Getting the Most Out Of Your Basement Renovations

Even if your basement is a cold, stark place now and may have lots of boxes in it, you can still transform this area of your home to ensure you get the most out of the space.

One of the best ways to do this is to treat your basement area just like the rooms on the main and upper floors of your home. This will cost you much less than adding a room to your home, and you’ll find that a renovated basement can also increase your home’s property values. Here are some useful tips for ensuring that your basement space becomes one of the most appealing areas of your home.

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If you entertain friends and family often, you can put the main socializing area in the part of the basement that receives the most natural light. This will attract people to the basement and allow you to save on electricity bills since you can let the sunshine in from the windows. However, if you want a television in the space, make sure it’s in a darker spot of the basement so you won’t get a glare from the TV set. If the area will be used for parties or your children will go to the basement to play and watch movies, you can include a mini fridge in the basement area or even work with a contractor to create a mini kitchen in the basement.

However, before you start the building or remodeling process with your basement, you should test the area for moisture. You can do this by taping 2-foot squares of plastic sheeting to the walls and floor. After you tape the sheeting, wait for a few weeks. If you see condensation developing underneath, this is a sign that the foundation of your home isn’t properly sealed. If droplets of water form on the top of the sheeting, your basement needs to be dehumidified. You can also fix these issues by using an awl to search for insect damage and rot in the joists of the floors. This test also allows you to inspect the header and rim joists, as well as wood-framed windows and the sill plate.

Inspect the fl joists to ensure there is no sagging as well. You can do this by climbing a ladder until you’re almost eye-level with the underside of the joists. Take a good look across the joists to see if any of them are unaligned.

Once you know how you want to convert your basement and you’ve checked to see what type of prep work needs to be done to the space, you should call a professional. The contractor can inspect your fuel-burning equipment and the ventilation system of your home to make sure you don’t have below-grade carbon monoxide buildup. According to many building codes, you’ll need 7 or 7 ½ feet of clearance. If your basement isn’t that tall, you may have the option of digging out and lowering your concrete floor. This can be an expensive job, so working with a contractor at this stage is best. Search for local contractors or get recommendations from friends and family to make sure your basement project starts off right.