Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Finishing the basement

Our house runneth over with toys and items that need to be placed neatly on shelves...so we are finishing the basement!  I can't tell you how excited I am...


We've decided to contract the jobs out ourselves to find the best prices.  If you don't have access or time to do this, general contractors are the way to go.  But if you are in the market to finish your basement and would like to hire it out yourself, I'll show you the steps to take to do it!  There will be a post for each job that needs to be done to help you decide the best options!

To get started, you'll want to draw out a floor plan of how you'd like your basement finished. 


Here's a checklist of the main jobs that need to be contracted out in order of when they need to be done...

1.  Framing
2.  Heating/Air ducts
3.  Electrical work
4.  Plumbing

***Near the beginning of the project you'll want to get a building permit from your city.  After the plumbing is done they will come in and inspect along with a few other times throughout the building process.

5.  Insulation
6.  Drywall, mud and tape (texturing the walls)
7.  Painting
8.  Carpeting/flooring
9.  Finish work (moldings, shelving in closets, cabinets etc. - some of this could and should be done before flooring)

...and not to forget the best part...decorating the space!  I'm so excited to share the info I'm learning about this process to give you the opportunity to do it too!

4 comments:

  1. What a project! Excited to follow along with you as you go.

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  2. i know this is so random! i LOVE your blog it is the first thing i look at when i get into work every morning! I just thought i would let you know if you haven't found anyone to do the framing work on your basement, my husband works for kodiak builders for 5 years and does basments on the side. I would love to ask him a price since he is doing them on the side i know it would be super cheap! if your interested let me know :)

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  3. Hip, hip hooray! I am excited to see this basement project unfold. Great info!

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  4. Hi JJ...let me know if that's your first name so I have it right :) We have found a framer...too bad I didn't start talking about this a week ago :) Thanks for letting me know though! We appreciate your support!

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