You Can Convert Your Basement to Anything You Want
A few great ideas include a game room, home theater room or a spare bedroom. Since it is darker down there compared to other rooms in the house, you have to install additional lighting by using both natural and artificial lighting.
The best way to let natural light enter is to have an open floor plan and large windows. To lead people down here, you should change your old door to a French door one. As for your walls and ceiling, paint it using light colors or use mirrors. Some examples of light shades you can choose from could be blue, green, orange and red.
Naturally, you will need to put some furniture here so be sure you are using a bright slipcover together with coordinating pillows. As for your floor, get some rugs that compliment the rest of the room. Aside from rugs, you can also install wall carpet or tiles which is even better as this will reduce any potential water damage.
One thing you have to remember about the basement is that it is very cold down here given that it is well hidden from the sun’s rays. This means that you have to warm up the place some more by putting a wood burning stove down here or install a floor warming system.
Such a system can be in the form of vapor barriers. The best part about it is that it can be installed either outside the house or inside the walls. If you happen to live in an environment where humidity is not a problem, this has to be installed on the warm side of the wall so it can block water vapor from entering the basement especially during the winter when the temperature drops.
This system should only be placed outside the house if the weather gets very hot especially during the summer. This will also maintain the temperature in the room during the winter.
If you reside in a neighborhood that is cool throughout the year, install the vapor barrier on the interior wall that is over the studs and just behind the wallboard. You must never do this using Kraft face insulation because this type of material does not offer the proper protection for the walls in your home.
You must never also use the bat and roll type of insulation to act as a vapor barrier because this still causes leakage when the facings meet. You can prevent this from happening by stapling the front of the studs and reinforcing it with 4 mm. of plastic tarp over the framed wall before finally tacking it up the wallboard.
An alternative to this is for you to use an encapsulated insulator that you can buy from the hardware store. This should be poly wrapped and installed by using a face stapler instead of securing this with nails.
Another option is fiberglass however it cannot absorb water should there be a leak from one of the pipes or from the rain. You might be offered reflective aluminum facing if you are looking for material to set up your vapor barrier but for this to work, there must at least be an inch of space to increase the amount of thermal energy going back into the home.
Your basement can be a lot better than before if you can eliminate old posts and columns that are just eating up space. If you cannot take it down because this will damage the foundation of your home, conceal it by covering it up and using it as an additional wall. Aside from keeping the basement warm, you may also have to relocate air ducts and plumbing.
Renovating and converting a basement will take some time but it is possible with the right plan and tools around. If you need help, don’t be afraid to seek the assistance of an architect or interior designer. Tell them what you want to happen and they will try to put your ideas into something you can see and admire later on.
