Damp walls and ceilings tearing apart may haunt you every time upon entering the square footage basement downstairs. Since it’s downstairs and does not have frequent visits by the residents, we are used to keeping unnecessary stuff stored there most of the time. Even sometimes, people have the urge to make their home presentable before guests, and hence, move broken chairs and laundry clothes there to clean the space above. That’s the primary reason a basement is often neglected and remains becoming a storage room with damaged walls and ceilings.

Contrary to it, if you pay attention to your Basement Remodel, it can become an added livable space of your house and significantly increase the sale value. At the time of resale, you will certainly be happy with your decision to invest in remodeling the basement. However, you should keep a few important factors in your mind while upgrading your hideous basement. Next to these factors, we will share a few ideas with you to help you decide how you want your finished basement to end up becoming a usable space.

Factors To Consider Before The Remodeling of The Basement

We have rounded up 7 important factors you should count on while finishing a basement. Going through each of them, you will know how important it is to consider them during the process. Otherwise, you can’t achieve the target of having a perfectly finished basement.

1. Addressing Moisture Issues

Moisture issues are common to basement walls and need to be addressed timely when renovating your basement. If you are also planning to finish your basement either from scratch or upgrading, do not look past the damp walls showing signs of seepage. Because in the future, it may cause you to face bigger problems than if resolved prior to the renovation. Since the basement is a below-grade area, the chances of taking up water from the ground are higher. If it happens, water will make its way through the basement walls leading to massive damage.

Moreover, excessive moisture may also cause molds to grow in your walls. We know you will never want these things to happen. Therefore, it is advised to take care of these moisture issues before starting the renovation. You can also consult skilled laborers to help you with the selection of the best waterproofing solutions.

2. Seek Permission

You must know the local codes for building a safe place so you will not end up having trouble in the future. Whenever you start working on finishing a basement, consult with a professional who can guide you through the process. It is imperative to involve the municipality and let them know about your intention and needs of remodeling the basement. Then if they allow it, you can continue to work according to your plans after addressing moisture problems. Afterward, a follow-up inspection may also be done to ensure that you have met the codes and built the space correctly. Renovating a basement without fulfilling those local codes will be a headache in terms of illegal processes. Furthermore, it may also cause you trouble when you decide to sell the house. The potential buyers may set an offer below yours or ask you for inspection to get permission.

3. Choose Ceilings Wisely

You can discover a wide range of ceiling options in the market. Since the variety is enormous, it is common to get confused among the attractive ceilings rather than looking from the functional perspective. When you are on your way to search the ceilings that do not only look appealing but are also functional, we would suggest you opt for drop or suspended ceilings. Why? Because they perfectly cover the given space and present a fine appearance once finished. Another reason to recommend this type of ceiling for the basement is you will have easy access to plumbing lines and electric wires. You can remove tiles without sweating for hours and do the repairs whenever needed.

However, the installation of drop ceilings needs perfection. If you plan for a DIY method to conceal basement walls, painting can also do this job.

4. Basement Floorings In Budget

Basement floorings hold an important place in finishing. We have said it multiple times; the below-grade area is highly prone to moisture and water leakage. Therefore, one should consider this matter in the first place during finishing a basement. Water-resistant floorings are the only best option to choose for this purpose. Here again, style and functionality come to play their part; consider this matter a temporary eye-catching appearance or a long-term practical solution. We hope you will reply in favor of the latter one and save money by installing the right flooring in your basement. If we talk about the options available, they include traditional tiles, carpeting, hardwood, and luxury vinyl tile or LVT. It is said that carpeting can enhance the overall look, but it will not be an effective solution if your basement for experiences flooding. Similarly, hardwood and traditional tiling may cause mold to develop due to moisture. That’s why today, LVT, though expensive, is considered the most suitable option.

5. Recessed Lightings Good For Basements

Basements often lack natural light since the downstairs has almost zero or fewer windows, not allowing the sunlight to enter the basement. However, it is necessary to light up the basement with sufficient lighting so you can make use of the space after finishing a basement as you are planning or supposed to do. If you want to install windows in your basement, you must get advice from a professional. A qualified contractor can only tell you whether the surrounding drywall is able to support the additional load of the window structure.

Experts say that by installing recessed lighting in the basement, this problem can be resolved. These lightings do not take up any space and are also an ideal way to light up the basement. Dark basement or dim lighting would definitely not attract the visitor.

6. What Do You Want?

Whenever you are interested in a newly finished basement, do not forget to assess your needs and wants. Make sure that you have goals clear in your mind for how you want your basement to look after the final touch. There in the process of listing your needs, you may come across several appealing options that may not be necessary for you at that time. Therefore, avoid investing your hard-earned money in unnecessary stuff. You should first assess your living space needs and then decide how to design the basement accordingly.

7. Setting Up The Budget

Once you decide what you need or want, you can head over to this crucial step of the remodeling process is budgeting. Sometimes, it all depends on your budget what type of ceiling, flooring, and light you can manage to get in your budget along with paying for the professional’s fee if you have asked for his help. Some people are unnecessarily worried about the budget because they are spending on less important stuff such as decorative items and accessories. Otherwise, it is said that DIY improvement projects of the basement can be a very cost-effective renovation project.

How You Want Your Basement Turned Out To Be?

Here are some brainstorming ideas you may look upon to remodel your basement.

1. A Theatre

What is better than having a theater in the house? You can have all-time access to a large screen to go and play your favorite movie, enjoy watching it alone or with friends.

2. An Art Studio

Turning your basement into an art studio is one of the best ideas to use this huge space. If you love to draw art or are interested in collecting masterpieces from around the world, you can surely choose this theme.

3. Gaming Area

Are you fond of video games? If yes, you can invest in buying some new games or other indoor games that can be easily played in the basement because of having a large space available to play without interference.

4. Office Room

Since the basement is also quiet, you can turn it into your office room where you can work peacefully. While staying away from the external nuisance, you will have a calm environment where you can sit and work with peace of mind.

5. Music Studio

If playing piano or guitar is your hobby, but you are afraid of disturbing your neighbors, you can go downstairs and play your instruments. The insulated basement will make sure the sound does not go far.

Final Thoughts

Above are all the important factors to look upon before you head to begin the remodeling process. Without taking care of them, you can’t expect your basement finishing to turn out to be a great investment of time and money. You may also choose any theme from the ideas we have shared here or opt for another one if you find one, but do not forget to make sure that the design you want to apply will truly compliment your available space.

Article Source: https://volcanobuilders.com/7-things-you-should-know-finishing-a-basement/