Lessons Learned Remodeling A Basement - Take 1

With many people working from home and the cost of housing what it is, many people are looking to finish unfinished basements and attics. I've done dozens of these sorts of remodels but wanted to take some time to document two the team wrapped up in the first part of 2021 and share some examples of lessons learned during these projects.

The goal was always to add more space to the home by finishing the unfinished basement.

This project was in Plymouth, MN. The structure of the basement had some issues we could see even before the demo. Specifically: 

1. The concrete floor was so thin in some parts we would have to replace parts of it.

2. Over the years, some of the framing had been cut during DIY projects and then later supported by other DIY "fixes"

3. The height at the top of the stairs did not meet current code standards (Section R311.7 of the 2015 International Residential Code says Minimum 6′-8″ headroom height clearance for a stairway)

The first two were relatively easy to fix. They just take materials and elbow grease.

The third issue (the stairs) was a bit more of a challenge as the family's kitchen was directly over the stairs. Some cities (I'm looking at you St. Paul, grrrrr) tend to be pretty stubborn about this sort of thing. Luckily Plymouth was much more understanding and was willing to work with us as long as we did not modify the stairs and ensured there were multiple exits from the basement (new egress window from the bedroom), they were willing to grandfather in the stair height requirement. The main lesson to pass along: ask your local building official if they will allow something that doesn’t quite meet code. The worst thing they’ll say is no… and you’d rather know that before investing a lot of time, money, and heart into a project.

What started as a dark basement finished as a bedroom, walk-in closet, connected bathroom, and living room.  This space nearly doubled the home’s finished square footage. Thankfully we finished on time as the family was growing soon and the bun in the oven was moving up the timetable! The soaking tub will be well used!