Basement Addition
A Basement Addition is an Excellent and
Economical Way to Gain Home Living Space
By: Mark J. Donovan
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A basement addition or basement
remodeling project is a great way to increase the living space in your home. It
is also one of the most affordable solutions on a cost per square foot basis.
Basement additions are ideal for creating recreation rooms, man caves, wet bars,
home theatres, bedrooms, home gyms and even bathrooms.
Basement remodeling and basement
additions are also excellent do it yourself home addition projects as they are
easily isolated from the rest of the home and can be completed at your own pace. |
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Before undertaking a basement
addition it is important to first develop a basement floor plan and to pull
the necessary building permits. Unlike a room addition, a basement addition,
or basement remodeling project, do not require excavation work. Consequently
a basement addition project is typically much more affordable than adding on
a home addition.
When developing your basement
remodeling plans there are a number of key items that you should first
consider. |
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Basement Additions
- Moisture Issues
Before starting a basement addition
project all basement moisture issues must be fully and permanently eliminated.
This may include putting in a French drain around the home’s foundation, and
water sealing the inside and outside basement foundation walls.
Basement Utility Rooms
The basement is frequently used for
housing furnaces, hot water tanks, and other mechanical equipment for the home.
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When developing your basement
remodeling plans make sure you can develop a separate room, or rooms for hiding
off this equipment from the rest of the basement area.
When designing basement utility rooms
make sure you have wide doorways to allow large mechanical fixtures to be
removed and installed from the basement. In addition, you may need to add an air
intake pipe into the furnace system if the utility room is too small.
Basement Additions
and Lighting
It is important to include plenty of
lighting in your basement addition. Ideally you should include as much natural
lighting as possible. If possible put in windows in knee walls to increase
natural lighting. If there is a walkout side to the basement, consider including
French doors or slider doors to let in more natural light.
In addition to natural lighting, it
is important to provide sufficient electrical lighting. I highly recommend using
a generous amount of can lights to maximize the lighting in the finished
basement area.
Basement Additions
and Flooring
Basement additions typically have
high humidity levels. Consequently the use of wood flooring products should
only be used after the moisture concerns have been fully resolved. If you
plan to install a wood floor in your finished basement, make sure to install
it on a wood subfloor. This will prevent the wood flooring product from
coming directly in contact with the basement floor. |
Photo by Mark Donovan |
Besides wood flooring you can also
consider using ceramic tile, marble, vinyl and carpet flooring products. Again
with vinyl and carpet it is important that all basement moisture issues have
been permanently resolved. Otherwise you may find yourself having to deal with
mold and mildew issues.
Basement Addition Ceilings
When planning a basement addition
there are basically three ceiling choices you can consider. The two main ceiling
choices are drywall and ceiling tiles. Both have their individual benefits.
Drywall ceilings have a smoother finish, however ceiling tiles have come a long
way in terms of looks and they offer much more utility when it comes to
accessing overhead plumbing pipes.
The third choice for a basement
addition ceiling is the industrial look. The industrial look is simply the
application of paint over the existing basement ceiling, including all of the
existing wires, pipes, and ductwork.
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Hiring a Basement Addition
Contractor
Once you have developed your basement
addition plans, you can then begin the process of hiring a contractor to build
it. Selecting a qualified and professional basement remodeling contractor can be
difficult. However, it is important to find the right one for your basement
remodeling project to ensure that it is built correctly and to your timeline and
budget.
To find a qualified basement addition
contractor you may want to consider using a national home addition contractor
referral company. They have
pre-screened and qualified basement remodeling
contractors all around the country and maintain their names and contact
information in a database. Plus, their services are free to the homeowner. You
simply fill out a free online form for your specific basement addition
requirements and they will forward the information on to 3 or 4 basement
addition contractors located in your area. The contractors will then contact you
to set up a time to meet with you and review your basement addition or basement
remodeling plans.
Obtaining Basement Addition
Contractor Estimates
When obtaining basement addition
estimates from contractors it is important to make sure that they provide you
with a complete basement addition cost breakdown list of every phase of the
project. The more detail in the basement addition cost breakdown list, or bid
sheet, the more likely an accurate basement addition cost estimate.
To help in obtaining accurate and
consistent basement addition contractor quotes, see my Basement Remodeling Bid
Sheet. The
Basement Remodeling Bid Sheet provides a request for quote section
that you can provide to prospective home addition contractors. It also includes
a comprehensive basement remodeling cost breakdown table, in Microsoft Excel
format, that allows the contractor to include his projected basement addition
costs for every phase of the project.
When interviewing potential basement
addition contractors make sure to check their references. Usually a good rule of
thumb for evaluating a home addition contractor is to see how long their
reference list is. The longer the list provided to you, the higher the
probability that the contractor has a solid reputation. A long reference list
also helps to get a sense for how long the contractor has been in business and
his level of pride in his work.
Regardless of the length of the
reference list, it is important to contact at least 3 or 4 of the references.
Typically I like to contact a couple of recent basement addition projects
completed by the contractor, and a couple 2-5 years out in the past. This way I
can get a sense of his current work ethic and quality, as well as a feel for how
his work holds the test of time.
So if you are looking to add new
living space to your home, a basement addition or basement remodeling project is
a great solution. Just plan accordingly and pull your construction permits
first. By addressing the issues mentioned above prior to starting construction,
you will save yourself a lot of hassles and get the basement addition you are
looking for.
For more help on
Basement Additions, see HomeAdditionPlus.com's
Basement Remodeling Bid sheet. The
Basement Remodeling Bid Sheet will help
ensure that your hire the right contractor so that your basement remodeling
project is done
correctly and you get the project finished on time and budget.
How to Finance Basement Additions -
can help provide funds for your new home improvement project if financing is
required.
Related
Basement Remodeling Information
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on basement remodeling from one of our prescreened and licensed basement
remodeling contractors. This process is free and there is no obligation to
continue once you receive your basement remodeling price estimate.
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