Wood paneling is the cheapest way to finish basement walls. Put strips of wood on your basement concrete walls with a strong adhesive, then use a matching wood screw to attach the paneling to the wood strips. With this, it’ll be easier to remove the paneling to access the pipes or wires when need be.
Finishing basement walls is as important as having a basement in the first place. You cannot just have a basement without finishing. Even if it means using the cheapest means you can to finish it, it is still better than just having an unfinished basement.
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Cheap Way to Finish Basement Walls
Here are the 5 cheap ways to finish basement walls:
1. Wood Paneling
Paneling is the cheapest way to finish basement walls. To use paneling to finish your basement walls, ensure to use a strong adhesive to put strips of wood on your concrete basement walls.
After the wood is attached to the wall, you can use wood screws to attach the paneling to the wood stripes. You have to make sure the wood screws match your paneling to give it a uniform look.
The reason why you are asked to use wood strips along with wood screws is basically for easy access. Peradventure you later want to access either the pipes or wires in the basement, with the wood strips and screws, it will be easier for you to do so.
Pros of Using Paneling to Finish Basement Walls
- It is easy to do
- It is inexpensive to do
- It gives easy access to the wires and pipes in the basement
- You can make use of wood strips and wood screws
Holydecot Peel and Stick Wood Wall Panels
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2. Area Rugs
Area rugs are another inexpensive way one can finish its basement walls. The area rugs themselves are very cheap. Irrespective of how cheap it is to use drywall to finish basement walls, area rugs are the cheapest. This is to tell you how cheap it is.
Since you’re on a budget, you might resort to using area rugs to cover your basement wall to give it a fine finish look.
However, if you wish to use area rugs to finish your basement walls, you must ensure to find designs and patterns that will create unique decor in your basement.
When using area rugs to finish your basement, the goal is not only to ensure the basement is finished, the goal is also to ensure that the area rugs you prefer to use conform with other decorations you have in your basement. This is to avoid your basement looking like it’s in another building entirely.
Also, when using area rugs to finish your basement walls, ensure to take them away from moisture areas. Installing the area rugs where moisture collects will not do any good to the rug and the basement. Therefore, ensure you take note of this to avoid the growth of mold and mildew.
3. Painting the Basement Walls
Painting is another cheap way to finish basement walls. You can make use of concrete paint to give your basement a variety of looks. You can as well use a solid color on your basement walls. If you are the type that likes mixing and matching colors, you can do so if you want.
Using paint as a cheap way to finish basement walls is not only cheap, it is also beneficial. Trust me, painting your basement walls can help waterproof your basement and prevent lots of molds. However, it all depends on you and the one you prefer. Imagine the pros of painting the walls the same color as the ceiling?
Pros of Using Paint to Finish Basement Walls
- It is easy to do (a DIY thing)
- It is inexpensive
- It can give your basement a different solid color
- It can help to waterproof your basement
4. Wall Vinyl and Wallpaper
You can use wall vinyl to finish your basement walls. As long as your basement is a concrete wall, you can customize the vinyl to any kind of design and apply it to your concrete wall. Since it is adhesive, it will fit in perfectly.
You can choose either solid colors or branding designs depending on what you want and the amount of money you wish to spend on that.
However, to apply vinyl or wallpaper to finish your basement walls, you must ensure that the walls are smooth. It has to be smooth before it can fit it perfectly. If it is not smooth, it will not look good even after it is installed. Please smoothen it and clean it up before installing the vinyl.
Using vinyl is nice because of how cheap it is. You will be amazed at how cheap it is to purchase this product. It is also very easy to install and maintain. You can easily remove them too when you wish.
Wood Self Adhesive Paper
5. Drop Ceiling
The drop ceiling is one of the cheapest ways to finish a basement wall especially if the basement wall is deep. If the wall is deep, you can put a cheap drop ceiling to finish the basement.
The reason why drop ceiling is rated as the number one inexpensive way to finish basement walls is because of how easy it is to be installed. It is also not expensive to buy; meaning that you can buy different amazing designs and colors at a very low price to finish your basement walls.
Pros of Finishing Basement Walls with Drop Ceiling
- It is very convenient
- It is very easy to install
- It is very cheap to buy
- You can buy different colors and designs at a very cheap price
- It offers easy access to wires and pipes that may be running along with your basement ceiling.
Final Thoughts
There are many cheap ways to finish basement walls, but wood paneling is the cheapest way to finish your basement walls. Just by using a strong adhesive to put stips of wood on your basement walls, it will give your basement the finished look you desire. You must however ensure that you use wooden screws that match the paneling to attach it to the wood strips.
