Add a finished basement to your home

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A finished basement is a great addition to any home. However, the decision to install a finished basement to your existing home is not an easy choice. Finished basement additions can be installed by contractors or they can be a do-it-yourself project for more experienced homeowners. Creating a finished basement involves turning your dirty, dark basement into the extra storage and living space you have always wanted.

It is important to note that the installation of a finished basement requires a consideration of factors such as building codes and moisture issues. These considerations might be better left to an experienced contractor, and Reply! can help you locate such a contractor to fulfill all of your residential remodeling needs.

There are many factors that must be considered when you first decide to make additions to your basement. Before doing any type of finished work on your basement, you must make sure everything is dry. Go outside and inspect the exterior walls, ground-spouts and the ground outside your home for moisture problems. If any water issues are found, your next step should be waterproofing your basement.

Waterproofing basements is extremely important because a wet basement fills the air you breathe with mold spores and musty odors. It also prevents you from taking advantage of an entire level of your house. An improperly waterproofed basement may also cost you thousands of dollars in maintenance or re-installation costs.

You should then determine what purpose you want your newly finished basement to serve. Typically, finished basements can serve as laundry rooms, utility rooms or cellars. You should also consider what additions you want to make to your finished basement.

Typical additions include: 

• Outside access door installation
• Window enlargement
• Stairwell reconstruction to open a tight entranceway
• Accent lighting installation
• Painting

Once you have considered these things, your next step is to decide how you will conduct the installation process. Basement finishing systems are a great installation tool, regardless of whether you employ a contractor or decide to install a new finished basement on your own. Basement finishing systems employ building materials specially designed for basements to resist moisture. Little or nothing about these finishing systems is from scratch. Almost everything is pre-designed and is sometimes even pre-cut.

You can buy a complete basement finishing system from producers such as Owens Corning and either install the system yourself or employ a pre-approved contractor to do the work for you. The cost of the average basement finishing system is typically less expensive than the cost of doing it yourself or hiring a contractor. Depending on the size of your basement, the costs typically range from $30,000 and upward.

Installing a finished basement with additions is no easy process. It requires you to consider waterproofing, the purpose you would like your additions to serve and whether this project is something you should tackle yourself or not. Finished basement additions can allow you to revamp your old cellar into the utility room or laundry room you've always wanted. Deciding to install a finished basement can increase the value of your home and the quality of your life.