Basement Construction 101
Construction on a basement should always begin with a specific plan for what you intend to do with the space. Your visit to the local building code agency will hinge on the specifics of your construction plan and whether the basement will be used for habitable living space. Basement construction in certain areas of the country may also commence only after ruling out potential health or environmental hazards like radon or mold. Does this Spark an idea?
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Moisture
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Basement construction should never start until you have inspected for moisture problems on the interior and exterior. Outside moisture inspection may result in repairing things like gutters and downspouts and sealing cracks in your siding. Cracks and open joints are likely culprits when it comes to interior moisture problems, and these can usually be repaired with epoxy or fresh mortar.
Layout
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Current basement layout should be taken into account when you begin to think about remodeling. Post positioning, for example, may interfere with your plans for a game room featuring a pool or pingpong table. For many uses, posts can be enclosed within partitions or can be boxed in. Cost for making a basement bathroom can be reduced by utilizing existing water lines and drains.
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Lighting
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Basement ceilings may be lower than your regular ceilings, so take notice of height when choosing lighting fixtures. Wall lights can be used to provide adequate illumination while keeping your head free from regular bumping. Fluorescent fixtures can be easily installed if your basement already has a suspended ceiling.
Soundproofing
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Constructing a basement game room, home theater or exercise workout space should take into account the noise that these uses will generate. Insulating against noise means installing fiberglass batt insulation and laying down carpeting. For additional noise reduction, the writer of "Basements: Your Guide to Planning and Remodeling" recommends installing a suspended ceiling with acoustical tiles.
Basement Bathroom Ventilation
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Installation of a ventilation system may be necessary if you are planning to transform your basement into a spa-type bathroom. Basements that are exposed regularly to high levels of humidity or condensation need a system that draws moisture away and redirects it outside.
Basement Heating
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A radiant floor heating system may be the most efficient and cost-effective plan when you construct your basement, if it's difficult to add ducts that take advantage of your forced-air system. A radiant floor system of heating is best utilized on slab flooring or slabs covered with ceramic tile. Carpeting and laminate flooring reduce the efficiency of radiant floor heating.
Windows
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Existing basement windows should be enlarged, if possible. Providing enough light is often a problem in basements, and it is easier to enlarge an existing window space than to create new window spaces.
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References
- Photo Credit porte image by Jacques PALUT from Fotolia.com
