|
Finished Basement Ideas
: What to do Before You Start to Refinish Your Basement
What to do Before You Start to Refinish Your Basement
by David Cooper
You can easily transform your basement into a comfortable, warm, inviting
space for your family and friends. The days of having a cold, dark basement are
over. Basements are not just for storage anymore.
Before you get started, you need to have the end result in mind. You need to
decide if you would like to have a family room, an extra bedroom, a game room,
or even a bar with a pool table. It is even possible to have an entire apartment
in your basement - all you need is to make sure that you have a living area,
sleeping area, kitchen, and bathroom.
You also need to make sure that you start with a budget and that you stick to
that budget. There is nothing worse than getting halfway through a project and
having to quit because you run out of money.
Here are some other tips to consider before you start working on your basement.
• Mold and fungus growth are common problems in basements. The pores inside of
concrete not only let moisture in, but they actually draw it inside. The average
basement will let in 18 gallons of moisture every day-this is three or four
times more than kitchen and bathrooms combined.
Any time you refinish your basement and redesign it, you need to take into
consideration how you are going to control moisture. One of the most effective
methods in reducing the humidity in your basement is by using a system of
electric floor warming. You will also need to make sure that your basement is
properly vented - many basements are not equipped with the proper ventilation.
• Decide before you start any kind of construction what you are willing to
sacrifice in order to cut costs. If you want to have cabinets that are made out
of imported African Teak wood, and nothing else will do, then you need to decide
where else you can cut corners to stay within your budget.
• Design a budget for each stage of construction for your basement. Instead of
having one total dollar amount for your budget, break that down into certain
categories. For example, you can have a certain budget for cabinets. You can
have another amount allocated for furniture. Another amount can be budgeted for
carpeting. By having a budget for every stage in construction, you will have a
much greater chance of keeping your budget under control and finishing your
project.
• Before you start doing anything with your basement, decide on all of the
details. Don't decide on the color paint you want without also considering what
kind of carpeting you want. If you only decide things in stages, then you run
the risk of getting stuck in the middle of your project.
Re-finishing your basement can be a great way to add comfort and value to your
home. It will greatly increase the livable space in your house, and it will
provide added living space that can be enjoyed by all family members.
|
Articles of Interest ...
Please visit our entire list of basement idea and home improvement articles here.
|
