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Basement Remodeling Ideas
Tips on Designing a Finished Basement
By: Mark J. Donovan
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A finished basement is a great
way to add living space to your home. In some cases it can nearly double the
living area of your home. Before embarking on a finished basement project it
is wise to first determine your finished basement goals. Listed below are a
number of basement remodeling ideas that may help you in planning and
designing your finished basement.
Basement Remodeling Ideas
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Large Recreation
Rooms
Frequently finished basements
include a large recreation room to enable the children to play freely without
damaging anything too valuable. When planning such a room, consider how you
will box in lally columns (steel/concrete posts), particularly if you have
small kids. Wrapping lally columns with carpet is a great way to dress them up,
while adding a little cushioning. Kids can frequently run into these posts when
horse playing in the basement, and adding some cushioning onto the posts could
prevent a trip to the hospital.
Basement Home
Theater Rooms
Home theater rooms have become
the rage with projection televisions and now larger plasma and LCD
televisions. When considering this basement remodeling idea, you should
plan for a space that has no windows in it, cloth material on the walls,
and a separate utility room for housing the electronic components. It is
also important to consider basement lighting and speaker hook ups, so that
they can be integrated into the home theater room during the rough framing
phase of the basement remodeling project. |
Photo By Mark Donovan |
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Basement Wet Bars
A finished basement is a great
location for a wet bar. However, as indicated in the name, a wet bar will
require plumbing. This could entail cutting the existing concrete basement
floor. Regarding the bar itself, you can find bar kits online, or you can have
your contractor custom design and build one for you. Also, home improvement
stores and/or kitchen design stores also can develop basement wet bar plans for
you. |
Basement Utility
Rooms
Inevitably a portion of your
basement will need to be left unfinished, or at least it won’t make sense to
finish it. Areas in particular include around furnaces, oil tanks, and water
storage tanks. For these areas it is best to integrate the mechanical equipment
into utility rooms with large access doors. You want to have large doors to
these rooms so that mechanical equipment can easily be accessed and replaced
when required. Also, it is important to remember that furnaces need air to
operate. As a result, you may need to provide a separate air intake system to
the furnace (vented tin piping), such that the furnace can obtain air from
outside of the basement.
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Bathrooms in
Finished Basements
Including a bathroom in a finished
basement is another great basement remodeling idea, however again plumbing is
required, in particular drain systems. Typically, when installing new drain
systems in a basement, concrete basement floors need to be cut so that drain
pipes can be installed. Cutting concrete basement floors is a messy, dusty and
noisy endeavor. Also, pump-up sewage systems are required if the home is on its
own septic system.
Basement Ceilings
There are three main basement
ceiling choices to consider when finishing a basement. First, you can install
drywall on the ceiling, which is my preference, as it really makes the basement
a truly finished room. You just need to think ahead with basement drywall
ceilings and make sure you leave access points in it to get to plumbing traps
and valves.
Second, you can install dropped
ceilings in the basement. Dropped ceilings have come a long way in looks and
options, and they provide easy access to plumbing and electrical appliances in
the basement ceiling. The third basement ceiling choice is the industrial look.
With an industrial look basement ceiling you simply spray paint the entire
basement ceiling – as is.
Basement Lighting
To really make a finished basement
warm and inviting, include plenty of basement lighting. Basement remodeling
lighting ideas include the generous use of can lights, sconces and halogen
lighting.
Natural lighting is also helpful.
During the rough framing phase of your basement remodeling project, consider
adding additional windows in knee walls or walk out basement walls.
Again, finishing a basement is great
way to add more living space to your home. It is also one of the most
affordable home remodeling options you can tackle. Considering the above
mentioned basement remodeling ideas, can help to ensure a warm and cozy lower
level living space.
For more help on Finishing
Basements, 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 your Basement Remodeling Project -
can help provide funds for your new home improvement project if financing is
required.
Related
Basement Remodeling Information
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