Finish a Basement: A DIY remodeling adventure!
Great home theater tips to help you design and setup your basement home theater!

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Visit our project planning page to learn how to prepare to finish your basement whether you're remodeling your basement by yourself, or hiring a contractor to finish your basement
Visit our design page to see how we created our basement design, and for tips on how you can design the basement of your dreams
Check here for information on the tasks you'll need to complete to finish your basement. Complete with the lessons we learned as we remodeled our basement, and tips to help you avoid some of the mistakes we made.
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Check here to follow along as we complete our DIY basement remodeling project!






 

>Home >Our progress >Insulating the walls

Insulating the walls

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I'll be using kraft-faced R13 insulation in most of my walls, and R19 on the two walls where it will fit. I'm using 8 foot batts instead of rolled insulation because it seems to be easier to work with.

Rather than cutting a long piece off of a big roll, you just staple each batt into place. Since most basement walls will be about 7 ½ feet, you can cut the bottom 6" and stuff it into the joist at the top of the wall. With many of the pieces, I simply rolled it under at the bottom plate and let it rest behind the framed wall.

Wear a mask, (with a ventilator) gloves, and eye protection when installing fiberglass insulation

I started with the easier pieces first- the full width studs without any obstructions such as wiring, outlets, pipes, etc. I unfolded each batt starting at the top, and stuffed it between the joists. Using a staple gun, I secured the flanges on each side of the batt to the studs.

Insulation installation tip: Be sure to where gloves, a mask (with a ventilator), and eye protection when handling insulation. Long sleeves will help too. When you're cutting the pieces some of the fibers will shred causing things to get VERY itchy! Also, you don't want to breathe in the fibers.


As I worked my way around the room, I began to try some of the not-so-easy pieces. These were ones between the studs spaced close together, ones with outlets and switches, and ones where I had to split the batt to get it around the wiring.

For a detailed description of how to cut installation for these tricky spots, see Installing insulation in the Construction section.

Progress Topics

Getting electrical estimates - How much does an electrician charge?

Drywall estimates

Electrical rough-in

Soundproofing: Caulking the walls

Drywall, insulation, & hardware delivery

Insulating the walls

Hanging drywall

Hanging drywall: Day 2

More hanging drywall

Drywall finishing

Drywall sanding

See also...
Phase 1: Basement prep and framing

Phase 3: Priming, painting and finshing touches

 

 

 

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