years.

[@dougtaylor2803]

Me too. When my parents bought the house it was divided in to 3 apartments, with the owner occupying the basement and the house was built circa 1932. My parents rented the second floor apartment and we occupied the ground floor and our bedrooms and a 3 piece bath were in the basement. They had a guy put down a sub-floor that held up for many years and we lived there very comfortably; in fact, the basement was nice and cool on hit summer nights.

[@korzhikqwe]

Thanks!

[@louiemoscatel585]

I live in the basement and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with me. I sleep in a giant ziplock bag. I have a central vac hose tuck taped inside the bag that ends upstairs. Saved a ton on renovating.

[@designlife4living547]

Haha

[@austinhubatch6070]

House was built is 96 so I'm moving forward with my winter project. Lmaoo. Helpful video. Thank you for being a real one.

[@viperman300]

Nicely done! Facts first, even for some that don’t want to hear them! So many repeat the mistakes that we’ve learned years ago and replaced all sorts of finished basement materials more than once.

[@lynnees9828]

I agree 100%. I live in an 1868 farmhouse with a dirt floor cellar and the best I can hope for is less water and not waterproof. I'd like to install a better sump pump and drainage around the cellar. And possibly trench a better footing piece for the metal beams attempting to halt the middle settling. The problem is it would always dry out during certain times but with this weather the last years we get too much rain now. Plus we now have to remove a tree that is too close as the root system has entrenched under it. It has a stone foundation which weeps but that is normal and for the most part was built well.

[@kaelshade4275]

I honestly appreciate your advice on this matter. I wanted to finish my basement. With your advice and my current knowledge of the house, I now know that it isn't meant to be finished. You have saved me work and money.

[@daniellefunderburg9277]

Me too.

[@Phantomworks666]

My house was built in the 60s, I might put some carpet tile down there and paint the cinder block… but that’s it. It isn’t built to be finished.

[@buckguy7684]

I put carpet in part of my basement without padding. Before I put it in I did the test where you tape a piece of plastic to the floor to see if moisture collected under the plastic and have never had a moisture problem

[@kurtisnimmert7555]

I currently live in a basement apartment that was a new renno and this just blew my mind. It explained so much of the problem I am experiencing

[@Hello-zf5lq]

You are breathing in mold and maybe radon, so you may get fatigue mental problems breathing issues and skin issues

[@dcary2772]

I feel like you are a friend. After only a few videos. Thanks for what you do.

[@HomeRenoVisionDIY]

Just trying to help folks. Cheers!

[@MarkFrankos]

Super thorough. I’m almost done refinishing a partially below grade basement that was finished in the 1960’s and redone in the 1980’s with most of the mistakes made that are mentioned in this video. Spent the past two years slowly studying the space, addressing the water issues and learning the best materials and procedures and he has checked every box to address in this video. I do enjoy the goofy humor mixed in with the comprehensive tips. One of my favorite construction/renovation channels...

[@gregdubya1993]

I did the same thing. I decided I was going to finish the basement. So I fixed gutters, did grading, checked moisture and humidity levels constantly through all seasons, did interior waterproofing and after almost 3 years I finally pulled the trigger and finished the basement.

[@KingArtexerxes]

My house built in mid 1950’s. A tri-level with a smaller basement. I’ve had various water issues over the years. It’s where my furnace, water heater, and washer/dryer is. I’ve had a deadman installed outside with rods holding a wall in place so it doesn’t collapse on me, about 14 years ago. There is one floor drain. Ceiling and walls are all exposed without coverings. After replacing washer and dryer, I’m slowly adding square vinyl tiles to where they are and slowly expanding out from there. I plan to add shelves and use it for a pantry storage.

[@junkman7426]

I agree with him on "Not finishing a basement in an old house." I live in Detroit and have a 1921 tudor revival. It's 3500sqft with a 1300sqft basement. Walls are brick. There is a toilet room in the basement that is original. You can tell because the bead board walls match the rest, paint is leaded, and the the toilet tank was mounted to the wall! There are a few load bearing brick walls near the center and a few bead board partition walls. I hate storage, and tend to get rid of things I don't use, so my basement has a lot of open space. The boiler room is massive, and I have built a work bench and cabinets. It's essentially a workshop for maintaining and repairing the house and building furniture and stuff. One of the other rooms I turned into a speakeasy style bar. I ran wiring for a fridge and some lights. Everything through the ceiling/floor joists. I have a weight bench in another space and another room is a wine cellar for the bar. There is a large gas boiler that burns up all the humidity in the basement in the winter. In the summer I have a dehumidifier that runs almost all the time and keeps the humidity between about 40-50%. In spring, if we have had a lot of snow fall, the water table rises and sometimes I will get 1-2 inches of ground water in the sump areas of the floor. It does not get all the way up to the walls or boiler thank goodness. I will be digging and installing a sump pump to run in the spring to keep the water table down around my foundation. Another thing, when I first moved in someone had put down a big roll of that cheap vinyl flooring. I pulled it up and the bottom was covered in mold. Obviously I threw it away. I would not try and seal the floors or walls from the inside. The moister HAS to escape the masonry somehow. If you paint or epoxy your brick walls, the bricks will start spalling. For the floor I may put down some shellac to make it easier to sweep and clean as it does allow moister to pass throw it. I like the red brick in my basement, they a decorative and add to the "secret speakeasy" feel to the bar. If you have a home built in 30s to 80s, you might have cinder block. One think I might look into if you don't like the block, an option might be to to use lime plaster right over the cinder block. If there is heavy water intrusion it will fail, BUT if its just light moister from soil, the plaster might allow it to breath enough. Historically, plaster was applied directly to rough masonry and this COULD be a solution for a breathable "finished" look for your walls. I've seen plaster directly over old stone basement walls. You can add pigment to the plaster if you would like to give it a color. I would advise to NOT paint it as this again may lock in moister and cause damage. Just my experience with old basements.

[@erichsh58]

Have you ever used a product called DryLock? A contractor applied it to the cinderblock walls in the unfinished part of my basement but he didn't bother to reach behind the hot water heater to finish the job - as I discovered a few months ago after a very heavy rain.

[@Hello-zf5lq]

@@erichsh58 my basement had a white paint on the walls, I assume it was Drylock paint. That basement eventually got mold due to plumbing leaks, but the walls would seep effervescence anyway despite the what I assume was Drylock. My advise is to let a pre 1980s basement alone - don’t paint or seal the walls, floor, or store things. Leave it for the plumbing pipes and the after heater and furnace.

[@daisyortiz8099]

I have an attached home and have never had water issues (that i know of). no sump pump. basement has panelling and concrete floor. i have to keep this in mind if i get a contractor in to redo it at some point. Yes, there is a half bath down there but it doesn't get used.

[@OptimusPater87]

The first 2-3 minutes of this video is the best summarization I've seen in a while.... and is the reason my wife and I are subscribed now. Thank you! We'll be watching a ton of your vids as we work through our own basement finish.

[@josephheidelberg1774]

All I came here was for ideas and I somehow got yelled at by my dad.

[@DyAnnMarie]

Same 😢 And my older brother

[@OptimusSatanas]

Just commenting for the algorithm, jeff! Keep it up, brother. You have so many people who dont bother to comment but who benefit from your videos immensely. Remember that!

[@HomeRenoVisionDIY]

I appreciate that!

[@learningasigo1269]

So true! I am busy reading all the comments. I learn a lot from the comments also.

[@OptimusSatanas]

@@learningasigo1269 Would you say you are learning as you go? lol

[@learningasigo1269]

@@OptimusSatanas yes🤣

[@andy.puempel]

Thanks for the insights, Jeff. Always find your content interesting and useful. Nicely done!

[@MTU5oh]

1985 house, 8” concrete walls with water proofing on the outside. Probably no vapor barrier underneath the concrete floor itself. I just put down DMX 1 step with LVP flooring. Also helps to run a dehumidifier in the summer months to keep it comfortable down there.

[@SC-vg7tq]

Hi there, we are about to install DMX 1 step in our basement. I was originally thinking of putting laminate planks on it simply because laminate is thick in comparison to the vinyl planks. How is your floor now that you are done? With the DMX floating, and your vinyl planks floating, how does your floor feel underfoot? Is it firm, or springy? Is it cold? Do you have any regrets? I'm on the fence now wondering if I should put plywood over the DMX with tapcon screws into the concrete or if that is overkill. To float or to fasten... I don't want to spend extra $ if the DMX 1 step and flooring alone are comfortable enough.

[@tbarbuto2345]

@@SC-vg7tq The problem with laminate is susceptibility to warping if and when a water event occurs.

[@mhaas88]

I really appreciate your videos. We just bought a house and while we haven't done much in the way of renovation we definitely are more informed about what "traps" to look out for and generally feel we can have more informed conversations for the projects that we contract in. Thanks so much for all of your content!

[@McbrydeWithaY]

This man straight up attacking every house in Utah lol

[@colettedyewilliams2169]

Old house built before 1970😢

[@AlexB-op7kb]

Ha so many short basements

[@mawage666]

I am only 4 and a half minutes into this video and I think you just saved me 10's of thousands of dollars! My house was built in 1963 and although I never had the intention of "totally" finishing the basement, I did had the non laundry room side carpeted because the concrete floor was so cold in the winter. (The walls and ceiling have never been "finished" just brick walls and open studs for the ceiling). I recently got rid of the carpet because my old roommate's cats ruined it over several years. And the wood strips around the edges are very rotted in some spots. Probably because there is no moisture barrier under the concrete. However I have never had an issue with flooding or water damage of any kind. But I'm still going to watch the rest of this video...

[@ChadEnglishPhD]

Good advice, but I'd also like add a middle option. I have a 120 year old house with a dirt basement and mix of wall materials. I'm not looking to turn it into contemporary style living space, but rather keep it's function as is but give it tidy aesthetics. It has beat up walkways on the floor, storage shelves, a tool bench and shelves, and a small home gym with steel weight bench and weights. Everything that has settled will settle. We know it's mostly bone dry and at worst a little soft wet dirt in one corner, even in the worst Ottawa flooding. (Yes, we're in the area down the Valley a bit, and at the top of a hlll. It even had timber joists which have a beautiful aesthetic. I plan to turn it into a functional, clean, rustic looking basement. I'll need something on the dirt; maybe patio stores or put in a cement floor, paint the cinder blocks, maybe a wall or two to separate the utilities from worship. Clean up the ducts and wires. I would call this more of going from a rats nest basement to a semi-finiahed, aesthetic and functional basement, but not a living space. Nothing that can't get wet will be near the floor, even though it doesn't enough water to do any damage. That's a DIY reno I don't much of. I think it's the best we can do with this old basement.

[@stephane184]

Home built in 2001 in eastern canada. Townhome. 12 years ago, I put in dricore subfllor, then laminate. Basement was already builder finished with carpet and underpad. Ripped it all up. Thought I was doing the right thing. Fast forward to today, I got musty smell between the dricore and laminate. I ripped up the floor in one section to inspect, the dricore I installed (bought from home depot) DOES NOT have air gaps carved on the underside. Solid blue foam. So no way for vapor to circulate and dry out. Now I'm looking at ripping up the entire floor and starting over.

[@timothyzandi75]

I would just like to say thank you for making honest, No B.S., and educational videos. I’ve recently bought a house that was built in 1941, gutted to the stud and a full renovation in the last 5 years. Your drywall videos alone, have been extremely helpful and your other videos (painting, trim, etc.) have helped me see/correct issues in my home and they’ve also assisted me in my craft as a stationary engineer. If you ever comes across renovating a garage for a comfortable workspace...I would love to see it (currently renovating my garage starting by taking it down to the studs, pulling the 14g wire and running 12-2 Romex, insulating with faced mineral wool, and installing/finishing drywall for the first time). If you have any tips or issues I look out for-I would be grateful for anything and everything. Thank you again for all the information, and step-by-step tutorials that save us all; time, frustration, arguments with significant others, and money!

[@Grammapama]

Timothy Zandi we insulated the attic of our garage and accidentally turned it into a squirrel condo. The electronic rodent repellents worked

[@robertcarpenter622]

Just wanted to say that I love the videos you make. No BS and very informative.

[@immeasurablymore]

Great, my house was built in 1919....so imma pretend that I didn't just watch this.... :p

[@Chris-wv8vx]

Mine was made in 1925 😭I’m going to do the same, never saw this 😂

[@vanderumd11]

@@Chris-wv8vx I hate when I deal with clients whose children or whoever lived in the basement come back years later with breathing problems. I've had to gut so many basements in the last two years

[@UnNamedPotato]

Half of mine was in 1890, zero water issue whatsoever. The other half was built sometime between now and then and currently has a moisture problem.

[@jackiichavez2468]

mine was build in 1879 sooooooooo...

[@jackiichavez2468]

@@UnNamedPotato my contractor said we can finish our basment and its a 1870 home. i'm starting to question if i should just leave it.

[@KingSobieski]

1919 house. Replaced windows to crank styles. Did the walls with cement stucco color coat. Epoxy floors. Tile baseboards and trim. No gypsum or mdf.

[@GNWJNO]

I was looking to renovate my basement to accommodate my elderly mom but thanks to this video I know that my house is too old and not meant for renovation.

[@K.sant01]

I’m a Gc You can finish any basement it. Just have to make sure you got water and moisture control.

[@tedkrapf1302]

Hey Jeff, I used your DMX+OSB method in our basement finishing, and it came out awesome. I also took your advice and got a Bosch SDS machine (I opted to buy instead of rent), and what an AWESOME tool that is. In fact, most of our basement finishing project has been based on your videos and channel -- everything from mudding to properly cutting in when painting. Keep up the awesome work! We can't thank you and your team enough for sharing your knowledge and wit!

[@pattyg4899]

I also use DMX to finish my basement. All 5 albums!

[@tone1585]

@@pattyg4899good dad joke

[@metalmarty3948]

I moved into my house in 1998 and it was built in 1977 with roughed in plumbing in the basement and have had a finished basement for years. Never had any water issues. it's time to upgrade the basement which is why I checked out this vid. Guess it depends where you live. I live in Winnipeg Manitoba. In the area I live, most of the houses were built around the same time and all have finished basements. I used sub floor in my daughter's bedroom which was also built in the basement and it turned out great.

[@scottbitz5222]

Very interesting and good info to know. Thanks! My wife and I own a home with a cinderblock basement that was built in 1960 a mile from Lake Michigan (the water table is extremely low as there is a quarry basically just across the street) in the US and it was completely finished when we bought it. Considering we have a 3/4 bath down there and a large sump pump, your video informs me that the basement was (probably) actually prepared to be at least partially finished. As well, thankfully, except with heavier rains (or snowmelt) the humidity before I got a small dehumidifier (undersized, but what we could afford at the time, but rarely goes above 50% most of the time) when the humidity spike up to 70% sat around 48-55% and didn't smell like a damp basement at all. Of course, that all changed last year in August when we did get a bit of water in there because the east wall has shifted inwards about 1 in at the sill level and only figured this out because of the Derecho we had come through that dumped tons of water on us and exposed this issue that the previous owner likely didn't know about because his father passed and his mother had dementia. This means I've gotta decide what we're going to do after that wall is braced, fully waterproofed, and drain tile updated in that area will guarantee that wall will not be an issue. Of course, because of the amount of water (only enough to make the carpet damp) and no water since the, so only the 1 wall had to be completely demoed and the rest have been left, however, I know it was framed terribly and has ugly wood paneling, but I don't want to spend the time and money to demo and reframe it if it's not going to be worth it, which quite likely might not be the case based on what you're telling me here... Might just be better to talk to our realtor before we do more than fix it...

[@AKADriver]

My house is in the too old category... too late, the previous owner did it already! I needed to see this, though. I've improved the water management over what the previous owner did, installing a big cast iron zoeller sump pump, but this has just reinforced my resolve to move my 'covid office' upstairs rather than attempting to fix the finishing mistakes they made.

[@rkenley84]

Great video Jeff! People really need to understand the water migration effects of a basement. I installed the DMX/subfloor combo in my basement even after I added new internal drain tile and sump pump. 1970ish home with evidence of water infiltration already. I have no worries that my basement components will remain dry even if water does find its way up through the floor or foundation walls.

[@schaefferwoodland1111]

I like this guy, he knows how to explain stuff really well.

[@Adam-fo8gr]

Jeff, thanks so much for what you do. You are my go-to for anything DIY! Keep up the great work, you really are making a difference!

[@treynolds94]

We bought a house this year with a full partially finished basement. The house was built in 1927 but they have recently put water proofing around the outside. The foundation is concrete not stone there is no moisture it was mostly drywalled except a wall that was expose concrete. I just recently put up a wall over the concrete with insulation and vapour plastic. Just kind of want to finish it up cheaply not super expensive but just an extra hangout space to watch a hockey game etc. Iam young and I feel learning how to do framing and drywall and other projects the basement is a good spot to learn.

[@HomeRenoVisionDIY]

great idea. if you want to make it more enjoyable then i suggest using vinyl flooring with an area rug on top. that way you stop the transfer of moisture through the concrete floor which will not have a vapor barrier and have an easy to clean space DIY!

[@3587karl]

Wow, the first half of your video revealed to me the best cost effective solution for my basement - a dehumidifier. My house I purchased last year is a 1924 bungalow. Last month I finally started to investigate minor moisture issues in the partially finished portion of the basement. I took down a painted layer of paneling, another older layer of paneling, and finally an ancient layer of drywall (all installed by previous owners). I also discarded the termite and moisture damaged portions of the wall studs. I was wondering what I can use to re-seal the cement block walls. I realize now without a moisture barrier on the outside, resealing the concrete would not last, the moisture will eventually force it way through the pores of the cement. A dehumidifier seems to be the lowest cost method to deal with the moisture without breaking the bank. I have no intention on finishing the basement. Currently, there's only a laundry area, my diy workshop area, and a storage area (where the layers of paneling and ancient drywall is).

[@deannawilson3131]

Dehumidifiers and fans will help a lot! We had some flooding issues before we installed a waterproofing system and surprisingly when we tore out drywall it wasn't super moldy like I had expected it to be because we always ran our Dehumidifier and fans to keep things dry/moisture free. Even now we will still keep our Dehumidifier as a 2nd layer of precaution

[@dushk0]

Most cost effective is spend all on the main floor and leave the basement alone.

[@3587karl]

@@deannawilson3131 Thanks for the info. I figured I should get a dehumidifier for the basement, especially one with a drain line to run to the sink. Do you recommend any particular brand/model?

[@deannawilson3131]

@@3587karl Don't really have any specific recommendations. I'm sure you don't need to spend an arm and a leg on one and maybe see what size works best for the amount of space/square footage in our basement. The one that we have the previous owners left us. They had put all the money into making the upstairs night and now we are doing the same for the basement since our upstairs is only 980 sq ft

[@samston]

I love the light go board. Its light and easy to lift. Don't matter what , u can still make your basement look nice. I got carpet and a chandelier in my basement.

[@deerogatory]

We are shopping for homes in a white hot market right now. This video told me I need to ask questions about that fancy basement in that old home that's been remodeled. Thank you!

[@Real.Estate.Report]

He is always so helpful!

[@boreduser12]

I just want to put something on the concrete floor to make it soft to walk on and easy to clean. Like the soft tiles for children. What can I put underneath these soft tiles to prevent mold buildup? I am not going to put it around the corners and edges so there is room for it to air. House is built in the 60s.

[@ToanDuy]

I just want to add that I think your videos are extremely helpful, especially for the "should I do this or not?" phase of renovation. Much appreciated.

[@thepracticalantiquarian3794]

Love this guy. Best DIY home renovation advise... with a great attitude!!

[@txshah78]

Jeff really knows what he is talking about. He is knowledgeable builder.

[@cathyseeley91]

I think you are so good at explaining what needs to be done! No “Dad” vibes, just years of experience

[@SaturdayNiteSpecial]

I’m so happy I found your channel Jeff!

[@gr8vocl]

Well, my house was built THIS YEAR and has a basement .... it's frames, drywall in the ceiling and plumbing for bathroom, kitchen and washer & dryer - and a dehumidifier ..... Excited to finish it

[@grabasandwich]

Two minutes and fifty seconds in, and I'm already wanting to sell my house that we've lived in for 13 years. You described it perfectly. 1979, styrofoam/drywall halfway down (frost line?) that the last owner left in place when he finished the basement in the late 90s 🙄 The studs are only 2x2s... I could go on and on, but there's no point. Great video though!

[@rnupnorthbrrrsm6123]

Same here ! I took down the paneling years ago of one “finished” room thinking I would put up sheet rock....hahahaha well one thing leads to another....the white 1”foam came out, the framing was 4’ apart so needed more added but it was an odd size so nothing matched, out it came, the plastic vapor barrier had sand behind it so of course out it came.......I just wanted to put up sheet rock and now I have a totally gutted room 🙄 Luckily it’s so sandy here I don’t have water leaks but it’s musty and damp in summer, I’ve painted with dry lock and there it sits ! I think I better become a member so I can get help from him 🤔

[@Langooney]

My place was built in 91. In winter I can walk on basement cement floor in bare feet and it isn't cold (I live in Quebec). I think i'm gonna be ok to finish

[@holyirishman]

Hey jeff. What type of sub flooring do you recommend in a basement that the concrete is sloped towards a central drain? Is there a way to maintain the slope for drainage and also get the subfloor relatively level to accommodate vinyl?

[@xeonzero1]

This question needs an answer.

[@intolerant_left]

Also, my house was built in 43 and has a drain in the basement.. and the basement was half finished when we bought it

[@Nellopi22]

@HomeRenoVision Diy

[@Sheila-cm4jy]

O thank you Mr. RenoVision you just explained so clearly why my 1978 basement construction was not inferior just dated. And yes, we finished a space that I wish we hadn't, except one area serves as a laundry/craft room and it's quite nice. The flooring over the concrete is glued down linoleum (sheet vinyl) and holds back moisture well. I fight efflorescence in the ;painted floor concrete in other areas of the basement however.

[@SharpStudios0]

wow this make so much sense and is so informational. I lived in a house built in the 50s for over 20 years. I lived in the downstairs which was technically a basement because the windows were half below the ground level. Every Spring when there was heavy rain the crawl space would always flood. We tried everything over the years, re cementing the crawlspace, filled the gaps around the house, tried sandbags along the back walls. One Summer we tore up the old tile that was down there and underneath was a bunch of water and black mold( smelt terrible) makes so much sense why my feet were always cold down there. Never even thought about all the stuff you point out but ill for sure never live in a house that old ever again.

[@guineapig55555]

how is your breathing these days

[@jmacindc]

I have a townhome built in 1972 with a finished room......which is where i discovered my water intrusion. This is going to be exciting.

[@justindekock7211]

Me: living in the basement of my house that was built in 1955

[@doloreszamora5126]

C K. Nick c NC n ccm. "Cc. C

[@paperwait9611]

this is a good presentation that explains well the sources of water and humidity in basements. a fourth source of humidity in basements (possibly more significant than humidity infiltration through concrete basement walls) is air infiltration, which brings with it the humidity in the outside air. basements were, to an extent, designed to be leaky because the old 80 afue gas furnaces relied on basement air for combustion.

[@janetharnwell7221]

That’s me Jeff, in Australia we don’t have basements but I always enjoy your videos.

[@Real.Estate.Report]

Same here Janet!

[@matthewlewis5631]

I wish we had basements. Crawl spaces are such wasted spaces - just escalate down and make it into a proper basement!

[@susangrande8142]

Dear Jeff, thank you so much for this !!! I have an almost 100 year-old house, and I just want to install a wool washing setup in my basement (kind of like a kitchen: a sink, counter, and a hot plate), in the “room” with the big floor drain in it. The floor is very wavy, old concrete. I doubt the house has ever had a serious water issue, but it certainly has no water vapor proofing, nor vapor barriers. (We run a dehumidifier continually in the summer.) I’m now considering a water-friendly leveling system of some sort, to preserve the floor’s sloping toward the drain, and still having level floor that I can stand on, like a subfloor on waterproof, thin joists that can hold up a level floor. Surely such a thing already exists; I’m certainly not the first person to want to do this...

[@muprock]

Good intro! I think the ROI really depends on the market and individual project, but definitely something to consider carefully. Thanks for the good info. I learned a lot. Thumbs up.

[@HomeRenoVisionDIY]

Absolutely!

[@douggauzy6258]

You are speaking truth ! I have a 92 year old house . Had to put in drain tile and a sump Pump . Can be a money pit . Nothing is square and true .

[@trackdork444]

My basement has a door to the backyard. I really want to finish out the basement. Thinking of leaving the concrete and sealing it and the walls.

[@alfredot.8426]

You're completely right

[@OAGCougar21]

It'd like to think that the "discipline of basement building" serves for southern building as long as the methods are applied " at zero level" based on the property. Excluding plumbing because of elevation/ vacuum, but vapor barrier and water proofing disciplines still are relevant.

[@toddday4314]

Good video on a complex topic, moisture management in the finished basement. One note on the notion of putting subfloor down first then walls. Check your local codes as ours want walls framed with PT base +1-1/2" gap to wall bottom plate for conc. heaving management and putting on top of sub floor panels like these is a no-go.

[@skyline5354]

I know you’ve done other videos about basements but I like how you did this one where you break it down in segments. Maybe another video you can do it about framing/drywall/insulation - vapor barrier or no vapor barrier etc

[@ecospider5]

A vapor barrier is for dealing with water vapor. If there is any chance of actual water getting into a place like a wall you want no vapor barrier because that will just slow the drying.

[@domg842]

This is why I made sure to have a proper french drain installed , new sub pump, in nj we had like 6 days of rain, heavy too and alot of peoples basements got flooded out and mine was bone dry, sub pump was working, but the french drain did its job well especially that basement is cinderblocks, was a must before even thinking about moving towards finishing basement, wasnt cheap though was about 6500$ cash

[@peteyv]

Hopefully you installed a “sump” pump and not a “sub” pump…..

[@PugAshen]

Couldn't sleep (3 AM here..). So just in time, Jeff. Giving me something to watch to get me relaxed :-)

[@HomeRenoVisionDIY]

Good night

[@themonopolyguy8126]

I’m glad he was so honest...and informative

[@erwinmccallum8689]

What about partial finishing (and walls) in an older house? I have a hobby room in my basement. I don't need carpeting or flooring in there. (Nor do I want it, for "being sloppy with paint and other messy hobby materials" reasons.) But I would like to insulate the exterior foundation to maybe make it a bit warmer in the winter, and perhaps put up some walls as well. Not necessarily drywall, but something sturdy enough I can hang shelving on, and make the room feel less like a dungeon, I do spend a lot of time in there on weekends. But it's very difficult to find info on such a thing, as almost all information on doing any work in basements is related to fully finishing them into living spaces, which is not my intent.

[@73Tracker73]

Have you considered adding on a room, instead? Or building a heated shed for your hobby area?