Which Drywall Is Best For Basements?

The best drywall for basements is the Dens armor Plus and the reason why we went with this choice is that it has been adopted for use in commercial buildings, such as schools, and hospitals, among other public institutions, which gives it an upper hand.

Dens Armor has been constructed with the ability to resist indentation, gouging, abrasions, bumps, and scraps that can very easily deface the traditional drywall.

Dens Armor is a high performing fiberglass mat gypsum that can be adopted for different applications within the home such as for the floor projects or to make the walls and the ceiling.

The drywall is also moisture and mold resistant and has been listed, as a sustainable product by Underwriter’s laboratory environment because of utilizing the microbial resistant testing.

Other types of basement drywalls

Magnesium Oxide Board- Magnesium Board as a company prides itself for producing some of the most technologically advanced building products.

The company has thus produced a technologically advanced board with waterproofing and mold resistance features.

The unfinished Southern Pine and Cypress- is a product from the Southern Wood Specialties and features a kiln-dried rough cut yellow pine, which can be used in cabins and game rooms.

Advantages of installing drywall in your basement

A large part of basement installation is DIY, which gives the homeowner an upper hand in cost control.

What’s more, is that you will be able to design your basement as you well please because of the flexibility that comes with drywalls.

Drywalls are not only convenient for use on basement walls but can also be used in the making of living room walls, bathrooms and kitchen, not to forget the ceiling and the archways.

They also give you the liberty to customize your house and incorporate some unique designs such as a rounded corner.

If a house had been previously made with drywall then you can change the colors to match with your décor by painting or by simply installing wallpaper.

Drywalls also give a house a higher resale value, as the new owners will have the freedom of redecorating it to suit their tastes and preferences.

Although there are dry walls that cannot be easily gorged or damaged, repairing a drywall is pretty easy things like scratches can be filled with drywall mud and be repainted.

And in case of gorging then homeowners are able to patch the holes without having to get a professional and end up incurring a lot of extra expensive expenses.  

Factors to consider before installing drywall in your basement

The basement might not be an ideal place to create an extra room for the occupants of your home but with a serious touch-up, it might even be more enviable than the rooms in the main house.

Besides the cost of living is shooting up by the day and a perfectly finished basement could earn you some passive income.

• Manage the water channels around your basement

There are, however, some important factors that you should put into consideration when remodeling your basement before they turn into major hurdles.

Basements don’t really have that perfect finish and will most of the time be surrounded by soil, which inadvertently will lead to the development of moisture, and will most certainly seep through the concrete, creating a damp environment.

So before you install a drywall in your basement, it would be best to ensure that all water channels that are bound to enhance the humidity conditions in the basement have been obliterated and this includes installing gutters and the downspouts.

Also, get rid of any leaking or standing water.

• Invest in basement specific materials

And as you do the above ensure that the materials you are using to achieve a perfect finish in the basement area have been specifically designed for use in basements.

This is so because the construction code insists on the use of rot-resistant and moisture-resistant building materials.

And if by any chance you are thinking of putting up drywall in your basement so that you can create an extra bedroom then be sure to add an escape window.

Check on the window measurements before, the law catches up with you and charges you with breaking the International Residential Code.

A basement room without electricity is not appealing therefore, don’t forget to leave space for piping and wiring as you put up your drywall and be sure to get a licensed electrician.

• Get a basement reconstruction permit

If you are looking to convert your basement into a rentable room then you will have to make arrangements for plumbing and if you are erecting new drywalls then a permit must be sought.

Though most people take this issue for granted it could attract a very steep fine if the local authorities rat you out.

And in case you lack the permit then your basement description will rarely match the description in the county records, and this could really disadvantage you in the event that you want to put the house up for sale.

Buyers will thus be afraid of buying your house given the mismatch.

What other alternatives are there to using the basement drywall

Drywalls have a lot of advantages as discussed above but there are also other alternatives that give the dry walls stiff competition.

For example, if you want to create a country home theme, you could use wood planks that will not cost you a dime after installation.

They also do hold up well and tend to be warmer for people living in cold prone areas.

Plywood is also a great choice for your basement wall, and more so if you are working with a tight budget.

Using plywood for your basement wall doesn’t involve a steep learning curve, as all you need to do is hung up the wall and if you want to change the mood just paint them.

Wahoo walls and here is a wall product specifically made for basement finishing.

And just like the dry walls, wahoo walls are waterproof and don’t encourage the growth of mold.

Installing this type of wall in your basement is a simple DIY process thus cheap.