The basement is a great place to escape from the summer heat or winter cold, but it can be a lot of work. There are several steps to finishing a basement. It’s important to consider these seven things before you start finishing your basement.
1. Structure
Before you start designing your basement, make sure that the ground beneath your house is stable. You don’t want to come home one day only to find out that your entire basement has caved in because of shifting soil. If there are cracks on the walls or floor, it might be time to call a foundation repair company.
2. Lighting
Lighting is essential in any room… including the basement. If you want to avoid using up too much electricity, invest in natural light with large windows and skylights. It’s okay if your basement is dark because it’s underground but be sure that you won’t trip over anything when walking around. Yes, it may seem like a hassle to have a home improvement store cut a hole on your ceiling, but you’ll probably end up with a better view.
3. Ventilation
Having enough ventilation is essential in preventing mold and mildew from developing. Installing central heating or air conditioning systems can be expensive, but it’s well worth the money spent. Without proper ventilation, humidity and heat tend to accumulate, which is the perfect breeding ground for molds and mildews.
4. Noise
Basements can be very noisy during certain times of the day, especially if it’s near a busy street or highway. You don’t want your basement to be used as an extension of your home theater, where you’ll end up needing hearing aids at an early age. Because of this, you might need to install sound deadening materials on the walls and maybe even purchase rugs for your floor.
5. Room Layout
If you plan on having a home office, don’t push it near the corner of your basement, where you’ll probably hear dripping water from pipes somewhere above it. Use a smaller portion of your basement as a storage area and separate the rest into different rooms.
6. Washroom
No matter how you design or layout your washroom, it’s important that it’s separate from the main floor to keep moisture away from other parts of your house. Don’t make your washer and dryer are in the same room as your shower; this will just accumulate too much moisture.
7. Storage
Speaking of storage, it’s okay to have a lot of boxes and other materials stored inside your home, but you might want to design shelving on one side wall, so everything won’t look clustered together. Also, don’t have extra furniture in your basement that might not fit the size of your house. You don’t want to end up spending more on moving fees than you do for renovating your home.
It’s not easy to finish your basement, but with these seven considerations in mind, you can make progress with the help of a professional basement remodeling in Alpharetta.
