Intro To Basement Finishing
Lee Dobbins

Defined Tag: Basement Finishing.

When you are remodeling your basement you will go through a few stages, the planning stage, the rough work stage, and the basement finishing stage.  Each stage requires a different way of thinking and different skill sets.

When you first think about converting your basement to living space you probably have a plan in mind. You already know the function you want it to serve. You already have the needed furniture in mind. You may even have a color scheme mapped out. All that is left is the implementation.

And here comes the dirtier part of the job - literally speaking. Basement finishing is where all the manual, labor-intensive portions of the process will take place. You'd have to sink your hands into a lot of work to fully realize the full transformation of what used to be a neglected area of your home.

The first thing to think about when finishing your basement is the flooring.  If it is unfinished is probably just concrete and you might want to think about what you want to put on top of that.  Should you install a subfloor with hardwood floors?  How about rugs?  Maybe you just want to leave the concrete and paint it?  Either way they could choice carefully because the flooring is one of the first things people will notice in your basement.

The next consideration would have to be the walls. The same with flooring, the color of the walls should be consistent with the overall design of the basement. Unity is an important characteristic of a sound design, after all. The elements you will introduce to the area should, at the every least, complement each other. Thankfully, finishing the walls will be easier, as you can choose to paint over its surface the color you desire, or to simply apply the appropriate wallpaper.

The climate in the basement should also be considered as most basements can be damn and where there is a lot of windows the air can be kind of stagnant.  You want to provide for proper ventilation and think about air conditioning or a basement dehumidifier to make the room more comfortable.

Lastly, you'd need to install the things that will define the basement in your mind. If you wish a library, then place some bookshelves and study tables, and install lighting that will convey the right mood. If you desire a game room, then bring in the pool table, the arcade boxes and even the air hockey system. If you want a home theatre, then bring in your widescreen plasma or LCD HDTV and install some amplifiers and stereos for a truly amazing experience.

Don't worry if this seems like a water work, basement finishing can really be fun as this is we're you'll see your vision come together.