Concrete Foundation Repair Kit

♦ November 9, 2012 ♦ Leave Your Comment

Structural cracks cause prospective buyers to pull up short when looking at a prospective property. This article gives some basic guidelines that will allay most of these fears and help them make a more educated decision while understanding the cause of these cracks.Basement Cracks – If you have cracks in you basement or crawl space walls, take note of their direction. If the cracks are small and almost vertical, then they are probable not a cause for concern. Most homes have “settlement cracks” or “shrinkage cracks”. However, if they run more horizontally, we recommend consulting a structural engineer.Wood Cracks Cracks often appear in wood and are not significant if they run parallel to the grain of the wood. These cracks ( called checks) often are the result of the wood drying and shrinking. However, the closer the crack comes to going across the grain, the more serious it could be.Drywall Cracks Hairline cracks in wallboard, plaster or concrete basement walls are usually not a problem unless they are wide and look tapered (V shaped). These cracks often radiate out from the corners of window and door openings.Voids in Walls Voids in concrete foundation walls usually are not serious unless they go deeper than an inch or so. Most of them are a result of inadequate compaction (vibration) of the concrete during placement. If a a rock pocket allows water to come in form the outside, then we recommend having it filled with injected epoxy or foam, depending on size and whether wet at time of repair.Cold Joint Cold joints are formed when concrete is poured after a substantial delay and separate layers are formed. These are distinguished by a fairly straight line in concrete and are usually not a problem unless water is leaking from joint.Size of Cracks Any crack over a 1/16th of an inch in width should be watched carefully and if you are purchasing a home, we recommend you have your home inspector evaluate whether to have a structural engineer called in to assess. If you are an existing home owner with cracks it is recommended that you measure cracks and ensure that there is no further movement. Cracks that leak water can be sealed using epoxy or foam and there are do-it yourself kits available which are designed for foundation crack sealing.Buying Home Always beware of basement areas that are covered or blocked from view when buying a new home. Look for anything suspicious, such as, fans for removing moisture, missing vapour barrier or insulation, and boxes or furniture hiding areas of walls. Ask to see all of exposed walls, even if you have to come back another time. Freshly painted walls and floors can also be a sign of hiding water stains, be aware of effervescent stains on walls and floors, this is white mineral deposit left by water evaporating and is usually a good indicator that water was present.Sump Pump Check the exterior of home where sump pump discharges and see if there are signs of heavy discharge. Grass maybe worn away or water stains on concrete pad might indicate large quantities of water are being pumped out. Check inside of sump hole and activate pump and watch to see how much water runs back in after sump is emptied.

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. QUESTION:
    What Are The Best Concrete Crack Repair Kits To Repair Basement Wall Cracks?
    We have an 8 ft crack in our basement foundation wall. The crack is approximately 1/16 of an inch and water is coming in through the crack.

    What is the best concrete crack repair kit that will stop water that is currently coming in and to completely seal out water in the future.

    • ANSWER:
      I would definitely recommend FoundationArmor.com . They have the best concrete crack repair kits that activate with water to stop leaks and to seal out water. We used their kit and it worked great! Very easy and if you need help their customer service is excellent.

  2. QUESTION:
    Have you put a 10×10 storage shed 2gether? What all is needed?
    I recently purchased an Arrow Storage shed (10×10). I did not get the floor or foundation kit. Neither come w/the plywood. My boyfriend said I could go to a local home repair store & get the items needed to raise it from the ground & put a floor in it. If anyone has actually put together one of these sheds & made their own floor, please tell me what all I need to buy. And the sizes (of plywood, etc..) would be helpful as well. Thank you!

    • ANSWER:
      Material needed :
      4 bags mix concrete
      Concrete tube 6 feet long or four 18″x6″
      4 anker bolt 5/8″
      2 lumber 4″X4″X10′
      6 lumber 2″X4″X10′
      3 sheet 4’X10’X5/8″plywood
      Nail 6d and 8d
      Install method:
      1-in each corner of 10X10 square deck a hole 18″ depth and 7″to 8″ wide put tub inside of hole and fill with concrete.
      2- Till concrete is wet install anker bolts right in the middle of foundation 6″ upper than top of concrete.
      3- in two side of 4×4 make a 3/4″ hole and install them parallel in foundation .
      4- tied the anker bolts and make sure both side of 4×4 are level.
      5- connect 4×4 with 2×4 each 24″ (4″side vertical between 4×4).
      6- put ply wood on top of frame and nailed .
      7- put storage on floor and secure by screw.

  3. QUESTION:
    My master toilet leaks & smells like stale urine. What do I do next?
    I recently had a rocking toilet so I bought a new wax ring kit to repair it. When I pulled the toilet I saw the culprit. The plumber who set my toilets broke the PVC ring on one side. I then bought an 4″ aluminum repair ring for the broken bolt holes. I drilled into the concrete foundation and set the new ring, then re-installed the toilet. The rocking was fixed, but a couple of days later I noticed a smell & leak, so I went back and bought a “jumbo” wax ring. That seemed to work for a couple of days, but it soon returned. I then replaced it with another wax ring and sealed the base of the toilet with a thick band of silicone. Within a couple of days the leak returned. I am starting to wonder if I may have cracked the toilet during the original re-installation. There is no obvious sign of a leak but the smell is horrible and my wife if almost as frustrated as I am. The only other thing I thought may be causing the leak is a possible lack of seal between the aluminum replacement ring and the PVC flange. Any suggestions?

    • ANSWER:
      You have answered your own question. Yes — either the toilet is cracked or your closet repair flange is not sealed. Either way smell and water is escaping from under the “j bend” at the bottom of the toilet somehow.

      Try it again…and if you have to replace the toilet because of a crack in the porcelain use plastic shims to stop the toilet from rocking. Frequently slabs are not perfectly flat around obstructions such a plumbing and just tightening the bolts at the base of the toilet will crack the crapper!

      Good luck with that.

  4. QUESTION:
    repairing brick steps?
    Bought a do it yourself pvc stair rail kit from Home Depot. Began installing the posts into the brick stairway and one of the bricks on the edge where I drilled and bolted the post receiver to came loose. Obviously I’ll need to re-set the brick using mortar, however I’m wondering the feasability of driving a couple wedge anchors sideways through the brick to reinforce it from popping off again since it’s supporting a stair rail post.

    • ANSWER:
      You definately need reinforcement. A small foundation underneath the brick would be best. Use concrete underneath the brick then of course mortar the brick back in place. It might be wise to cover as much area as possible underneath the brick area as possible. This will involve digging underneath the brick.
      You do not want to use the wedge anchor thru the brick. It will only reduce the strength of the brick which is supporting the post. You want that area in particular to be strong enough to use the rail for supporting extra weight.

  5. QUESTION:
    Beginners poem…what do you think?
    This is the first poem I have attempted and I would like to know what people think and maybe some tips on how to improve… It is about the feeling of loneliness and being unaccepted. At the moment it is extremely short so think of it as a sample:

    I look into your eyes
    you see nothing
    I reach out to you
    but to no avail
    A single feather
    in a flock of birds
    I am insignificant
    Alone

    • ANSWER:
      You need to show, not tell. Create the experience for the reader with concrete images and fresh language. Poetry does not have to rhyme, but rhythm is important.

      You must read as much as you can and as many different styles as you can, classic and contemporary; free verse and structured forms. Two good anthologies: Staying Alive, Real poems for Unreal Times edited by Neil Astley and Garrison Keillor’s Good Poems. Two books on writing that will help guide you are Mary Oliver’s A Poetry Handbook and The Poetry Home Repair Kit from Ted Kooser.

      There are many good sites on line where you can read poetry daily or browse the archives:

      Academy of Americans Poets
      Poetry Daily
      Verse Daily
      The Writer’s Almanac
      Ploughshares
      Rattle
      Poetry 180
      Poetry Foundation

  6. QUESTION:
    Please Help I am lost on all this.?
    1. Which one of the following roof shapes requires the simplest
    frame?
    A. Gable C. Mansard
    B. Cross-gable D. Cross-hip
    2. Your inspection of a house’s _______ relates to the condition of
    its roof.
    A. electrical system C. attic
    B. basement wall D. bathroom
    3. Which of the following is the most popular framing system used
    today?
    A. Braced frame C. Timber frame
    B. Platform frame D. Balloon frame

    4. Which of the following houses is characterized by a low-pitched gable roof; a wide,
    unenclosed eave overhang, with rafters usually exposed; and beams or braces
    commonly added under gables?
    A. Farmhouse C. Ranch house
    B. Cape Cod box D. Craftsman-style bungalow
    5. The spread of uniform construction technology can be traced to which of the following
    developments?
    A. The onset of World War II
    B. The growth of the mail-order system
    C. The development of “horseless carriages”
    D. The Industrial Revolution
    6. Which of the following is a typical feature of a Cape Cod box?
    A. “Gingerbread” trim C. Asbestos shingle siding
    B. A hand-hewn timber frame D. A stacked-stone foundation
    7. The earliest frame construction used in North America was the _______ frame.
    A. post-and-beam C. balloon
    B. braced D. platform
    8. Which of the following tools will you be likely to use first in a home inspection?
    A. Pliers C. Binoculars
    B. Level D. Stepladder
    9. The house plan drawing titled “Elevations” shows the
    A. outside views of the sides of the house.
    B. inside views of different areas of the house.
    C. close-up views of complicated structures in the house.
    D. dimensions and room positions of a house.
    10. Three examples of exterior wall coverings are
    A. clapboards, substrate, and fiberglass siding.
    B. stucco, brick veneers, and flashing.
    C. aluminum siding, gypsum board, and acrylic stucco.
    D. stucco, clapboards, and vinyl siding.
    11. A stacked masonry wall is constructed by
    A. stacking hollow concrete blocks and running steel rods through the stacks.
    B. making a frame of timbers and covering the exterior with clapboards.
    C. stacking concrete blocks on top of each other, and filling the spaces with plaster.
    D. forming a basket-weave pattern of sticks, and filling in with mud stucco.

    12. The “tap test” is used to check whether
    A. acrylic stucco is buckling loose from the substrate.
    B. a beam is hewn or constructed.
    C. walls are properly insulated.
    D. floor joists contain rot or insect damage.
    13. A common structural problem area in a cross-gabled roof is the
    A. attachment of the roof truss. C. valleys where the gables join.
    B. joints where rafters come together. D. parapets and scuppers.
    14. A typical feature of a Victorian-style house is
    A. tapered square columns. C. asbestos shingle siding.
    B. “gingerbread” trim. D. an attached garage.
    15. The section of building plans that would show views of a built-in hot tub would be the
    A. framing plans. C. detail drawings.
    B. sections. D. specifications.
    16. Two advantages of a prefabricated house kit are
    A. platform frames and vinyl windows.
    B. uniform construction technology and built-in construction accuracy.
    C. front porches and aluminum siding.
    D. uniform construction technology and on-site carpenters.
    17. The split-level home is a variation of the
    A. ranch house. C. Craftsman house.
    B. farmhouse. D. Victorian house.
    18. A contingency fund can be defined as
    A. money set aside for emergency repairs.
    B. an agreement between a realtor and a landlord.
    C. money set aside for land development.
    D. an agreement between a homeowner and a contractor.
    19. A structural section describes a house’s
    A. horizontal assembly across the foundation.
    B. outdoor landscaping designs.
    C. vertical assembly, from the ground up.
    D. interior decoration plan.

    20. A roof truss is best defined as a
    A. structure consisting of rafters, ceiling joists, and ridge board.
    B. system of studs and joists.
    C. top angle of a gable or dormer.
    D. factory-assembled roof frame.

    • ANSWER:
      D
      B
      A
      C
      B
      B
      A
      D
      C
      B
      ?
      D
      B
      A
      C
      D
      B
      D
      D
      ?

  7. QUESTION:
    Feedback on my poem (harsh and cruel, please)?
    Tumbling Walls

    He is an engineer of sorrow and flail
    Constructing cars that transport madness.
    He is confined to the rusted chains of sadness
    His mind is terminally lost; pitiful and stale.

    His laboratory is the zone of grief and confusion
    He tries to muster up the hatchets of his wrath.
    Patching up his sentiment with nails, lace, and lath,
    While his brain and his heart enter a secret collusion.

    The scientist is deeper than his shell, just as raging water
    Conceals the tranquil sands of the plundering blue sea.
    For this is not a man who strides the world in jubilant glee.
    Often he tried to abandon his world of emotional slaughter.

    He sticks himself into a deep abyss of despair and anguish
    Forgetting that all that lurks on this world has two shades.
    Nevertheless, he flees from his truths to the nadir of Hades,
    Waiting for his corrupted sensation to finally languish.

    Many years shall our engineer work intensively and tenaciously.
    He does not know where his quest is starts, neither where to rest
    His bones and his mind until he can rejuvenate and bloom. Lest
    His fears disseminate into thin air, respectfully and graciously.

    • ANSWER:
      Let’s just start with the 1st stanza…how do you “show” sorrow, heck, how do you show “flail” when you’re using it in this way? Create an image for madness, chain of sadness, terminally lost, pitiful, stale.

      A good poem uses concrete images and specific language to create an image for the reader, these images can then move the reader, touch the reader.

      Poetry does not have to rhyme, but rhythm is important.

      You must read as much as you can and as many different styles as you can, classic and contemporary; free verse and structured forms. Two good anthologies: Staying Alive, Real poems for Unreal Times edited by Neil Astley and Garrison Keillor’s Good Poems. Two books on writing that will help guide you are Mary Oliver’s A Poetry Handbook and The Poetry Home Repair Kit from Ted Kooser.

      There are many good sites on line where you can read poetry daily or browse the archives:

      Academy of Americans Poets
      Poetry Daily
      Verse Daily
      The Writer’s Almanac
      Ploughshares
      Rattle
      Poetry 180
      Poetry Foundation

      And if you’re looking for more poets, here’s a very short list. Have fun!

      William Stafford
      Li-Young Lee
      Gary Snyder
      Dorianne Laux
      Lucille Clifton
      Mahmoud Darwish
      Seamus Heaney
      Anna Akhmatova
      Stanley Kunitz
      Yusef Komunyakaa
      Kay Ryan
      Jane Kenyon
      Yehuda Amichai
      Tony Hoagland
      William Matthews
      Emily Dickinson
      Grace Paley
      Wislawa Szymborska
      Donald Hall
      Jimmy Santiago Baca
      Bob Hicok
      Floyd Skloot
      Mary Oliver
      Ruth Stone
      Jane Mead
      Countee Cullen
      WCW
      Robert Frost
      Brendan Galvin
      Linda McCarriston
      AE Stallings
      Dylan Thomas
      Richard Wilbur
      Naomi Shihab Nye
      Ted Kooser
      Galway Kinnell
      Rita Dove
      Mary Jo Bang
      Gjertrud Schnackenberg
      Rhina Espaillat
      Allen Ginsberg
      Charles Simic
      Czeslaw Milosz
      Joy Harjo
      Eavan Boland
      Elizabeth Bishop
      Les Murray
      Federico García Lorca
      Pablo Neruda
      Robert Wrigley
      John Ashbery
      Dean Young
      Major Jackson
      Terrance Hayes
      Patricia Smith

  8. QUESTION:
    Volunteers: Anybody fancy telling me what they think?
    I’ve written some poetry and would like to know what people think. If you’ve got criticism, please give it, as otherwise I can’t mend/improve it. Praise is great too 😉

    Sorry if my stuff isn’t really your style. I write mostly short, freeverse pieces, and they’re usually quite dark and sometimes a little morbid. I blame PostSecret and the Antlers for that, both of which have influenced a lot of my more recent work.

    Thanks 🙂

    1. Fire in the Sun
    http://allpoetry.com/poem/7414889
    About humility, and how everything majestic will one day crumble.

    2. No room for another nameless prince.
    http://allpoetry.com/poem/7424118
    About valuing sincerity and identity over empty gestures.

    3. Broken Teacups.
    http://allpoetry.com/poem/7432557
    About a girl with a rape fantasy.

    4. This is the part where she realises she’s beautiful.
    http://allpoetry.com/poem/7432557
    About a girl who has let cancer rule her self image.

    5. Raise Your Glass.
    http://allpoetry.com/poem/7430153
    About a man who’s just been told his wife is pregnant.

    6. The Lonesome Life of Moth and Maudie.
    http://allpoetry.com/poem/7432537
    Inspired by the play Two by Jim Cartwright, this is about two people who are together out of desperation and loneliness.

    7. Landing Hypotheticals.
    http://allpoetry.com/poem/7432509
    About the hypothetical thought we all occasionally have: “If something awful happened to me, would they suddenly care again?”

    8. The heart that loved To Love.
    http://allpoetry.com/poem/7432487
    About loving Love itself.
    Aw man does it? That’s annoying. There are too many to post here. I’ll just put a few up.
    No room for another nameless prince.

    for the seventeenth time
    I have told you:

    I do not need a
    platoon of umbrellas
    for light
    drizzle.

    just save me
    a parking space
    under your arm,

    and tell me
    your name.

    Fire in the Sun.

    your statues crossed
    in a vineyard strewn with flow’rs;
    cyanide seeds.

    a paint-stripped canter
    in noetic trees;
    the spinster on her knees

    spanish stallions,
    knotted teeth,
    tumble and break in cauliflowers

    she carries
    flung and tarnished
    the moon child, crying
    like

    fire in the sun.

    The heart that loved To Love.

    renegade hearts
    punctuate the loneliness
    with teeth;

    you set me on my feet
    and brush the dust
    from my
    sandpaper knees

    you,
    who never cared
    never asked
    and never threw yourself onto a
    cardboard bed, to see
    if it was soft

    I know that
    I must remove the hostage’ hoods
    but you are the only hostage
    I desire.
    Alternatively, this may work 🙂

    http://allpoetry.com/poem/by/SarahDylan

    • ANSWER:
      I don’t follow links to make comments. If you want feedback post a poem here.

      Why do you use flow’rs vice flowers? What is cyanide seeds? You’re either trying to “sound poetic” with this and things such as:

      paint-stripped canter (perhaps cantor?)
      Noetic trees
      Spanish stallions

      or you have them buried so far in abstractions:

      renegade hearts
      punctuate the loneliness
      only hostage
      desire

      that one cannot know what you really mean, either supply the decoder ring or use concrete images with specific and fresh language.

      You could help this, some, by using standard punctuation (poetry is punctuated just like any other writing) and paying closer attention to you line breaks.

      There’s a host of problems, but most can be overcome with study — by this I mean studying/reading good poetry by a number of poets.

      •Poetry does not have to rhyme, but rhythm is important.

      You must read as much as you can and as many different styles as you can, classic and contemporary; free verse and structured forms. Two good anthologies: Staying Alive, Real poems for Unreal Times edited by Neil Astley and Garrison Keillor’s Good Poems. Two books on writing that will help guide you are Mary Oliver’s A Poetry Handbook and The Poetry Home Repair Kit from Ted Kooser.

      There are many good sites on line where you can read poetry daily or browse the archives:

      Academy of Americans Poets
      Poetry Daily
      Verse Daily
      The Writer’s Almanac
      Ploughshares
      Rattle
      Poetry 180
      Poetry Foundation

      And if you’re looking for more poets, here’s a very short list. Have fun!

      William Stafford
      Li-Young Lee
      Gary Snyder
      Dorianne Laux
      Lucille Clifton
      Seamus Heaney
      Anna Akhmatova
      Stanley Kunitz
      Yusef Komunyakaa
      Kay Ryan
      Jane Kenyon
      Yehuda Amichai
      Tony Hoagland
      William Matthews
      Emily Dickinson
      Grace Paley
      Wislawa Szymborska
      Donald Hall
      Jimmy Santiago Baca
      Bob Hicok
      Floyd Skloot
      Mary Oliver
      Ruth Stone
      Jane Mead
      Countee Cullen
      WCW
      Robert Frost
      Brendan Galvin
      Linda McCarriston
      AE Stallings
      Dylan Thomas
      Richard Wilbur
      Naomi Shihab Nye
      Ted Kooser
      Galway Kinnell
      Rita Dove
      Mary Jo Bang
      Gjertrud Schnackenberg
      Rhina Espaillat
      Allen Ginsberg
      Charles Simic
      Czeslaw Milosz
      Joy Harjo
      Eavan Boland
      Elizabeth Bishop
      Les Murray
      Federico García Lorca
      Pablo Neruda
      Robert Wrigley

  9. QUESTION:
    What do you think of my poetry?
    I’m 15, and here’s a short poem I’ve just written.

    Just A Mere Vibration

    It can be so beautiful,
    yet so forceful.
    The words can make you puzzle,
    and the beat can make you tremble.
    Turn it up, and it can motivate,
    turn it down, and it can alleviate.
    From guitars that cause tears,
    to voices that soothe ears.
    Every song’s work of art,
    every song can touch a heart.
    So powerful,
    and so wonderful.
    It can even rally a nation,
    just a mere vibration…

    Any views?

    Cheers.
    The flow isn’t great, but read it slowly out loud and it should be okay…

    • ANSWER:
      Show don’t tell, use figurative language, and specific and concrete images. Words like beautiful, forceful, motivate, alleviate, touch a heart, powerful, wonderful, etc., are lazy writing and wasted when writing poetry.

      Poetry does not have to rhyme, but rhythm is important.

      You must read as much as you can and as many different styles as you can, classic and contemporary; free verse and structured forms. Two good anthologies: Staying Alive, Real poems for Unreal Times edited by Neil Astley and Garrison Keillor’s Good Poems. Two books on writing that will help guide you are Mary Oliver’s A Poetry Handbook and The Poetry Home Repair Kit from Ted Kooser.

      There are many good sites on line where you can read poetry daily or browse the archives:

      Academy of Americans Poets
      Poetry Daily
      Verse Daily
      The Writer’s Almanac
      Ploughshares
      Rattle
      Poetry 180
      Poetry Foundation

  10. QUESTION:
    Is this poem any good?
    (Can you tell what I need to improve and what you don’t understand)

    A stroll in a graveyard

    My life has been taken by night
    like a fool I followed the serpent of lies and listened to my conscience with deaf ears
    I tread in the shadows of misfortune to watch the flickers of hope disappear
    I grab the shovel of doubt and dug a hole that I couldn’t get out of
    I look up to see the serpent slither down and eat me
    I have been consumed by my lies

    • ANSWER:
      I’m going to remove the abstractions (and/or cliches – or both) from this work, these are things that are not tangible, things you cannot touch, taste, hear, see, or smell — you would want to replace them with concrete images that would show the reader the mood or feeling you are trying to create.

      has been taken by night
      I followed the and listened to
      I tread in the to watch the disappear
      I grab the and that I couldn’t get out of
      I look up to see the down and eat me
      I have been

      Poetry does not have to rhyme, but rhythm is important.

      You must read as much as you can and as many different styles as you can, classic and contemporary; free verse and structured forms. Two good anthologies: Staying Alive, Real poems for Unreal Times edited by Neil Astley and Garrison Keillor’s Good Poems. Two books on writing that will help guide you are Mary Oliver’s A Poetry Handbook and The Poetry Home Repair Kit from Ted Kooser.

      There are many good sites on line where you can read poetry daily or browse the archives:

      Academy of Americans Poets
      Poetry Daily
      Verse Daily
      The Writer’s Almanac
      Ploughshares
      Rattle
      Poetry 180
      Poetry Foundation

  11. QUESTION:
    Finishing a basement….waterproofing,carpeting etc.?
    I have a huge unfinished basement (60×30)that I can do virtually anything to but dont know where to start, how to do it or have the money.
    I would like to go the cheapest way possible,but still look nice, any ideas on where to buy trim,ceiling,carpet etc?
    Should I use some sort of sealant on the walls,poured walls?
    Is that hard,easy?
    Should we put padding under the carpet? I heard you shouldnt, but I just started checking around yesterday.
    Any suggestion would be helpful,we plan on doing the work ourselves.
    Also let me know what themes, etc. you did in your basement if you want. I can always use ideas.
    Thanks In Advance

    • ANSWER:
      Your question is like someone asking what should I do with my life. It is hugely broad. The best I can do here is give you some initial pointers and suggest you look among answers, web sites and catalogues for further explanation and finishes.

      A basement can be a smart alternative to putting on an addition to the house as you don’t have to worry about exterior walls or a roof. But you do have other considerations. Foremost is the question of water. Is it dry and can humidity be controlled. If you don’t address this first then you run the risk of losing your subsequent investment to water damage. I have posted elsewhere on water issues at length which you should easily be able to find. Next is the issue of Radon gas. You can get a test kit for this.

      When starting with an empty basement, several times I have pressure washed the walls and if necessary sucked up the run off with a wet/dry vac set up for wet pickup. This will clean out any musty odor and allow any needed applications to the walls prior to finishing.

      By “poured walls” I take it to mean your foundation is poured concrete. Most of these that I have seen have had cracks in the walls. Any cracks should be repaired. If you are ready to dig on the outside, this is the best way to fix/waterproof the foundation. For a compromise treatment you can “paint” the interior walls with products (thoro seal, dura lock, etc)found where you buy your paints.

      Your basement type (high, deep, or sloping), climate, and intended usage will all tend to dictate choices. No matter what stylistic choices you make, Insulation, ventilation, and lighting will be very important considerations.
      I usually recommend insulation only down to the frost line to take advantage of typical basement coolness in summer and natural earth as insulation. Because you usually don’t have the windows available on upper floors I suggest specific ventilation solutions separate from any Radon gas considerations. Often I suggest a fan that comes on with a light to exhaust some air. Usually I recommend more than adequate lighting and especially light color schemes. High hats may not work very well as the distance from floor to ceiling is usually less than upstairs and the light does not have a chance to spread out. Flourescent lights work well because they start spread out but not everyone likes what is available. A dark basement can feel rather creepy.

      However there might be other considerations. I have built darkrooms in basements and saw a very unique finish designed by one who’s passion was caving. Typically a basement is for “being used” hobbies, relaxing, hanging out, kids place are all possibilities. One thought many have is to put a laundry in the basement. Sometimes a shoot is installed to allow laundry to go to that room. A better option is to install machines where the laundry is used, typically by 2ed floor bedrooms. But a basement installation is usually more economical.

      While I wouldn’t recommend padding on any basement that had any chance of water damage I would recommend it on steps leading to the first floor. The exception might be an area where you expect to do a lot of standing for a long time (workbench etc) where you might not want to be standing on a concrete floor for a long time. For that area perhaps not a wall to wall but an area rug with a pad might be good if carpeting is desired.

      Frequently people will divide the space and finish it differently, utility areas will receive little finish while TV rooms will receive more.

      First you need a plan. You might pay someone familiar with basements to help you plan your project. If that person is a knowledgeable builder they may also be on call to assist while you begin construction. If doing the work yourself takes more than a season at least you have a plan that you can keep coming back to. It is a worthwhile project so, of course it is worth doing right. As you refine your questions you can post specifics and give some a better chance of a targeted response.

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