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Major basement remodeling items that
should also be thoroughly considered as part of the planning process include
lighting, flooring, utility rooms and mechanical access, ceilings, and plumbing.
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.
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Basement Flooring
There are a number of basement
flooring options that can be considered, including the use of wood flooring and
carpeting. However water or moisture issues have to be addressed first. When
installing wood floors, it is necessary to install a wood subfloor over the
concrete basement floor using a network of sleepers (pressure treated 2x4s) and
3/4th inch tongue and groove plywood or OSB. A plastic sheathing moisture
barrier should also be installed between the wood subfloor and the concrete
basement floor to reduce moisture risks. |
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. It is important 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, a separate exterior air intake system to the furnace may need to be
installed.
Basement Ceilings
There are three main basement ceiling
choices to consider when finishing a basement. They include drywall ceilings,
dropped ceilings and "Industrial Look" ceilings. With drywall ceilings it is
necessary to plan ahead for providing access points to upper level plumbing
traps and valves. Dropped ceilings, on the other hand, are excellent for
providing easy access to plumbing traps and valves, and they have come a long
way in recent years in regards to aesthetics and styles. With the Industrial
look, the basement ceiling is simply spray painted as-is.
Bathrooms and/or
Wet Bars in Finished Basements
Including a bathroom and/or wet bar
in a finished basement are great basement room additions, however they present
their own unique set of problems. In particular, they require the installation
of waste water lines in the basement flooring, and potentially the installation
of a pump-up ejector system and modification to the septic design. When
installing a new drain system in a basement, concrete floors need to be cut.
Cutting concrete basement floors is a messy, dusty and noisy endeavor and should
be one of the first projects tackled in a finished basement project.
Though a finished basement or
finished lower level project has its issues and requires careful planning,
today's housing market trends suggests that finished basements / lower levels
are highly sought after. Consequently, if done right, a finished basement is a
great investment and can be a real asset to your home's long term equity.
For more help Finishing your
Basement, 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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