The basement is one room you can completely forget you own in your house. It’s an underground room that, if not used frequently, can end up a dull space. You can turn your basement into a nice, peaceful space, be it an office, recreation room, or even the kids’ playroom. This might sound costly, but here are a few tips on how to finish your basement on a budget. Keep reading to learn more.
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Clean Out Your Basement
Basements are places we store all the clothes we do not wear, the toys we do not want to let go, yet we are too old for them, the little bikes you wish your grandchildren will give their grandchildren, and all the junk that is not used. Remove all of them, clean the room, and start the renovation process.
Mend All Leaking Pipes
The basement is like the power room of your house. Most pipes and wires go through the basement and, sometimes, leaks happen when least expected. If you want to renovate the room, keep it dry. Otherwise, you will be swimming instead of restoring it. Leaking pipes can most of the time be fixed by anyone. But if it is a serious problem, seek professional assistance.
Purchase Air Conditioners
Basements are underground, so a lot of moisture is trapped in these rooms. Mending leaking pipes is not good enough; the room will still get stuffy and damp. When renovating, ensure the windows stay open to let in fresh air. At night, switch on the air conditioners.
Make the Walls Waterproof
Waterproofing your walls might be a little harder than it sounds because, for you to fix damp walls, you have to cover them with waterproofing materials. First, check for any cracks on the walls. If there are any, get them fixed. Water tends to sip in through the cracks and cause dampness in the room. After fixing the cracks, use waterproof paint to keep the moisture coming from the walls at bay.
The other easy way to renovate your walls is by directly installing polystyrene foam on your wall. Polystyrene foam is installed to absorb extra moisture from the walls. It is worth noting that it is a hard material, so you can frame your walls and add a drywall.
Switch up the Floor
Most basements have plain cement as flooring, which can make the room chillier than it is. Plus, cement is not a pretty look for a renovated basement. Switch up the flooring with waterproof tiles, which are very cost-effective to install, or plywood for a calm tone. If this is too much for you, get a large throw rug from any thrift store, and get the problem solved in no time.
While working on the floor, you can improve the condition of your stairs. Build a steady staircase that is balanced and can hold a lot of weight.
Change Your Ceiling
First of all, many basements have a lower ceiling, and you could easily injure yourself if you do not create any headspace. After creating a enough headspace, choose a ceiling that best meets your unique needs. The three most common options are paintings, ceiling tiles, and sheetrock. Sheetrock is the cheapest among the three, but it might be a headache when it comes to fixing the pipes later on.
Ceiling tiles are affordable as well but might be a pain to install. So painting remains the easiest and cheapest way to redo your ceiling. It might end up looking as if it was done by a newcomer, but your creativity will determine how the end product will look like.
Make It Soundproof
This is not a must for you to do, but you can make your basement soundproof. To do this, add fiberglass batts between joints then install drywall on the joints using resilient clips and hat channels. Place all mechanical equipment on sound-absorbing mats to reduce noise transmission.
Lighting
Basements are dark, and without the proper lighting, you might not get to enjoy your hard work. Firstly, make sure there is natural lighting coming in. Then install light bulbs on the walls or the ceiling to make the room brighter. Dark basements can be a significant turnoff and scary. White walls also tend to reflect light, so you might want to consider painting your walls white.
Bring in the Décor
Depending on the theme you had in mind for the room, go for decorations. If you want to make it an office, it is wise to use the furniture that you already have. This is a very cheap way to renovate your basement. You can, as well, buy new furniture if you are not on a tight budget.
Good furniture might be costly, but it is a great way for you to switch things up and make the room stand out from all other rooms in the house.
If you are creative, DIY furniture is a great choice. You can buy wood, paint, nails, screws and a cordless drill which will make your work pretty easy. Designing your furniture is a tiresome job that needs professional supervision, but the good side of it is that you create unique furniture of your own choice.
Make Room for Food
You do not need to build a whole kitchen, turn a small section of the room into a cafeteria. Make space for a minifridge for drinks and maybe install some wall shelves to store snacks or a microwave. There might be a need for a rack for a few utensils, or you can instead have a tray for transporting utensils to the kitchen and back.
Finishing up your basement is not something that should cause you much of a headache; take your time, research on what project you want to work on, and ensure it fits you best and does not drain you financially. Do not rush to finish everything, as it is a slow process that will not only increase room space, but also increase productivity.
