BASEMENT FINISHING

A basement makeover is one of the best things you can do for your home and your family. It practically doubles the amount of livable space in your home and can provide new, exciting spaces for your family to use. Some of today's common basement remodeling ideas are home theaters, game rooms and bars. The Resourceful Remodeler will take you through the main steps of how to finish a basement, but first you should know some of the advantages of finishing a basement.

Inexpensive way to add square footage to your home.
You can do many of the tasks yourself.
You can create custom areas for your family such as game rooms, offices, etc.
You are adding value to your home!

Starting Basement Makeovers

All basement makeovers and finishing projects start the same way. You need to clear your basement of all the boxes and strings of holiday decorations you have stored down there. This allows you to have a clear picture when coming up with your basement floor plan ideas.

Cost of a Basement Remodel

The fact is finishing a basement is one of the most cost effective home improvements you can make. Considering you already have the walls and base for a floor in place before you begin, a basement finishing cost can be relatively inexpensive when compared to constructing an addition. Most people are usually looking at a $20 to $25 per square foot price range.

Waterproof Basement Walls and Floors

Before you begin laying out your new entertainment room designs, you'll want to ensure you don't have any leaky basement walls. You can test this by placing a small piece of plastic on the floor and taping around the edge of the plastic so it's sealed. Let it sit overnight and check to see if there is any condensation underneath the plastic. Condensation on top of the plastic is ok, but condensation underneath the plastic means you're taking on water.

The first thing to check is the drainage around your home. Broken gutters and poor landscaping can contribute to your water problems. Ideally water should drain at least five feet from your home. After you've ensured proper drainage around your home's exterior you should repair any cracks in the floor or walls of your basement and apply a concrete sealer to them. After sealing your basement, you may want to consider a subfloor in your basement. It's not a necessity, but it will keep your floor warmer and drier. Most people use polystyrene insulation and plywood bolted down with concrete screws for this. Once you've made your decision on a subfloor you're ready to start construction!

Basement Design Plans Come to Life

It's time to start making your basement remodeling ideas, home theaters and entertainment room designs come to life! Laying out your walls is the next step finishing a basement. When framing a basement, it's important to make your outer basement walls square. This will make the rest of construction much easier. Don't use the concrete walls a as a guide. Chances are they're not square. Instead, drop a plumb bob from the main support beam in about the center of the room, mark the floor and use that as a reference point to square your walls. Make sure you mark all walls with a chalk line before you begin building.

Framing your Basement

Now that you've got a finished basement picture to work off of, it's time to start giving your basement some structure. When framing your walls, the most common material used is 2x4s. They provide great support and allow room for basement insulation and running electrical and cable wires where needed. When measuring out your materials remember to leave 0.75" for shifting of your basement floor, and place studs on center every 16" starting with the second stud in to allow for three-stud corners.

Basement Ceiling Ideas and Doors

Having creative basement ceiling ideas can really add to your décor. You could leave a suspended ceiling for that industrial look, or you could finish it with sheetrock. To do that you'll need to hang 2x4s perpendicular to the floor joists of the second level. This gives you room for insulation and running wires as well as a strong base for heavy sheetrock. Doors should be strategically placed considering things like airflow, traffic flow and furniture. Your doors should be a minimum of 32" wide, but you may want to consider going bigger if you're moving large furniture into the room. Always remember to save the straightest wood for the doorways, and build frames 2" wider and 1.5" taller than the actual opening size you want.

Electric, Heating and Plumbing

Now we're starting to get to the specifics of your basement design plans. This is where you really will define the possibilities of each room in your basement floor plan ideas. The majority of basement remodeling projects don't require you to change and appliances to cover increased demand. You will want to plan for things like cable, outlets, lighting, heating and water usage. Calling a professional at this point is not a bad idea because they'll know all the codes and standards for electricity and plumbing in your area. Not to mention, it will probably be much faster. If you are an avid do-it-yourselfer just remember the standard for running cable and other wires through walls is 0.75" holes in your studs 15" off the floor.

Insulation and Finishing Walls

It's now time to make your basement warm and cozy. It's mandatory that you insulate in order to keep your basement warm. The easiest way to do that is with friction fit fiberglass insulation. Just remember to wear long sleeves and eye protection. Once insulated you can install sheetrock, wood paneling or whatever material you wish to be your walls. Your basement has just become your canvas for all your great interior decorating ideas!