Basement Remodeling Considerations:
Besides adding more usable living space to your home, a finished basement can also add a good deal of resale value. According to Remodeling Magazine’s 2013 Cost vs. Value Report, finishing your basement can yield a return on your investment of up to 70% at resale. While you may have decided you want to finish your basement or cellar, or want to upgrade an already-finished basement, you may not know exactly what you want to do with the space. There are so many options to consider, from your budget to your needs and wants. These top seven considerations will help you in your planning.
Basement Gallery
When you think of finished basements, you probably think of a room that isn’t finished to the standards of the rooms upstairs. This doesn’t need to be the case. But the challenge of creating an inviting and beautiful space is greater in the basement, where the systems and infrastructure of your house need to be concealed tastefully.
A finished basement definitely adds value to your home, but be sure to check with your insurance agent. Some finished basements may not be insured — and don’t expect a bedroom there to count in the total of bedrooms when you sell the house.
Natural light. Natural light is often in short supply in a basement. In this picture, the kitchen was placed by the lone window to maximize sunlight in the prep area.
Also, many building codes require a second way to exit the basement if the space is going to be finished. Get more light and satisfy code requirements by installing an egress window and window well. An egress window is big enough for a person to exit through it, and the well allows more light into your basement. To avoid water problems, have a drain installed at the bottom of the well.
You would never know this room is in a basement. There are always pipes, ducts and wires to conceal. This usually means dropping the ceiling height in certain areas.
Try to consolidate the obstructions to one area and then create a space with a lower ceiling. Continue the dropped ceiling to the walls for a natural transition. Boxing in pipes and ducts with soffits and chases tells people that there’s something hidden.
Of course, the other thing that makes this basement look like it belongs upstairs is the use of drywall. You’ll need to place access panels where shutoffs, junction boxes or meters are. Make sure to install the drywall ½ inch off the ground and use moisture-resistant drywall. All basements flood eventually, and this will help.
Fiberglass-faced drywall is even better than paper-faced drywall, because it’s the paper that harbors mold. Be prepared to pay extra for finishing the fiberglass drywall, because the whole face should be skim coated with joint compound.
Finished basements traditionally had ceiling tiles in a grid rather than a drywall ceiling. Most people don’t like this look, so we’re seeing more and more drywall ceilings. If you want easy access to the space above the basement ceiling but want a more interesting look, consider sculptural ceiling tiles.
Because a basement is below the bathrooms, kitchen and other sources of water in the house, when a basement floods it often comes through the ceiling. If you have a drywall ceiling, you’ll need to cut out a section and repair it. If you have ceiling tiles it may be as simple as replacing a tile or two.
Think about how you plan to use your finished basement. If you want to exercise down there, you may need more headroom. Lift your arms overhead. I need an 8-foot ceiling to do that. Will you be standing on a treadmill? Add the height off the floor to your height. If you’re actually going to run on the treadmill instead of posing for fake exercise Facebook photos, you’ll need even more room since you’ll bounce up as you run. Often the height just isn’t there.
Recently, my company solved this problem two different ways for two different clients. In one house we cut out the floor joists in that area and hung them from structural headers. Then we added steel angles to support the floor. Ideally this area should be located under an area upstairs that doesn’t get a lot of traffic, such as under a coffee table. This however requires an architect to calculate structural loads and specific design drawings.
In the other basement we couldn’t locate the space out of the path of traffic, so it made more sense to go down. We dug a hole in the ground 12 inches down, poured a new slab at the lower level and poured little walls with a curb surround so the hole wouldn’t fill with water if the basement got wet. Lowered into the hole, the treadmill is flush with the surrounding floor.
I know I keep coming back to flooding, but it will happen, so plan ahead. If you don’t have a system in place to deal with the water, choose a flooring material that can handle getting wet, such as the tile shown in this basement. If you don’t have a floor drain, consider getting one installed. It’s best to get a drain that ties into the storm drain directly or that drains into a pit with a sump pump in it. If you pay for these systems up front, you won’t be paying to replace furniture, rugs and appliances later.
Lighting.
If you plan to use recessed lighting in your low ceilings, think of the cone of light that spreads from a recessed light. The closer it is to the floor, the closer you’ll need to space the lights to get good coverage. Good lighting design makes a big difference. A variety of lighting types is important so the space can accommodate different uses and moods.
There are many options now for energy-efficient lighting, so don’t avoid LED’s and CFL’s because you think they’ll cast an unflattering light. Everything from cool to warm light is available in all types.