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Basement Finish ChecklistComing Soon - A thorough checklist of items to go through to make absolutely certain that a basement finish is a good option for you. Please check back often! |
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IS YOUR BASEMENT A HIDDEN GEM?
Maybe you bought your home knowing what kind of 'awesome' space you could have in the nether regions of the basement. However, as you moved in, and things got hectic, perhaps your basement became 'a diamond in the rough'. Well, hopefully that's all in your past now. With a bit of help from a professional, and a little bit of creative design, maybe it's time to unearth the forgotten treasure that is your basement. Here are a couple of no-brainer steps to take to make your basement a dream space!
READ THIS BEFORE YOU FINISH YOUR BASEMENT
PRIOR TO COMMENCING ANY BASEMENT PROJECT YOU SHOULD NEATLY COMPOSE YOUR THOUGHTS.
- Even if it starts as just scribbles, and hopefully that's not where the planning ends, you should work to design the basement to use the available light as well as possible.
- Perhaps the architect that drew the plans for your home put together an idea for the future finish. See if you can locate those plans first, as that will make everybody's job much easier.
- Try to locate the brightest area of the basement and make it the social hub if that's possible.
- Keep in mind that bedrooms will be required to have windows to allow proper egress in case of a fire.
- During this planning process, determine who your local building jurisdiction is, and work to find out what necessary permits will be required to finish the space. Typically, building code requires that any improvement valued at over $600 requires a building permit.
- Perhaps now is a good time to begin interviewing possible candidates for contractors to complete this job.
- Compose a list of questions you can ask them, such as the time frame that will be needed to complete the work, the amount of noise you may be required to endure, the caliber of finishes that will be used in completing the project, whether they are licensed and insured, and perhaps most importantly, a list of jobs that they've completed and references. Most importantly at this stage, make certain you feel comfortable with who will be doing work on your home.
- Perhaps thee most important question is not always going to be "how much", though it will always be one of the top questions you can ask.
“The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten”
– Benjamin Franklin
PERHAPS A GREAT CONTRACTOR WILL BE ABLE TO POSITIVELY INFLUENCE YOUR DESIGN GIVING YOU ADDITIONAL IDEAS ON HOW TO BEST FINISH YOUR ADDITIONAL SPACE
At this stage in your planning, hopefully you have involved a professional. A well done basement will bring you years of happiness and joy in it's use, and should also bring you back a return on your investment when it's time to sell your home.
Some homeowners feel that they got "the best deal" out there, but in truth, they probably got exactly what they paid for, and possibly an experience that coincided with it.
During your interviews with professionals, make certain that you feel they are just that, professionals. They should be able to add value and ideas to what you've come up with, and brought you peace of mind in knowing that you are working with an individual or company that treats their work as a professional should.
Additional design questions:
1. Does the design integrate everything you hoped that it would?
Perhaps some of these questions have made the wheels in your mind spin and hopefully have induced your thought process as to some of the possibilities.
The time to address all of your wants and needs, and then compare these wants and needs with your budget is now. Make sure that you've weighed all of your options prior to moving forward with the job. A good contractor won't rush you through this process, but will try to help you weigh your options. Better yet, a great contractor will point these questions out and try to help you through the entire process. Planning is such a critical part of this process that could make this home a better option for you long-term.
Some homeowners feel that they got "the best deal" out there, but in truth, they probably got exactly what they paid for, and possibly an experience that coincided with it.
During your interviews with professionals, make certain that you feel they are just that, professionals. They should be able to add value and ideas to what you've come up with, and brought you peace of mind in knowing that you are working with an individual or company that treats their work as a professional should.
Additional design questions:
1. Does the design integrate everything you hoped that it would?
- perhaps you wanted to add in a kitchenette?
- a space for a theater room or big screen t.v.?
- a mother-in-law apartment? (make certain that zoning in your area allows this)
- a second laundry room?
- perhaps the fireplace that you didn't previously get?
- or any number of other things that could be integrated into the design...
- could I add-in a basement entrance with big sliding glass doors?
- is there a way to enlarge existing windows or window wells to enhance the volume of natural light?
- what other solutions do I have to bring in additional natural light?
- what dimensions am I going to need for a pool table?
- how about a ping pong table?
- how far off the t.v. should the I position the sofa?
- where can I put a bathroom?
- am I able to put in a just a half bath?
Perhaps some of these questions have made the wheels in your mind spin and hopefully have induced your thought process as to some of the possibilities.
The time to address all of your wants and needs, and then compare these wants and needs with your budget is now. Make sure that you've weighed all of your options prior to moving forward with the job. A good contractor won't rush you through this process, but will try to help you weigh your options. Better yet, a great contractor will point these questions out and try to help you through the entire process. Planning is such a critical part of this process that could make this home a better option for you long-term.
“Any fool can write a book and most of them are doing it; but it takes brains to build a house.”
― Charles F. Lummis
While the above quote is intended to be strictly comical in it's interpretation, despite the fact that it could be considered offensive to those in my trade, I think that it may be a time to pause and think about some of the items that ought to be inspected prior to completing the planning phase of your basement finish.
If you still haven't opted to bring in a professional to gain their insights or opinions, please ask yourself some of the following questions.
(Note: THIS PREVIOUS LIST IS NOT INTENDED TO BE ALL INCLUSIVE, BUT RATHER STRICTLY THOUGHT PROVOKING. PLEASE CONTACT A LICENSED PROFESSIONAL THAT IS LICENSED IN THE FIELD THAT YOU MAY NEED ADDITIONAL COUNSEL IN. WITH ALL THINGS RELATING TO HEATING AND COOLING, PLUMBING, AND/OR ELECTRICAL SERVICES PLEASE USE A LICENSED AND INSURED CONTRACTOR. OTHER PROFESSIONALS MAY ALSO NEED TO BE CONTACTED)
A quality and experienced contractor will know how to answer all of the above questions, and if not, will have quality sub-contractors and/or suppliers that will quickly and easily be able to provide all of the answers that you'll need. You will be able to rest easy knowing that these types of details have all been addressed.
If you still haven't opted to bring in a professional to gain their insights or opinions, please ask yourself some of the following questions.
- is the furnace adequate size to service my basement?
- is the gas line adequate to add additional services that I may want?
- does the main load center for my power large enough?
- do I have adequate access to add additional plumbing?
- are my drain lines sized correctly for the services that I'd like to do?
- is the water main large enough to support my plans?
- will the homes power supply work with my plans?
(Note: THIS PREVIOUS LIST IS NOT INTENDED TO BE ALL INCLUSIVE, BUT RATHER STRICTLY THOUGHT PROVOKING. PLEASE CONTACT A LICENSED PROFESSIONAL THAT IS LICENSED IN THE FIELD THAT YOU MAY NEED ADDITIONAL COUNSEL IN. WITH ALL THINGS RELATING TO HEATING AND COOLING, PLUMBING, AND/OR ELECTRICAL SERVICES PLEASE USE A LICENSED AND INSURED CONTRACTOR. OTHER PROFESSIONALS MAY ALSO NEED TO BE CONTACTED)
A quality and experienced contractor will know how to answer all of the above questions, and if not, will have quality sub-contractors and/or suppliers that will quickly and easily be able to provide all of the answers that you'll need. You will be able to rest easy knowing that these types of details have all been addressed.
a few other items that could be worth inspecting
- With the basement empty, visually inspect the premises for any sign of water. Condensation and moisture, especially in a basement, may need to be addressed. Consult a professional, and address the problem(s) prior to finishing any spaces.
- Check floor joists or beams for any excessive damage. Do so visually by gaining eye level with them and looking across them perpendicularly. Should any look out of level, they may need to be addressed. Consult a professional, and address the problem(s) prior to finishing any spaces.
- Have a local Heating and Air Contractor inspect all fuel burning appliances prior to commencing any project. Ensure that the appliances are functioning correctly, and properly ventilated, prior to commencing work on any basement space. This could help eliminate any potentially dangerous build-up of carbon monoxide.
- Test for Radon Gas. These tests can be bought at a local hardware store and completed, or can be completed by a local home inspector. You may need to take steps to mitigate radon gas should it be present. Contact a professional should you have any reason to believe that your basement could have radon gas in it.
REGARDLESS OF THE OUTWARD APPEARANCE (KIND OF AT LEAST), IF THE RIGHT STEPS ARE TAKEN THE OUTCOME CAN BE FANTASTIC!
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Should you still have chosen not to engage in conversation with a local professional with regards to your basement project, then please look at these additional items prior to starting in on your project.
- what are ceiling heights?
- do you have mandatory head clearance down the entire stairwell both prior to and after finishes?
- do you have mandatory head clearance above all plumbing fixtures?
- is design going to need to be altered in order to obtain head clearance?
Bring in a professional to check the drainage and grade away from the basement prior to spending a lot of good money on finishing the space.
While some of the pictures above may seem comical, the message that the writer is trying to make is that it can be almost comical the way that some homes drain. Please note that I said 'almost comical', meaning that if it were your home, it would be 'not comical' at all.
Improper drainage could lead to your basement being underwater. Literally...
Trust me, as sad as it is to have an unfinished basement flood, it just seems worse if it's all finished...
This is one aspect of your basements' pre-construction phase that you will want to bring in a licensed general contractor that is capable of assessing every situation.
more information coming soon.
as this is a work in progress... please check back soon for updates... and let me know you like it... that always seems to help!