Finished a basement in Philly before?

Question

Hi BP community! I'm in the early phase of finishing a basement in my duplex. I househack and I'm used to some dyi, so I'll probably do a good amount of it myself to save some money and get some experience. Right now, it's just cement floors and walls, has a toilet and laundry installed. I'd like to turn it into an Air BNB studio. I'm not aiming for anything fancy, just a basic, safe and comfortable space.

Has anyone finished a basement in the Philly area before? I'd appreciate any advice on some things to watch out for in terms of codes, cost and must-haves.  I'm particularly concerned with things like what's acceptable for egress, and when is moving a breaker box worth it. Thanks in advance!

Igor L. · Answer

Ceilings are a concern. How high are your ceilings in the basement? If they are under 7 foot tall... Start digging now, because they will need to be at least 7ft to be considered in your square footage when you sell and now would be the time to do it.

The key word will be underpinning for you if you have to dig, it's a pain but you are going to live there, do it.

Flooring, consider now too.. either tile or luxury vinyl plank. Nothing else makes sense. I did tile, since I have reasonable installer. Tile is more durable and easy to clean. Pet friendly. Throw down a $50 carpet, all complaints of it being cold on the feet disappear.

If basement is small, just tile bathroom floor and the rest of the space with the same tile.. Makes  space look larger and cleaner.

Egress is a must, look into an egress window if needed.

Alex T. · Answer

@Marioly Toles I have finished a few basements, but not for rentals. If you plan to use the basement as legal living space, you'll need 7' ceiling height, service from all mechanical systems, and a legal egress. That's simplifying it, but those are the main things. If you don't have 7' ceiling height, you may be able to dig up the basement floor and lower it without underpinning. Benching around the perimeter is also an option, but that'll reduce your square footage. If you need more ceiling height, my recommendation is to get a licensed contractor and engineer out to survey your site and see what's the best option. Hopefully, you already have 7', in which case your big hurdle is going to be egress. Here's some information on the requirements:  https://www.jamisonwaterproofing.com/egress-windows.html. Of course, the code does change, so these requirements should be verified by your contractor/engineer. It sounds like you have some mechanicals that you can tie into already. Once you get into framing, there's a lot of things to know about vapor barriers, ground contact lumber, mold-resistant materials, etc.

In my opinion, this isn't a DIY type of project unless you're a licensed contractor.

Dave Ventura · Answer

Hi Marioly,

I actually just finished mine last April in my house hack as well.  I'd be happy to share some info.  Feel free to message me.

Igor L. · Answer

Tile is anything but DIY... A backsplash maybe. Otherwise hire a pro, it's messy, you need a decent planning and mistakes are costly.. Can't pull it up like laminate. If you go tile, start small with a backsplash or something and don't use mastic, but use real thinset that you must mix. I would suggestion latex modified in most cases, especially with porcelain ... Which means it should cost $20-25 a bag in depot. Best thinset if touched is ardex brand. Thinset is where you should not skimp on money.

I source my tile and luxury vinyl from a guy. Right now his warehouse is full of kitchens but he sells all sorts of stuff. Private message me, I'll give you his number. He is in Philly. I sometimes sell my surplus of building materials too because I need the space for a project. As for stores, floor & decor has decent deals.

Marioly Toles · Answer

Wow, thank you everyone for all this great advice. This is really helping me steer clearer. Luckily, I do have a 7' ceiling, which was one of the things that made the space appealing for finishing.

A quick update though, I've decided to instead  finish the basement as a laundry/family activity room. After running the numbers on what I would actually get back, compared to how much I would have to spend on doing this properly, this was clearly a better way to go. For AirBNB-ing, I will instead do that with my main unit as bonus income.

@Igor L., I'm a big fan of luxury vinyl plank. I keep shying away from doing tiling but this might be the right place for a new diy flooring lesson for me. Do you have any suggestions on a good place to purchase luxury vinyl or tile from?

@Alex T., you're absolutely right, this isn't a DIY type of project if it needs to be a rental. And thank you for mentioning ground contact lumber. I knew something like this had to exist!

Account Closed that was an excellent article. I especially like the sprinkler suggestion, even if this won't be a living space.

Thanks again, everyone. Once I'm done updating this kitchen, it'll be basement time!

Jimmy O'Connor · Answer

@Marioly Toles definitely give the article Account Closed sent you on his post. I just read it through and it addresses a good amount of head aches and benefits associated with basements. All around South Philly this info is ABSOLUTELY crucial since a dig and finish is paramount for a classic South Philly Gut.

Troy Sheets · Answer

I use CORETec Pro or similar LVT in basements for new construction homes that sell for over $400k. It looks and feels better than tile and with the cork or rubber underlayment already attached, it's warmer under foot. It's about $3.50/ft to purchase and we get install for $1/ft, which is likely cheaper than tile when you consider labor and materials.

Igor L. · Answer

@Marioly Toles

Coretec and coretec plus is top of the line. Rigid and great floors that are not perfectly level. Way to costly for anything a flip.

Marioly Toles · Answer

@Troy S. I didn't know about that brand. Just looked it up and I'm really liking the look. Thank a lot for the tip.

Marioly Toles · Answer

Thanks a lot for pointing these out. Sounds like I'll avoid quite the headache by hiring a pro.

Finished a basement in Philly before?

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