After a few fun yelling matches, one streak of paint on the side of my husband's face, and a high-speed chase up the stairs and into the backyard, I am ready to tell you how to finish a basement and live to tell about it. Here are a few tips that we discovered during our entertaining finishing ordeal.

Choose the Right Insulation:

So, we decided it would be fun to install insulation in our basement ourselves. 'Quality time', at least that is what my husband called it.

I think what he really meant was ?less money.? So, we ran right to the store and picked up enough rolls of insulation for finishing a basement that was our size.

You know, that sheet kind that expands about 5,000 percent when you slit the package open? We started working on that, and within a day and a half we were ready to bury each other in it.

We had itchy insulation in places on our bodies that we didn't even realize we had. The entire basement was polluted with the fibers from it, and I don't even want to go into the what we experienced cutting it to size.

After a couple of days, we decided we were not making any progress, so my husband called and had a professional come out. After chuckling at us for a moment, he told us there was a much easier way.

He ended up using a type of foam spray insulation, and was done in a couple of days. We discovered it would work more effectively, because it expanded to fit in all of the nooks and crannies behind the basement walls. Lesson learned.

Check for a Few Important Things:

When you're finishing a basement, there is a few elements you want to ensure you don't overlook. I did? Well, my husband overlooked it and I just did not notice him overlooking it.

Double check to be sure you have enough electrical outlets for what you will be using your basement for. You know, finishing a basement to convert it into a bar really requires a good number of outlets. Lesson learned.

Make sure you have plenty of lighting fixtures. Without them, finishing a basement can be tough, and once you get it done, you may not be able to see properly in the murky dimness of your basement. This can lead to some serious toe-stubbing. Lesson learned.

Walls and Floors:

First of all, there are some wall and floor materials and types that you never want to go with for your basement. Because of the higher moisture content in the air, they're just not smart ideas. Some of these include:

- Sheetrock

- Carpet

- Hardwood Floors

- OSB board

- Faux Stone Floors

Instead, opt for some type of moisture resistant paneling for the walls, and a nice

real stone floor, or staining your existing concrete floors.

Finishing a basement can really drive you crazy, but luckily you have learned from my mistakes. Save your basement and your marriage by following the tips and ideas in this article!