Ask Dave your basement remodeling questions

Welcome to Ask Dave, where you can find answers to many of your basment finishing questions. Here you will find an archive of basement questions and their answers.

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Basement Remodeling and Finishing Questions

Below are basement remodeling questions asked or updated in the last thirty days. To see the complete archive click here.

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Question	From	Updated
We were originally thinking about spray painting our basement ceiling and are now thinking about drywalling it. The problem is the air ducts and plumbing takes up about half the space in the ceiling so it would be too much to build a soffit. We were thinking about just dropping the ceiling down so it would be even straight across. The ceiling height is 14 feet so that is not a concern. Our concern is trying to figure out how to basically build a new ceiling to add drywall to. We have one wall that is completely poured cement and the widest width is 20 feet. How do we secure new 2x4's that far apart from the walls and attach to the cement?	Jannine H.	04 Jan 10
We have been hesitant about a basement remodel due to our ceiling height. We currently have an unfinished basement with open rafters and the height from the floor to the rafters is 79" high, and goes to 70 1/2 “ where the ducts split the basement in half going with the I Beam. Due to limited funds, we have been unsure if it is wise to finish the basement with the issue of the ceiling height. We are looking to add a bathroom, bedroom, and family / Rec room in this space. I read in a local paper (Daily Herald) about a year ago of a contractor who specializes in digging basements, but we are hesitant due to the costs, and I lost the name of the contractor. Would you consider remodeling a basement with this ceiling height?	Tom T.	21 Dec 09
Dave -- thanks for the informative Web site. We're thinking of having the basement finished off in our 1920-1930s-era house. The contractor says he can't put in a sub-floor over the existing concrete floor because there is a "B-Dry" type system in it, whereby there is drainage piping around the perimeter leading to a sump pump. The piping is covered in concrete that slopes up toward the walls. He can't install a sub-floor because he says he would have to start at the "highest point" which would mean the floor would be too high in relation to a drop ceiling. In your opinion, would leaving the concrete floor exposed and painted be Ok for a living space? Are there other alternatives when a sub-floor isn't possible? The existing floor also slopes down toward a drain hole in the middle.	Ben C.	17 Dec 09
Hi Dave, We are planning to finish out a 2100 sq. foot space. A consultant came to bid the project utilizing the prefabricated foam cement board system. The biggest advantage to the system is that it is guaranteed to inhibit mold growth and that it goes up quickly. It also comes prefinished. The drawback esthetically is that every 8 ft there is a seam. Do you have any first hand experience or have had any feedback with this material? It is made by Owens Corning and is called the Everlast Wall System.	Maria S.	08 Dec 09
How can I tell if there is a bathroom rough-in my basement?	Terry M.	17 Nov 09