When we bought this house 9 years ago, we were told that the basement has been waterproofed. The basement is unfinished. We are wanting to finish the basement, but here is the problem:

The basement has a sump pump system, the flooring around the exterior walls that looks as if it has been dug up and re-cemented. There is a 4" high plastic coated baseboard trim around the exterior walls edges that has been rivoted to the walls. What is that for, and can we remove it to finish the walls????

It is unsightly, and we cannot just plaster over the cement blocks and leave that at the bottom. We wanted to plaster and create a "tuscan feel" to the walls, but that plastic coated baseboard trim has us stumped. If we leave it, how do we finish the walls?

Pictures would be nice. It seems like you have some sort of perimeter drain system. Some call them French drains, which is almost a generic term noways. There is also a term, Modified French Drain which is a term used for anything that uses a French Drain system while incorporating an added feature.(which may be you "baseboard")

Remember, a basement is a basement and was never intended as a living space. If your plan is to make it living space, please make sure the air quality is healthy.