Planning A Basement Makeover? Include These 4 Essentials

Basements have numerous uses in a home. You can use them for extra storage space, added privacy, recreation, additional bedrooms, bathrooms, or an indoor bar. Perhaps your basement is currently in a not-so-attractive condition. A makeover will transform it into a functional and habitable space. But you must consider several factors when renovating your basement to minimize issues like water leaks, gas leaks, and mold growth that can affect the structure and comfort of this space. With that in mind, here are four essentials to include in your basement makeover:  

Moisture Control Systems

Basements are one of the most humid rooms in your house. As they’re sunken into the ground, the ventilation may be insufficient, impeding free air circulation and encouraging moisture buildup. Other causes of moisture in basements are interior water leaks, cracks in the foundation, defective gutters, and poor drain tiles.

High humidity leads to several health issues. For instance, it can lead to hyperthermia, feelings of low energy, fungal infections, and allergies. On the other hand, it can promote the growth of microorganisms like fungi, mold, and bacteria. Such organisms in the air can result in difficulty in breathing and accelerate other conditions like asthma and allergies.

Therefore, you’d want to control humidity and moisture when renovating your basement. One of the best ways of doing this is to install a basement dehumidifier system. The role of dehumidifiers is to remove water from the air. They attract moisture over cold coils, condense it, and release moisture-free air back into your room, thus increasing the air quality.

Proper Lighting

In addition to being highly humid, basements can be poorly lit or completely dark, depending on your design. Poor lighting can lead to eye strains, accidents, headaches, fatigue, etc. Aside from that, improper lighting makes your basement seem gloomy and closed off. Some basement lighting ideas to consider include the following:

• Natural Lighting: Natural lighting helps save energy bills. Consider installing or enlarging the existing windows to let in sufficient natural light. Also, you may paint your walls and ceiling with bright colors to increase brightness.
• Recessed Lighting: This is another great idea for lighting your basement. Recessed lighting leads to bright, focused lighting that illuminates your entire basement. They’re an excellent choice for basements with low ceilings as they don’t protrude downwards.
• Decorative Lighting: You may add beauty to your basement light depending on how you’re using it.

The proper lighting makes your basement more comfortable as you use it for your intended purpose. Therefore, make the right choice based on the activities you wish to carry out there.     

The Right Flooring Option

Another essential for your basement remodeling is the correct type of flooring. Unlike other rooms in your home, basements require special consideration. For instance, basement floors are cold, so you’d want to install warm flooring.

While wood is a notable warm flooring option, it may not be suitable for the basement because of the moisture issue. Wood absorbs water, and the planks may rot, warp, and detach sooner or later. Engineered wood may be a better option in this case. Also, waterproof vinyl planks are an excellent choice for the basement.

Other basement flooring options include the following:

• Linoleum
• Vinyl
• Ceramic
• Laminate
• Wood floor
• Cork
• Carpet
• Concrete
• Rubber

Besides warmth and waterproof properties, you may also want to consider durability and costs.

• Soundproof

Soundproofing your basement offers numerous benefits to the people using the space and those upstairs. You wouldn’t want to annoy your family when watching movies with friends in the basement. Also, you wouldn’t like the sound of your kids playing in the basement to disturb you. In light of that, here are some of the best soundproofing solutions:

• Insulation: This is one of the simplest, quickest, and most cost-effective ways to soundproof your basement. Insulation traps and holds any sound originating from your basement. There are two ways of insulating your basement. First, you can have exterior framework insulation for your external walls and ceilings. Another option is to install interior drywall insulation directly to your basement’s internal walls and ceilings.
• Decoupling: This involves separating two parts of your basement wall to prevent vibration transmission and block loud noise from transmitting to other rooms through the walls.

With these soundproofing solutions, you can reduce noise transfer to and from your basement.

Conclusion

Basements are no longer the forgotten dark and humid caves. You can transform them into living spaces. But you must know typical basement issues like moisture intrusion, so you know the proper materials to use and fixtures to install. Above are some essential inclusions you’d like to consider during your basement makeover to make the space as comfortable as possible.
Photo by Anton Rhein on Unsplash