5 Obstacles you have to face finishing your basement.
Renovation or finishing your basement is a great option to add living space to your house without the necessity of extending the footprint of your home.
If you are starting from ground zero converting a completely unhabitable space full of moister and used as storage only before that you have to be prepared for few obstacles to deal with finishing the basement space of your home.
— Obstacle number 1
Finishing the stone walls or concrete walls outside of the house to prevent moisture.
Find a general contractor who knows how to install isolation to the walls to prevent heat loss in the cold winter months and moisture to get inside in the summer months. The product that will do the work for you is pink, blue or yellow color and its called XPS isolation. Keep in mind to have your general contractor to attach a rigid foam between the main supporting columns and use caulking for a more durable connection. Wood 2x4 studs framing with R-19 isolation in between will create a barrier for the interior space against moisture. This is something that all city codes will require to be done so you can pass inspection.
— Obstacle number 2
How to finish the space around the HVAC ducts.
Like it or not those ducts are in your basement space ceiling and you can't remove the. However, framing those HVAC ducts can be really costly and time-consuming task to be completed. Don't be frustrated if you construction company charged you a steep amount of money to finish that part of your home remodeling project. That kind of job to be completed with starting with framing every corner of the ducts, covering it with sheetrock, finishing it and painting it's very complex project for completion. Posts must be finished differently, depending on the room size and location. In most cases, those posts will be a support on the main beams of the house and finishing them could be difficult. Sometimes leaving them exposed maybe a better design option and definitely a cheaper one too. You could use them with some design changes as bookshelves or something else similar. Use many different options that will come in mind or definitely let us at SITL Home Renovation and New Construction to choose what is best for your taste and of course your budget.
— Obstacle number 3
Finishing the ceiling of the basement.
Drywall is the most common material many homeowners decide to go with and it is definitely one of the best for that kind of project. It will look perfectly finished and professionally done ones completed but there are downsides of that and one of the most important is; Ones covered the ceiling will look great but if for any reason if any work needs to be performed on all the cables floor joists or ducts that run through the ceiling or to any of the ducts the closed ceiling already will make it virtually impossible without citing the ceiling open and after that spending money to finished again. You may want to consider installing a drop ceiling of course where is possible and of course, if ceiling-high allows it. This type of ceiling is a fiberglass panels hung on metal rails to finish to make the ceiling look finished. This will give a really good access to different parts of the ceiling if the necessity for any work to be performed without ruing the already finished ceiling. You can use a drop ceiling only on certain spaces of the ceiling where there more venerable parts only. definitely won't look as good as finished in only one design ceiling but it will save you a lot of headaches in the long run.
— Obstacle number 4
Choosing and installing a floors on the top of the concrete.
The most common way is to install a plywood subfloor on the top of the concrete slab. This is definitely and one of the cheapest options. This will allow the general contractor you chose for the job to level the floor as well if there are any imperfections. This method creates the warmth and noise isolation you'll need especially if you decide to rent the space out. If the ceiling-high do not allow you to rise the floor not given an inch higher in order to meet the building codes you can use moisture-proof underpadding especially created for basement isolation. This material is created for laminate or vinyl floors to be installed on the top of it ones installed out. You can also try installing carpet on it as well but it is really not recommended for home renovation projects especially in Fairfield county where most houses experienced a lot of moister and condense in the hot summer days. Solid hardwood flooring is also not recommended for basements because of the reasons above.
— Obstacle number 5
Installing a light fixture in the basement.
Light is extremely important for basement spaces for experiencing good and pleased time in it and doesn't feel uncomfortable in it after a certain amount of time because of lack of light. To avoid that always use a very bright color for the wall paint. if you're lucky and your home is on the unleveled lot and one side of your basement has a big glass access door and big windows then your problem is already solved. If that is not the case with you the right positioned light fixtures will do the work. You have the choice of using only wall lighting because you'll be able to plan them when you start framing the walls with 2x4 frame. You can also use recessed lighting which will definitely be the better option but of course and the more expensive. You can as well and install new windows but in the basement before grade, that option will be very costly and may not be worth investing in it when you add it to the overall cost of finishing your basement.
There will be always an issues with every home renovation project, bathroom remodel or kitchen remodel but with the right construction company all those issues can be replaced with reasonable solutions and your dreamed basement children's playground, man cave with a bar for a fun time with friends, rental unit for extra income, a fitness center for you and family or simply extra space for storage call us today for a free estimate today and free design ideas of what the best and most feasible way is for finishing your basement.
SITL Home Renovation, Design and Real Estate Services
2 Armonk st #140
203 550 4498
Greenwich CT 06830 info@SITLgroup.com