How to Finish a Basement From Start to Finish! (DIY Basement Renovation and Remodeling Guide)

Learn how to finish a basement from start to finish with this DIY basement renovation guide! This video shows the entire process of renovating a basement (framing the basement walls, installing electrical, installing drywall, installing LVP flooring, etc.). This basement remodel took me nearly two months to complete since I was doing all of the work myself on nights and weekends. Although renovating the basement was a lot of work, I learned a lot of DIY and home renovation skills process of finishing my basement. I share all of my knowledge and lessons learned during the basement finishing process with you in this video!

This basement renovation started with demolishing the existing walls, drywall, etc. Next, I installed rigid foam insulation on the exterior walls of the basement. Rigid foam insulation is waterproof and a great option for basement exterior wall insulation. To install the basement walls, I framed them using 2"x4" lumber. I used pressure treated lumber for the bottom plate for the basement walls. Basement insulation consisted of batt insulation in the walls and sound proofing insulation in the ceiling to reduce the sounds of footsteps above. I installed drywall in the basement and then finished it using joint compound and drywall tape. Finishing the drywall was my least favorite part of the entire basement remodel. Next, I installed Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVP) flooring on the basement floor. LVP is a great flooding option for basements since it is waterproof, durable, and easy to install. Instead of installing drywall on my basement ceiling, I decided to install a drop ceiling. The basement drop ceiling installation was a bit involved, but I wanted to install it since it would allow for access to the plumbing and electrical cable in the ceiling. To complete the basement remodel, I painted the basement walls and installed trim around each basement room. Let me know what you think of the final result!

To complete a DIY Basement Renovation, you are going to need quite a few tools. Here are some of the most important tools to have when remodeling a basement:

Below are some of the Products that I installed in my basement (electric fireplace, coffee table legs, etc.)

- Coffee Table Items

This "How to Finish a Basement" video was was made up of many individual projects. Each of the individual detailed videos on every step of the basement renovation process can be found below:

Time Lapse of the Entire Basement Renovation:

How to Remodel Basement Stairs:

How to Install Rigid Foam Insulation

How to Frame Basement Walls

How to run electrical in a basement

How to Frame around HVAC and Pipes in a Basement

How to Replace and Trim Out Basement Windows

How to Drywall a Basement

How to Install LVP Flooring in a Basement

How to Install a Drop Ceiling in a Basement

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Thank you so much for watching!

*All content on the Andrew Thron Improvements YouTube channel reflects my own opinions. Please seek out guidance of professionally trained and licensed individuals before making any decisions. Links in the description may be affiliate links.

[AndrewThronImprovements]

Here are the Time Stamps so you can easily jump around to specific basement projects:

0:00 - Introduction
0:44 - Full Basement Renovation Time Lapse
13:21 - How to Renovate Basement Stairs
22:31 - How to Install Rigid Foam Insulation on Basement Walls
26:04 - How to Frame Basement Walls
32:39 - How to Frame around Basement HVAC Ductwork and Pipes
36:07 - How to Run Electricity to your Basement (Tips + Tricks)
45:30 - How to Install Drywall in a Basement
56:46 - How to Replace and Trim Out a Basement Window
1:07:31 - How to Install Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVP) flooring in a Basement
1:18:31 - How to Install a Drop Ceiling in a Basement
1:30:32 - How to Build a DIY Basement Entertainment Center
1:38:31 - Conclusion

Thanks for watching!

[abcdefghijklmnop]

If anyone is looking to finish an old basement the only recommendation I would have as a GC is if your insulating the walls like that space them away from the cinder blocks and also use a dri core subfloor system. old basement were not meant to be finished so there is not water barrier or division system on the outside. You will get water in your basement so leaving an air gap for it to drain is crucial otherwise it’ll start molding and smelling bad.

And sure you could get lucky and never have any water problems but with an old basement like that and all the TLC, why risk it for a few extra hundred bucks to include those systems.

[johnbrown-clsj]

You showed a very detailed brake down of every step that you performed for your basement. This is one of the best video for finishing a basement that I have seen on YouTube. I am working on my own basement and starting to plan out my basement project at the moment. You even showed some of your mistakes that would save your viewers some major time during their project. Thanks for sharing, Sir! Keep up the good work!

[MaryAucoin-cofy]

Andrew, your videos are so perfectly made. My wife and I just bought our first house ! The basement needs to be done and since I looked into your videos it cannot be more helpful than that ! You showed that anyone can do it and should do it. We know that process can be long but the results at the end will be indescribable.

[jimbonevideo]

When wiring electrical add a "service loop" and keep about a foot of excess line looped above the box. Then if there is an issue in the future, or more likely you damage the wiring during drywall or install, you have some excess wire you can pull through the box and don't have to take down drywall.

[nussiesnews]

Really appreciate the work you do. Very informative, insightful, professional, clear and concise.
As a disabled veteran I feel confident in tackling my own basement with your video to fall back on. Thank you.

[lindaeubanks-mccormick]

idk how you look at something so bare and see THIS. You are a true craftsman.

[andrewcarr]

Fantastic video. Your project came out great. Always check your local codes if doing your own construction, the inspectors are there to keep you safe, not be a pain in the ass. I've had more professional contractors get failures on my jobs than when I actually did it myself, not claiming to be perfect but you can take your time and check your work as you go when you are using free labor. And best tip is to try and think ahead. Once your framing is done, put on your drywall cap and go around checking for Nailer boards, then put on your tv mounter hard hat and plan for blocking. Makes it so much easier to have timber behind the wall and not use it, than to not have it and be messing around with various anchors or fasteners when the wall is painted, and room completed. Including my own 2cents after doing my own basement reno.

you can use your leftover scraps of foamboard under the bottom plate to act as a thermal break between the concrete and the timber. At the very least use sill gasket or tape to increase the life of the timber and avoid moisture wicking up from the concrete. A "Ramset" gun is classed as a firearm, so be comfortable and safe when using. And if you are going to be doing a lot of stick framing, invest in a laser distance measure, it will give you a perfect length every time. If you leave your jack stud out of the doorways you can cut out the threshold using the circular saw as the distance from the side of the plate to the blade is exactly 1.5 inches (same thickness as dimensional 2 by lumber), then stick your jack stud in to complete the frame. Don't forget to reduce your blade depth accordingly.

Hang drywall horizontally whenever possible, it adds shear strength to the wall as well as making it easier to tape and finish, unless it makes sense to use a whole board vertically. no seams are best and personally a couple of vertical factory seams are better than a single butt joint. Like your use of a spacer (scrap bit of drywall) to maintain a minimum 1/2" gap between the floor and drywall, especially on concrete floors. A lifter and basic drywall tools do speed up the job, especially when working alone (i've hung a lot of drywall...) A drywall T-Square is also the exact width of an electrical box (if you didn't know?), you can use that to mark and cut out, but your method worked quite well too! try not to screw too near electrical boxes, they get a lot of abuse when plugging cords in and out therefore prone to "nail pops". I love plastering, although my joints don't anymore so would have happily done your basement for you :-). All of these tips I learned the hardway :-).

[GoodLookin]

It would be nice if you could include how much everything cost if you or a professional did your basement project. Showing the savings will inspire others to do it themselves.

[nealwright]

This was a great build-out! I was skeptical about the suspended ceiling, but it looks great, and is practical as it allows access to the space above. I don't know why builders don't just build their basements with 9' ceilings. It would save so much headache!

[JasonEllingsworth]

one day you might regret that treated lumber on the concrete. I did that in my late 20's, and now in my early 40's I am pulling up black mold. I learned the importance of using a product like dampro or DMX 1-step as a vapor barrier for the floor, and run it up to the foam on the walls, then covering that with osb (or plywood if you're rich), and adding your finished flooring to that. You build all walls on top of that osb flooring. If you ignore this step, you will gather moisture slowly over time and it will never dissipate. Need that continuous air space from under the floor, to behind the foam, and straight up to your joist tails and band board, where the lumber will draw in the air vapor and wick it outside of the space.

[OhiChicken]

This weed got me feeling like I can do all this myself tonight despite not even being able to hold the flashlight straight for once.

[lindaeubanks-mccormick]

Add soft led light strings up at the top edges of the ceiling for movie nights and romance. Also, on the stair treads, the dark color when the lights go out will be hard to maneuver. Add a strip of reflective tape for those emergencies when the electric is out and also will add some extra slip proof protection. Just a V shape in the middle of each will be nice. Make it look like the landing strip on an airfield xD

[michelleortiz-monasterio]

Love the ceiling tiles. Nice. And I enjoyed seeing how you made the new steps and the window sill.

[Vallyrah]

I recommend that outlets be placed at a bottom height of 30 inches (not 16). The reasons are that it keeps outlets at desk height which is easier for adults and those that are wheelchair bound to reach, it places them at a height that is more difficult for toddlers and small children, and if you ever have a flood, it ups the severity required to short out the electrical make it potentially safer and easier/cheaper to repair.

[michelleortiz-monasterio]

But its a beautiful remodel. Tasteful, clean and pretty. Just love so many of the details.

[charlesronk]

This is pretty much exactly how I did my basement. except I used Delta floor with 3/4" tongue and groove osb subflooring over it. Screwed down with tapcons. Glad I did because my basement wall has since cracked and during heavy rain water weeps in under the floor but doesn't effect anything. I have also had a condensate pump go out on my furnace and weeped water under the floor without issue. My basement floor is also never real cold.
I also used the exact same drop ceiling, but only installed it in 2 rooms. Drywall is less than 1/4 the cost of a drop ceiling. So I only installed it where absolutely necessary, and used access panels for other needed access.

[bmcd]

awesome! that ceiling is bomb for a drop! i bet that was a PIA

[middleway]

Great job! I couple minor details I would have done differently but it's just a matter of personal preference. Well done!

[ChuelueVang-qnxw]

This build-out was excellent! Although I had my doubts about the suspended ceiling, I think it looks fantastic and serves a useful purpose by providing access to the area above. Why builders don't simply construct their basements with nine-foot ceilings is beyond me. So many headaches would be avoided!