A lot of homeowners have unfinished basements—in fact, buying a house with an unfinished basement is a great way to save some money on the initial purchase. Don’t let that unfinished basement stay, however, because finishing a basement adds both space and resale value to your home. Here are three projects to help you take that unfinished basement from empty eyesore to a warm, usable space.
Add Drywall
If you don’t have drywall yet, this should be your first step. Draw out a diagram of where you want the walls to be, making special arrangements for any structural beams or walls. Some basements are already framed to put up the drywall. If this is the case, you can either simply hang the drywall or take down and move walls that don’t suit your preferences.
Flooring
Flooring is another key component to making a dank basement feel like a living space. Concrete floors aren’t inviting when you want to work in your home office or find a space to relax. Since basements tend to be cold, many people opt for carpet. It’s warmer underfoot than harder materials, and gives the space a softer, more inviting feeling.
If you decide that you want to go with another material, such as laminate wood, make sure that you lay down a moisture barrier. The dampness of basements means that you have to take extra measures to ensure that the materials that you install aren’t ruined by water. If you really want to go the extra mile, laying some underfloor heating elements can make bare feet on a basement floor a much more pleasant experience.
Ceiling
The first step to choosing your ceiling is determining how much room you have for head space. Some basements have shorter ceilings, so if your basement doesn’t have much head room, this can impact the type of ceiling you choose to install. You’ll also want to be aware of any existing pipes or mechanical equipment that you might want to have easy access to.
Drop ceilings (also known as suspended ceilings) are great for allowing easy access to spaces that house mechanical equipment and piping while also providing a stylish design element. When you think of a drop ceiling, you might think of the white kind that breaks off and leave white crumbs when it’s scratched with something rough. There are actually many types of drop ceilings that are more aesthetically appealing, such as plastic ceilings that look like tin.
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Sump Pump
If you live in an area that can get flooding or has experiences a lot of snowmelt in the spring, it’s especially important to make sure that you have a working sump pump and appropriate moisture barriers. It doesn’t make any sense to spend thousands of dollars on an addition that gets ruined within the year.
When you’re finishing a basement, make sure that you have a solid budget so that you can know exactly where you should put your money. Also, have a good idea of what your priorities are so that if the time comes to cut something, you have a better idea of what’s most important to you.
Image Credit: Rockwell
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