1. Retrofit. Advice number one for people who live in earthquake country or area is not to finish the basement without properly bolting down the foundation and also do not forget to install shearwall at the pony walls (this is the short-framed wall between the foundation and your floor system) because exactly these parts are at the greatest risk for failure in an earthquake. According to the professional opinion of Guy Solomon – Standard retrofitting usually involves professional nailing plywood to the face of the short wall (described above), and also connecting it to the floor and foundation system, if it is possible.
2. Look ahead. Another great advice is not to finish the basement project without thinking about any future projects. Remember that the basement in your house is the heart of it and your home’s mechanical systems, which means that later on you are very likely to need get back in there in order to perform any major work on the main floor, or for any additions. For example, if you are planning some remodeling project for your kitchen, then think about adding a few extra electrical circuits into your floor system. If you think about creating a new bathroom, then take care about running the waste and supply lines during this basement project.
3. Reduce noise. You need to know that the newly finished basement will definitely has some affect on the rest of your home with extra noise, especially if you plan is about creating a media or a play room. This is why you should care about installing reliable sound insulation into the basement ceiling. Guy Solomon also suggests using professional RC channel, which actually looks like a long piece of metal which is shaped like a hat when viewed from the end.
If you do not install proper sound break, then the sound will travel through the wood right into the drywalls. This RC channel can be installed across the joists before you install the drywall and perfectly help you avoid noise spreading around the whole house.
4. Choose the style. Some people want their basements to match the rest style of the house others prefer to create unique spaces. You need to decide what side you want to take for your project before you start doing it, because for example the location of water pipes and electricity wires or sockets will depend on your project.
5. Think out of the box. The last advice that was found in the Guy Solomon reviews is not to feel hemmed in by various things like posts which are going down the center of your space, or a window or door locations. Do not stick to the traditional ideas, designers say that there are lots of great ways to hold up beams and at the same time reduce the number of posts, and windows; and the doors can always be moved without making many troubles. Remember that even your basement staircase can always be reworked or relocated to suit your needs and preferences best!
