Each step during a construction project is exciting and gives the look of the soon-to-be finished space. Once the studs are up, the skeleton-like walls give the feel of the finished space. However, once the insulation is fully in place and that drywall goes up, the room really starts to become awesome. As the Insulation and Drywall in the Basement rec space gets worked on, it slowly becomes a room and not just a blank space anymore. In this post, I am going to share how we fully Insulated and installed Drywall in the basement as we continue our basement project!

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Published October 31, 2022
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If you missed a few steps

If you have followed any of our DIY and Home Renovation projects, you know that Tyler has some massive skills. Click the link below to read about what came before the Insulation and Drywall, check out how we used Epoxy and Paint to begin this basement renovation.

Starting the basement remodel with a little epoxy and a lot of paint

Planning the Plan

Before we started putting in any insulation, the wiring had to be finished. However, the wiring needed to be thought through before we could just “wire” the walls. This area will have three finished walls, two eleven feet long and the other wall is seventeen feet.

As we were standing, imagining the finished walls, we decided that this wall will be where the television and media cabinets will be. Tyler even used painters’ tape to help me visualize where the television will be. It totally helped. Once the television placement was planned, then the electric boxes could be placed and wired.

Cost of Insulation and Drywall

Doing a massive home renovation project is not cheap. In fact, the cost of materials has severely increased in the last three years. However, doing a project yourself is the best way to not only cut costs, but to also learn a new skill. Just do not DIY-Hack it. Really learn how to do the job correctly and not just to have it done.

If you are looking to sell, but you have no skills or tools, doing it yourself can feel daunting.

Being a construction worker, Tyler has a plethora of skills that help us to not only get the job done right, but to save a ton by doing it ourselves. Having the ability to gather tools in the garage for any project is a life saver. On the low end, if you were to hire out professionals to finish a basement, the cost would be $22,000 and at the high-end it would cost $46,000 according to homeguide.com, which averages $32-$47 per square foot.

The space we are doing now, as we call it Phase 1, is 11 X 17, making it 187 square feet. If we were to hire this project out it would cost anywhere between $5,984-$8,789. However, we are doing it ourselves and the cost will literally be materials and our sanity.

For materials to install Drywall and place Insulation in the Basement, there are a handful you will need. Below is a cost for each item that was bought to get the Insulation installed and the Drywall on the walls. Additionally, this includes the studs, wiring, boxes for outlets and switches and insulation.

Insulation $28.96
14/2 250-foot wire $148.20
15 2X4X8 Basement Board $154.20
7 8X4X8 Drywall $87.36
Drywall Screws $22.23
45 2X4X8 Studs $191.25
8 2X4X8 Green Treated Studs $49.44
10 2X4X8 Studs $42.50
2 2X10X7 Studs $20.96
3-inch PVC $17.76
3 2X10X8 Studs $31.44
Slater 2-Gang box $7.14
1-Gang 20CI $7.65
Slater 1-Gang $3.76
Old Work 1-Gang box $3.62
1-Gang 20CI Old Work $2.90
1-Gang 14CI Old Work $1.92

The total cost to get the studs on, wire, outlet boxes, insulation and drywall was $821.29.

One of those tools that we don’t actually need, but really found helpful was the drywall lift. Not only do I not have the strength to lift and hold a 4 X 8-foot sheet of 5/8 basement drywall, but the process will also severely hurt my neck. If you are doing ceilings, seriously consider renting a drywall lift.

Insulation and Drywall Materials Needed

As far as materials go, there are quite a few that are needed to install Insulation and begin the Drywall process.

As this was not the first project, the only

Insulation
Insulation Ceiling holders
Drywall
Screws
Drywall guns
Utility Knife
Drywall Square
Level
Ladders
Drywall Kicker
Ruler/Measuring Tape

Steps for Insulation and Drywall

The first step was to make sure all of the wiring and outlet boxes were in place. And without sugar coating it, this took quite some time as we had to decide where to place them all.

Additionally, the main step, was to figure out where the television was going to go. We had three walls to choose from and ended up picking the outside wall that is also the staircase wall. The reasoning behind this was to allow anyone in the basement to then be able to see the television.

PVC for the wires

We knew ahead of time that we wanted the wiring for all electronics attached to the television to be hidden, so Tyler used a 3-inch PVC and attached it to the studs.

Then, once all the wiring was done, all of the insulation could finally go in place. This is one of the worst and best jobs to do. I love the sound deadening it creates and equally hate the itchiness of the fiberglass insulation.

Start placing Insulation

The itchy terribleness can finally start!

But really, if you have never used fiberglass insulation, you are missing out. Not only will it insulate and deaden the noise, but it will also cause itchiness for days. For real. Here is a pro tip, take a HOT shower after insulating with fiberglass insulation. It will help open your pores and help to remove the fibers of glass out of your skin. Because the insulation is like cotton candy-glass.

To really become a pro at installing insulation, you only really need a measuring tape and a very sharp utility knife, with a scrap piece of wood to cut on.

First, you will measure from bottom to top stud and then roll out the insulation and measure the length you need. Second, you want to use the utility knife and carefully cut the insulation to length. There are no pictures of this process as I didn’t want to make my camera or phone itchy. They would have hated being showered. So, enjoy this fully insulated space, without feeling itchy!

Drywall time!

Each step of a process helps the room feel more and more complete. Hanging drywall sure does help the space feel even more complete. You can no longer see unfinished wires poling out of boxes and studs.

Tyler has not always been a pro at hanging drywall, but since 2014, he has learned an insurmountable amount of knowledge and skills from others that have gone before him. He now has the skills to fully hang drywall with so many tips that I cannot even begin to explain.

Measuring, marking, cutting, forming, shaping, hanging, kicking, screwing in and more.

From that first measure, the first cut, to the last board, this man sure knows his way around a stack of drywall sheets! Sam and Matthew even came in to supervise.

However, soon they were roped in to help maneuver the drywall lift and supply Tyler with a well-needed hand, or two. Kids are never too young to learn a new skill.

Working on the walls

When doing drywall, it is important to make sure you follow basic drywall “etiquette”. Ceilings always to in first, so the walls help to hold the edges up, or you will start to see the entire sheets edge and that is no good.

Once all of the ceilings were done, Tyler worked on the walls. These went in much quicker than the ceilings. There is one tool that I never knew was necessary to hanging drywall, and that is a drywall kicker. This fantastic tool helps you to lift a heavy sheet of drywall off of the floor and to maneuver it, so the gaps fill in the ceiling. As we completely forgot to have one, Tyler made one with a flat crowbar, wood wedge and tape. It worked, it wasn’t fancy, but it worked.

Making a soffit around the pipes

Right in the middle of the house, we have the duct supply and also a huge beam. As it runs the length of the house and not able to move, we had to work around it. We had a few different ideas that were planned from drywall to drop ceiling tiles to using corrugated metal sheets. In the end, we opted for the least expensive choice and used drywall. This was slightly tricky, but again, the drywall hanger was SO helpful in lifting the sheets so Tyler and Sam could place it.

Before the final sheet went on, we did have to sign our names forever in the house. I remember doing this when we were kids, our dad would have my sister, brother and I sign before a project was done. Sam was so excited and more than willing! The next steps are to spot screws and start the mudding process.

Stay tuned for another update next week as we work on finishing the drywall. This involves a multi-step process to hide any screws, seams, corners and holes. Additionally, Tyler will finish all corners and edges making the seams disappear like magic.
~Monica

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