Basement building

Is there anyone here who has experience building their own basement or for others?

Im in need of some help at this moment; planning layout. I find some stuff to be in weird locations and I have no idea how its suppose to be planned.

If I could get someone with experience, that knows how to build, etc and lives around or in Brampton that doesnt mind dropping by when theyre free to perhaps tape a layout on the ground, I'd be thankful and gift you a case of 24 beer or some cash for the gratitude.

I don't have any professional experience however, I have assisted in a few basements, including my own. I do have an eye for layout imo. I basically designed the layout for 3 basements, and made some floor plan changes for people that bought new homes (one of which Mattamy then included in their next phase as an upgrade). I'd be happy to look at some pics and see if I have any suggestions for you.

Sent from the Purple Zone

Joe Bass said:

I don't have any professional experience however, I have assisted in a few basements, including my own. I do have an eye for layout imo. I basically designed the layout for 3 basements, and made some floor plan changes for people that bought new homes (one of which Mattamy then included in their next phase as an upgrade). I'd be happy to look at some pics and see if I have any suggestions for you.

Sent from the Purple Zone

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That'd be great Joe!
Ill send you some pictures over later on tonight when I get the chance. Check your PM.

Why not post the pics here then you get more input?
There are a few smart people here.

And its great sport for us.

remember a camel is a horse designed by a committee.....

Will do guys as soon as I get home.

Issue though: How do I post pics without having a host site like Facebook?

Photobucket or similar

https://1drv.ms/i/s!Ahh7DkQmBqCvg3mZOeAvUSp0DlSK

https://1drv.ms/i/s!Ahh7DkQmBqCvg3fpGGBlRMQ2EHy_

https://1drv.ms/i/s!Ahh7DkQmBqCvg3aivXJf7h_lqwo2

https://1drv.ms/i/s!Ahh7DkQmBqCvg3US5O5ON7J9uPa0

Hopefully these OneDrive links work.

Jag_V4Ape said:

Hopefully these OneDrive links work.

Click to expand...

Here you go. Send me a PM when / if you want me to ever take them down and I will.

Looks pretty simple. Rough in for the bathroom beside the stairs, close in the laundry and furnace room and everything else is open concept. Unless you want to close in a bedroom or such...probably to the left of the furnace from the looks of it. Some pillar covers and yer done.

Do you have a drawing which shows measurements of the basement right now?

What are you plans for the basement? Are you wanting this to be a party area, kids play area, man cave, stripper entertainment, etc?

What's your budget with this project? Are you going to be doing the work or will you be hiring a contractor to do the work?

I'd recommend getting a drawing done up this way you know exactly what to expect at the end of this project. You adjust multiple things on paper much faster and much cheaper than having to tear down a wall or shift plumbing, etc.

I'm along the same lines as @riceburner. I would personally have an entrance to the laundry / furnace through double bifold doors in the washroom, as to free up more space/ less doors.
I moved some ducts in my place, but keep in mind that that can affect the efficiency of the system.

Sent from the Purple Zone

if you don't have drawings of the area, then take some pictures standing at each wall and looking into the room will give us a better sense of how big the area is and what it has, how many windows, support beams, etc

As mentioned you can close in the furnace area with the laundry area and put in a toilet, all in one room if your not after a fully decorated washroom, this can save you money, heck you don't even have to stud the walls and or drywall them, even the ceiling can be left as is, but do put in an exhaust fan.....

Then just stud all the other walls, close up the stairs or bring it out a bit and have under stair storage, put in a door and you can keep the mess out of sight

For the floor use that DriCore Product - https://www.homedepot.ca/en/home/p.2-ft-x-2-ft-engineered-subfloor-panel-system.1000112986.html

it's great stuff, will make the floor feel warm and you can tile on it, or laminate, or carpet, and if any water or moisture is present it will stay below and hopefully dry out, I used this on my last house, put in laminate and was able to walk barefoot...

unless you need a specific room, ie bedroom, gun room, etc, I would just keep it open concept, and use furniture to divide the area up.

ceiling, well drywall is easy and fast, but if you want access then a drop ceiling is the way to go

pot lights for lighting, get the contractor packs, cheaper and you can install, just get an electrician to verify your work or have one do the wiring, placement you can do

the posts you can cover with MDF latter and some trim at the top and bottom to make them look a bit better, so they are not just these square posts, but they are anyways...lol

you might want to look at insulating the ceiling as well, keeps the noise down for those upstairs, and do a proper insulation job on the walls, that builder crap that is done, get rid of it and do it right...

you can use 2x4 lumber for studding, but you have to watch how each boar is installed, crown out, or use metal studs like I did, and you don't worry about that, upper channel, lower channel and put in your studs 16 on center and your good to go, only down side is you can't nail into it to hang something....but use that removable sticky hangers and your good to go...

Well just a few thoughts and ideas for you....
basically if your on a budget keep it simple

I did a drop ceiling at less than recommended drop, to keep the height in the basement and to access to all the wiring, etc. Might not want the doors to the laundry/furnace to be thru the bathroom though. I'd have them separate, just in case. Engineered Subfloor Panels are great. I used the old way and would go with the panels now. You can also just use the panels in the living areas...i.e. not in the laundry/furnace room. I went with 2x4s at the time, but the metal studs are easy enough if you don't need to bolt stuff to the wall like shelving or something of weight and it's just to divide/create rooms. Doing it yourself ceiling walls and floor and bathroom should run over $10k roughly.

I'd also replace the flexible dryer exhaust with real galvanized metal duct pipe.

@riceburner separate doors to laundry in case of what? Curious.

Sent from the Purple Zone

in case someone is using the bathroom....or has used and you need to go into the laundry/furnace room or visa versa. Always good to have the bathroom a separate room. Looks to be able to fit a 3pc. Side by side doors to the bathroom and the furnace/laundry/utility room. Leave room around the furnace to work on it.

Looks like central vac line taped to the last pole? Might have to relocate it to the furnace room wall if you want to enclose the pole with sheets of MDF or the prefab covers.

Riceburner said:

in case someone is using the bathroom....or has used and you need to go into the laundry/furnace room

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it's why I said to have an exhaust fan installed, if it's just to use quickly no need for doors just an added expense, unless he is entertaining down there, but then again you won't be doing laundry at the same time...

it comes down to how nice he wants the place to be...

just have the fan close to the toilet and not near the furnace, you wanna vent that stuff from the bowl as fast as possible...LOL

by code there has to be an exhaust fan in the bathroom anyways....and yeah you would want one. He can do as he likes, I prefer the bathroom separate. Plus for resale is better.

When I fix my basement, I will be using a Delta flooring membrane and then putting OSB (or is it plywood) overtop. It's the same idea as the Dri-Core floor, only cheaper.