Basement job 9...carpet

The last thing to finish is the carpet and flooring and you are ready to move in! 

We went through Wholesale Flooring in Lindon (801.796.7222).  When making your budget for the basement give yourself a good cushion for the carpet...you won't regret spending a little bit more on it!  We bought a thicker pad and the higher level of carpet (it comes in a 1, 2, 3 etc.) which makes it soft and cozy! 

 I really like the color and will work well with kids!

For the playroom we went with a vinyl product that looks like hardwood.  It was a little more expensive than most vinyl, but I wanted it to look nice without having to worry about my kids dropping their toys on wood and chipping it.  So this was a great alternative and I love how it looks. 

It's so nice to walk down to a finished basement!  As a recap, here's the list of our sub contractors if you are looking to be your own general contractor!  I highly recommend them all for price and work!

Framing and finished carpentry...Kevin Madsen, 801-850-7839
HVAC...Holmes Heating and Air, 801-768-4151
Plumbing...Austin Headrick, 801-209-4870
Drywall and texture...RCI Drywall, 801-420-7905
Paint...Petersen Painting, 801-766-6685
Flooring...Wholesale Flooring, 801-796-7222

**We really like our electrician too but he's a friend and isn't necessarily looking for extra work :)

Our total cost was about $17 a square foot to finish.  This is definitely reasonable and so worth the money for the extra space!

I hope this information will help you in your basement projects!  I'd love to hear from you when you finish yours! 

Finishing touch

We added a few extras to the basement that really enhanced the space... 

Our finish carpenter, Kevin Madsen, did the wood beam.  We had a plywood support beam there...so instead of drywalling and painting around it, we wrapped it in knotty alder and had it stained (by the painters).

My talented husband did the brick wall!  I had a vision for what I wanted and it turned out great!  My brother in law is a brick mason and helped us track down the brick...old, reclaimed and perfect for the basement!  We had to cut it pretty thin for it to be flush with the trim around the wall and luckily it held together for the cuts. 

McKay is interested in helping other people add finishing touches like this to their homes if you are interested.  I'm so happy with the finished product! 

When finishing a basement or any space, find at least one way to make it unique and personalized.  It will make you happy everytime you walk in!

Basement job 8...Paint

Now our basement is really feeling finished!  It's crazy to think a few small projects and carpet and we can use the space!  The painters finished up this week...

I really like the tan and soft white colors used throughout my house so I kept it the same for the basement...Crab Apple (tan) and Wash Basin (white) by Ralph Lauren.  If you're looking for either shade they are both great options!  (Although you'll have to make a trip to Jones Paint and Glass or other specialty paint shops...Home Depot stopped keeping Ralph Lauren paint samples in stock). 

Petersen Painting (801-766-6697) in Lehi was resonably priced and finished in a few days!

After paint is done, the electrician can come in and put the plates, smoke detectors and light fixtures in.  The heating crew can also come and put registers on your heat ducts.  Both projects should be completed before the final job...carpet!

Basement job 7...finish work

The finish work really gives the space style!  This is where you can really add your own unique touch.  My house has taller baseboards and casings around the doors and windows which I wanted to carry through to the basement as well.  Finish carpenters can also add beadboard and other wainscotting options to give rooms character. 

Here's the header and casing around our doors...

Baseboards and chair rail...

Santa Fe doors...

Toy room closet space...



Kevin Madsen (who framed our basement) also did the finish work and we were pleased with the results!   He also did another neat feature in the basement which I'll save for last :)  I'll talk about paint tomorrow...our work is almost done!

Basement job 6...drywall and texture

The completion of drywall and texture helps us to see the light at the end of the tunnel in finishing the basement!

Please excuse the finished materials everywhere...we had them delivered before I had the chance to take pictures...although I'm so happy they are there and its all being put up this week!  This is going to be our family room area with an opening into the playroom (the space I'm most excited about!)

View of the playroom!   It's amazing how in one day you can go from wood 2x4's to white walls! 

One thing you have to decide on is the type of texture you want on your walls.  We went with the "old world" style...fairly smooth with a few textured spots here and there.  We chose a different texture called "knockdown" for the ceiling to give a little variety. 

We appreciate Trent at RCI Drywall (801.420.7905) for doing such a great job and recommend him!

Now only finish work, paint and carpet and we'll have a liveable space downstairs!

Basement job 5...Insulation

Insulation is the one basement project that can easily be done on your own.  I can't claim that I helped much, but my handy husband finished in a few evenings (about 6-7 hours total work). 

Our basement already had insulation lining the top half of the walls which we were able to reuse for part of the space.  We spent about $80 to finish, along with the cost of plastic sheeting (which they call the "vapor barrier").  All the project requires is fitting insulation snuggly between each stud and using a staple gun to secure the plastic cover.  Not too bad!

We wanted to create more of a sound barrier for the basement so we chose to insulate a big part of the ceiling as well.  It ended up costing about $250, but we hope it will be well worth it! 

Tomorrow I'll talk about our drywall and texturing!  Talk about instantly creating bedrooms!  It's a fun transformation and helps to visualize what the final space will look like!

Basement Job 4...Plumbing

So I know these aren't the most glamorous posts, but you have to get through the dirty work for the beautiful results right!  And hopefully this information will be helpful for people who want to be their own general contractor!  Here pretty soon the basement posts will be a little more exciting to look at (not that plumbing and electric aren't fascinating though right!) 

The plumber can come around the same time as the electrician for any work that needs to be done.  We have a small bathroom we are finishing with the standard tub, toilet and sink.  We hired Austin Headrick (801-209-4879) and recommend him!

The first phase in finishing a bathroom is called a "rough in".  I can't list all the specifics, but they get everything ready to be hooked up.  The tub is also installed at this point. 

It only took Austin a couple of hours to get everything done.  Once we've finished the rest of the bathroom he'll come back and install the toilet and vanity.

We also had him run hoses for a soft water unit.  If you ever have plans to install one, it's best to have it done while you are finishing the basement.  Even if you don't plan to buy one immediately, it's ready to go when you do!

McKay and I are working on the insulation right now!  Info about that to come!  (PS...we passed our first inspection with only a few quick things to fix!)

Basement job 3...Electric work

Boxing and wiring the basement for electricity is the next step after framing.  Making sure you have plenty of light in a basement is important...nothing is worse than a dark, drab space!  We decided to go with canned lighting for most of our basement.  Two of the bedrooms will have light fixtures but otherwise it's canned lights!  This is what they look like before the drywall gets put up!

There are a certain number of outlets you have to install for each room to meet code.  Each room also has to have a smoke detector and each floor has to have a carbon monoxide detector.  The electrician will install boxes that look like this...

...wherever light switches, outlets and smoke detectors go.  With the way televisions are today, its also smart to plan out where you will hang flat screen TV's and have outlets installed wherever they'll be.  It prevents lots of wires hanging down your walls! 

We were fortunate to have a friend help us with our electric work.  It's nice to have connections with people who live closeby and are willing to come help!  

Basement project 2...Framing

It's fun to see walls put up!  It makes the project feel real!  We hired Kevin Madsen (801-850-7839) to frame our basement and were very happy with his work.  He came when he said he would and listened and carried out on all of our requests.  I recommend him!

A few things to think through before framing...

*Exact dimensions on all rooms and walls
*Space for closets
*Shelving for storage rooms

Anywhere you want drywall to go has to be framed out.  I didn't know this, but all exterior cement walls have to be framed out as well.  I've learned alot about construction in this process! 

We decided to utelize as much space as possible for storage.  We made one large bedroom four feet smaller and created a small bathroom instead of ultra-large for another storage space.  Kevin framed out all three of our storage spaces which will help to keep us very organized! 

The city asked me to make sure our framer properly built the areas with "firestops".  I won't go into the explanation for what that is, but it's something you'll want your framer to know to pass code! 

We're making great progress!

Building permit...

If you are finishing a space, its smart to get a permit from the city, and required beyond finishing so much square feet (I'm sorry I don't have the exact number for you...)  We received our permit from the city and our floor plan now looks like this:

They give you all the specifications you need to meet to pass building codes.  If you don't have a general contractor, this is very important information to follow because if the jobs aren't done to code, the sub contractors have to go back and redo them...and you are the one that has to account to the city.

Our permit cost about $500 and cost will vary depending on the size of your space and what will be built into the space.  This includes four inspections...

After framing, electric, heating and plumbing
After insulation
After sheetrock
Final inspection

Our framing starts tomorrow so a post about that will be coming soon!

**I will share a final finished cost of our basement at the end so you can see what you might expect to pay for yours!

Basement Job #1...Heating

Framing and heating are the first two jobs to tackle when finishing a basement.  One framer who came suggested we get the heating done first in case there were any extra "runs" that needed to be framed around.  So we had our heating done first.

***The biggest savings when sub-contracting the jobs out yourself is when you receive multiple bids from different contractors.  This will make sure you receive the lowest price possible.  We are getting three bids for each job which gives a pretty good range and options to choose from. 

We decided to go with Holmes Heating and Air in Lehi (801-768-4151).  They had the lowest price and have already been to our house to do most of their work. 

The size of your basement will determine whether or not  you will need a seperate heating unit.  Ours is about 1200 square feet and we are able to use one furnace to heat the whole house.

Each room has a heat "run" which moves the air to that particular space.  Usually bedrooms have at least one run and larger rooms such as a family room have two.  They also install a "return" which takes the cold air out to filter the warmer air in.  Typically the heating professionals will also install the vent for your bathroom.  "Registers", or the plates that go over your finished vents, should come in the price of your bid.

Our basement needed a total of six runs, one return and a bathroom vent.  How nice it will be to have a nice, warm, cozy basement!  

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!