Does your home have a dedicated basement area that has not been properly finished or has the time come to perform a few much-needed upgrades to this part of your property? If this is the case, you may have been considering the option of trying to do the work yourself as a DIY project. However, many aspects of this work are best left to professional basement remodeling companies.
If you’ve been looking for ideas that local basement remodelers can put into action on your behalf, the tips below will help get you started with designing the perfect layout for this part of your home:
1. Perform a Full Inspection Beforehand
Before you allow local basement remodelers to get started on your project, it’s crucial for them to perform a full inspection of this part of your home. The floor and foundations walls must be thoroughly checked for signs of cracks and other damage so that these issues can be rectified before anything else gets done. These days, many cracks can be repaired with a quality carbon fiber crack repair product.
2. Get the Area Dry
If any areas are showing signs of dampness or mold, these issues must be rectified as well. Failure to do so will result in the mold spreading over time to the point where full-on remediation will be needed at a later stage – which is an extremely costly process.
Most water issues can be remedied by grading the soil to slope away from your home’s foundation or repairing any downspouts and gutters that may be leaking, damaged, or missing. In cases where these measures aren’t working, waterproofing treatment may need to be applied to walls or interior drain tiles will have to be placed in such a way that water will empty into a sump basket with a pump.
Although it will result in your basement remodeling project taking a bit longer than planned, eliminating water and dampness issues before doing anything else will prevent this part of your home from smelling musty and becoming moldy over time.
3. Ensure that a Subfloor is Included in the Plans
Any local basement remodelers who are extensively experienced will know that a subfloor should be included in your remodeling plans. One of the best products to use for basement subflooring is engineered wood that has a tongue and groove design because it will be one of the easiest and more affordable options to use for this purpose.
If the area you live in experiences severe weather conditions, it’s also recommended that you choose subflooring that has a high R-value because this will provide the best possible level of insulation to your basement area.
4. Ensure that Everything is Measured Correctly
Before setting your heart on a specific plan for your home’s basement area, you’ll need to know exactly how much space will be available to work with. Experienced local basement remodelers will know exactly how to take the required measurements correctly, while also keeping local building codes and regulations in mind – many authorities require basement areas to be a minimum of seven feet tall before permission will be granted to convert them to living space.
5. Have Plumbing and Wiring Professionally Inspected
In many cases, additional plumbing and/or wiring will need to be added to a basement area if it’s going to be used as additional living space. Reputable basement remodeling companies will know exactly what to look for in this regard and inform you of everything that will have to be done to make this area of your home livable.
In cases where additional plumbing and electrical wiring will be required, the services of qualified plumbers or electricians will be needed in addition to those of the basement remodelers.
6. Install Egress Windows
If you intend to use your home’s basement as additional living space, building code stipulations in most parts of the country will require that at least one egress window be installed that can allow light to enter and provide an escape route in case of emergency. There may be cases where a foundation will need to be modified accordingly to allow for these windows to be installed – professional basement remodeling companies will be able to provide you with the right information in this regard.
7. Ensure that Walls are Insulated
Exterior walls around a basement should be well insulated, as this will help prevent condensation from forming over time. In colder climates, having proper insulation installed on basement walls will also go a long way in helping to reduce heating bills because a substantial amount of energy can be saved this way.
8. Good Lighting is Essential
Decent lighting is one of the most crucial elements to consider when having your basement remodeled. Recessed can lighting is usually a good option because basement ceilings can often be lower than those in the rest of your home. However, if you prefer a more flexible lighting solution, freestanding lamps can also be a great idea. LED lights will not only be cheaper to use because consuming less electricity; today’s units are also able to provide far better quality lighting than ever before.
9. Install Sufficient Built-in Storage
In most cases, a home’s basement areas end up becoming the catchall storage space for everything that doesn’t fit into closets inside the home itself, as well as for gardening and outdoor items, seasonal decorations, and even surplus groceries.
If you’d like your basement area to remain as neat and organized as possible, ensure that your local basement remodelers install sufficient built-in cabinets that will be able to store as many of these items as possible out of sight.
10. Ensure that the Staircase is Safe and Practical
Although you’ll already have stairs leading down into your basement, it’s strongly recommended that they be inspected at the time the remodeling project is being performed to ensure that they are safe, practical and that they adhere to current building codes and requirements. Sometimes it can be a good idea to consult with an architect with regards to designing the best staircase.
Finding the Best Basement Remodeling Companies
When searching for local basement remodelers, it’s crucial to verify that the one you choose is fully qualified, licensed, experienced, and insured. In most cases, this will ensure that work is completed according to all of the required industry and safety standards and requirements.
Before agreeing to let any contractor start remodeling your basement, you must ensure that they provide you with a physical quotation or estimate for the work that is going to be done. This should also contain a full scope of work, as well as a list of the materials that are going to be supplied for getting the project completed. Having this information on hand will prevent any errors from occurring at a later stage with regard to pricing for the project.
A great way to find local basement remodelers who are experienced and reputable is to ask friends and family members for referrals if they have recently had similar work done in their homes. It’s also a good idea to perform an online search for any company reviews and/or customer complaints and compliments pertaining to a specific remodeling company – this will give you an idea of whether it will be worthwhile hiring their services or not.
You should also be able to ask local basement remodelers for references from any other jobs that they may have recently completed – any reputable company will be more than willing to provide you with this information. If a contractor avoids answering these questions or cannot come up with any recent references, it will probably be best to hire someone else.
Always be wary of basement remodeling companies that claim to be able to get started with your project immediately – this could be an indication that their reputation has preceded them, resulting in them not being able to get as much work as before. When working with a reputable company, you can usually expect there to be a short waiting period before they’ll be able to get started with remodeling your basement.
Keeping the above-mentioned tips and information in mind will go a long way in helping to get your basement remodeling project planned and completed as efficiently as possible. Once your basement has been fully remodeled, you’ll be able to enjoy making the most of all of the extra space you never had in your home before.