The existing basement had a persistent damp-wall problem along the north foundation, which got solved before a single stud went up: an interior drainage channel tied to a new sump pump, and a dimple-board vapor barrier behind the new framing. Finishing a basement over an unresolved moisture problem is the single most common callback in this trade, and this scope started there on purpose.
The guest bedroom required a code-compliant egress window well, cut into the foundation and framed with a full window unit rather than the undersized hopper windows the room came with. Ceiling height cleared code by boxing the largest ductwork runs into a single soffit along one wall instead of dropping the entire ceiling plane.
The media room and home gym share a single open area with a sound-isolating wall assembly between them — resilient channel and an extra layer of drywall — so a workout at 6am doesn’t carry through to whoever is still asleep upstairs.
