All About Basement Finishing

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Basement Finishing

• Let Your Finished Basement Ideas Come To Life

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Synopsis

• Things You Need To Do Before Starting on Your
  Basement Finishing
• Low-Cost Basement Finishing Ideas
• Getting the Best Value for Money When Going for
  Basement Finishing or Remodeling
• 10 Important Things To Consider Before Starting
  On Your Finished Basement
• How Basement Finishing Experts Can Warm Up Your
  Basement
• Why It Is Important to Select the Most
  Experienced Basement Finishing Expert?
• Why Avoid General Contractors for Basement
  Finishing?
• Important Things to Do When Hiring a Contractor
  for Basement Finishing

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Things You Need To Do Before Starting on Your
Basement Finishing

• Declutter your basement
• Donate or sell everything you havent used in a
  year, and throw away those broken objects that
  you know you will never repair.
• Make a plan for your basement
• When planning your basement finishing consider
  the purposes of your remodeling.
• Find out about required permits
• Many people often refinish their basements
  skipping licenses and taxes increases associated
  with an expanded house. However, thats a big
  mistake.
• Electricity and plumbing installations need
  separate inspections and approval.
• Check drainage
• You certainly wont enjoy having to walk through
  a cellar covered by a few inches of accumulated
  water.
• Consider fumigating your basement
• Get rid of spiders, ants, termites or any bugs
  that might be inhabiting your basement before
  remodeling it.
• Consider weather insulation
• And dont forget about noise insulation if you
  will use it.

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Low-Cost Basement Finishing Ideas

• Cheap Flooring
• Stained concrete is among the cheapest. What
  about stencilled flooring? You could create
  amazing colourful mosaics using beer bottle caps.
  Do you like wood? Use pallets for your floor
  lining.
• Low-cost Wall Finishing
• Wood pallets can be used to create cozy walls.
  Simply dont overdo it if you used pallets on the
  floors. Painted concrete blocks can make great
  walls.
• Painting one wall with chalkboard paint is a very
  good idea that will look beautiful in a playroom,
  an art studio or on a kitchen wall.
• For an industrial and modern look, you could use
  corrugated metal paneling on any of your walls or
  You could cover a whole wall with a mirror!

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Getting the Best Value for Money When Going for
Basement Finishing or Remodeling

• Be sure to conduct some research and shortlist a
  few contractors before finalizing your decision.
  Interview them and ask them all for quotes.
  Compare their quotes considering what they have
  included in their offer. Be sure to check the
  rates they give in conjunction with their overall
  reputation in the industry. Do not try to cut
  corners here or you may end up hiring someone who
  is cheap but is not a specialist in basement
  finishing.
• Decide only after inquiring about the materials
  they are going to use. This is especially
  important if you are interested in remodeling
  your basement. Some contractors can offer low
  prices because they use inexpensive materials to
  remodel. Keep in mind that low-cost materials,
  such as paper-faced drywall, wood studs,
  fiberglass insulation, and plywood sheathing will
  not work great in a typical basement. These
  materials can absorb moisture and leave you with
  a damp, dirty, and moldy basement. Therefore, do
  not pay attention to the quote alone, but also
  consider what is included in the offer.

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10 Important Things To Consider Before Starting
On Your Finished Basement

1. Check if you need any permits from your local
   municipality.
2. Check for humidity.
3. Check the outside to verify the ground is not
   affecting your foundation.
4. Find if there are any cracks in your foundations
   wall that need to be repaired.
5. Think of adding a vapour barrier to floors and
   walls before framing and finishing such surfaces.
6. You will most likely need a fastener and anchors
   for your wall type, or a regular nail or screw.
7. Even with a vapour barrier, it is suggested to
   add thin slats of metal or wood to the wall.
8. Dont neglect insulation.
9. Consider using suspending ceiling, such as
   removable tiles.
10. Theres some utility space you should better keep
    unfinished, such as where water heaters are.

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How Basement Finishing Experts Can Warm Up Your
Basement

• The professionals may help dry up your space
  first. Whether you do any finishing work on your
  own or you call in a pro, it is important to dry
  up your wet or damp basement. In order to correct
  the water problems, you will have to look for the
  root cause first. In most cases, grading the soil
  in a way that the water flows away from the
  foundation of your property will help resolve the
  issue. Sometimes, repairing or adding downspouts
  and gutters may help as well. If the issue
  persists, you may have to think of waterproofing
  the walls. It will certainly take some effort to
  fix your wet basement, but a professional can
  help here and prevent a moldy basement.
• Professionals will help you understand the
  importance of sealing the rim joists, especially
  if your goal is to make your basement more energy
  efficient. You need to insulate these joists and
  seal them correctly. Some professionals may seal
  them with rigid insulation. Others may have some
  different strategies, but they will all ensure
  that rim joists are insulated properly to prevent
  any energy loss.

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How Basement Finishing Experts Can Warm Up Your
Basement

• Some pros may also recommend installing drainage
  mats if you want a drier, warmer floor. In most
  cases, you can use plastic drainage mats, but
  dimple mats also work great because they do not
  restrict the flow of air under the flooring.
  Having these mats installed is a great idea
  because they provide another layer of insulation
  to prevent any energy loss.
• Lighting plays a big role in basement finishing.
  Professionals can give right suggestions here.
  They may recommend the use of different types of
  lighting. You can have lighting fixtures for
  general illumination and you can also have some
  dimmer switches added to control how much light
  you want. You can also go with ceiling fixtures,
  recessed can lights, and even fluorescent pillow
  lights.
• Professionals may also make use of heating cables
  to help warm up cold floors. This step alone can
  help turn your cold basement into a dry, warm,
  and inviting space.

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Why It Is Important to Select the Most
Experienced Basement Finishing Expert?

• Hiring an experienced contractor is also a good
  idea because they will have complete knowledge of
  building codes in your local area. This will
  prevent any serious problems after you have
  started finishing or remodeling your basement.
  Moreover, their experience will help them
  determine the best strategy to make your basement
  look exactly the way you have imagined. They will
  also be in a better position to find a design for
  your basement that is consisted with the rest of
  your home. Their experience will make it easier
  for them to make everything look inviting and
  fascinating with the right use of lighting and
  other equipment.
• It is also important to point out that you should
  be hiring an experienced contractor because they
  will have a good idea of what materials to use.
  For instance, a general contractor might insist
  on installing drywall for the ceilings and walls
  and go with a carpet for the floor, whereas an
  experienced contractor would never make this
  mistake because this would lead to sagging
  ceilings, moldy drywall, and musty smells.

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Why Avoid General Contractors for Basement
Finishing?

• They Make Wrong Material Choices
• The thing they usually do not realize is that the
  environment of a basement is different from the
  rest of the house, which is why it requires
  different building materials.
• Similarly, general contractors usually recommend
  installing carpeting on a concrete basement
  floor, which is never a good idea.
• They are Less Reliable in Every Way
• A general contractor may work amazingly well in
  any other area of your house, but they may fail
  to deliver the same level of satisfaction when
  taking care of basement finishing. This is mainly
  due to their lack of experience. Moreover, the
  estimated cost and time they give will not be as
  reliable as given by someone who specializes in
  basement finishing. In fact, you should expect
  more than 10 cost overrun by the end of your
  project. This is another reason why you need to
  avoid hiring a general contractor for basement
  specific job.

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Important Things to Do When Hiring a Contractor
for Basement Finishing

• Be Ready to Compare Quotes
• You will be better off asking multiple
  contractors for quotes. Keep in mind that the
  amount of money you end up spending on your
  basement depends heavily on what you want done. A
  typical refinishing job may not cost a lot, but
  you will have to spend more when you want to
  remodel your basement.
• Make No Compromises over Experience
• Hire a specialist for basement finishing because
  of their extensive knowledge of regulations and
  codes that you have to follow when remodeling or
  finishing your basement. Someone with little
  experience can always make a serious mistake that
  would cost you a lot.

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