Resources

Are you curious how you should configure the layout your basement renovation? We typically start with the plumbing to identify the best location for a bathroom or wet bar. Basements in newer homes are typically pre-plumbed for those scenarios. However, you are not confined to the pre-plumbed locations and have the ability to move plumbing if needed.

Once you determined the necessary plumbing locations, you’ll also need to consider if you plan to add a bedroom. A legal basement bedroom must have an egress window for fire safety reasons. Those two items are typically the starting point and then you can identify the best location for the remaining rooms of your basement renovation.

Should you insulate your basement? Most basement walls are below grade, meaning the exterior wall is against soil which acts as a natural insulator. For those situations, insulation would not be required. However, for basement walls that are above grade, we add a vapor barrier and insulation before the drywall. The purpose of the vapor barrier is to prevent moisture from penetrating through the concrete. Then the insulation helps with the efficiency of your home.

If you are interested in increasing the R-value (Resistance Value or how well a particular material keeps heat from moving in or out of a structure) of your home, you have the option to upgrade to fiberglass or rigid foam insulation without a vapor barrier to further improve the efficiency of your home.

Framing a basement explained! The wall is made up of a bunch of 2×4 boards (or studs) nailed into a top and bottom 2×4 board. The bottom 2×4 board is treated so that it can lay against a concrete floor. The wall 2×4 boards are spaced 16 inches apart on center. It’s important to always have a 2×4 in the corner of a room so that you have something to drill the drywall into.

We actually build the framed wall on the floor and then tilt it upright and move it into it’s intended location once complete. In the case when there is a door, we will cut that bottom board out at a later time as we progress on the basement renovation.

Some people ask why we do fire blocking during basement renovations. The purpose of fire blocking is to prevent fire from spreading through the house so quickly if a fire were to start in your home. Fiberglass insulation can be installed and then any smaller penetration through the top plate like electrical wires need to be caulked. These are important steps to take to ensure your home is safe.

This basement renovation is a golfer’s dream! This new home was built with the intention of adding a golf simulator in the basement. The basement had 9 foot ceilings throughout and then a deeper area for the simulator was dug to achieve the desired 10 ft ceiling height; perfect to able to complete a full swing! The simulator area features brick walls and plenty of seating for guests to socialize or the family to enjoy a movie. This basement renovation also features a beautiful bar area and even a putting green.

Want to add a golf simulator to your home, but don’t want to excavate your existing basement? Some alternative spaces to consider for a golf simulator include a home addition or garage. We’d love to help you build the home of your dreams!

Let’s talk about how to finish your ceiling for a basement renovation. In the past, you used to see a lot of drop ceilings. A drop ceiling is a secondary ceiling built up of square tiles and hung below the main, structural ceiling. We typically don’t install drop ceilings for our basement renovations because it is an out of date style and requires more labor to install which makes it a more costly option; plus, it takes away from your ceiling height.

The two most popular ceiling styles for current basement renovations are drywall or painted. A painted ceiling works well for basements with a low ceiling height. For those situations, all areas above your head including ductwork and mechanicals are painted black (or in some cases white). A painted ceiling is a more cost effective option and provides a feeling of openness and achieves a cool, industrial design.

For drywall, we will frame the ceiling and create a soffit to cover any necessary ductwork, plumbing or mechanicals that fall below the standard ceiling height. A drywall ceiling style offers a very polished look. We can further enhance the ceiling design by adding crown moulding which is a decorative element that is installed to soften the transition of where the wall meets the ceiling.

You basically have two options for heating your basement. The first option is to use your furnace which is already in place to heat the upper level(s) of your home. When you are heating the upper level, the basement will also be heated.

The other option is to add a separate HVAC zone which is a trunk line dedicated specifically to heating your basement. In this situation, you will have a separate thermostat to control the temperature downstairs. There is an electronic damper that will open and close the supply independently from upstairs. The desire for zoned HVAC often comes into play when you have a bedroom or a home office in the basement that gets utilized on a regular basis. On average, the zoned HVAC option will tend to be an additional $3,000 for your basement renovation.

The three most common types of flooring for basements include Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVP), Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT), carpet and rubber floor. LVP is popular mainly because of it’s waterproof properties. However, some other perks of LVP flooring are that it is resilient, easy to clean, affordable, and durable. LVP comes in a plank shape and often offers the look of real hardwood with realistic scraping or embossing. We typically use LVP in bar and rec rooms. If you like the idea of LVP, but want more warmth, you can always use area rugs on top of the LVP to soften up the space or help define an area.

For basement bathrooms, we commonly install LVT which mimics a standard ceramic tile, but is less prone to damage as it offers similar durability and waterproof benefits of LVP. If something heavy was dropped on the ceramic tile, it could cause the tiles to chip or crack. LVT comes in the traditional tile squares, features more stone and concrete looks, includes surface texture for a lifelike look, and can even be installed with grout.

Basements are at a higher risk of getting water or moisture in them, therefore hardwood floors are not recommended. When water is introduced to wood, it can warp and buckle, leaving a horrible looking floor in its place. If high moisture levels are introduced to the basement, you also run the risk of mold growth. Rubber flooring is perfect for home gyms as it resists water, moisture, sound heavy impact, scuff marks, scratches, stains, mold, and mildew.

We typically install carpet in bedrooms, living rooms and media rooms. Carpet is popular as it provides warmth and comfort. In colder climates or seasons, carpet retains warm air longer than other flooring types. In addition to keeping your home cozy, this attribute conserves energy. Carpet also provides a comfortable place to sit, play, or work and gives a room an overall warmer feeling.

A great way to gain natural light in your basement is to install an egress window. And if you want a bedroom in your basement, an egress window is required for fire safety reasons.

When we are identifying the location to install an egress window, we need to consider any obstructions that may exist on the outside wall like a deck or patio. Commonly, egress windows are found on the side or back of a home. Basements of newer homes are typically built with egress windows already installed.

If you are installing an egress window for a bedroom, the height from the floor to the bottom of the window can be no more than 46 inches so that people are able to easily get out the window in the event of a fire or emergency.

Now let’s talk design. There are different egress window surround options available. Some clients opt for the most cost effective option. A common style we install for basement renovations is the faux stone surround which provides a nice aesthetic. We also typically add a cover to prevent animals from falling into the space.

More and more people are interested in how they can make their home smarter. A lot of smart technologies come in to play, but the most common way we introduce technology into basement renovations is with lighting. Leviton offers light switches which can be controlled by an app on your smart phone. You have the capability to make adjustments remotely and even set schedules for your home lighting.

Clients commonly ask us what they should do on the back wall of their bar for their basement renovation. There are a wide array of options, but we most commonly see upper cabinets or open shelving being used.

When upper cabinets are installed, the bar style will resemble a kitchen. For the upper cabinets, you can use either glass front or solid doors.

Floating shelves are probably the most popular option for a bar wall. This is a fantastic way to display liquor, glassware, collectibles or sports memorabilia. Plus, if you add up and down lighting on those shelves, the items being showcased will really stand out.

When you are completing a basement renovation, it is beneficial to add a full bathroom, especially if there is a bedroom in the basement. Adding this bathroom increases your home value. Plus, people are able to use a bathroom without having to travel upstairs.

You have a wide range of shower styles for your bathroom. It all depends on your budget, personal style, and maintenance requirements. The most economical and commonly used shower style for basement bathrooms specifically is a prefabricated fiberglass unit. It is very easy to install and clean. There is also the option of installing a full tile shower, but that route adds approximately $1,000 to the cost of the bathroom. Then you have the option of adding a shower curtain or increasing your budget to add a glass door to elevate the look of the shower.

Murphy doors (or hidden doors) have been around for many years. A Murphy door is basically a door disguised as a bookshelf that hides a secret room, storage area, kids playroom or another section of the home. Often, a Murphy door replaces a closet door. While the primary purpose of a Murphy door is is to hide another room, it can also be a great solution to create extra storage in home where extra space is limited.

Murphy doors are becoming increasingly more popular in basement renovations as an alternative to both hide and access the mechanicals or electrical boxes within your home. Sometimes the mechanicals fall right in the middle of where we want our basement layout to be. These doors are so much more aesthetically pleasing than a traditional access panel.

We can get really creative in how we apply a Murphy door into your renovation. The hidden door doesn’t have to be a bookshelf style either; this door could also be cohesively incorporated into a geometric feature wall.

People always ask how we make the trim paint of our basement renovations look so good. Before we begin our painting process, we install the baseboard and casing around doors. Then our painter comes into the space to spray everything for a nice smooth paint finish with no brush lines. Next, we install the flooring and shoe on the baseboard. Caulk is added to any seams between the shoe, door casing, and baseboard. Finally, the painter applies paint on the wall with a roller and a final coat of paint on all trim.

There are so many options when it comes to lighting for your home renovation. Lighting can help highlight a specific space of the room, create ambiance, and help define your space which is especially helpful for an open concept design. The rooms within a basement tend to lack natural light so reviewing your lighting options is such an important step of the renovation process.

Our design team is an experienced group that can help identify the best lighting options to elevate the design of your home and meet your specific design style.

Media or theater rooms are very common additions in our basement renovations. If you are looking for a way to add additional seating or enhanced viewership to your space, you can add a raised platform for a second row of seats. You can also consider adding counter or bar height seating behind the lounge furniture.