An unfinished basement is a treasure trove waiting to be transformed into a valuable living space. However, before embarking on this exciting journey, it is essential to consider the benefits and challenges associated with finishing your basement.
This blog discusses the pros of finishing your basement, cost considerations, potential challenges you might face, and solutions to those challenges. Keep reading to learn more.
Deciding to finish your basement provides increased living space by transforming an underutilized area into functional rooms that serve various purposes. Here are a few ways in which finishing your basement can create additional living space:
It’s also worth considering that having more living space in your home – no matter what you use it for – will increase your home’s value because of the space's additional square footage, versatility, and functionality.
When considering finishing your basement, it's essential to factor in the initial investment, the potential return on investment (ROI), and budget issues that homeowners may face.
It is recommended to gather multiple quotes from contractors or professionals and create a detailed budget plan that considers all potential costs and considerations. This will help homeowners make informed decisions and manage their budget effectively throughout the basement finishing project.
The local housing market is one of the key factors that can affect whether or not finishing your basement is worth it in terms of increasing your home's value. Here are some key considerations to keep in mind when it comes to the housing market:
Several potential challenges can arise when finishing a basement, particularly related to moisture and waterproofing. Understanding these challenges and implementing appropriate solutions is crucial to ensure the success and longevity of the finished space.
As you can see, there’s not a single correct answer when it comes to having a finished basement. But if you’re going to finish your basement, you want to make sure it’s in good hands. Let’s transform your space together! Call CCS of Utah at 801.318.0242, or fill out our website form to get in touch with us.
Basement finishing is an attractive and cost-effective option for transforming any unfinished basement into a functional living space. Whether you're looking to turn your basement into an extra bedroom, home office, playroom, or entertainment room, there are plenty of great ideas for finishing basements that will fit whatever purpose you have in mind.
Before beginning any renovations, it's important to determine if the existing foundation of your home needs repair work. If so, doing this corrective work before starting the renovation can save time and money in the long run and prevent future issues from arising down the road.
First and foremost, ensure that the basement is structurally sound and free of any water leakage or seepage issues. It is also essential to check for proper insulation, ventilation, and any plumbing, electrical, or HVAC systems.
Once these foundational items have been addressed, it is time to consider the design elements such as walls, floors, lighting fixtures, and ceiling height. Finally, if you plan on installing furniture or appliances in the basement, make sure they fit within the space's dimensions and that all applicable codes and regulations have been followed.
By following these steps before finishing your basement, you will be able to create a safe and comfortable living space. After you've determined that your basement is in good condition and ready to be finished, there are several things to consider when planning out what type of space you want.
When it comes to ideas for finishing basements, there are a plethora of options available to choose from. You could install an attractive home theater system or build a cozy hangout area with comfortable seating and some fun lighting fixtures. If you have the space, a full kitchen setup is also possible in many cases. No matter what your vision is, there are plenty of options when it comes to basement finishing ideas.
Finishing your basement can be rewarding, but it's also important to ensure you take the proper steps to provide the best outcome. Before starting any work on your basement, it is recommended that you consult a professional who can assess the space and offer advice on how to best use the area. This expert opinion can help you avoid costly mistakes or design errors in the future.
In addition to consulting an expert, there are other key steps necessary for planning out your finished basement:
To ensure that your basement renovation is successful, it's important to plan out each step of the process carefully. Research all materials and labor costs upfront so you know exactly what you'll be paying for each aspect of the project.
Make sure to pay attention to details such as ventilation and moisture control. Issues with these systems can cause significant problems down the line if not taken care of properly. Finally, don't forget about adding extra storage space—this will be essential for making sure that your newly finished basement remains organized and clutter-free for years to come.
In order to determine the cost of renovating your basement, you will need to factor in both the material and labor costs associated with each aspect of the project. Labor can be expensive, so it's important to make sure that any contractor you hire is experienced and reliable.
As far as materials go, there are a variety of items you will need to purchase in order to complete the project. These include drywall, flooring, electrical wiring and fixtures, insulation, trim and moldings, painting supplies, and more.
Basement finishing can be a cost-effective way to transform any unfinished basement into a functional living space. With proper planning, it can be completed without breaking the bank. By researching materials and labor costs and considering all of your design options beforehand, you'll be able to turn your vision into reality in no time.
At CCS, we understand that successful and efficient project completion is essential. That's why for the past 12 years, we have developed comprehensive policies and procedures to ensure a smooth process from start to finish.
With Blake leading our team, the experienced contractors at CCS are highly skilled in their fields and strive to provide an exceptional customer experience with each project. They are supported by our dedicated crew members who share the same commitment to quality workmanship.
We always put our clients' needs first - providing peace of mind every step of the way and superior results when all is said and done. That's what makes us one of the most reputable contracting companies in the industry. If you want to learn more about CCS and our services, please don't hesitate to get in touch today!
Thinking about some of the things below will help ensure your basement looks and feels more like an extension of your house and less like a dark dingy cellar.
Try to have a few extra clean furnace filters on hand. Finishing your basement is dusty and your furnace needs to breath. Changing out your furnace filter periodically will help mitigate dust upstairs and help your furnace function the way it should. I'd recommend changing the furnace filter out 3-4 times during the basement finishing process. The most important times to change the filter are:
After your basement has been finished here are some Tips for Making Your Basement Allergy-Free.
Before your contractor starts construction on your basement, walk the basement with lighting in mind. Think about where you want ceiling lights placed. Once your contractor is on-site, you can walk the project together before the lights get installed. If you have a good idea of where you want lighting etc., it'll help this conversation go a lot quicker. And you'll feel more comfortable knowing you're getting lighting exactly where you want.
(If your home has trusses rather than I-joists, you can skip this paragraph.)
Most basements have HVAC trunk lines, electrical and plumbing lines run somewhere on the ceiling in the basement. They can be unsightly, but you can't just get rid of them. However, if you're strategic in how you frame around them, they'll be a lot less noticeable than if you just "wing it". Also keep in mind light fixture placement, well-placed lighting is critical when adding lights near areas like fur-downs.
Have you ever walked into a basement, glanced at the ceiling and you could immediately see exactly where each HVAC line is going? Or the ceiling has a bunch of weird/small areas that are framed down/lower or framed up/higher than the rest of the ceiling and it just looks odd? Or even a recessed light placed too close to a framed down section and it's casting a funky shadow? That’s likely because whoever framed around the ceiling obstacles (HVAC trunk, plumbing lines etc.) didn't put much thought into how the ceiling would look as a finished product. Things to keep in mind.
Avoid framing EXACTLY to the obstacles. It can look odd if your framing starts exactly where a trunk line starts, turns exactly when a trunk line turns and stops exactly where the trunk line stops. If you do that, sometimes you can be left with an eye-catching (not in a good way) design in your ceiling.
Sometimes it makes sense to frame past where a trunk line ends. Or start the fur down before the trunk line starts.
Think about where you're going to place lights in the ceiling. Will the current placement of the fur down create an odd shadow effect? If so, can you relocate the fur down or re-place the light?
You can always go bold and leave your HVAC exposed!
If you're thinking about finishing your basement, start your free estimate today and we can help walk you through these tips.
When it comes to the quality of your basement, one key theme that needs to be considered is keeping moisture out. Water naturally flows to the lowest available point, and because the basement serves as this point in every home that has one, issues of water and water damage are of slightly higher risk in this area.
At Creative Construction Solutions, we're happy to assist you with this and many other themes during any of our basement remodeling, basement finishing or other basement services. One common question we get from clients in this area: Does a basement need to be waterproofed fully before it can be finished? Let's look at some of the simple and more detailed answers to that question, including situations where waterproofing should indeed be something you closely consider before finishing a basement.
While we wish we could just give you a single, simple answer here and leave it at that, the reality is that the answer to this question is: It depends. There are definitely some situations where waterproofing should be a top priority before you start finishing your basement, while in other cases it may not be as crucial (or even necessary at all).
One important note here: When we talk about waterproofing, we're talking about both the exterior and interior of your basement. Water can enter through cracks or holes in the foundation from the outside, or it can come from pipes, leaks or condensation on the inside.
Exterior waterproofing is usually a bigger concern for new construction, while interior waterproofing may be more of an issue in older homes. If you're unsure whether your home needs exterior waterproofing or not, we recommend checking with a professional to get their opinion.
There are certain situations where, at least for the vast majority of clients, carrying out some level of waterproofing ahead of any basement finishing will be prudent. These include:
In other cases, there may not be much of a requirement for waterproofing before you finish your basement. While no one is saying you can't waterproof the area in these situations -- and as we noted above, some people choose to do so even if it's not strictly necessary -- it may not be as crucial in these cases. These include:
In the end, there's no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to waterproofing your basement before finishing. The best course of action is to assess the specific risks in your situation and make a decision based on that. If you're still not sure, it's always a good idea to consult with a professional to get their expert opinion.
For more on this, or to learn about any of our other services, speak to the experts at Creative Construction Solutions today.
Sound Dampening Insulation in Your Basement Ceiling - Do You Need It?
In a nutshell, here at Creative Construction Solutions, we offer (3) levels of sound dampening. Think Good, Better, and Best.
*** It’s important to note for the below material to be effective, they need to be installed on top of each other - level 2 sound dampening is a combination of level 1 sound PLUS level 2. And level 3 sound dampening is a combination of level 1, 2 and 3 ***
Our level 1 sound dampening insulation is a product call Rockwool. More specifically, Safe N’ Sound Rockwool. The main purpose of this insulation is to block sound. When comparing standard insulation (think; walls and attic insulation) to Rockwool, you’ll notice that standard insulation kind of looks and feels like cotton candy (I don’t suggest feeling the insulation, but if you ever have, you know what I’m talking about). Rockwool on the other hand is much denser. If you were to take a piece of rockwool and compress it between your hands, it’s similar to trying to compress something like a piece of packing foam. It’s a dense product and it does a great job at sound mitigation.
A few things factor into the price of having Rockwool installed in your ceiling but, on average, expect to pay about $2.75-3.75 per ceiling square foot.
RC-1 channel, often referred to as “hat channel,” is not an insulation at all. In fact, it’s aluminum. What RC-1 channel does is separate your basement ceiling joists from the drywall, creating a ½” gap between the two. This creates an effective acoustical buffer between the joists and drywall and it really helps with the low vibratory sounds (think deep base or a war movie with a lot of rumbling).
*** Consideration for RC-1 channel – It does drop your ceiling about ½”. If that’s going to bother you, consider staying away from RC-1. Based on past experience, most people don’t mind the drop in ceiling height. It’s only ½” and most people won’t even notice.***
Expect to pay about $1.00-1.50 per ceiling square foot.
We install 5/8” drywall on the ceiling rather than 1/2” drywall. As a general rule of thumb, the thicker the drywall layer, the better it will act as a sound barrier. Not only is 5/8” drywall thicker, it’s more dense vs your standard ½” drywall. If you were to take a piece of ½” drywall and break it open, you would notice a lot of air voids or bubbles in the drywall material. Most manufactures do this to make the drywall less heavy, easier to lift and install. 5/8” drywall differs from ½” drywall in that 5/8” drywall is a solid compound, thus making it harder for sound to travel through the sheetrock. When you combined Rockwool, RC-1 channel and 5/8” drywall, you get a great sound dampening system for your basement ceiling.
Expect to pay roughly $.85-$.95 per ceiling square foot.
I’ll try to give you some scenarios that I’ve encountered while finishing basements and the associated solution.
Example #1
The home we’re finishing a basement in is a 2-story home, with all the bedrooms on the top story. Our clients have (3) teenage kids that would be using the basement to watch TV, play games, and have friends over. Since the bedrooms are all on the second story and so far away from the basement, I’d recommend installing level 1 sound-dampening insulation in the basement ceiling.
To hopefully give you a better idea of what to expect with level 1 insulation, I’ve come up with a few “what-if’s.”
What if the teens were watching a moving (let’s say a war movie, somewhat loudly) and I was standing on the first level (directly above the entertainment room in the basement), would I be able to hear the movie?
Answer – Yes. You probably wouldn’t hear any specifics from the movie, like what the characters are saying to each other, but you would be able to tell that a movie is playing below you.
What if the teens were in the basement with their friends and they were just chatting/hanging out. Would I be able to hear them, or can they hear me on a phone call right above them?
Answer – Not likely. The noise transmitted between the 2 levels would be so minimal, that (unless you were really trying to hear) you likely wouldn’t notice/hear anything.
Example #2
The home we’re finishing a basement in is single-story home, with all the bedrooms on the main level (directly above the basement). For fun, let’s use the same scenarios as above. Our clients have (3) teenage kids that would be using the basement to watch TV, play games and have friend over. Since the bedrooms are all directly above the entertainment room in the basement, I’d recommend installing level 3 sound-dampening insulation in the basement ceiling.
To hopefully give you a better idea of what to expect with level 3 insulation, I’ll use the same “what-if’s” as above.
What if the teens were watching a moving (let’s say a war movie, somewhat loudly) and I’m in my bedroom trying to sleep. Would I be able to hear the movie?
Answer – Maybe. If the teens are watching the movie at reasonable volumes. You’d probably wouldn’t hear much, if anything. If the movie was playing at loud volumes, they had a subwoofer going etc., you would be able to hear a movie playing.
What if the teens were in the basement with their friends and they were just chatting/hanging out. Would I be able to hear them, or can they hear me on a phone call right above them?
Answer – No. Not unless someone is yelling.
In conclusion, I hope this has given you a better understanding of what to expect from the above products and has hopefully given you enough information to help decide whether or not you need sound dampening insulation in your basement. We can help guide you through the costs of sound dampening your unfinished basement. Get started by filling out our quick free quote form and we'll message you right back.
