---
title: "I am perhaps finishing my basement, someday"
date: 2011-02-23
description: "$( document ).ready(function() { // Handler for .ready() called. $("
canonical_url: https://idratherbewriting.com/2011/02/23/i-am-perhaps-finishing-my-basement-someday/
---
# I am perhaps finishing my basement, someday
I had been putting off finishing my basement for a long time -- two years now -- because it's costly and I never seem to have the time. Additionally, I'm not a handyman so I really have no idea what I'm doing.

After attending the first class, I was so excited to throw myself headlong into the project, I immediately bought a framing gun and compressor. The store clerk explained how to put on the couplings. I also bought more than $300 worth of framing lumber and neatly stacked it into my basement.

The instructor explained that I could google or youtube any topic and find abundant instruction online. He was right. We live in an era of complete do-it-yourselfism. If you search youtube for videos on how to frame your basement, you could watch them endlessly.

The week after the first basement class, I spent a good amount of time clearing out all the junk from my basement. You need a clean working space to build. I also drew  the blueprints of what I plan to build. Other than once replacing a radiator in my car, this is the largest project I've ever tackled.

![The basement diagram I drew as I prepared to finish my basement.](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/basementdiagram.png)

Monday I took President's day off and planned to do the framing, but I realized I don't understand the process well enough. Does the vapor barrier go on the inside or outside of the insulation? Should I use polystyrene foam? What about those hairline cracks in my walls that have water stains around them? Is that something to worry about, even though I dug out the window wells and pretty much fixed the water penetration problem? Do I need to do a moisture test with a piece of plastic covering those cracks for a couple of days? What are the actual city codes for vapor barriers? Should I remove the existing insulation, which only covers half the wall? Why would it only cover half the wall? Newer homes have the insulation covering the entire wall, so have the city codes changed, and am I now responsible for the new codes? Does the vapor barrier have to be continuous, or can I tape an addition to the existing half wall?

One problem with do-it-yourselfism is that there are so many youtube videos online, they present conflicting methods and advice. Read enough of it and it can become paralyzing. Although sometimes I follow an impulsive behavior and try to learn from doing even as I screw up, I realize that unless I do this right, I could end up redoing everything, or getting mold, or not passing code. I could spend weeks learning this stuff. For a one-time job, it hardly seems worth it.