1 The Problem

This basement room was "finished" about fifteen years ago. It's not bad, but there are some problems.

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There's evidence of mold from ground water leaking through the basement walls.

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The suspended ceiling tiles are sagging.

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The carpet gets soaked two or three times a year from ground water leaking through the floors and walls.

5 Gutting the Room

The decision is made to remove all of the ceiling, wall and flooring materials and replace them with non-organic materials that will not support mild, mildew or rot. The first thing to come down is the suspended ceiling.

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The cross pieces on the grid are next to go, then the wires holding the long rails are clipped, and the rails themselves are taken down.

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The final step is prying loose the edge support that's nailed around the perimeter of the room.

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Next, the baseboards are removed.

9 Wall Paneling

Then the wall paneling is taken down. Since the panels are only an eighth inch thick and nailed to small brads, they come away fairly easily, revealing the framing behind.

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The bottom edge of this panel reveals the telltale signs of an often damp, occasionally flooded, basement.

11 Removing Wiring

Part of the makeover down here will involve new wiring, so out comes the old.

12 Removing the Wall Framing

Some of the framing can be knocked out using a two-pound sledge. But, for the most part, I prefer to use a reciprocating saw fitted with a bimetal blade designed for cutting through embedded nails.

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The last thing to remove from the walls is the polyethylene sheeting that has served as a moisture barrier between the concrete walls and the wood panels.

14 Taking Out the Carpet

Finally, the carpet, which has been glued to the concrete floor, is removed.

15 The Bare Basement

Here's the basement stripped back to bare concrete -- a blank canvas of sorts, full of possibilities.

16 Turning to the Experts

Now it's time to turn things over to the experts who will begin by solving the water intrusion problem.

17 Creating a Trench

The crew from Basement Systems uses electric jackhammers to create a shallow trench around the edge of the basement.

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The debris is carried out, bucket by bucket.

19 Covering the Walls

Next, the wals are covered with a heavy duty pliable moisture barrier held in place with plastic anchors. Any water coming through the basement walls will be contained behind the barrier and directed downward.

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A pressure-sensitive waterproof tape seals the seams.

21 Water Collection and Removal

Plastic drain sections or collectors are set into the trench and attached together.

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The trench is back-filled with crushed rock...

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...topped off with concrete...

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...leveled and troweled smooth.

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Any water coming through the basement walls will be contained behind the moisture barrier and directed downward where it will enter the collector through holes in the back and bottom.

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The water will then drain to an existing sump in the unfinished side of the basement, where it iwll be pumped outside and discharged through a surface drain.

27 The New Walls

Rather than studs and drywall, the new walls will be assembled from these 3.5" thick prefabricated panels. The room side surface is a tough, scrubbable vinyl laminated to a ceramic concrete board, which is in turn bonded to high-density foam insulation. All of these materials are non-organic and completely waterproof.

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The panels are mounted in place using a metal track system. Because most basement walls are neither flat nor vertical, a chalk line and laser level are used to lay out what amounts to a perfectly square and plumb "room within a room".

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Once the position lines have been established, the upper metal track is installed.

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Then the bottom track is positioned directly below it and attached to the floor with concrete screws.

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The prefabricated wall panels come in four by eight foot sections. They're cut by first scoring the ceramic concrete face with a circular saw equipped with a carbide blade. Then the edge of a wide putty knife is used to cut through the rigid foam inuslation.

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Each panel is installed by setting it on the U-shaped bottom track, sliding it into position...

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...tilting it up until it contacts the upper L-shaped track, then screwing it into place using drywall fasteners designed for metal studs.

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A sheet metal brace (also called a biscuit) is driven into the edge of the panel and attached to the concrete wall.

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The edge of the next panel is forced onto the protruding flange, anchoring the panels to each other. This process is repeated at each joint, eliminating any flex and making the wall quite rigid.

36 Replacing the Windows

Replacing the window wells requires first removing the soil.

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Then the corrugated window well liner is lifted out and the hole is enlarged and reshaped.

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From inside, the old window is removed but the outer frame is left in place.

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The new vinyl frame is slipped into position, leveled, shimmed and insulated.

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Back outside, a bit of patchwork is performed on the basement wall.

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Then the new well liner is set into place, pilot holes drilled and concrete fasteners driven in.

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Finally, the linder flange is caulked and the liner is backfilled.

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A tirm frame is set into position, leveled, shimmed and attached with screws. Finally, the shims are trimmed flush.

44 To Be Continued...

Well, the basement's dry, the new wall panels are up, and the new windows are in.

Next Week: The ceiling and the floor.