The Ultimate Guide to Basement Finishing
Basements can be a great value add to your home when you finish the basement. “Extra” square footage isn’t the only bonus to a completed basement. In essence, a basement is a versatile room. Imagine a family room, an office, or an extra bedroom down there.
When you finish a basement, using that extra space is easy. A potential buyer sees the house as an office “plus home” or “plus extra bedroom.” The house’s price goes up regardless of the market. To “someone” thinking of buying your house but is equal to the house of the person next door, what will get you over the line? If the next prospective buyer sees their “family” or “work” situation come to life in your house, the buyer will pick your house. Before you jump in and “get the basement done,” consider a few handy points about basements (If you don’t do it right, you’ll be throwing money down the drain. ): In New Hampshire or Massachusetts, get the guys from T.S. Caccavaro Basement Waterproofing to come and “sort you out.”
Most likely, your house is in the wrong place, or water damage happened from the first year. As they are covered in cement, basically, they have zero protection.
Don’t think of selling your house until you contact Tom from T.S Caccavaro Waterproofing to see what you should do. Inspect your basement and the outside of your house. One option is adding drains to the basement because of their location. Will the drains do, or is there some extra work? Get Tom Caccavaro to stop by (especially before you put the house on the market–there are a few things you should do.) When designing the basement, do you want extra pod spaces, light from outside, “egress windows,” or light fixtures? Maybe an open room to walk around the basement is more your style? Is the layout you picked for your house practical? Some choose the layout depending on the full set of stairs. Be careful what house type you pick, and which materials you use to “finish your basement.” What area of the basement has had water? What area of the basement has never had water? Is the family safe? What do you want to do with the basement? Having a well-thought-out plan in the first place is easier than checking halfway through. See the section above–What’s the best permanent fix? What stairs should a basement have?
Understanding Basement Finishing
Basement finishing increases the options for functional and visually pleasing features in a home. The whole point is that an unfinished basement is likely a completely open space. By adding walls, doors, and all the finished components of a house, homeowners can create more rooms. This doesn’t literally create more square footage when looking at a house’s total space, but it does create more rooms where members of a family can comfortably rest in private or participate in activities. Such rooms include bedrooms for new family members, an office to do work in quiet, or new guest bedrooms for visitors. Increased home resale value is another benefit of basement finishing. In fact, this is likely all that some homeowners care about. You can’t sell an unfinished basement for as much money as you can a finished basement. For this reason, many real-estate purists and salesmen will argue all day every day that a basement finishing project is always a good idea. And that’s because an unfinished basement shows the real-estate buyer quite well how old the house really is. Buyers won’t be able to unsee that fact once they’ve been shown what an unfinished basement looks like. BUT TO GET all of the great benefits of a finished basement, homeowners must waterproof that basement.Since homes last longer than one lifetime,there will always be a risk of water damage caused by flooding. If there is water inside of a basement after a huge rainfall, then who would pay top dollar for that property? One of the surest ways to depreciate your home's value is to not waterproof it. And this is especially true in flood-prone or moisture-prone parts of the United States. However, even landlords aren't that sloppy about their basements, especially when those same landlords like to make a quick buck. During any completed finishing process of a basement, your basement is especially treated for waterproofing. This includes treating the floors for potential water damage and also treating the walls as well. There are few parts of a landscape (that a house would be standing on) that would be more susceptible to water damage than the floor and walls of a basement. This is partly because concrete floors (slab floors) have a pretty thin layer of concrete. So, the ground below that thin layer of concrete is well capable of water intrusion. As for adding increased home value to a house after any basement finishing project, a completed basement, as in one that was properly and fully waterproofed, will drastically add more value to a house's resale value because it will work better for the owner long-term.This is not to mention the fact that the brand also provides a great warranty product for the added waterproofing value (see their warranty).
The Do's of Basement Finishing
In New Hampshire and Massachusetts, the first thing to check before starting a basement finishing project is local building codes. Each town in these states has specific rules (building codes) about the way houses are built, what safety measures should be taken, and where houses should be built (zoning laws). Work with a knowledgeable building contractor who can guide you through this part of the construction process — working with them is often reassuring because they deal with permits and inspections all the time. Not following the building codes can result in penalties or the undoing of non-compliant work. After the space is prepared and fully understood in terms of what can and can’t be done according to building code, it is time to accentuate the positive of this particular room. Doing so usually means designing a room that takes away the negatives of the room and enhances the positives. The negatives of basements usually consist of having a small amount of floor space in the basement for the footprint of the room. Accentuating the positive might consist of the following: - Open floor plan designs - Bright color schemes The above strategies do a lot of good towards making basements feel less closed in or cave-like. With many basement settings, it’s really a lot of fun to work with them as you have to get creative in many instances. Think about all the fun things people create with basements when it comes time to think about what to use the room for. Sure, it could be another bedroom, but maybe it isn’t a bedroom, and it's a home office, a media room, an art studio, a bar, a kitchenette, another entertainment room, or a workshop, garage, abode, or a playroom. There are so many options to consider. It could be anything you want it to be, the space just has to be taken to that place from a design perspective. Have fun with it can go really in many directions with it. 7. Not an Office Everyone needs a home working space at some point, and the basement-turned-home office has been done many times. The only problem with the office space is it needs to be in a quiet area. The basement is already secluded, and it can work as the noise damper and extra layer of seclusion will be needed for the above floor. Of course, that is not the case for everyone; maybe the basement is an option but secludes one from people or house traffic or a better opportunity to make a different room something else. EXTRA TIP! Think about which direction you want to go with storage. After all, the basement is used for storage. Ensuring storage will depend a lot on what type of basement space you are wanting to design. Be prepared to give up storage or perhaps entertain the idea of gaining a better form of storage through the location.
The Don'ts of Basement Finishing
Small details can be big jobs, and many people forget them. For basement remodels, that often means lighting and ductwork. These minor upgrades will make your space livable—or not! Nothing chases away guests like low-hanging beams. Besides the head bumping hazard, it doesn't make the most efficient use of your heating and cooling systems. Make room in the project's budget for these adjustments and purchase lighting to improve how you work and relax in the space. Just like a few other things on this list, it's good to look at the big picture, and everything shouldn't be so perfect. When so much focus is directed inwards on the microscopic details, the big project isn't enhanced to its maximum potential. Each homeowner can find the appeal or tap into their personal style for a project or two and the big picture staples. If you have ever spent long periods away from home, chances are you have returned to a strange, musky odor. One item that all homeowners with finished basements won't regret is hosting community room accents or attributes found in frequently changing spaces. For men, this includes face wash and beard grooming kits, gyms, recreation, theater, or gaming rooms. A common space should never be overlooked for a luxury experience. When you look back at your time in your home, spare the few hundred dollars it may cost to add another. Factor in a feature wall or work area to fit your family's needs. The designated study or home office layout previously marked can now also include a day bed. The small cost not to overlook this project will definitely maximize the home's value for sale. Looking for some proof? Create something original, and hold onto that! In general, let's all strive to play more! Complement some weird items in your space, and take along the hard facts on lighting, temperature, and pressure change.
Common Basement Features and Solutions
Common architectural features — like steel posts and exposed ductwork — make a strong industrial aesthetic statement. They're raw and authentic, leaving many modern spaces (such as new-build lofts, converted old warehouses, and stripped-down offices) left to figure out how to deal with them. Steel posts are a must structural-wise, but aesthetically they might interrupt the room's flow. Typically, exposed ductwork provides utility and needs to remain accessible, but it can look a bit "busy." At a glance, a room full of ductwork becomes chaotic to look at when someone tries to visually identify what shape the room might be. Sometimes, the answer about how to better integrate or combine existing exposed ductwork and steel posts is simply to paint them out to a more desirable color. Wrapping steel posts with wood or other decorative paneling greatly heightens the aesthetic of a foundationally sound pillar, while also saving a ton of room compared to, say, building the equivalent (in strength) of a column made out of reinforced concrete. A painted ceiling can add warmth to an exposed, hollow space. The overall visual feeling within the space will be enclosed and softer, while more clearly seeing the physical dimensions of a room also brings a greater perception of specific scale to the room. For exposed duct work, there are a few basic "routes" to take.
Some options to consider:
CLASSIC CAMOUFLAGE: Blend it in or make it stick out even more! Ductwork can be painted in two main ways: either chameleon-style, to match your existing ceiling color, or conversely, a completely different, complementary color to visually pop from the room’s established color scheme. Of course, it can also be painted any other desired color that works best for you.
LOWER IT: Art hung on a wall or other purposeful, decorative elements cladding another large surface, such as light fixtures, can be designed to be combined with, and/or designed to hang down from, the larger overall ceiling in such a way to detract from the overhead heavy machinery.
Basement finishing is on your to-do list because it can turn an otherwise damp and dingy storage area into a functional and finished living space that the whole family can enjoy. And truth be told, the project does seem like a daunting afterthought to some. After all, how could anyone ever possibly transform a dank basement into the perfect media room, game room, or home office? The fact of the matter is that it is very possible and homeowners are now taking advantage of the project and reaping the benefits of having additional livable square footage with a remodeled basement more and more. Basement remodeling is also a great investment, as estimations determine that a remodeled basement can offer a market return on investment (ROI) of anywhere between 70-80 percent for resale. Remodeling your basement will also leave it 100 percent up to your imagination so you can develop the basement remodel of your dreams without worrying about being complacent. A basement remodel project is usually a large process and involves a careful procedure while keeping an eye out for an array of potential dangers. Alongside something as extensive as a basement finishing, there should be good that accompanies an array of not-so-good aspects of the process as well. Let’s look at some of the many pros and cons of getting your basement remodeled or refinished.
