Actually, this is a note of conversation. Thanks Greg Jones from Lowes!
step 1: design the layout of the basement
step 2: waterproofing the basement
Basement is like a cement box inside the humid dirt. so water could easily find a way to get inside which is a disaster. So it is recommended to use water based drylok(R) to paint walls. And caulk the edges between walls and floor with Big stretch (R) caulking. It is available in ACE. This is because the pressure could push water to enter this edge.
step 3: insulation
it is not necessary to follow the labor intensive conventional process: framing, insulaiton, drywall. Actually, Dow provides a foam to avoid conventional framing. http://building.dow.com/na/en/products/insulation/scoreboard.htm
the inlet on the ceiling is neglected. the small inlet there could increase the heat exchange between outside and basement. silicone based caulking could be used to insulate these small gaps.
step 4: drywall.
drywall and button lumber need to be heavy mod-resistant. drywall shown in the left is a good candidate.
apply primer shown in the left on the drywall before painting it.
step 5: floor
it is recommended to use subfloor as shown below. if you want to keep the floor warm.
engineering wood floor is appropriate for the basement (Not hardwood floor because of humidity!)
for storage area, epoxy (Rustoleun) could be applied.
step 5: ceiling
for sound insulation material
