10 Important Things To Consider Before Starting On Your Finished Basement
>> Nov 22, 2017
The
sole idea of adding extra living square feet to our homes is exciting! We begin
thinking about the many ways we will use it. It could be for a personal gym,
for a man´s or woman´s cave, for a playroom, for a business purpose, for a
separate rental unit, provide extra room for guests or growing family, or give
some independence to your teens or young adult kids.
Once
you have the idea of finishing your basement, you probably start imagining how it will look like, and how you
will do it. That ´s so encouraging! Nothing better than having a family-shared
goal. Moreover, if all family members will somehow contribute to the
remodelling, it is even more stimulating.
Simple
basement finishes can be a DIY project, and there are fantastic low-cost ideas
that will help you achieve. Nevertheless, before embracing this adventure, some
practical aspects need to be addressed to do so; and which you probably didn´t
think about in the midst of all the excitement. Consider the following aspects,
for some of them you may require professional help:
1.
Check if you need any permits from your local municipality. This is mostly
relevant when electrical, and plumbing changes will be may. They might require
inspection and approval.
2.
Check for humidity. Before doing anything, ensure yourself there are no water
issues, such as pools of water or drips that come through the below-grade
walls.
3.
Check the outside to verify the ground is not affecting your foundation
4.
Find if there are any cracks in your foundation´s wall that need to be
repaired.
5.
Even if you took care of moisture, basements tend to become damp. Think of
adding a vapour barrier to floors and walls before framing and finishing such
surfaces.
6.
Basement floors and walls are usually built with masonry, block, cement or
bricks. Check that, you will most likely need a fastener and anchors for your
wall type, or a regular nail or screw won´t cut it when trying to attach the
framing.
7.
Even with a vapour barrier, it is suggested to add thin slats of metal or wood
to the wall. These strips will create a slight offset from the external wall
and will also contribute to level out a wall so to create a flat surface,
adequate for posterior framing addition.
8.
Don´t neglect insulation. It will not only control the temperature of the
basement but also work as a further moisture control. You can also opt from the
easiest spray foam insulation. Find out if there are any local code
requirements for it.
9.
Consider using suspending ceiling, such as removable tiles. These will provide
easy access to plumbing and electrical lines if needed.
10.
There’s some utility space you should better keep unfinished, such as where
water heaters are.
We
mentioned just the main things that shall be paid attention to before
initiating any remodelling process on a basement. Of course, depending on your
property´s condition, some of them may not be necessary while there might be
other issues to solve before starting to work on your dream finished basement!
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