How to Remodel a Basement

A not unusual mistake in house remodeling is getting oversold on a finished basement. There may be some space there that could be put to better use, but most basements are a poor place to invest money – whether for a playroom, game room, bedroom, basement bathroom, laundry, or home office. Basement ceilings are usually low to begin with and even lower when finished around pipes and ducts. And a basement can be damp and clammy even though there are many ways of how to dry a basement, essentially by getting sunlight and fresh air into it. Most important, what are you going to use the basement for – an expensive playroom for the children? Are you sure they will use it; too often the use lasts only a year or two on rainy days. Moreover, it is difficult to supervise very young children or teenagers a full flight of steep stairs away. If it is to be an adult game room, your guests might think you are afraid they will ruin the living room carpet and, unless the access is through the entrance hall, everyone will have to wind through the house and the kitchen to get to the back stairs.

How to Add a Bathroom

What is the purpuse of your basement remodel? Do you need to know how to add a bathroom. Furthermore, the basement is not a good place for bedrooms. Older people will complain of the dampness and cold walls and floors, even if they are bone dry. Children feel demoted and like second-class members of the family if they are made to sleep there; guests may resent being stuck down in the cellar for the night. A washing machine and dryer will add to the dampness and double the work of doing the laundry because the clean clothing, bed linen and towels must be hauled back upstairs even if you install a laundry chute to get it down there. A basement does not usually work out well for a study or home office because books and papers get musty and moldy. Don’t build a shop in the basement, either; noise from the machinery will get carried throughout the house; wood, paint, and other materials will need to be carried down and then out again and create a fire hazard when stored there.

Wet Basement Solutions

Do you have a wet basement or does it flood during rainy weather? Looking for wet basement solutions. Most leaky basements could have been made watertight if good construction practices had been followed when the foundation was built. Dampness, rust, mildew, mold and allergic reactions are only a few of the problems produced by water in the basement of your home. At the very least, the basement can no longer be used for storage or kids play area. At the worst, a wet basement makes the whole house almost unlivable. If your home has endured some sort of water damage, whether it is from a broken pipe or natural disaster such as a flood, it is essential to perform the correct water damage clean up to remove the water before it causes permanent damage to the structure of the house. A well-constructed basement should be just as effective in keeping out water as a swimming pool is in keeping it in!

DIY Basement Remodel

If you want a playroom or game room, add it where the children can be close to the kitchen and outdoors; or convert the garage into another room, and either build another garage or carport. If you need additional bedrooms, build them where you can use them comfortably - in a wing, or by adding a second floor. If you want a laundry, add it near the bedrooms where the dirty clothing is discarded and the linen is stored, instead of putting the laundry in the basement. However, if you are still inclined to do something with the basement, be sure that there are, or that you build, two separate exits and that one of them leads directly to the outdoors in case of fire.