by Alden Smith
Remodeling a basement can be a daunting task. You look at your basement, see stained block walls, red posts, and tons of ductwork and pipes that you have no idea of how to deal with. Don't despair. All of these problems can be dealt with, and a beautiful space built from a dingy, dark basement. Contractors that specialize in basement remodels have a lot of tricks up their sleeves, and we offer some of them here.
The Essentials
You of course have to have access to such things as furnace, water pipes, sewage pipes and sump pump. Support posts in the basement are essential to the integrity of the home. How do you work around these? Let's look at a few tips from the contractors:
- Upgrade the basement sump pump to a newer model if you live in an older home. A battery backup sump pump is essential if the basement is finished, especially with carpeting or hardwood floors. A controller automatically switches from electricity to the battery in the event of a power outage. Living in a location that has heavy thunderstorms means that power may go off, and flooding of the basement likely. A battery backup system saves you a lot of grief.
- A support pole in a basement is often boxed in with drywall, and a chair railing added for effect. Fancier pole treatments can be designed to imitate a Doric column.
- An unfinished portion of your basement can include the furnace and utility room. Contractors recommend that you utilize the space by recessing such things as as a kitchen sink or other appliances into this space. This not only gives you more floor space, but can lights can be placed in the recess to lighten the area.
- Contractors recommend that you don't box in such things as sewer and vent pipe. Instead, build the interior wall out to cover them, giving the space a much smoother look. Doing so actually makes the room look larger.
Framing It In
There are a lot of different ways to frame in a room in a basement. Different builders have different styles, all relevant. Let's look at some of these styles:
- Framing the entire build with 2 X 4's. This allows you to insulate fully, hide wires and pipes, and provide a vapor barrier if you live in a cold climate. Worried about losing space? When framing, the contractor can turn the 2 x 4 so that the wide face is against the wall.
- Furring strips can be used for attaching wall board or paneling, but this decreases the chance for good insulation and vapor barrier. This may not be an issue in a newer home, but in older homes it is probably not a good idea. If you are considering this because of loss of space, you may be setting yourself up for disaster.
- On the market today is modular building material for building out a basement. OvrX Barricade is a widely used material which meets and exceeds building requirements for this build out. This modular system incorporates locking panels that are backed with Styrofoam with a high R value. Floors can be finished in the same way with this material. An advantage with this material is its thinness and the capability of nailing into the sub floor or wall panels. The Owens Corning Basement Finishing System™ is another good modular system for basements
Problems You May Run Into
Don't expect floors and walls to be perfectly straight. They generally aren't, because the house was not built to have a finished basement unless designed that way. Walls can lean in or out. Floors are often sloping to allow drainage in case of flooding. Throughout the build, always try to line up news studs with the existing ones already in place. This makes it much easier to access wiring, plumbing and ductwork.
Although many people desire a finished plaster ceiling, give a lot of thought to installing a tile ceiling with traditional grid work. Although a lot of people do not like the looks of these ceilings, consider what will happen to your ceiling if you must access wiring or plumbing. A slightly dropped ceiling in a basement allows access to these housing components, and is also handy to check on any pipes or electrical systems. If you think that acoustical tile is just too commercial, then consider installing a soffit perimeter around the room, and having a tile ceiling in the center. One experience of trying to fish an electrical wire through a finished ceiling will convince you of the wise thinking of the many contractors who recommend this.
Building out a basement is very different from redecorating an interior room. Listen to the experienced advice of contractors, and you can't go wrong on a basement remodel.
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