Turn your basement into a
living space
Do you feel like your home is
shrinking? Are the kids growing up and accumulating more
stuff? Is your teenager demanding a room of his own? Has the
college grad come back to the nest? Are you looking to provide
room for an elderly parent or rent out space to help makes
ends meet? Regardless of the reason, the space solution may
actually be right under your feet.
Basements are typically about one third of the entire home’s
available space, 600 to 800 sq. ft. in the average home. And
while some basements have been finished to create more living
area, the majority of these spaces are used as makeshift
laundry rooms, home offices, and storage repositories for
everything from spare freezers to pantries, paints, and
paperwork. In other words, most basements are underused.
There are definitely benefits to considering a basement
remodel:
• Unlike a room addition, there is no need to excavate for new
footings or worry about structural loads.
• Utilities (including water, electricity, gas and sewer
lines) are typically close at hand, further reducing costs.
• Heating and cooling loads are relatively light for
basements.
• Basements almost always have stairs leading to them, unlike
many attics (another popular house expansion candidate).
Converting a basement, however, is not without its challenges.
Below-grade spaces are subject to water and moisture, two
common enemies of home construction. Mold and mildew are also
common, and natural light is limited. Overhead pipes and
ductwork can add further challenges, and if you didn’t
anticipate a bathroom when the house was built, the basement
toilet may have to flush up.
Contact James Martin
Contractor Services to manage your basement make-over. |