Consider These Basement Finishing Tips

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Consider These Basement Finishing Tips
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Synopsis

1. Making Your Basement Into an Entertaining Space
2. Room Conversion Ideas for Your Basement
3. Ideal Colors to Use for Your Basement Renovations
4. Things to Consider When Finishing Your Basement
5. Selecting the Furniture for Your Basement
6. Giving Your Basement a Few Finishing Touches
7. DIY Tips for Remodeling Your Basement
8. How to Change Your Basement Into a Bedroom
9. How to Finish the Floors In Your Basement
10. Finishing the Walls, Ceilings and Windows In Your
    Basement

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Making Your Basement Into an Entertaining Space

• If youll be using the entertainment area to
  watch movies or sports games, its a good idea to
  install a mini bar or kitchenette in the
  basement. There are some elements of this that
  you can do yourself, such as finding the right
  materials for cabinets and finishing the surfaces
  of drawers, but its probably best to hire a
  contractor to handle this task for you. Depending
  on how large your basement is, you may want to
  include a refrigerator or sink that isnt as
  large as the ones in your main kitchen, but you
  may still want these appliances to coordinate
  with the ones in your larger kitchen. Work with a
  construction professional to build shelves to
  hold food or quality beverages, or to have a
  microwave or small oven installed in the basement
  in a way that is safe and in keeping with the
  rest of the wiring in your house.

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Room Conversion Ideas for Your Basement

• When it comes to remodeling the basement, post
  installation and stair railing are important
  parts of the project. These redesign elements are
  fairly simple, and you may be able to do it
  yourself if you have a finish nailer and some
  quality wood glue. If youre installing new
  railing for the remodel project, some careful
  planning to help you complete the project
  efficiently. If youve got large furniture pieces
  that you want to include in the basement, dont
  build the railings right away. Bring the large
  pieces into the basement space first so that you
  wont have a more difficult time getting
  furniture into the basement space.
• Its also a great idea to add carpeting if the
  basement is significantly colder than the rest of
  the home. Quality carpet is best, so if you have
  to adjust your remodel completion timeline to
  make sure that you get the right carpet, know
  that the adjustment will be well worth it in the
  long run. Quality carpet helps to insulate the
  room and make it comfortable to walk in the
  space. This is essential if the basement will be
  converted into a bedroom, since a room that is
  too cold can be very uncomfortable to sleep in
  and could lead to health issues.

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Ideal Colors to Use for Your Basement Renovations

• Neutral hues like tan and brown are ideal if
  youre going to use the basement for more than
  one purpose. If the basement will be an
  additional den, a tan wall makes it easier for
  you to change the furniture in the basement as
  often as you want, since the sofas and chairs
  that you select will always coordinate with the
  walls. This is also true if the basement will be
  a guest bedroom. Tan or medium brown walls give
  you lots of options when you want to change the
  bedding or furniture in the bedroom space. You
  can make the space more attractive by painting
  the molding or siding in a gold or bronze color.
• If youre turning the basement into a childrens
  play area, its perfectly fine to play with
  brighter colors. A bold shade of blue or green is
  ideal for the walls, and can make your children
  feel safe and inspired to learn when they step
  into the room. If you want to use yellow, this
  color can promote excitement, so a medium or
  light variation of this color is best. Reds and
  oranges are also great colors to use for an
  indoor playground.
• If youre a fan of purple and have lots of
  furniture and decorative pieces that will
  coordinate with this hue, purple walls are a
  beautiful choice for the basement. Purple is a
  symbol of royalty, but can also symbolize balance
  since purple is a mixture of blue (a cool color)
  and red (a warm color). A light shade of purple
  can work well if youre decorating a bedroom in
  the basement, since you use both silver and gold
  furniture accents in the room. A deep shade of
  purple like eggplant is a great choice if youre
  using other jewel tones like hunter green and
  ruby in your furniture, drapes or throw pillows.

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Things to Consider When Finishing Your Basement

• Make sure there are no water issues in the
  basement before you start building. Drips coming
  through the walls or small pools of water in
  various areas of the basement are a sign that
  there is leakage somewhere. Look outside to
  ensure that the ground and foundation are not wet
  or contain openings that could lead to water
  damage. Ask a plumber and contractor to help you
  get rid of these issues before you add anything
  else to the basement space.
• You should also be aware of building codes before
  you begin the basement renovation process. Check
  with your city and county to see if you need
  permits to do any construction projects in your
  basement. This is essential if youre doing
  electrical or plumbing work in this area of your
  home, so youll need to have an inspector come
  out and make sure everything is up to code.
• Once youve decided to finish your basement,
  youll need to think about the fasteners in the
  floors and walls of the space. In most cases,
  these parts of the basement are created from
  block, masonry, cement or brick, which means that
  youll need more than a hammer and nails when
  youre attaching the framing for the walls and/or
  windows. It may be best to rent a fastener that
  is power-actuated, or to hire a contractor who is
  experienced in this area of work to complete this
  part of the project for you.

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Things to Consider When Finishing Your Basement

• Making sure the air is clear and clean in your
  basement should also be a priority. After you
  take care of any water issues, theres still the
  possibility that your basement could be
  significantly more damp than the rest of your
  home. Add a vapor barrier between the floors and
  walls before you start framing and finishes these
  areas to make sure that moisture doesnt get
  trapped and cause mold, mildew and damage.
• Finally, ensure that you have an offset space
  even after you create the vapor barrier. This is
  because moisture could still be a problem,
  especially if you live in areas that rain a lot.
  Make an offset from the outside wall of your
  basement by adding metal or wood slats that can
  make the wall more level. Its also best to keep
  out the cold air and welcome the warmth in so
  that the basement space will be comfortable for
  you and your loved ones to spend time in.
  Insulation is required for this, so check your
  local codes to ensure that youre in keeping with
  the regulations in your area.

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Selecting the Furniture for Your Basement

• Sofas and sectionals are a great choice if you
  will be entertaining friends and loved ones in
  the basement space. This type of furniture
  provides lots of comfortable places for everyone
  to sit, especially if you purchase a sectional
  with seats that recline. You can also decorate
  the sofas with throw pillows and blankets that
  coordinate with the main living room. Of course,
  if youre going with a completely different color
  scheme for the basement, your sofa accents can
  coordinate with your new decorations.
• Rocking chairs and antique sitting chairs make
  great additions to your basement if youre
  turning the area into a library or guest bedroom.
  If youve added certain elements like the windows
  or flooring to the basement yourself, you may
  want to take on the task of finishing or
  repurposing the chairs. Sanding a rocking chair
  that is made from wood or repainting the chair to
  match the colors that youre using to decorate
  the basement adds a customized element to the
  space. You can also finish the rocking chair or
  borders of a chaise or reading chair to match the
  color of the engineered wood or hardwood floors
  in the basement. Adding the same finishing
  products or sealant to the furniture that you
  used for the floors can also make the space more
  coordinated.

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Selecting the Furniture for Your Basement

• If the basement will serve as a home office, an
  antique desk that coordinates with the furniture
  or wood flooring youve chosen can give the
  basement a professional look that will motivate
  you to complete important tasks. A coordinating
  bookshelf is a good furniture choice for this
  type of space as well, or you can work with a
  contractor to have shelves installed on the walls
  to be more space-efficient. Shelf installation is
  also a project you may want to take on yourself.
  If you build shelves that go from the floor to
  the ceiling, you can make the walls appear
  higher.
• If youre using the basement as a playroom or
  entertainment area for children, oversized
  pillows and bean bags are a practical and
  comfortable addition to the basement as well.
  These provide seating that is closer to the
  floor, which could reduce the chances that your
  kids will injure themselves jumping off of
  furniture that is positioned off the ground. The
  bean bags or pillows can also provide a bit of
  insulation and a soft surface for sitting if
  youve used concrete or vinyl for the floors.

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Giving Your Basement a Few Finishing Touches

• If you have lots of pipes and plumbing lines on
  the ceiling of your basement, its best to get a
  drop ceiling. This hides all the pipes and gives
  the room a neater look, and there are lots of
  design options available depending on the type of
  look you want. Drop ceilings cut down on overhead
  space, however, so consider this when youre
  getting estimates for this part of the basement.
• Recessed lighting is another great finishing
  touch to keep in mind. This type of lighting
  doesnt take up as much space as a traditional
  light fixture, and if you have a drop ceiling,
  recessed lighting is easy to install. This makes
  it an affordable option, since you can take this
  on as a DIY project instead of having to hire a
  contractor. Lightbulbs in the color of your
  choice are another way to customize the space.
  For instance, blue lights can improve
  concentration, while lights with a tinge of red
  evoke excitement.

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Giving Your Basement a Few Finishing Touches

• Remember that hot air rises, so install some
  heating vents in the baseboards. Just make sure
  the installation is in keeping with your homes
  HVAC system. Once the basement is finished, you
  dont want the majority of the warm air in the
  room to come from space heaters, since this could
  be expensive and a safety hazard.
• Its also important to keep in mind that the
  utility room section of the basement doesnt need
  to be furnished. This is the space where the
  water heaters and HVAC units are, so the space
  should be clean and open so that you can access
  it easily. Furniture in these areas or too close
  to these spaces could be a safety hazard, and the
  utility room has code requirements when it comes
  to framing and spacing. The area should also be
  open when you have to undergo inspections or need
  to get repairs. A small curtain or partition to
  make sure that the HVAC unit and water heater are
  not tampered with may also be a smart option.

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DIY Tips for Remodeling Your Basement

• You may know that you want to paint the walls or
  add carpeting to the basement, but you should
  also think about your primary use for the
  basement. If the basement will become a spare
  bedroom, you may want to insulate the windows and
  paint the walls a neutral color. If the basement
  will be converted into a playroom, a bright color
  for the walls is ideal.
• Its also important to avoid certain construction
  mistakes when youre remodeling the basement. For
  instance, avoid a drop ceiling in the basement.
  This makes the basement area feel cheaper than
  the other parts of your home, so its best to
  decorate the basement in a way that is consistent
  with the rest of your house. A drop ceiling also
  makes the basement feel smaller, and this can
  defeat the purpose of remodeling, since youre
  renovating the space to make your home feel more
  spacious. Keep this in mind if you will be
  particularly active in the basement, i.e.
  building a mini bar or kitchen in the basement so
  you wont always have to go the main kitchen when
  you want a snack or beverage.

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DIY Tips for Remodeling Your Basement

• Built-in storage is also a great idea when youre
  remodeling the basement. Built-in shelves and
  designated areas for storage will help to make
  the space neater without taking up too much
  space. If you build shelves into the wall, you
  wont have to use a bookshelf or large dresser in
  the basement. Just remember not to add too much
  storage space, since this could make the
  renovation project more expensive and you may not
  get the return on investment that you want if you
  sell your home in the future.
• Finally, consider an open stairwell as part of
  your basement renovation. This is a stylish and
  practical way to connect the basement with the
  upper section of your home, and the stairwell
  lets natural light into the basement, which can
  make the space more welcoming and inviting. The
  stairwell is also a great idea if you are turning
  the basement into another area to entertain
  family and friends, such as an additional den or
  a space to have game night.

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How to Change Your Basement Into a Bedroom

• Youll need to start by framing the walls in the
  new bedroom space. In most cases, you should
  create the frame with 2x4 wooden boards. Nailing
  the lumber together the manual way with nails and
  a hammer or use can use a nail gun to get the job
  done. After you assemble the wall frame, its
  time to attach drywall, and youll likely need to
  hire contractors to help you with this part of
  the process.
• Once the walls are done, its time for ceiling
  installation. If you have an unfinished basement,
  chances are theres no real ceiling in the space,
  if so, youll see plumbing pipes and wiring on
  the ceiling and it needs to be covered for safety
  and aesthetic purposes. A drop ceiling is a
  practical way to accomplish this, and youll also
  need to track that will hold the tiles of the
  ceiling in place. You then drop the tiles in the
  right areas to make a ceiling that fits with your
  decorative goals. Of course, if you dont have
  experience installing ceilings, youll need to
  work with professional buildings to accomplish
  this task. You can also add elaborate wall
  stickers that glow in the dark to the ceiling,
  which adds a relaxing element to the bedroom when
  its time to go to sleep.
• Finally, put the flooring and lighting in place.
  Lighting and flooring are an important part of
  the bedroom space as well. Overhead lighting,
  recessed lighting or track lighting are options,
  so youll need to choose the lighting that works
  best for the space.

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How to Finish the Floors In Your Basement

• Sheet vinyl is a great option and is often used
  for basement floors. This type of vinyl is
  available in a variety of colors and patterns, so
  youve got lot of choices depending on your
  taste. If the floors in your basement are sloped
  or uneven, vinyl sheet is an ideal choice. Sheet
  vinyl is also a popular choice because its very
  easy to clean and its sturdy, especially if you
  add seam tapes to the joints of the floor. When
  you apply the seam tape with heat, your basement
  floors will be sealed and this will keep water
  from ruining the floor.
• You can also use concrete for your basement
  floor, especially if the area will be used as a
  craft or carpentry workshop or a storage area.
  Its pretty simple and affordable to install, and
  you can do it yourself you just have to buy the
  concrete from a hardware store and get a few tips
  from an employee for making sure youre applying
  it correctly. First, youll need to apply a seal
  to the floor using a paint roller. This stops
  water from getting through the floor. You can
  also create several creative designs with your
  concrete for a finish that makes the rest of the
  basement come together. Use a dyed concrete seal
  for customized results, or stencil a design into
  the floor.
• Engineered wood works well in the basement as
  well, since it holds up well against drastic
  changes in temperature and keeps moisture from
  collecting on the floor very well in comparison
  to other basement flooring choices.

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Finishing the Walls, Ceilings and Windows In Your
Basement

• Include the dimensions of the walls, as well as
  the sizes for the doors and windows. Your plan
  should also indicate what the new basement space
  will be used for. You should also make sure that
  you have accurate measurements for pipes and
  electrical wiring, since this will factor into
  the measurements for your ceilings, windows and
  walls.
• Think about energy efficiency when finishing this
  aspect of the basement as well. If you dont have
  good insulation in the basement or youve had
  moisture issues in the space, youll need to take
  special care that these issues dont affect your
  basement finishing project in order to keep your
  family safe and to keep basement renovation from
  becoming too expensive. Seal all the openings in
  the framing for the walls, windows and ceiling
  and around the pipes. You can use spray foam or a
  caulking gun to accomplish this. Insulate the
  board that is positioned on top of the foundation
  to add more support to the floor joists. This
  also prevents air from leaking into or out of the
  basement to regulate temperature and prevent
  moisture accumulation. You may also want to glue
  extruded foam insulation to the walls of the
  basement foundation to keep heat from leaving the
  basement area and providing a barrier that keeps
  water out.

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