Customer Reviews

Black & Decker The Complete Guide to Finishing Basements: Step-by-step Projects for Adding Living Space without Adding On (Black & Decker Complete Guide)

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4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
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I should warn that if you have no experience finishing basements it's not likely you'll be able to do a good job based on the readings of only one book, at least if you're obsessive like I am. However, of the books I've looked at this is one of the better ones.

What truly differentiates this from the other books I've looked at (Stanley's basement book and the 2007 version of this book--which unfortunately is still being sold at Home Depot instead of the current 2009, and a half dozen others), is its advise about insulation. FINALLY a book about basement finishing stops with the rubbish about batt insulation and vapor barriers, a technique advised against by pretty much all authorities on basement insulation (e.g. buildingscience.com) and talks about extruded foam boards. And not just foam boards, but a continual layer of foam, not the poor approach of furring wood strips against concrete and board between them. Also this book emphasizes and properly qualifies what it means to have a dry basement that can be properly insulated from the inside. Strange to me, though, is why it says not to seal the bottom of the foam where it touches the floor. I have recently done my basement with the foam and there is a good bit of air movement under the gap, plus the other resources I've found do indeed say it should be sealed off.

Be sure you aggressively insulate joist bays, too, with foam and caulking and/or great stuff spray foam.

Although finished basements have been around for decades, the contemporary approaches to them get around certain issues we're familiar with like moldy walls and that's why a book needs to stay abreast of current best practices and insulation is a key one of those.

My main criticism here is I am pretty sure the book still says that if roughing in an under-slab bathroom that a masonry blade can be used on a circular saw. Please do not ever try this. You'll need a dozen of them. Go with a diamond blade or even rent a wet saw and/or jackhammer. If you do not properly score the lines you'll end up with a huge section of concrete that has to be moved as cracks span out. I know this because it's what I went through recently. Masonry blades on a circular saw cannot possibly move efficiently the amount of material away to score the lines for a full basement rough-in.

Very impressed. Lessons and skills taught in this book extend to a wide variety of projects - useful in multiple areas of the house. I would highly reccommend.

A great book, with up-to-date information. better than most with more hands-on rather than "design" ideas.

We had a few floods in the basement last year and my son who has worked with contractors in the past has reviewed this book to put in drains and a sump pump. He likes the ideas that this book has given him.

We may or may not finish our basement, but this book gives you a really good starting place. It can be both complicated and simple to finish your basement, depending on the knowledge you have and what you are willing to hire a contractor for. This book will help you make those decisions.

Good guide to sprucing up your basement. Covers everything from ouutdoor measures to stop moisture problems to creating rooms. Basics of wiring and plumbing. A bit of info on HVAC ducting upgrades would have been nice.

This barely touches on those nice acid effects for cement that make it look kinda like stone that is gaining popularity. It told a little about it, but not enough to make me feel confident. Youtube really gives more info.

A basement can be as fine a living space as any other area of the house. "The Complete Guide to Finishing Basements: Step-by-Step Projects for Adding Living Space Without Adding On" is a home improvement guide for those who want to turn their utility room basement into a room to be enjoyed by the entire family, or just one person. Basements present their own challenges, such as moisture, lack of heat and light, among other issues, but many ideas are presented to remedy these. With extra advice on morphing one's basement into many types of more useful rooms, "The Complete Guide to Finishing Basements" is a fine choice for anyone who wants to make their bottom level something special.