The key to a successful basement remodelling project is to make sure the feel is in keeping with the rest of the home. By taking the time to plan your course, your basement remodelling project will be a space you will love to spend time in.
It is important to be sensible about the budget of a basement reno because it won't typically bring the kind of return at resale that a kitchen or bathroom renovation will.
Before renovating consider whether mould has been a problem; if so it must be treated with a microbial agent and then removed. There are special mould inhibitor paints available that yield excellent results in preventing a re-occurrence, with a single application.
If moisture in the crawl space is a problem, try this inexpensive do-it-yourself trick; lay down 6-mil polyethylene plastic over every single square foot of the crawlspace. Overlap the seams by no less than 1 or 2 feet. Bring the plastic about 1 foot up the crawl space walls. Tape all seams down.
Insulated walls create a warm, cosy space that can help reduce whole-house energy costs by up to 30 per cent. Also note, basements below ground level, even unfinished ones, are naturally insulated, holding in warmth in the winter and being cooler in the summer.
When it comes to older homes, furnaces and water heaters are often in the centre of the basement, which hinders circulation. Rather than trying to work around these utilities, it may be advisable to move them.
Typically, basement ceilings are low, creating a "cave" feeling. To offset this, use indirect lighting that splashes large pools of light on the ceiling. This will open up the space and make rooms appear higher. A mixture of lighting types will offer flexibility to create a variety of lighting moods. Tip: Mirrors, mounted on the walls, can also amplify and reinforce lighting effects.
For the ceiling, consider installing plasterboard, or if you have enough clearance acoustic or suspended tiles are another option. For floor coverings a sub-floor is recommended rather than installing a product such as carpet, tile or laminate directly on the concrete floor.
in bedrooms or habitable space in the basement. An egress window is a window that is required in specific locations in a dwelling and must meet specific size requirements. It is intended to provide an emergency means of exiting a dwelling.
Locate a smoke detector and fire extinguisher in a central area close to bedrooms or in a bedroom hall or corridor. Whether or not a bedroom is part of the basement design, at least one smoke detector should be mounted in the basement.
As home theatres gain popularity, more and more home owners are creating theatre rooms from previously unused basement space. If possible, avoid square rooms and long narrow rectangular rooms because deep bass sound waves misbehave or "pile up" in square or extra-long rooms.
If part of your basement renovation design includes a bathroom, time and costs can be cut if bathroom fixtures are located near existing plumbing. This means designing the bathroom floor plan close to the main waste-vent stack and house drain. Tip: it is easier and less complicated to arrange bathroom fixtures along a line on one wall.
When designing the basement entrance, have something inviting to view as you enter such as; a fireplace, bar or family portrait. Resist building a bathroom to accommodate the rough-in nobody wants to stare at a toilet as they glide down the stairs into your newly renovated basement!
Solutions, is compiled from various sources; rona.ca, property.timesonline.co.uk, gidesigns.net, handycanadian.com, weyoungrenovations.com, axiomaudio.com, basementsbyballantyne.ca, homeandgarden.canoe.ca, renovationdesigngroup.com, renovationexperts.com, servicemagic.com, canada.com, homesafetysolutionsinc.com, homerenovations.about.com. Thanks to all who contributed! Similar information may be found elsewhere.
Solutions sleuth Reena Nerbas is a home economist and speaks professionally on the topic of household challenges; she is also the author of two national bestsellers, Household Solutions 1 with Substitutions and Household Solutions 2 with Kitchen Secrets. She can be heard on radio and television programs across Canada.
Visit me online at: www.householdsolutions.org
