Basement Renovating Advice
Renovating Your Basement
Make your basement a living space
Often, a basement represents “found” living space in your house. If an unfinished basement or cellar can be remodeled to become functional space, you have in essence expanded the size of your house without moving. A renovated basement provides you with additional comfort and convenience and will raise the future value of your house.
Renovating a basement makes always sense
Even if your basement is already finished, finishing again may still be in order. A previously underutilized basement home entertainment may be transformed into that wine cellar you need, or a infrequently used recreation room for the kids may turn into the spare bedroom room you’ve always wanted. It’s a good possibility that if your basement has already been finished either by the previous occupant, or by you many years ago, a good portion of the work and expense can be cut out of the new project.
Is your basement dry?
It is vital to be sure your basement will remain dry before you begin your basement upgrade. Start your project by thoroughly reviewing the foundation walls, with close attention to the corners and the area where the walls meet the floor. Hire a specialist to fill any cracks in the basement walls you happen to observe, and it would be an excellent investment to have the walls waterproofed prior to starting your remodeling job.
Cover the walls
No matter what type of area you are designing, you must cover the cement or block walls. To cover the basement walls, it is best to employ a dry wall contractor who will stud out the walls and install the drywall. Freshly painted dry wall will instantly provide your unfinished basement space a warmer and more welcoming look.
Build a handsome floor for your foundation
The cement basement floor can be overlaid with linoleum or ceramic tiles, or it may be carpeted. You can mull over having your contractor put in an insulated floor on top of the concrete slab; this will keep the finishing basement cozier and dryer. A well-made and attractive floor gives a finished basement the look of being an integral part of the house, not just a postscript.
Proper lighting
Basements are usually dim, because they have a paucity of, or no natural lighting. Proper lighting is very important to a well-done basement renovation. The goal of basement lighting is to permit the user to forget that he is in a room lacking windows, or at best, equipped with insufficiently sized windows.
If the basement is in some measure below grade, try to install as many windows as is feasible to maximize natural light. Indirect lighting is the most effective way to light a basement, since it gives the area a more spacious appearance, and imparts the impression of higher ceilings. If the basement is completely below ground, the homeowner should use as much lighting as possible to circumvent having the usually low-ceilinged basement look like a cave.
Let your creativity soar.
Since your basement is essentially reclaimed, let your creativity soar. If your budget permits it, you can switch some chilly, damp storage room into a wine cellar, a home entertainment room, a cozy den, a home office – and increase the value of your house in the process.
Frank Sarntarpia
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