- 1). Check the mortar of the stone basement walls. If any of the mortar between the stones is loose, work it free with a screwdriver or pry bar. Fill new mortar into the gaps between the stones. Use a pointed trowel to add about one inch of mortar at a time until the spaces between the stones are filled.
- 2). Build a stud wall in front of the stone basement walls. Attach the bottom plate, a 2x4-inch board that serves as the base of the stud wall to the floor, using masonry screws. Attach studs to the top plate, the 2x4-inch board that will connect the stud wall to the floor joists of the main floor. Studs are cut to fit between the two plates and are spaced every 16 inches along the wall. Position the stud walls far enough away from the stone walls to allow future maintenance work on the stone, according to the website Old House Web.
- 3). String wiring to all planned outlet and light fixture locations. Install boxes for the outlets and fixtures in the stud wall.
- 4). Insulate the walls. Use fiberglass batt insulation placed between the studs along all exterior walls.
- 5). Cover the interior walls with drywall sheets. These sheets, sometimes called sheetrock, are placed over the studs to provide the base for the interior walls. Use 1 1/2 drywall nails or screws, placed in pairs every 12 inches to hold the drywall in place.
- 6). Apply mud to the nails or screws holding the drywall in place. Use drywall tape, with mud applied, to cover the seams where the sheets of drywall meet.
- 7). Install the outlets and light fixtures where the utility boxes were roughed in during the previous step.
- 8). Install a suspended ceiling. Suspended ceilings use a grid work of metal channels to hold removable tiles in place in the ceiling. This allows access to the floor joists of the main floor for any necessary maintenance in the future.
- 9). Install any floor covering desired. Carpet adds warmth to cold concrete basement floors, but vinyl tile can also be used.