Finding Inexpensive Basement Finishing

Finishing your basement can be the most rewarding and challenging thing that you try to tackle. There are obstacles that you face in basement finishing that are uncommon to finishing a room in the main level of the house. Though most basement finishing projects tend to be a bit pricey, there are some ways to cut costs and make it a bit more inexpensive.
Sealing Your Basement
The first and most important thing that you need to do prior to working on any finishing is to seal your basement completely. If you have a leak or have a weak spot in your walls and you continue to finish your basement without sealing, you can cause permanent damage to your improvements. You need to make sure that all cracks and wear areas are sealed so that you can prevent leaks into your completed room and so you can prevent mold growth.
Framing and Walling your Basement
Framing should take far less time and is often easier in a basement. Your framing will serve to keep your dry wall from sitting directly against your basement walls. This is important because it prevents cracking and settling from damaging your dry wall. This will also help to keep your basement warm in the winter or cool in the summer as you can add insulation. If you understand the basics of framing you can complete this step on your own. Just make sure that the beams that you are placing are evenly spaced and level to provide as much support to your dry wall or other chosen wall as possible.
Flooring
Flooring is another simple step because you have the foundation of the basement floor to work from. Though you cannot depend entirely on the floor that is already present, it does help to move the completion of your project on a bit. Generally when you place floors like laminate or tile in a basement you want to include a sub floor so that you get the best hold possible and so that you can help insure that if water does get into your basement, it does not ruin your floors straight off. When you install as sub floor you also open up the possibilities when it comes to what type of floor you can use.
Finishing Touches
When you have done the framing and flooring you can add some finishing touches here and there. Generally since you put up framing you can hang things on your walls. When you put things in your basement you may want to avoid placing items that can take in musty smells like plush furniture or carpets.