Finishing your basement can add a much needed boost to your home’s living space. Having a separate, more informal recreation space with designated storage and living areas can really make your home feel less cramped.
But what makes or breaks a good basement renovation? There are some important considerations you should be making before you get into the nitty gritty of construction. We’ve compiled some easy tips for you to think about if you’re looking to finish this space in your home!
Beware of Moisture!
Basements tend to be damp spaces because they’re essentially buried beneath the ground where water can penetrate the concrete floors and foundation walls. If you’ve ever dealt with mold and mildew and just a nasty “damp” smell in the basement, you know that moisture is really the enemy of a good basement finishing.
Check the Foundation and Floors for Cracks or Damage:
Believe it or not, these aren’t terribly difficult to fix if you find the cracks before finishing your basement. There are many contractors that can professionally fill the cracks with proper sealant to ensure moisture won’t affect your renovation. Looking for wet areas and potential damage is much easier to do before you start drywalling! We want to address any issues (or areas that may become issues in the future). This can also include dripping pipes in the ceiling, outdated sump pump systems, or water heaters and furnaces that are a little leaky. Take the time to ensure there’s nothing that needs to be fixed before moving on.
Sill Gaskets Are a MUST!
If you’re using the typical wood 2×4 studs in your basement to frame the walls, you need to be aware: wood touching concrete is a no-no.
Anytime a piece of wood is laid directly onto concrete, there is a great chance it will “wick” up the moisture that is naturally found within concrete. This can create mold and rot issues in your stud walls. That’s why it’s bare-minimum building code to use something called a “Sill Gasket” in your basement’s construction. All wood that is touching the concrete floor or exterior concrete foundation walls needs to have a sheet of thick plastic, or foam sill gasket installed so these two materials don’t touch. Not only does this prevent moisture from affecting the wood of the wall’s sill plate, but it also fills gaps and keeps cold air from getting in where you don’t want it!
Create a Sub Floor:
Using pre-fabricated basement sub floor panels can make your basement feel much warmer under your feet! Brands like DRICORE or Barricade have easy to install panels that allow moisture and leaks flow to basement drain systems, while giving you a solid sub floor to put carpet or laminate flooring on top. NEVER install hardwood or laminate flooring directly onto concrete floors as they will feel cold and become moisture damaged over time. By using these sub floor panels, you create a barrier between the concrete floor and your finishing floor materials.
Don’t Forget To Insulate:
Basements can be chilly places – especially in winter. There are many ways to insulate the basement from the chill of winter (or even the heat of summer!). Proper insulation requires an air-tight layer to stop warm indoor air from creating condensation and mold.
Luckily there are many options available nowadays for insulating your basement walls.
- Rigid foam insulation boards
- Spray foam insulation
- Fibreglass bat insulation (when paired with proper vapour barrier)
It’s important to get your insulation right before you start closing off the walls!
Basement Bedrooms:
To create a legal basement bedroom, you are required to install a window large enough for people to escape in the event of a fire. Generally speaking, the typical windows installed in basements are not large enough to be considered a legal egress window.
We want people sleeping in the basement to have a second escape route in an emergency, so egress windows are a must – especially if you intend on creating a basement in-law suite or secondary apartment space.
Ceiling Height:
Older homes may not have the same full-height that newer homes do. In order to maximize the ceiling height in your basement, you may need to:
- Move large ductwork and plumbing overhead to less conspicuous parts of the basement where they’re out of the way and can be boxed in
- Consider using drop ceiling tiles in the basement so you still have easy access to any electrical, plumbing or duct work that you may need to find in the future
- If you prefer to drywall your basement ceiling, install access panels to such things as emergency water shutoffs or drainage pipes
- Use flush-mount light fixtures or pot lights to save space and create more head room in the basement
Consider the Mechanicals:
The location of your home’s mechanical systems may not always be conducive to a well-finished basement. Especially in older homes when they weren’t considering that this home might get a finished basement one day. If your mechanical systems are spread out throughout the basement, consider moving them all to one area that can be separated as a utility room.
Things like:
- The furnace
- Water heater (tank or tankless)
- Electrical panel
- Water softener
- Sump pump
- Laundry sink
The layout of your basement might be more functional if these items were all in one area. Remember: these mechanical systems MUST be accessible from all sides – so cramming them into a tight closet space isn’t a great idea if they ever require service or replacement.
Finishing the basement in your home is a great way to add living space and build equity. But it’s important that you get it right from the beginning.
Basements require a little more thought and planning so that they are not only beautiful, but they’re functional and safe to last many decades to come. Find out what your Brantford home with a finished basement could sell for in today’s market! We’d love to give you a Free Home Evaluation and an update on what homes like yours are selling for right now!
