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Basement Renovations
Key Items to Consider when Planning a
Basement Renovation
By Mark J. Donovan
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A renovated basement is the ideal place for entertaining guests and creating
a play area for children and teenagers. A finished basement can include
recreation rooms, work-out rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms, and even a wet bar or
wine cellar.
Prior to embarking on a basement renovation project you should first assess
and address any moisture problems in the basement. Inspect the foundation
walls and floor for any cracks.
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All cracks should be sealed with
an epoxy sealer. Also, tape several small pieces of plastic (e.g. 3” x 3”)
onto the concrete basement floor in a few different places. The plastic
pieces should be sealed all around their edges with tape to ensure an air
tight seal with the basement floor. Then wait a day or two and see if there
is any moisture trapped beneath the plastic. If there is you’ll need to seal
the basement floor with a waterproof sealer. You may also need to install a
perimeter drain around the foundation. Only when you’re convinced that the
basement is indeed dry should you begin your basement renovation plans.
| Key to any successful basement renovation project is
planning. Consider what you want to achieve for living space in your
finished basement. Then evaluate your basement remodeling budget to see
how you’ll pay for the basement renovations. Use either graph paper or a
computer home design software package to compete a scaled floor-plan of
your finished basement. Also generate a thorough bill of materials so
that you can accurately price out your basement renovation project. Even
if you plan to hire a general contractor to manage all of the
construction it is essential to go through this planning stage. |
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Your detailed basement renovation planning will help to ensure you get
accurate quotes from basement remodeling contractors.
One of the key basement renovation planning decisions you’ll need to decide
upon is the type of finished basement ceiling you want, e.g. ceiling tiles
or drywall. Ceiling tiles allow access to plumbing and electrical fixtures
located up in the first level floor joists, however drywall provides for a
more finished ceiling look. In addition, you should also plan on including
utility rooms with wide doorways in your finished basement to get access to
electrical panels, furnaces, and oil tanks.
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If you’re considering installing a bathroom or other rooms
that will require plumbing in the basement, you’ll need to think about
jack-hammering or cutting up the concrete basement slab to install drain
pipes. You’ll also need to included a pump-up ejector system in the basement
if you include a bathroom, kitchen or wet-bar in your basement.
Also make sure your basement renovation plans include the use of moisture
resistant drywall. You may also want to consider using moisture resistant
framing studs. |
Basement lighting is another key element in any basement renovation plan.
Basements can have the tendency to be dark and gloomy if they are not
adequately lighted. If the basement doesn’t include a walk out door and/or
windows, you’ll need to include plenty of electrical lighting to ensure warm
and comfortable lighting in the finished basement rooms. Including an
abundant amount of recessed ceiling lighting in your basement renovation is
a great way to ensure plenty of light. Also if your basement has framed knee
walls as part of the basement exterior walls consider framing in extra
windows to provide additional natural lighting.
Flooring is another major consideration when planning a basement renovation
project. Concrete basement floors have the tendency to be cold. If you have
the headroom in your basement you may want to consider installing a subfloor
using a network of 2x4s laid on their flat edges and rigid foam insulation
installed in-between the 2x4s. With a subfloor installed you also open up
your flooring options, including the installation of a wood floor.
Once you’ve completed your basement renovation plans you can then begin the
process of finding the right basement remodeling contractor and breaking
ground on your project. With any luck, within a couple of months of kicking
off your basement renovation project, you’ll be ready to entertain guests in
your new living space.
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