Q. My girlfriend and I have a partially finished basement. She wants me to divide part of the basement off for an office. What is the best wall/divider/partition I can use so she will have privacy from the rest of the basement? Is Drywall the only answer? What can I use for a nice ceiling as well with lighting? Thanks for your help, it really means a lot to us.

A. There are many ideas for dividing rooms. A wall is the best, but if you do not want that, you can use purchased office dividers (can be expensive), or bookshelves, or changing screen, or even a ceiling to floor curtain on a cable system. I like drywalled ceilings, but you can use a drop ceiling, or tiles. As for lighting..most basements have little natural light, so great lighting is necessary. Recessed lighting, track lighting both work well. If you do not like these then traditional lighting is suffice when portable lighting is added...table lamps, floor lights..even rope lighting in niches or shelving all add to the ambiance if that is the look you are going for. Brighter lighting is a must in the office section.

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Q. I was wondering what to use to kill the bleach and what kind of materials are good for basement remodels. If it would be better to get mold resistant or moisture resistant. Also what kind of ventilation is required in a basement. And maybe some cons on wood paneling because that was what they were planning on putting down there and I think it's a terrible idea.

A. Before you spend all that money remodeling your basement make sure he is not going to flood again Have a waterproofing company install an internal perimeter drainage system to collect all the water around and under your foundation and divert it to a sump pump. The sump pump will then get the water out and discharge it away from the foundation. Only then you can safely remodel your basement. As for materials I recommend you avoid drywall, wood studs and fiberglass insulation. All these materials are know to absorb water and grow mold. Fiberglass also loses all its R-Value when humid. I suggest you look into finishing systems developed specifically for basements, considering that even basements that do not flood or leak, always have some level of moisture - usually ground moisture seeping in through the concrete basement walls. Since not all theses systems are created equal, make sure you pick one that is 100% waterproof, non-absorbent and inorganic. Cement core, rigid foam board insulated panels and plastic basement flooring tiles for example are made to withstand all sorts of basement conditions and will never get ruined even if your basement floods again. They also offer thermal and moisture protection and can be removed to access plumbing and wiring as needed - a very desirable feature in a basement.

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Q. Owens Corning is just to expensive are there and good competitors for the wall paneling system?

A. As an x employee I can tell you the Owens Corning system is intentionally over priced so the independent sales people can make money. You can get the system for 38% off list if you hold out until they recontact you after showing the sales person the door. However if you don't have any water issues which cause mold and mildew there are alternatives available.

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Q. I am remodeling my basement. The current exterior walls are 2x2 nailed to block and covered with sheetrock. I plan to add a 2x4 'bumpout' against the old 2x2 along the entire exterior walls that will be 36" high. The problem is if I do this the electrical wires in the the old boxes will not meet regulation of <=6" and <= 3" extending beyond the box. Can I abandon the old 15a electrical circuit (disconnect) and run a new circuit though the bumpout and new boxes I will install or can I not run electrical circuits through a partial wall?

A. As long as you plan to abandon the old, go ahead and wire up the new. Its fine.

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Q. I used 3 1/2" fiberglass paper backed insulation. Would water proof drywall be better? The basement walls have no leaks appears dry.

A. You've done everything right so far. Go ahead and hang green board while you are at this stage. It doesn't cost that much more and might save you down the road. Here are some links t5hat might help you...

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Q. Should I make it one open space that a buyer could use as a gym or game room, or make a closed-off bedroom and make the rest of the space as a living area? The basement has a separate half-bath and a walkout to the backyard. Thank you in advance

A. Check houses in your area. They will be your competition when it comes to selling. Also a real estate sales person can tell you the trends in your area. A half bath suggests a leisure space or maybe a guest room to me.

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Q. Because basements can sometimes get damp, i don't know if carpet is a good idea. But also for the same reason, would the wood shift if it became damp? What do you think works best both for practicality and also for future re-sale?

A. The best thing to do is to first check to see if you have an moisture in the basement. An easy way to do this is to get a 2'x2' piece of plastic and duct tape the edges on to the concrete floor. Leave it for 72 hours if you have no visible signs of moisture you can install almost any type of flooring. If you have moisture then I would either recommend sealing the basement or go with a vinyl tile that would look like wood. (they have some that look very real today). So that would be the safest choice. If you have no moisture problem you can install carpeting. I would recommend that it be made of synthetic product like nylon, polyester or olefin. Carpet is warmer & many people like that, however, it is not a feature item for resale, unless you install a branded product like CornCarpet or StainMaster recently. If you go with wood, I would recommend an engineered wood floor (like UA / Mirage) This can be installed by glued down or floating methods on concrete. These woods have a plywood construction of 5 to 7 layers. Small amounts of moisture can effect any wood but if you leave the expansion space and have no major flood your wood floor will last a long time. Also wood is always better for resale.

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Q. I was thinking at most 36" with for the hallway (pre-drywall width). Is this too narrow? Can I go smaller? The hallway leads to a bathroom and a bedroom.

A. TOOOOO SMALLL.. Nat. building code would put 36" pre dry wall as too skinny. I would go with a 42" min. so casing trim can be easily installed without riping it down. Good luck.

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