If you recently moved into a new property or are currently living in a home with an unfinished basement, chances are you’re looking for some good ideas that you can implement into your basement so that you can truly make it your own.
Basements can be difficult places to decorate interiorly due to the various infrastructure components and other factors that you must consider before proceeding with your basement renovations. The size and location of your basement are also very important because it will determine what renovations you can and can’t make in your basement.
The main problem that arises when attempting to renovate a basement is largely related to water leaks and drips. Since all basements must be built with the water table of the surrounding environment in mind, you may experience leaks and other water-related issues over time if your basement was constructed with subpar standards.
You need to make sure that any excess water is being graded away from the foundation of your home prior to initiating any sort of basement repairs or renovations. An easy way to check for any water leaks in your basement is by looking for cracks in the foundation and surrounding areas.
The height of your basement is also another very important factor to consider before doing any renovations. If you decide that you need more headroom in your basement, you’ll need to completely reconfigure the upper structural components of your home so take this into consideration before starting any renovations or repairs.
You can even lower the floor in your basement if reconfiguring the upper portion of your home is too complex or time-consuming which is also something else to consider.
Aside from purely structural challenges, you must also deal with legalities when remodeling or renovating your basement. The building codes for basement renovations will vary depending on your location and state of residence, so you’ll need to contact your local city building department to ask them how you can start the process of obtaining a building permit.
There are a lot of other really important factors that you’ll need to consider before renovating your basement beside the ones we’ve already covered which can make the entire process quite difficult. If you’re someone interested in renovating your basement but are having trouble figuring out how to get started, today is your lucky day. In this guide, we’re going to go through all of the various steps and procedures that you need to follow before proceeding with your desired basement remodeling or renovation process.
We’ll go step-by-step in detail about all of the various elements and procedures you’ll have to go through before finalizing your basement project to ensure that you get the results you want while protecting the safety and functionality of your property. Make sure you read this entire guide in full to ensure that you avoid any mishaps or issues while renovating your basement.
Getting Started with Your Basement Project: The Basics 101
Before you begin remodeling your basement, you’ll need to come up with a design idea you can base your repairs and creative design ideas on. If you can’t seem to find any design inspiration for your basement, you can simply go out and begin taking pictures of local open houses and other areas that have publicly accessible basement areas.
You can even use interior design magazines and other sorts of physical prints that can help you brainstorm some general design ideas for your basement project. There are a lot of online sites that you can use to get ideas for your basement project which is one of the most versatile options in terms of finding different design ideas.
It’s important to have a clear idea of the design direction you want your basement project to go in before starting any renovations or remodeling. This will allow you to accurately gauge your budget against your design ideas to ensure that all of your plans are reasonable before making any commitments. Pinterest is a really good website that you can use to gain inspiration for your basement project because it offers an array of different boards that are dedicated to basement projects and renovations.
Some of the most important things that you should be looking for when researching different design ideas for your basement are:
- Furniture Placement
- Color
- Decoration Placement
- Doors
- Specialty Design Features
Once you’ve found the perfect design for your basement project, it’s time to begin visualizing your basement layout.
Visualizing Your Basement Project Renovation Plans
Getting design ideas for your basement is only the first step, once you’ve found the perfect interior design elements to include in your basement, you need to visualize the actual floor plan of your basement before starting any renovations.
To begin visualizing your basement layout, you need to measure the total area of your basement so that you can ensure all of your design ideas will be compatible with your space. To do this, you need to draw your basement walls on a sheet of paper marking each side with the measurements that you got when performing your initial measurement.
You can try several different layouts on the piece of paper that you created just to have a variety of options to choose from giving you the ability to realize the full potential of your basement space. You can begin creating your basement layout by using any room as the starting point for the overall layout which will make it easy for you to accurately outline your basement space according to real measurements and values.
It’s always a good practice to create a master sheet for your overall basement design so that you can have a point of reference in the event of any issues with your other visualized design idea templates.
The visualized layout design for your basement should include the following:
- Electrical Wiring
- Measurements of your basement in square footage
- Marked spaces
- Light switches
- Speaker Wires
- & Any other connections
Keep in mind that your basement design layout will still be subject to any building codes and ordinances set out by your city so you’ll need to run your ideas past them before being sure that you’ll be able to actually implement your basement design ideas. Once you’ve created your basement design ideas, it’s time for you to get the necessary permits and inspections to ensure that you’re doing everything right.
Permits & Building Restrictions
After going through all of the necessary steps needed to design and layout your basement, it will be time for you to get the necessary building permits for your basement. To begin gaining access to building permits for your basement, you’ll need to contact your local city building department so that they can give you detailed information about how you can get started with applying for a building permit.
If you plan on finishing your basement design ideas, you’ll need a building permit to ensure that you’re following all of the correct design rules and other important features which will impact how safe your basement design is.
Generally, all you’ll have to do is submit a design plan for your basement in addition to filling out a simple building permit application. Once you submit all of the information, it will usually take a few days to receive your approval from your city then you can begin building and implementing your basement design ideas. Obtaining a building permit is very important because it will allow you to be confident that you’re performing all of your basement renovations correctly.
Some other really important reasons why you want to obtain a building permit include the following:
- Overall Safety- when you get a building permit, a city inspector will analyze your basement to ensure that it meets all safety guidelines and regulations. This will ensure that all of your basement design elements are incorporated correctly safeguarding the health of your property and occupants. A building permit is just a really good way to protect the value of your property and basement overall so make sure you get one.
- Resale Value of Your Home- if you decide to sell your home after making basement renovations, many buyers will request that you provide them with the permits which show that your renovations were sanctioned by the city. This is understandable because no one wants to purchase a property that has potential safety risks and structural issues. If you complete your basement renovations without a building permit, it will significantly decrease the resale value of your property. By making sure that you get a building permit, you won’t have to worry about any decrease in your property value which is why it’s important to get one.
- Inspector Access- by obtaining a building permit, you will get access to inspectors which will help you ensure the structural integrity of your basement in addition to its overall layout and design.
Once you’ve obtained the right building permits, it’s time to prepare your basement for the actual renovations and design ideas you plan on implementing.
Preparing Your Basement for Renovation: What You Need to Know
After you’ve decided on a final basement design, it’s time for you to begin preparing your basement for the actual implementation of your design layout. There are a lot of preparation steps that you should take before initiating your basement project. Most of these preparations include things such as making sure that your basement is waterproof and free of any mold. There are some other really important steps that you should take in preparation for implanting the full design of your basement layout.
Below, we’re going to go over every step that you should take in preparation for creating the perfect design layout for your basement.
Install Plumbing System
One of the hardest and most important steps in implementing your new basement design will be installing your plumbing system. Your plumbing system should be installed before any of the other elements of your basement design to ensure that it works properly and doesn’t interfere with other areas of your basement.
If you have no prior experience installing plumbing systems, it’s best for you to contact a professional plumber who will be able to assist you. You don’t want any issues with your plumbing system because it can potentially put the rest of your basement design in jeopardy. You’ll need to ensure all the pipes are located in the right place and that the overall system is compatible with your existing basement infrastructure.
HVAC Installation & Electricity
To ensure that your basement is an inhabitable place, you need to make sure that your HVAC system is installed correctly. You either hire a professional HVAC contractor or electrician to handle your HVAC installation needs. If your basement doesn’t currently have an existing light switch or ay electrical infrastructure, you’ll need to install one and an experienced electrician or HVAC technician can help you with that.
Whomever you hire to perform your HVAC and electrical installation should ensure that you have working power outlets, switches, and lighting especially if you plan on using your new basement as a place to hang out in regularly. You want to make sure that you go with reputable electrical who will be able to ensure the proper installation of all your wiring and other related infrastructure. Make sure you have a control panel in your basement so that you will be able to easily control your newly installed systems.
Moisture Retention/Waterproofing
Since basements are located underground, they easily retain high levels of moisture and water that can cause cracks and leaks in your walls just to name a few potential problems. Before you begin any basement renovations, you need to dry the space out using dehumidifiers to ensure that no moisture is trapped in the walls. Before you begin waterproofing your basement, you need to also make sure that there is no mold in your basement.
Mold can be a very dangerous threat to the health of those who come in contact with your basement. It’s important that you perform a thorough inspection of your basement to spot any mold before proceeding with renovations.
Testing for mold yourself can be easy with the help of an at-home test kit which allows you to take samples of your wall in order to test for the presence of mold. If found, you want to completely remove all mold from your basement before proceeding with your design ideas.
Another potentially harmful substance that you will want to perform a presence detection test for is radon. Radon is an odorless gas that can appear in your home due to a variety of different reasons. So, you always want to test for mold and radon before going ahead with any renovations.
Finally, you’ll want to waterproof all of the walls and other exposed surfaces in your basement to prevent the formation of future water damage. You can achieve waterproofing in your basement by applying a water-resistant primer to your walls before painting them as well as sealing off any open holes and potential entry points for water.
Framing Walls
Once you’ve waterproofed your basement and ensured that no mold exists, you’ll need to frame those exposed walls that are currently in your basement. If you have no previous experience framing walls, you may want to contact a professional who will be able to assist you throughout the process.
Installing drywall is not as simple as it may seem, you have to take into consideration fastening mechanics and other factors. Once the drywall is up, you will need to finish the job by sealing the joints with compound to ensure that there is a tight seal in your basement.
Installing the Ceiling
The other really important final touch on any basement is going to be the ceiling installation. You have two main options to consider when installing a basement ceiling, suspended roofing and drywall. Drywall ceilings typically look nicer however they will limit your access to important infrastructures like electrical wires and plumbing. With a suspended ceiling, you will still be able to access these components which is why most people opt for a suspended ceiling when choosing the right design for their basement.
All of the steps mentioned above encompass the entire process of creating a basement design and actually beginning to implement it. Once you ensure that all of the above steps are complete successfully, you can begin implementing the final stages of your basement like installing furniture and any other amenities that you want.
Installing Your Utilities & Other Critical Systems
Something that you want to keep in mind is that regardless of how nice you make the interior of your basement look with furniture and accessories, poorly installed utilities and piping will eventually give out ruining your interior basement finish over time.
While we’ve talked about installing your plumbing and electrical systems earlier, there are more important factors that you need to consider when installing your utilities in your basement. Below, we’re going to go over some of the most important factors that you need to consider before proceeding with putting new furniture in your basement.
Insulate Your Pipes
While installing your pipes is a very important part of finishing your basement, you need to make sure that they’re not exposed to random temperature changes and other factors which can take a toll on their overall quality and functionality with time.
By insulating your pipes before sealing them off, you’ll be able to prevent cracking and accelerated corrosion over time. By insulating your pipes, you prevent condensation from forming on your cold-water pipes, and you’re able to maintain heat for your hot-water pipes.
Insulating Your Walls
By insulating your walls with a vapor barrier, you will be able to prevent condensation and moisture from becoming trapped inside of your walls which can and will lead to the formation of mold over time. You also want to install rigid-foam insulation over the foundation of your walls that is fastened by a stud frame and drywall combination that will help you protect your basement from the onset of material corrosions due to water damage.
Notched insulation panels can be another great way to add high-quality insulation in your basement with very minimal effort. Notched insulation panels interlock with each other or you can glue and clamp them together then screw them to your foundation walls to ensure that all of your wires are safely covered in addition to having mold-resistant walls to prolong the overall life of your basement.
If you want to add more space in your basement, you can opt to install partition walls which will allow you to create a split dynamic in your basement which can add a lot of aesthetic appeals.
Complete Woodwork in Your Basement
Once you’ve finished all of the other steps mentioned above, you need to complete your woodwork for the final design element of your basement. Finishing your basement’s woodwork would basically involve hanging your doors correctly, installing any wood trim, and other parts of the basement that will be covered in woodwork.
When completing your basement woodwork, you want to ensure that you leave an adequate amount of space around the mechanical components and infrastructure of your basement to ensure that no issues arise with their functionality.
Once you’ve completed all of these above steps, you will be able to start putting the final touches on your basement with paint, stain, and flooring. When it comes to this part, there really are no specific rules that you must follow however there are some basic safety and design and guidelines that you should follow to ensure that you get quality results with your basement project.
Putting the Final Touches on Your Basement Project
Now that you’ve finished installing all of the important infrastructures you need in your basement; it will be time for you to begin creating the interior design plan by which you’ll be able to enjoy and be proud of for years to come.
Basement Flooring
When it comes to basement flooring, you can opt to go for traditional options such as hardwood or you can go with a more high-tech option like printed floors which will provide a scratch-resistant floor surface on which you can walk and use over extended periods of time without worrying about extensive damage.
Vinyl flooring gives you the ability to install a high-quality look in your basement without spending too much money or wasting too much time with actually installing flooring.
Since your flooring will go inside of your basement, you need to ensure that you purchase some sort of warranty and most flooring companies provide 20-year warranties on their flooring materials and products. Vinyl flooring is very affordable and one of the most durable flooring options that you can choose from to install in your basement to consider it as your primary flooring option.
Stain Your Concrete
If you don’t want to spend money on basement flooring, you can simply stain your concrete. By staining your concrete, you will be applying a water-resistant and damage-resistant layer that will save you tons of money on traditional flooring methods in addition to adding a nice new modern look to your basement overall. There are a lot of different staining options that you can choose from when deciding on the best flooring option for your basement so always keep your mind open to new ideas.
Soundproofing Your Basement
If you want to cut down on the amount of noise emitted from your basement to the upper levels of your home, you need to soundproof it. You can soundproof your basement very easily all you need is a vapor barrier installed in the walls of your home and joists in addition to fastening them tightly to any drywall which may be installed in your basement.
Place any and all of your mechanical equipment on top of anti-vibration and sound dampening pads so that you can reduce the amount of noise produced by your basement systems while in operation.
Painting Your Basement Walls
While you have total freedom to add any color you want in your basement, you should try using very bland and general pallets. This will allow you to maintain a nice home feeling in your basement without worrying about constantly have to re-paint your walls due to colors cracking or fading. Wallpaper is also another option you should consider using in your basement if you don’t want to waste time painting or choosing the right colors for your home.
Adding Furniture
One of the last and final steps in completing your basement renovation is adding any furniture. By adding furniture to your basement, you’ll be able to infuse your own sense of personal style and design very easily in addition to adding spaces for people to sit and interact with inside of your basement. Make sure that you measure all of your furniture before installing it in your basement to ensure that it will fit the dimensions and amount of space that you have available.
Wrap It Up: Your Finished Basement
Make sure all of your basement components are sealed off properly and have been approved by your city building department. The height of your basement is also another very important factor to consider before doing any renovations. If you decide that you need more headroom in your basement, you’ll need to completely reconfigure the upper structural components of your home so take this into consideration before starting any renovations or repairs.
You can even lower the floor in your basement if reconfiguring the upper portion of your home is too complex or time-consuming which is also something else to consider.
Aside from purely structural challenges, you must also deal with legalities when remodeling or renovating your basement. The building codes for basement renovations will vary depending on your location and state of residence, so you’ll need to contact your local city building department to ask them how you can start the process of obtaining a building permit.
It’s important to have a clear idea of the design direction you want your basement project to go in before starting any renovations or remodeling. This will allow you to accurately gauge your budget against your design ideas to ensure that all of your plans are reasonable before making any commitments. Pinterest is a really good website that you can use to gain inspiration for your basement project because it offers an array of different boards that are dedicated to basement projects and renovations.
You can try several different layouts on the piece of paper that you created just to have a variety of options to choose from giving you the ability to realize the full potential of your basement space. You can begin creating your basement layout by using any room as the starting point for the overall layout which will make it easy for you to accurately outline your basement space according to real measurements and values.
It’s always a good practice to create a master sheet for your overall basement design so that you can have a point of reference in the event of any issues with your other visualized design idea templates.
Finalizing Before Enjoying Your New Basement
Getting design ideas for your basement is only the first step, once you’ve found the perfect interior design elements to include in your basement, you need to visualize the actual floor plan of your basement before starting any renovations.
To begin visualizing your basement layout, you need to measure the total area of your basement so that you can ensure all of your design ideas will be compatible with your space. To do this, you need to draw your basement walls on a sheet of paper marking each side with the measurements that you got when performing your initial measurement.
When it comes to basement flooring, you can opt to go for traditional options such as hardwood or you can go with a more high-tech option like printed floors which will provide a scratch-resistant floor surface on which you can walk and use over extended periods of time without worrying about extensive damage.
Vinyl flooring gives you the ability to install a high-quality look in your basement without spending too much money or wasting too much time with actually installing flooring. Since your flooring will go inside of your basement, you need to ensure that you purchase some sort of warranty and most flooring companies provide 20-year warranties on their flooring materials and products. Vinyl flooring is very affordable and one of the most durable flooring options that you can choose from to install in your basement to consider it as your primary flooring option.
To ensure that your basement is an inhabitable place, you need to make sure that your HVAC system is installed correctly. You either hire a professional HVAC contractor or electrician to handle your HVAC installation needs. If your basement doesn’t currently have an existing light switch or ay electrical infrastructure, you’ll need to install one and an experienced electrician or HVAC technician can help you with that.
Whomever you hire to perform your HVAC and electrical installation should ensure that you have working power outlets, switches, and lighting especially if you plan on using your new basement as a place to hang out in regularly. You want to make sure that you go with reputable electrical who will be able to ensure the proper installation of all your wiring and other related infrastructure. Make sure you have a control panel in your basement so that you will be able to easily control your newly installed systems.
Once you’ve waterproofed your basement and ensured that no mold exists, you’ll need to frame those exposed walls that are currently in your basement. If you have no previous experience framing walls, you may want to contact a professional who will be able to assist you throughout the process. Installing drywall is not as simple as it may seem, you have to take into consideration fastening mechanics and other factors. Once the drywall is up, you will need to finish the job by sealing the joints with compound to ensure that there is a tight seal in your basement.
FAQ’s About Improving Basement
How much value does a basement add?
A finished basement is something everyone wants when buying a new property and having one done is definitely going to increase the value of your property by $10-$35 per square foot.
What type of lighting is best for basement?
Fluorescent bulbs and LED lights are two of the best options when it comes to basement lighting since they are economical, last up to 10 times longer than other bulbs and provide a cosy atmosphere.
Which is better for basement carpet or flooring?
This depends on the look you want the basement to have, of the moisture levels and of the budget you are willing to spend on this project. If the levels of moisture are low in your basement, you can safely go with a carpet, however, if the levels are high, you should consider a vinyl or laminate floor and even tiles.
Conclusion
It’s important that you follow all of the tips and steps in this guide according to the order in which they are listed. If you decide to skip any of the steps mentioned in this guide, you will be putting the integrity of your basement project at serious risk. As long as you make sure all of your measurements are correct and match the initial floor plan you laid out for your basement, you should experience a pretty smooth basement renovation project.
Always keep in mind that issues arise so if you encounter troubles with the infrastructure or general design of your basement, make sure you follow all of the correct steps to resolve the problem safely. By the time you’re finished, you’ll be able to relax in your basement and enjoy your hard work without worrying about any potential threats affecting your comfort.