Turning a musty cement basement into a bedroom


  #1  
Old 05-16-02, 05:55 AM
cpolewka
Visiting Guest
Posts: n/a
Exclamation Turning a musty cement basement into a bedroom

What is the best way to build a bedroom in our basment? My daughter wants to build her own room but what specific supplies will she need? To her just putting in some cheap walls with a drop ceiling is fine. Don't you need framing, insulation, raised flooring ect?
 
  #2  
Old 05-16-02, 11:32 AM
J
Member
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: United States
Posts: 17,733
Upvotes: 0
Received 1 Upvote on 1 Post
The most serious consideration is egress. No one should be sleeping in a basement until alternative egress is provided. In a nutshell, this means 5.7" square feet of openable window, minimum openable width of 20", minimum openable height of 24" tall, a window sill not above 44", and a permanently attached ladder in the window well.

The next most important consideration is a smoke detector, preferrably wired into all the other smoke detectors in the house. If you enclose the area and have a door, you'll need at least two smoke detectors, one on either side of the door.

Once you've done those, you can just put a bed in a corner and call it quits. But I'm sure she'll want better lighting, perhaps a few electrical outlets, maybe some supplemental heat, and at least a portable screen for privacy. Of these, you should at least make sure any electrical wiring is up to code. This means at least GFCI protection on any receptacles in an "unfinished" area.

There are a number of ways to possible make "cheap" walls, including perhaps just hanging sheets from the ceiling. But in the long run, I think the cheapest solution (unless this is only temporary) will not be "cheap" walls, but regular framed and drywalled walls. My main advice would be to do it right, and not try to get by on something kludged together. This means that you should get a building permit, get your plans approved, and comply will all building codes. The initial costs will be higher, but it will be the best for the long term.
 
  #3  
Old 05-16-02, 01:05 PM
Bryanx0a0d
Visiting Guest
Posts: n/a
Check with your local city building department and make sure that you get your permits. I know it is a pain in the rear, but in the end they are worth the troubles.

Another hint that I ran into is to sit down and take your time drawing out exactly what you (or she) wants. If you try to make it up as you go along you will essentially do everything at least twice including buying all of the necessary hardware. It is cheaper to draw the plans.

Read books. Read this site, there is lots and lots of information in here. Ask questions until you understand the answer. Make friends with your building inspector. Talk to him/her frequently. Repeat, ask questions and keep asking questions until you understand the answer.
 
  #4  
Old 05-17-02, 05:11 AM
Wayne Craig
Visiting Guest
Posts: n/a
Also check into a new product called Subflor this product will warm her room and keep that damp musty smell (created by mold ) out of your carpets. The web site is WWW.subflor.com
 
 

Thread Tools
Search this Thread
 
Ask a Question
Question Title:
Description:
Your question will be posted in: