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Generally, a wall can bow up to 30% of its thickness, or around 2.5 inches for an 8-inch-thick structure, before it becomes an urgent situation. If your basement wall bows more than 1 inch, it's time to have a basement inspection to determine if a repair is necessary, depending on the soil conditions and structural specifics. Walls nearing 4 inches of bowing will require significant repairs. More than 6 inches of bowing usually means the wall will need replacing.

You should always use high-quality lumber for your framing in order to ensure it will last the test of time and resist moisture. Use 2-foot by 4-foot lumber that is pressure-treated for your framing.

Finishing an unfinished basement adds the most value, with an average return of 70% or $22,400. A bathroom addition in the basement will provide an ROI of 75%, but the higher cost will leave you with a lower actual return of $9,000, on average. Finishing a basement and adding a kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom to rent the space will leave you with the highest possible ROI, as you could see well over 100% if you rent the space out long-term.

Joists and beams are both part of the flooring system above your basement, with the beams spanning the length of your home and getting support from vertical posts underneath, and joists usually spanning half the width of your home with no support posts underneath. The floor joists provide even support to the subflooring and flooring above, and they distribute that load to the beams. The beams then distribute that load down through the support posts to the foundation.