What tools for basement finishing

[Garasaki]

Looking for some advice - my wife and I are preparing to finish out our basement space by ourselves. I'm a fairly handy dude, and have a fair stash of woodworking tools but have no real experience building a house. I think I pretty much "get it" and also feel that tooling up for this project is:

a) important
b) going to involve a lot of convincing of SWMBO that I really need this stuff

Long term (ie 8 years out or so), I would like to build my own house, so even items that I'll mostly just use for this project, then sit idle until the house building project, IMO, are worth investing in now.

The basement is about 1000 sf, will be a family room, toy room, bedroom, bath, and storage. Currently there are poured concrete foundation walls and a concrete slab. Walls will be basic stick built, 2x4s and drywall, carpeting (probably will hire that out), ceiling - either drywall or layin.

I figure this is the list of items I need, probably in order:

1. Miter saw (nothing fancy req'd, 10")
2. Framing nailer (clipped head or round head?)
3. Finish nailer (16 or 18 gage?)
4. Drywall screw gun (on the cheap)
5. 4 foot or longer level

I have an air compressor, good cordless drill with lotsa batterys (do I need a corded drill do ya think?), obviously tablesaw (not taking it down there though!), basic wiring tools....can't think of anything else.

So what do I need to add to my list? What items are MUST HAVES, what items are "Boy it's nice to have...", what items are deadweight...

Any thoughts or experience at all would be great. I'd really prefer to present SWMBO with a nice organized list up front that REALLY covers everything, and have to argue about it once, rather then do it piecemeal and have to argue a bunch of times (not argue, CONVINCE...)

[lkazista]

I too, am in the process of fininshing the basement. I am mildly hung up though on the 'best' (actually least likely to grow mold) method. I live in new construction, with a very dry basement, and really only like to do things once. Anyway more on that in the "shop" section of this site under more postings if you are interested.

Back to your questions;

as for a framing nailer, I would ALWAYS go with a round head nailer. Building inspectors will prefer, if not demand it. Won't matter much in a basement, but on a house it will. It just means that you will not be able to hold as many nails in the gun as you would with clipped, but whatever. I went with the Porter Cable (plastic collated) from toolking.com, a recon for $129 with free shipping. No regrets, and I have fired about 4000 nails through it so far, with no jams.

If you have the money though, I would grab a Paslode Framer. No hoses, ultra compact, and they use an offset full round head, so it only takes up as much space as a clipped head. Between my brother and I we have easily put 20,000 nails through his, and no issues to speak off, or even a single jam.


A 4 foot level will work, but I ALWAYS wish I had a 6 footer as well, it would really help for setting doors and rough framing.

Personally, I would go for a corded drill (perhaps a hammer drill for those concrete floors). It will always come in handy, and you can just ask more of a corded drill than you can of a cordless. You can use it to drill the holes through the PT into your slab for the Tapcon screws, or you could go with a Ramset instead.

[DaveS]

The things I used were:

Framing:
- good hammer
- light weight tool belt
- circular saw
- borrowed a friend's pneumatic framing nailer - not necessary, but makes the job go faster
- powder actuated ram set to nail the bases to the cement floor - you can do this with concrete nails, or tapcons, but again - this way is much faster.
- tape measure
- small framing square (little triangular one)
- stapler for vapor barrier - one of those hammer ones work the best, but a staple gun will also work fine.
- several sharpy markers for marking

Electrical
- wired drill for boring through joists and studs - your cordless will work for this if you only work a little at a time, but it **will** slow you down.
- good wire cutter/stripper - it makes a big difference.
- smaller hammer
- tape measure

Plumbing
- phone to call plumber

Drywall
- ben gay
- heating pad
- rented drywall lift for ceiling
- drywall bit for cordless drill - a real drywall drill would go much faster, but I just couldn't get the hang of it
- taping and mudding tools - If you haven't done this before, I'd recommend hiring this out or it will most likely not look good

Finish
- good miter saw with a good blade
- pneumatic finish nailer
- good, sharp chisels
- coping saw

[DaveS]

I almost forgot - one very important thing for finishing the basement:
a good (large) shop vac.

If you use it to clean up after drywall, get a drywall bag to put inside - they work well.

Also, I forgot about the tools I used for adding to the ductwork:
- tin snips, round and straight
- metal circle cutter

[Uncle Cracker]

All you really need is a Porter-Cable Deluxe Basement Finisher. Harbor Freight has a cheap knock-off, but it's underpowered, so I'd avoid it.

[jonmulzer]

If you are into woodworking much at all you need a miter saw anyway most likely. Same for the finish nailer. What is your budget for tool purchases for all of this? Are there any friends you could borrow certain tools from?

A framing gun is absolutely wonderful to have. I love the one I have and it saves a ton of time. I picked it up brand new off craigslist for $100 and it is a Dewalt clipped head model. Just a couple of weeks ago a friend and I built a 10x10 shed for storage at his house and we had the whole thing framed and sheathed in a day. No possible way that just the two of us would have been able to do all that completely by ourselves in a day.

A drywall screw gun is a "nice to have". Not necessary, but a huge time saver. I picked up a Senco model for $100 at the BORG. Since then I have used it for lots of things besides drywall. I put plywood up on the walls in my father's garage and it saved tons of time. I even used it to build a set of cornhole boards for a friend.

For drywall you will also need a 48" t-square, quick-change utility knife (buy the blades in bulk, you will need them) and a keyhole saw. Hire out the mudding and taping unless you are feeling real adventurous.

Finish nailer, get a 15ga one if you catch a good deal, but 16ga is also acceptable. I have a 16ga, but the price was right. No complaints, it does what I need it to do and does it well. Craftsman runs specials on a 2 nailer kit on occasion. 16ga finish nailer, 18ga brad nailer and 1/4" crown stapler. I have that one and no complaints from any of it. IMHO a finish nailer is a must have.

Hammertacker stapler, almost a must-have. Your forearms will look like Popeyes and feel like **** if you use a staple gun continuously.

Ramset, almost a must-have also. HUGE timesaver and you won't wear yourself out like with Tapcons and the alternatives.

Miter saw, must-have. But see if you could borrow one if necessary. And either buy or build a good stand. I have a 12" Hitachi double compound model on a Trojan stand and the stand was the best thing I have ever done for the saw. With an extension and a stop you can rapidly cut all your studs to length.

Also consider either buying prebored studs or boring them for electrical before framing your walls. Most of the time a drill and a spade bit will not fit in a 14 1/2" stud bay unless you have a right angle model. And they are easier to drill on a drill press standing upright, versus hunched over or kneeling down. Drill ALL the studs. Even if you don't think you will need to run wires there, do it anyway. Plans change and then you will be cussing. Trust me, after the walls are up your wife will come in and say, "Now that I see the room it would be nice to have an (outlet, light, switch) over here and then you will be cussing. Plan for the future on wiring. Think about any future celing fans, outlets or lights you or the wife might want and put in a junction box. And I also strongly recommend that every room be on a separate circuit if you can, and LABEL the breaker box.

Other electrical tools, insulation stripper, wire stripper, cutting dikes, needle nose and good comfy screwdrivers. For this is usually use my 4-in-1 screwdriver by Crescent. You will mostly need a medium Phillips for this work, but then the occasional oddball comes up and you don't have to look for another screwdriver or carry 4 of them with you. A non-contact tester, circuit tester and multimeter can also come in handy. I rarely touch a wire without checking it with the non-contact first. It has saved me several times.

Levels, you will need torpedo, 2', 4' and 6'. 18" ones come in handy sometimes also, but YMMV. Make sure the levels are just levels and not "grade" levels. All the lines screw me up, all I want is just two lines.

Also make sure you have a good 20oz hammer, tool belt, chalk line, framing square and speed square and perhaps a 100' tape. They are nice for layout. Also for layout I love my saddle square. Very nice for marking top and bottom plates. You can get one through Lee Valley.

Hmmm, I think I have rambled enough. I would also consider borrowing tools or getting by without if you can on some of the more expensive things. You say you are going to build a house in a few years and would use them then, but in a few years the tools you would have bought today would be way down in value and you could pick them up used for half the price or less. But you also would not know the condition. Something to think about.

[windmill]

This may be obvious, but get good lighting. Those halogen megawatters on a stand are ideal. Something likethe one from Northern Tool:

Get two, so you aren't casting shadows on your work. Drywalling a basement (especially the taping and mudding) is impossible without good light.

Other items you may not have thought of:
- Dust masks
- Gloves (insulation...)
- Step ladder
- Extra drop cords
- Tool belt & bucket organizer

I'd get a corded drill, either a cheapo one you can toss or a really good one that will last beyond the project. Pros and cons to both

If it's a walkout basement, consider getting a large fan you can put in the door or window. Being able to get rid of dust (wood cutting, drywall, insulation) is really nice.

[Greg.B]

Just finished my basement, very similar room structure.

I used a 10" Ryobi Miter Saw, Framing Nailer, Finish Nailer, Brad Nailer, Floor (22g) Nailer and a 4ft level, framing square, and triangle square.

You really don't need a screw gun, a drill works just as well. The trick to drywall is you use nails and screws. First you do the nails to quickly position the board , then screw the rest. Nails usually go along the edges. As for pops, you should also lay a bead of drywall adhesive.

A sawzall does come in hand however, when you need to notch boards, etc.

[NJFrank]

Get an Impact driver instead of the drywall driver/screw gun.

I have the Ryobi which is the least expensive of the breed outside of HF. Love this tool, works great for driving drywall screws, better than drill with a clutch. Great for driving screws without the slipping you get with a drill/driver. Find I don't use the drill often for driving screws, unless I need to predrill the hole.

[JimD]

I have finished two basements and I do not own a framing nailer. A hammer works fine. There isn't that much framing involved. A finish nailer is much more useful especially if you will do more than base moulding. I did one basement without any pneumatic, however. I also cut the studs for that basement with a circular saw - they are more versatile than a miter saw and if you do not have one, I would get it first.

I also do not own a drywall drill, I just use a bit in a regular drill, cordless is fine if you have enough batteries. The kind of bit that adjusts for depth is best. You can also replace the bit in them and reduced diameter #2 bits are best (you don't have to be at exactly the right angle). I like a 9.6V for drywall, they are much lighter.

I did the second basement with a drywall lift I made. If you have help, you can get by without a lift but it sure helps if you are doing it by yourself. You can also rent a lift.

I have put bottom plates down with concrete nails and tapcons and percussive nailer. The latter is by far the fastest. You can get one for about $30.

I would start with a circular saw (mine is a Milwaukee but there are several good brands) and I would get a corded drill, I have a couple of DeWalt 3/8 drills (one keyless chuck, one keyed). While a cordless will do what a corded drill will do the corded still has more power and eventually you will want to use a big hole saw or something like that which will drain batteries quickly. After that, I would get the percussive nailer, then the miter saw and then the pneumatic.

Nails work fine for drywall too. The drywall does not have a lot of strength. Nail pops happen because the drywall was not tight against the stud and then a cover plate for an electrical box pulls it tight or maybe the stud or drywall just straighens out. When the drywall goes tight against the stud, the fastener protrudes. I did not believe this until I started checking the pops in our current house. Some were screws, some were smooth shank nails. Both have enough holding power, the drywall is the weak link. The fastener cannot pull it very hard because it crumbles. Pros will tap in a few nails at the top of a sheet for a wall, lift the sheet into place with one hand and drive the nails with the other. Then they grab a screw gun to do the rest of the fastening. The main advantage of screws is it is easy to set them once you get the bit adjusted.

Jim

[Tom Slick]

if you are only installing trim, especially paint grade, you can get away with only owning a 18ga brad gun or only a 15ga gun, you don't really need both. brads are plenty strong enough to hold up door casing and base boards. 2" brads are long enough to shoot through the trim piece, drywall, and still have enough penetration into the stud behind.

I prefer a 15ga to a 16ga. they both will leave a hole about the same size in your trim, so the smaller 16ga has no advantage. the 15ga nailer's magazine is at an angle so you can get it into tighter spots/odd angles. 15ga round nails shoot straighter then 16ga brads. nails are cheaper for a 16ga but in a small volume that doesn't really make any difference.

I like Senco and Hitachi guns. most pros also prefer these two brands. Porter cable and Bostitch are also good brands. I own a HF 18ga gun and it works fine for woodworking projects in the shop but it doesn't really work well for doing trim work. it dents MDF casing and the safety likes to get hung up when you have to nail something at an odd angle. it is going to be replaced with a hitachi.

[Garasaki]

THanks for the insights guys...it's all been really helpful!

If you are into woodworking much at all you need a miter saw anyway most likely. Same for the finish nailer.

Yeah I've been wanting both for my woodworking hobby. Right now I do all my crosscuts on a bt3k with a crosscut sled, including long 2x4s which is sort of a PIA and a bit dangerous at times quite frankly. I have seen people rely on circular saws for cutting studs, but I'm just not comfortable with that at all. I'm gonna build a quick stand for the miter saw right in the basement and rely on that.

This project is an excellent excuse to get tooled up with nailers.

THanks for the insights guys...it's all been really helpful!

Also consider either buying prebored studs or boring them for electrical before framing your walls.

I never would have thought of that but it is genious. You only need to have one bore in each stud right? Like I imagine it'd make sense to bore them all at somewhere around 4 or 5 feet from the bottom. Gawd that's just a plain good idea. THANK YOU.

[Garasaki]

This may be obvious, but get good lighting. Those halogen megawatters on a stand are ideal. Something likethe one from Northern Tool:

Get two, so you aren't casting shadows on your work. Drywalling a basement (especially the taping and mudding) is impossible without good light.

Another thing I never would have thought of but definately will invest in. Theres lights down there now, but they are not well placed.

[Garasaki]

I own a HF 18ga gun and it works fine for woodworking projects in the shop but it doesn't really work well for doing trim work.

I'm glad you mentioned that. I've been tempted by the HF nailers many a times but have been resisting - I tell myself I'm not buying something that shoots pointy sticks of metal from HF. This input nails it.

[Garasaki]

General thoughts:

I see RAMSET mentioned a lot - percussive nailing. I just don't know anything about how/where/what to buy though??? I understand the purpose (attaching bottom plates to concrete) but just don't know much about it.

Re: the drywall screw gun - I'm thinking I can find one for like 10 or 15 bucks on fleabay and that would be worth the investment.

Nailers - I really like the idea of the Paslode cordless - I will pitch that idea and see what the wife thinks. Anyone know if those bad boys are loud??

Also, I understand I need (rather, would prefer to use) a framing nailer - and probably a 15 (prefered) or 16 gage finish nailer - so does that leave the 18 gage out of the picture or would that come in handy too? From my woodworking perspective, I'd find more uses for the 18 then anything else, but I know I don't think like a homebuilder...

Corded drills - I don't really understand what a hammer drill versus an impact driver versus a regular drill - I mean I kinda understand what an impact driver is ... well anyway I was just gonna get a regular ole drill....what are the advantages of the other styles?

Sawzalls- yuck I absolutely hate those things. I was thinking I wouldn't need one but come to think of it, there's going to be some selective wall demo being done and I probably will at least need to borrow one for that

Thanks guys, this really does help out a ton. Every tip and bit of info I can get before starting really pays off.