To have builder finish the basement or not

[M&H]

I went different approach than most will do. I only asked my builder to finish basement outside walls with insulation, electrical, drywall up to ready to be painted (they painted the walls by mistake). They charged us around $4800 for 1200 square Foot basement area.

This saved a lot of work to move around 60-70 drywall sheets into the basement and electical work, etc.

Then I did the remaining to divide the basement. The total cost including what the builder charged us was around 10k. We did not do any bathroom in the basement yet. The total useable space is a family room (27 X 15) + office (15 X 18) which is around 650 SQ FT. We have two area as storage and utility room including a space for a bathroom as unfinished ceiling and flooring.

- Ceiling: drop ceiling (suspended ceiling)
- Flooring: Engineered hardwood (from costco with cork foaming).

Regards.
Mazin

[England]

Now that sounds like a smart move. Hauling all that sheet down to the basement can be a pain, and anything to eliminate that step is a good idea

[Mark & Lynda]

Originally Posted by mom2philip

So although a bunch of people think that the insulation is less than ideal. It's still a million times better than basement insulation was even 5 years ago.

You sure about that?

I can't find any specs on insulation value for basements on Energy Star homes, but Exterior wall insulation value is R-22, interior wall insulation value R-20. (30% better than Ontario Building Code)

I wouldn't say 30% better is a million times better than insulation techniques 5 years ago. Also these homes are still using pink batt insulation behind a leaky vapor barrier which is still not recommended for any basement wall.

Take 20% of your R-22 insulation value on an energy star home and that is your real R-value.

http://www.homeenvy.com/db/8/1018.html

[r_dogs]

Hi all,

I'm bumping this 8-year old thread as this topic is relevant to me.

It seems like it's generally not a good idea to finish the basement on a new build via the builder. However it's on my wish list. My builder is quoting about $16K on a 544 sqf rec room.

Given that it's been 8 years, have ideas/opinions changed regarding this debate? Does anyone have a rough estimate on how much more this would cost to get a contractor to do 24 months after moving in?

[xdarrylx]

Originally Posted by r_dogs

Hi all,

I'm bumping this 8-year old thread as this topic is relevant to me.

It seems like it's generally not a good idea to finish the basement on a new build via the builder. However it's on my wish list. My builder is quoting about $16K on a 544 sqf rec room.

Given that it's been 8 years, have ideas/opinions changed regarding this debate? Does anyone have a rough estimate on how much more this would cost to get a contractor to do 24 months after moving in?

I wouldn't necessarily say it is "generally not a good idea to finish the basement via the builder" as there are some pros for sure:

1) covered under tarion warranty
2) don't have to live through reno (drywall dust, noise, etc) for weeks/month

And for $16k? That's a decently low figure compared to what most basement finishing prices can command

[TheGrudge]

When we moved into our house the basement wasn't finished, we just had fiberglass insulation on the walls. About a month later, I noticed water drops forming inside the vapor barrier so I stuck my hand up behind the insulation; it smelled like mold when I pulled it out.

I cut a small square in the insulation to investigate and the entire wall had white fungus growing everywhere. I immediately assumed a leak so I removed the insulation from an entire wall for a year and there were no leaks in that area. The moisture was formed by the cement walls holding on to boat loads of water and it had nowhere to go after being covered in insulation and vapor barrier.

In another area of my basement a short time after I discovered a similar thing going on. There was a small crack in the foundation there where after a leak test was performed it was discovered a small leak was possible. The builder came back and injected the crack with epoxy.....I then finished my basement.

Having it under the new home warranty is nice (although what does that really cover you for, realistically), but the fact you're basically sealing concrete that hasn't fully cured yet is a recipe for mold.

I'd wait a year and keep an eye out for cracks and leaks, then go for it.

[Halton Home Inspector]

I would not finish a basement until -

1) all the lot grading is done and that it slopes away from the home as required.
2) all the window wells are installed properly.
3) all foundation cracks are identified and injected.
4) all injected cracks are then tested with a water test.
5) all the HVAC equipment and ducts are inspected.

Just a week ago I inspected a new home where there was no airflow from two second floor registers. To repair this the builder will need to access the HVAC plenum and ducts in the basement to do the repairs / to connect the ducts properly. Imagine if a finished basement ceiling was in the way.

[gerapau]

Originally Posted by Halton Home Inspector

Imagine if a finished basement ceiling was in the way.

If it is a builder finished basement then they would have to fix the ceiling back to what it was prior to the repair.

[TheGrudge]

Originally Posted by gerapau

If it is a builder finished basement then they would have to fix the ceiling back to what it was prior to the repair.

Exactly. The chances of it looking like it did before are slim. Also, having a team of workers and a mess in your house for a week - no thanks. This doesn't make me feel better.

[GregS]

Absolutely agree with not finishing the basement prior to the 2 years.
Builder we worked for has done it on a couple of lots and regretted it each time as there was always some sort of issue that required correcting, and therefore destruction of the finished basement somehow.