DIY Network

Basement Utility Room Karl uses style and storage to transform a dreary laundry dungeon. From "Wasted Spaces" episode DWSP-208

Host Karl Champley and homeowner Dan Davis clear out the area that will become the utility room. While a contractor handles some plumbing work, Karl and Dan frame out the first of two walls for the new room, plumb it up and attach it to the concrete floor and ceiling joists.

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Materials:

plywood masonry screws level shims drywall drywall screws self-adhesive drywall tape drywall mud 3/4" birch plywood 2x4 lumber (regular and pressure-treated) 2x10 lumber 1x3 lumber wood glue

primer and paint pre-hung door nails screws baseboard trim PVC glue mortar mix spray contact cement acrylic sheet trim for the laundry sorter 2 piano hinges for the folding table screws for the hinge drop-leaf supports

Always wear safety glasses and use extreme caution when working with a nail gun or other power-assisted tools.

Tools:

safety glasses
ear protection
carpenter’s pencil
nail gun
builder’s tape
tape measure
hammer
hammer drill
circular saw
chalk line
staple gun
hand saw
level
screw driver
rotary hammer
reciprocating saw
drywall mud knife/trowel
container for drywall mud
print rollers, brushes, trays
dropcloth
painter’s tape
utility knife
keyhole saw

Paint Colors:

Outside walls:
Benjamin Moore, eggshell finish, Sherwood Tan 1054

Inside walls:
Benjamin Moore, eggshell finish, Catalina Blue 703

Planning the Project

The right project plan helps create a utility room that works for the whole family.

Everyone’s heard the old saying: "Measure twice, cut once." But you can't do that without the right measurements. That's where the project plan comes in.

• After clearing out the space for the new room, measure the area carefully and snap a chalk line to show where the new walls will go. Also measure the ceiling height; the new walls should be slightly shorter than the distance to the ceiling so they can slide into position.

• Use these measurements to create a scale drawing of the project and figure out what lengths of lumber to cut. Each wall frame will be a rectangle made of 2x4 lumber, with studs placed every 16 inches. The drawing also should show the dimensions and placement for the door.

• The project room already had roughed-in plumbing for a bathroom as well as washer-dryer hookups. A contractor modified some of the plumbing to fit the project design.

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