Basement Finishing Ideas
Basement Finishing Ideas
Looking for space to put an exercise room, entertainment center or playroom? Go underground! If your home has an unfinished basement, remodeling might be a great way to transform this commonly under-used space.
When considering a basement remodeling, start by making a floor plan. As you do, be sure to mark the location of your furnace, washer and dryer, and any other large appliances. Take notes on:
access to the basement from upstairs and outside
where plumbing is already located if you want an additional bathroom
where vertical support columns are located
location of windows and doors
floor, ceiling, wall materials
With constant contact with the earth, basements are vulnerable to dampness, making basement remodeling a bit more complex than first meets the eye. We’ll help you take appropriate measures to ensure a room free from moisture.
Most basements have low ceilings and few windows. But this doesn’t have to limit you. There are many creative ways to make your basement light and airy. Talk to us about the variety of wall and ceiling lighting options available. Synergy Builders will help you make sure that appropriate electrical lines and outlets are provided from the beginning.
Here are some tricks-of-the-trade in making your underground space first class:
Stay away from dark wood paneling and instead consider drywall painted in light tones to make the room brighter. Semi-gloss paint will gently reflect even more light into the room.
Open up the visual space. Double doors—even glass double interior doors—take away the typical cubicle look. Or, how about a rounded archway or pass-through area from one room into another.
Check to see if existing windows can be enlarged. Or, consider installing a small boxed window for a mini-garden to grow herbs or start plant seedlings. This will greatly increase the amount of light coming into the basement and provide a view to the great outdoors.
Built-in bookcases and entertainment units add a richness and depth to a room. Light them with either interior lights or from the top to cast light upwards.
Disguise vertical support beams, and horizontal ceiling pipes or floor joists by boxing them in. Or, you might decide to actually use pipes and beams as interesting accents by painting them with bold colors or with subtle earth tones.
An unfinished basement is much like a diamond in the rough—unexplored and awaiting your discovery! If you have any questions about basement finishing, don’t hesitate to talk to one of our designers at our Synergy Builders showroom.
To date, John has overseen the development and completion of over 3000 remodeling projects. As an eighth generation master builder, John’s passion in construction started at a young age. To further his education John served a formal 6-year apprenticeship and extended his education with 3 years at UBC School of Construction Management.
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Categories: Basement Moisture Tags: Basement, finishing, Ideas
Finishing Touches which Turn Your Basement into a Liveable Space
Finishing Touches which Turn Your Basement into a Liveable Space
In every home which houses a family or a couple of adults and some growing kids, you need all the space you can get. Sometimes, all it takes is a look at your basement to figure out you have just as much real estate property upstairs as you do downstairs. When left unused and undeveloped, any basement feels cold and damp. But when you turn your basement into a liveable space, you energize your home with more life, warmth, and color. You also re-energize the people in it by providing everyone with more space to do their stuff.
Just think of the possibilities. Either of you spouses can use the basement as your home-office. You could develop your basement as a guest room with the all modern amenities of warmth and comfort. You can set apart a special family room where the family can retreat to for some quality time. You can also create a home theater for some luxury in viewing or a game room for some relaxation with ping-pong or pool. In enclosed and sound-proofed quarters, you could unwind with small talk over some drinks at the bar and engage in a mixture of music and noise without waking up the rest of the house, all in the privacy of your own home.
Now that you’re dreaming up some ideas and literally floating in the air with so many possibilities, let’s get you back on track with some practical reminders on how you can turn your basement into a liveable space. Since your basement is already there, now you just need to figure out what the space needs to be designed for. This will determine how you will do the finishing touches to it. You also have to determine how much budget you can spare for this form of home renovation. Another is that you should plan how your new basement will complement the rest of your house.
The problem with most basements is that they usually have low ceilings and limited naturally lighting. More often than not, there are posts and pipes in all the most inconvenient places. The walls, floors, and the entire room also tend to turn cold and moist with the weather. These are the areas where you need to focus those finishing touches on to effectively turn your basement into a liveable space.
So how do you maximize this space without cramping your style? The most effective way to separate areas in your basement is not to build so many walls and partitions but instead to smoothly designate specific areas with the right furniture and color. Provide each corner with soft, strategic lighting to enhance the emotional ambiance. Well-designed storage spaces will also reduce your clutter and give a semblance of order. To ensure that your furniture, carpets, and stored items are protected against mold, mildew, rust, and black rot, water-proof your basement walls with paint and your floors with laminated or engineered sub-floors. You could do all of these on your own by consulting many online home improvement sites which offer free suggestions and exciting before-and-after photos. You could also collaborate with an experienced interior home designer to save on time, energy, and materials with some investment in money, of course.
Either way, the end results should be excellent finishing touches which turn your basement into a liveable space. Your basement could be the new hub for activity in your home once it is infused with new energy coming from a choice of activities to do there and the presence of people to enliven it.
For more information, tricks and tips when it comes to home improvement and real estate as a whole, simply visit Homes for Sale in Cave Creek Arizona and Cave Creek Realty blog.
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Finishing A Basement
Finishing A Basement
The first thing you require to do when finishing a basement is to eliminate any existing troubles in your basement. A cool, damp basement is the ideal growing place for mold. Mold can state on or in your walls what’s more poses numerous distinct health issues for adults besides children alike. As such, you require to create certain that you eliminate any leaks in your basement. Unfortunately, this can be expensive, peculiarly if the source of your leak is a crack within the foundation wall. However, a moist basement can be caused by something as effortless as the incorrectly sloping land surrounding your home what’s more partial drainage. prior to you begin finishing a basement, you require to identify and resolve these problems, even if it adds additional costs to your renovation project. A leaking basement can cause damage to the renovation work you have had through what’s more completely ruin your investment.
Finishing a basement is time consuming what’s more overpriced. Because of this, there are numerous things that you should keep in mind prior to beginning on your remodeling project. However, there are a few things that you need to do to make certain that your basement remodel is successful. By being thorough, you may insure that you refrain additional high-priced in the future.
After you have ensured that your basement is ready to have renovation work over to it, the next step that you need to take towards finishing your basement is settling on a design. There are many things that can be over with a basement, which can produce this part of the process daunting. Take the time to refer to numerous sources for ideas, ranging from renovation company portfolios to television. If you are at a loss of what to do with your basement, you may hire an interior designer to aid you with creating a decision. An interior designer may often come up with numerous diverse uses for empty spaces, a skill that makes them a essential part of a renovation project.
Once you have settled on your design, finishing your basement is a matter of hiring any renovators you need additionally having the work through. If you are excellent with tools, there are a lot of things that you can do without the help of renovators. However, it is important that you have professional workers handle the wiring and other sensitive aspects of your basement renovation project. This is important, as poorly wired fixtures besides outlets are at an increased peril of fire.
Ferdinand Dominic is a member of imarketingbiz.net group, if you want a well refurbished basement, click here now; Basement Finishings
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Categories: Basement Moisture Tags: Basement, finishing
Basement Finishing Projects With Waterproof Problems
Basement Finishing Projects With Waterproof Problems
Once you have your new basement design and floor plan finished and have your approved building permits in-hand it’s time to get the construction ball rolling in real-time!
The first step with any basement finishing project is to make sure that the environment in the basement is DRY! So, if you have any moisture or water problems existing in your basement you are going to want to have those problems corrected 1st!
Dampness on walls (not water running down them), is a problem that is usually very easy to correct. Ground water tables can cause a build-up of water to accumulate around the outside perimeter of your basement walls, this causes hydrostatic pressure. Hydrostatic pressure from a build-up of ground water can be caused by a number of different circumstances.
* Poor drainage from improper grading
* Clogged down spouts and gutters around the house
* Natural springs in the yard
These are the most common origins of accumulated amounts of trapped ground water. Most of these can be simply fixed with little effort.
Once the problem has been identified and corrected from the outside of the home, the problem should “dry-up” once and for all. I always “Drylock” ( a “brush-on waterproofing compound) the problem areas of the exterior walls with a heavy coat of this product. This will keep any additional moisture from ever returning to the “inside” of your exterior walls.
Masonry walls or “block units” will always be more susceptible to moisture problems because of there porous physical construction. Concrete walls or “pan-poured-wall” will almost never have a moisture problem because they are not porous at all, and leave no way for ground water to penetrate into the basement.
A true “water problem” as opposed to a “moisture problem” is a different animal all together! A water problem is diagnosed by the home owner discovering standing water on the floor someplace. Standing water or puddles of water are usually a serious problem. This means that you MUST INSTALL a waterproof SYSTEM around the interior perimeter of the basement walls!!!! Water will always find the path of “least resistance”! This means even if you have water in your basement only once in 2-5-10-years, eventually it WILL FIND IT’S WAY BACK IN AGAIN SOMEDAY! I always recommend and install a full Perimeter Waterproof system for those clients with standing water, and i guarantee this system for life!
This is the only way to ensure that once you finish-off the basement, your investment will be kept safe and DRY!
Once all moisture and/or water problems have been properly corrected, you can proceed with the basement finishing project. Only about 2% of my basement finishing clients over the last 17 years have needed a Perimeter Waterproofing System! About another 10-15% needed to have the Drylock Solution applied to the walls to “moisture proof” them from future ground water moisture. The other clients needed no such work at all!
Most newer homes built after 1990 have had “footer drains” installed around the interior and exterior perimeters of the basement wall footers when they were originally constructed. These homes usually have 1 or 2 “sump pump pits” installed in the corners of the unfinished basement. These “sump-pump-pits” can have a sump pump motor installed into them by the home owners at anytime. Most builders do not include the pump in the pits that they have installed….GO FIGURE! It is the home owners responsibility to install their own sump pump motors to safeguard themselves in case from excessive ground water accumulation. If you have an existing pit, GET THE PUMP INSTALLED NOW!!
Any basement can be remodeled that has an existing moisture or water problem, so long as the origin of those problems has been properly corrected. Waterproof Perimeter systems should be installed by a trained professionals ONLY!
Looking for more information about basement finishing visit: BASEMENT IDEAS CLICK HERE!!
Here’s to “Living Down Under”!
Edward Case
Since 1992 Ed Case has remodeled 350+ basements in the Harrisburg PA region. Ed is an expert in basement conversion projects and high-end basement interior design. Ed regularly holds training classes designed to teach local home owners in the Harrisburg PA region how to remodel their own basements successfully! Visit: http://www.1basement.com
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Categories: Basement Moisture Tags: Basement, finishing, Problems, Projects, Waterproof
What to Consider When Creating Basement Finishing Ideas
What to Consider When Creating Basement Finishing Ideas
When considering finishing your basement, you should first come up with basement finishing ideas to re-do and utilize the space. Finishing your basement will add a considerable amount of space to your home while also giving you the opportunity to be creative and create a useful space. There are many things to consider when you are coming up with your finished basement ideas.
Will you be working on this project alone or will you need to hire someone for help?
There are many benefits to working on the project alone- but sometimes, depending on the severity of the project, a professional will be needed to aid you. Some alterations will be difficult or new to you, so don’t be embarrassed if you have to call in a professional.
What will the space be used for?
Determining the functions of the room will help you to create design elements for your basement finishing ideas. For example, if you will be using the space for a movie theater, you will need to look into wiring and speakers as well as lighting for the room. You need to make sure the space will be compatible for such ideas and that the basement can support the idea.
Are there any moisture problems?
Basements are known for being leaky or damp. This is a common problem for homes and is a main deterrent for people who have considered finishing their basements. There are many simple procedures you can do to keep the basement from leaking and to prevent moisture in the future.
1. Fill in cracks with waterproofing sealant. This will stop the leaking while also sealing in any cracked portions of your walls.
2. Use waterproofing paint. You can roll this onto the floor and onto the ceiling (depending on the paint and ceiling type) with a paint roller.
3. Fix outside guttering. Gutters are a huge problem when it comes to basement leaks and erosion. Clearing you’re guttering and making sure it pours water away from your home is a crucial step.
How much are you willing to spend?
Tackling a home project can be fun, but it can also be expensive. You should create a budget for your project and make sure it will be enough to cover your renovations. You can do the project in increments, making it more affordable over time. Starting a project and being halted by lack of funds is frustrating and aggravating. Be cost conscious! For example, putting in windows is a way to create natural lighting with daylight, which is a small but free step!
What Shape is the Ceiling and Floor in?
Some basements are already equipped with decent ceilings and flooring. If you need to replace both, be sure to check around for price estimates first because these are major expenses. There are many ways to finish a basement ceiling and floor- so keep your mind and options open.
There are many different basement finishing ideas that are eye appealing and cohesive with your home.
Fernando Iglesias a 35 year old male from Manhattan, New York. With his father owning major sport gear supplying companies he grew up in an adventurous world. Flying to exotic places over weekends to getaway lodges and attending notorious shows and extravagant events. At the age of 23 he set out to explore the world trying out adventurous jobs that world had to offer, whilst managing his father’s franchise stores over the world, he gained vast knowledge and experience. Which he now shares with the world.If you want to read more about Fernando Iglesias please visit http://www.basementfocus.com/
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How do I build a cabinet to cover the water meter in my basement?
I am finishing my basement and the water meter sticks out from the wall about 12" and is about 18" wide. I have the wall all framed out but need help designing a cabinet to cover the water meter, and still allows access to the meter for reading it and turning the water off and on. Thanks