If you are thinking of remodeling your basement and turning it into another room that is used in the house, you will have a couple of problems that need to be dealt with. Basements are usually both cold and dark and in order to make your basement a comfortable room to use, these two areas need to be addressed.

Basements often have little natural lighting or no lighting at all as they are at the bottom of the house and might even be beneath ground level. This means that you will need to figure out how to light your new room so that it is not too dark and hard on your eyes. You might also want to use floor lighting to enhance certain areas of the room and this would especially be so if you were to use your new basement as a game room or movie room.

Track lighting is always a good choice that looks good in any basement and it does a good job of lighting the areas that especially need it. If you are turning your basement into a bar or a game room, track lighting can be effectively used to highlight the things you want to. If you are thinking about using your basement as a family room or a playroom, you will need to find a more consistent lighting that will light the whole room evenly.

One of the difficulties of finishing a basement and turning it into a usable room is the fact that basements are cold. Heat rises and so the basement is always going to be the coldest room in the house. Many people are discovering they can use their basements for much more than just storage but they are also finding out they have basement heating issues that need to be resolved.

When you remodel your basement and start using it as an everyday room, you may find that it needs its own heating system. Basements can be a good 10 to 20 degrees colder than the rest of the house and so heating the house normally may still leave the basement too cold. This means you might have to get an independent heating system just for the basement or some sort of stand alone heater to do the job. With the stand alone heater though, it will mean you will have to wait a while for your new basement room to heat up to a comfortable temperature before you can use it. Unless you want to keep your heater on all the time, heating a basement is always a problem.

Your basement can be used for many things and if you start brainstorming you will come up with some great ideas. So many homeowners have a basement that is wasted below their house because they havent finished it. Rather than move to a new house with more space, why not remodel and finish that basement to add the extra room you need. Here are some great ideas of uses for your basement:

Turn your basement into a music room. If you like to either play music or listen to music, you need a place to go where you can go and not bother the rest of the house. Most basements make a great place for anything to do with music and that includes having your own band. You can even soundproof the room so you can be sure the neighbors won’t hear you! Basement are a great place to do many hobbies and if you like music, look into what you can do to make your basement the music room of the house.

You can turn your basement into a bar or entertainment room. If you are trying to think of some good basement bar ideas, you should first make sure that your basement is finished properly. Getting the right atmosphere for this type of room is important and you want to get the lighting right. You also need to install the right counters, furniture, stools, and bar setup that will make this room become the room to hang out and relax in.

You can turn your basement into a workout room or small gym. Your basement is probably one of the best places for treadmills and weights because there might be no stairs involved. At least you will be going down when putting in the heavy machines and not up steep stairs. Additionally, basements are naturally cool and that works great for working out and exercising. Also, basements are below the house and you can make noise, play music, and work out as hard as you want without bothering the rest of the house.

These are just a few ways you can use your basement to add a fully functioning space to your house. If you can think of a room you need and move it downstairs, you will be freeing up some much needed space in the rest of the house and you will be adding value to your home as well.

If your basement is wet or very damp, you are putting yourself at rish for mold, mildew, and other nasty substances. Not only to these smell bad, but they can also make you and others in your house quite sick. Fortunately, waterproofing a basement is not really that hard to do.

To determine the source of the dampness, you will need decide whether it is due to condensation or seepage. To do this, simply tape a piece of aluminum foil to the wall, sealing it on four sides. Leave it this way for forty eight hours, and check on it. It the outside part is wet, your issue is with condensation. If the outside part is wet, seepage is your issue.

When moisture from the air hits a cold surface and contracts, condensation is occuring. To solve this problem, start by insulating cold surfaces that can attract condensation, such as pipes, ducts, and tanks. Using pipe insilation to cover your pipes. This can be purchased at many home improvement stores. For larger surfaces such as tanks, use fiberglass insulation. Wrap the surfaces with the vinyl part on the outside. As a final step, install a dehumidifier to get the extra water out of the air.

If your wetness is caused by seeping water, there is still hope! The first step is to check your gutters. Be sure that they are installed along the eaves of your roof, and be sure that the downspouts are pointed away from from your house. Keep them nice and clean, as well.

Outside, check the slope of the ground (grade) outside of your house to make sure that it slopes away. If the opposite is true (sloping towards your house), water will flow and seep inside your basement. It is possibly to regrade this slope, using rented heavy equipment, but this might be one area where seaking a contractor would be worth your while.

The final step is to ensure that the foundation is free of cracks and holes. If you do find cracks, you will need to fill them. This can be done be enlarging the crack, cleaning it up, and fill it with a special foundation/basement cement repair compound, again available at your local home improvement store.

To make really sure that your basement stays dry, you might also consider treating the walls and floor of your basement with waterproofing cement. Good a good product and clean up the floors and walls. After they are dry, apply the product as indicated by the maker. Hurray, your basement is now waterproof!

We all have one. It has either gone to the kids, the man, or the boxes of useless things packed and moved several times. Your basement could very well be the most under utilized space in your home. It is either a very dreary, retro space that makes you cringe when you enter, or it is concrete and studs; neither are very appealing, so why not make your move? Why not turn it into the space your house has been missing? You don’t know how? Well, it’s as easy as hiring the right builder.

Any remodel job can have its pros and cons. “Sure I get the theatre room I’ve always wanted, but do I want to put up with construction?” Lucky for you, a basement is unlike a kitchen or bath remodel which can completely take over major hubs in your home. A basement remodel is a floor away from your living space and can add infinitely to the value of your home. Hiring a true professional will also make the process far less stressful on your family.

Here is a list of the things to consider when working with your professional:

Insulation and waterproofing – Many basements need the attention of a builder to secure a waterproof seal. They can also help you reduce waste by bringing up the R-value of your insulation.

Heating – Duct work and additional heat sources, such as in floor heat or fireplace, may be required, as many basements are cut off from the main heat source in the home.

Moisture – A separate issue from waterproofing, humidity is high in many basements due to the fact that concrete draws in and holds moisture. Dehumidifiers and in-floor heating are just two of the ways a builder could help this issue.

Floor plan – Today’s most popular layouts include bright open spaces with few hallways. This is where a builder shines. Being able to detect the essential (load bearing) walls from the non-essential, he will be able to open up your floor plan making it inviting. Room re-purposing is also possible with the addition of egress windows.

Lighting – Many people dislike basements because they are dark. Adding well placed, thought out and efficient lighting can create a warm and inviting basement and you want to spend time in.

A basement transformation is one of the best investments you can make. Your family will benefit, as will your home’s value. By finding an experienced professional you will get the basement of your dreams.

If you live in a wet climate, and you have a basement, the spectre of basement flooding always looms large. A basement flood will damage anything you have stored in the basement while ruining any finishing you have in place. If you want to stop a basement flood, you need to educate yourself about there prevention. By doing this, your are increasing the chances that you will never have to experience one of these floods.

Start thinking about whether or not flooding is a problem in your area. Not all areas are open to basement flooding. If you live at a high elevation above the water table in a dry area, you probably are OK. However, if you live near the water table and/or in a wet climate, watch out, because flooding could very well be a problem for you.

If you have a water problem and you need to get rid of it, a sump pump is your device. These are simple pumps that sit in a ditch under the floor in your basement and pumps the water out if things start to flood.

This is all well and good, but many times basement flooding occurs because of sump pump failure or a power outage. In this instance, the water will collect in your basement causing it to flood. To prevent this, a back up sump pump should be utilized. These come in battery and water operated varieties. Both can help save your basement from flooding, and are therefore highly recommended.

Basement waterproofing is another tactic for keeping your place dry. Your basement can flood from rain and runoff water leaking in from the outside. Waterproofing helps prevent this from happening by sealing off all places water can enter your basement, or diverting the flow of the water elsewhere. Either way, it is a tricky process, but it might be worth it in order to keep your house safe.

In fact, there are contractors that can help you with most of all of the tasks needed to help keep your basement flood free. Just be sure to find a reputable contractor and ask them how they can meet your unique needs.

Obviously, there is no simple magic bullet to make all of your basement flooding issues go away. You can hire help, or you can do it yourself, but basement work is hard work no matter how you slice it. Good luck protecting your basement.