Basement Remodeling - Visualizing Your Space
Remodeling your basement will not only add more living space, but if done correctly, help to increase the value of your home. A lot of homes built in the earlier decades were not meant to have a finished basement or living space, so often there are ductwork and water and sewage pipes to deal with. This can be a frustrating task until you look at the living space in a different perspective. You aren't seeing an old furnace, washer and dryer, pipes and beams and unfinished walls and floor. What you see is a finished rec room, entertainment center, or even a spare bedroom and bath. If your basement is finished off in either poured walls or cement block, you can make a lot of changes to make this a quality living space. Where do you begin? The best way is to sit down with graph paper and design the living space after taking measurements and deciding what you wish to accomplish. Here we will discuss ideas for a basement remodel - ideas, tips and general information.
Begin With an Idea
No matter what you do, define the space. Do you have children that will benefit from a play area? Do you need a family room, with a large entertainment area? Do you want to install a spare bedroom and bath for extended stays by your parents or in-laws? All this must be defined before you proceed. The reason is simple - you are at ground zero in your basement, and there are certain things that cannot be changed. Your job will be to work around them.
Proceed With Planning
There are two ways you can approach this. After careful measurement of your basement, use 1/4" graph paper to lay out your design. With 1/4" equaling one foot, you can quickly determine what is possible. If you find you haven't enough room because you have a large basement, simply tape together more graph paper to cover the entire area. In your drawing, allow for the finished wall, which will include the stud and wallboard. This will be approximately 10-16 inches. Try to keep measurements as accurate as possible. You don't want to install a kitchen or pool table in your new basement remodel and find you are 6" short of having enough room.
The second approach to design is through the use of 3D software. A very basic program is the Ikea Home Planner. If you are unfamiliar with 3D programs, this is a good place to start. Simplistic in design and interactive, it can help you lay out the basics of what your basement view would look like. You would use this to plan where electrical outlets would go, window and door placement, and interior walls. Placement of gas pipes, water pipes and other obstructions can be mapped.
An even better 3D program is recommended by Dave Schrock of Basement Ideas.com. Mr. Schrock specializes in basement design and remodel, and recommends the use of Home and Gardens "Home Designer" by ART Advanced Relational Technology. Home Designer is powerful stuff - it includes a complete set of CAD (Computer Aided Design) tools to detail designs, and allows you to import colors, textures and wall treatments to give you a good picture of what you want. It will guide you in determining materials needed, and generates a spreadsheet of these items, allowing you to figure budget. It can be purchased at Basement Ideas.com for $59.00.
A Caveat
When using 3D software to design a basement remodel, remember that it is merely a visualization, and not actual floor plans. Although you can be very accurate with this software, scaling it to almost exact dimension, there are too many other factors that are not being considered. If you try to take a 3D render of a basement design to a contractor or builder, you are only asking for trouble. Use them only for visualization, and to give you an idea of what your finished basement will look like. Never depend on these images to be an exact model of the finished product.
Considering a Budget
Once you have come up with your final design, determine your budget. It is always a good idea to have a figure in mind before starting, but when it gets down to figuring actual material, you will be surprised. Online, there are calculators that will help you to determine the exact amount of drywall, 2 X 4's and even the correct amount of paint to buy for your project. Keep in mind, however, that all these figures are ball park, and the contractor who does the work for you will know exactly what you will need. These calculators, however, help you get a grasp on cost. Plan to spend $30 to $40 per square foot to have this work done.