19 Important Tips For Finishing Your Basement

Finishing your basement requires lots of work ethics and professionalism. It is always a good idea to engage professional contractors to help you get everything from drying to lightings right. If you are planning on basement remodelling, here are 19 important tips to guide you.

1. Dry Up your Basement

You must have to fix every moisture and wetness issues before taking steps to finish your basement. You can easily fix any type of water problem in your basement by either regrading to enable water flow away from your foundation or by repairing your downspouts and gutters.

2. Measure All Spaces Accurately

It is important you know the exact space you are working with. Measure the length, height and width of your basement to give you a clear idea of the total area of your basement.

3. Inspect All Plumbings and Wirings

Check all existing plumbing and wiring work to decide what level of additions you need to make to your basement. If you need a permit, make sure you get one and hire an expert for the necessary upgrades.

4. Seal All Rim Joists

Uninsulated rim joists make you lose energy. Make sure you insulate and seal all rim joists to prevent energy loses.

5. Install the Right Egress Windows

Egress windows are very important basement building codes you should never neglect. These windows act as exit routes during emergencies and help let in enough light into your basement.

6. Waterproof your Walls

Waterproofing materials help fill up pores and cracks in your concrete walls. This helps prevent water from leaking in. These coatings are most effective when applied on bare masonry or concrete walls.

7. Insulate your Basement Walls

Insulating the exterior walls of your basement helps prevent condensation and moisture formation. This will save you energy and reduce your heating bills during cold weather conditions.

8. Invest in a Drainage Mat

Installing a drainage mat will help keep your floor dry and warm. Plastic or simple drainage mats allow air to circulate adequately and provide a good moisture barrier.

9. Use a Variety of Lighting Options

Including different types of lighting will help make your basement look more interesting. You can install a dimmer switch for light selection and to help control the amount of light when you need less light.

10. Use Heating Cables or Mats to Warm Up your Basement Floors

Electric heating cables and mats are great for warming up your basement floor. This type of heat may not be enough to provide adequate heat to your basement, but it will at least make your floors comfortable.

11. Hire a Professional for your HVAC

Don't create an imbalance in your heating system like most people do. Hire a pro to design your basement's HVAC to ensure you get the heat where it is needed. The best person to design your ductwork is a heating contractor to avoid regrets.

12. Build a Wooden Frame Around Ducts and Plumbings Below the Joists

Framing your soffits with oriented strand board will help box in those plumbings and ductings mounted below the joists. Simply cut some slips of ply wood(OSB) and install the woods around these plumbings and ductings.

13. Use Cork for your Basement Floor Covering

You need a basement floor covering that is less susceptible to moisture damage and does not feel too cold underfoot. Interlocking Cork flooring is warm underfoot, easily sustainable and easy to install. These features make Cork flooring ideal for your basement floor.

14. Install Luxury Vinyl Tiles

Luxury vinyl tiles are great for your basement floors. This is because vinyl tiles are indestructible in addition to their waterproofed nature. They are quite easy to install and look quite good.

15. Add Fiberglass Batts to the Joist Spaces

Make sure you fill all joist spaces with fiberglass to reduce noise from the floor above your basement. You can also take the noise reduction further by isolating the ceiling drywall from all joists using resilient channels.

16. Seal Around Wires and Pipes

Make sure you seal up all small cracks around wires and pipes using a high temperature silicone caulk. You can also fill up larger openings with flame resistant foams.

17. Invest in a Laser for Faster Framing

If you plan to stick-frame your basement walls, a laser will help you build them in place faster and with great efficiency.

18. Add a Gas Fireplace to your Basement

A gas fireplace will provide more warmth to your basement, especially during those cold winter days. Basements can get extremely cold during cold weather conditions, but adding a gas fireplace will help you warm everywhere up.

19. Make Use of Warm Colors

Basements lack natural lights. You can make your basement come alive with a combination of warm colors. These cozy warm colors turn your basement into an inviting space in your home.

Whether you plan to do your basement remodelling yourself or hire a contractor to do so, these great ideas will guide you to finish your basement appropriately.