If your basement is unfinished or bland, you’re sitting on a goldmine of potential. Once finished, finished basement renovations can look as good (or better!) as your upstairs living space. However, a dream basement can quickly turn awry without proper preparation or planning. Here are some crucially important things to keep in mind if you are planning to finish your home’s basement:

Natural Light

One of the main limitations of a basement renovation is a lack of natural light. We recognize this fact, and try to do everything possible to maximize natural light and supplement it with attractive artificial lighting options. We can kill two birds with one stone by installing an egress window that serves a useful safety feature, but also provides a substantial amount of natural light.

Plumbing for Finished Basement Renovations

If you’re planning a basement renovation, you most certainly will want to include plumbing. Whether it is a basic three-piece powder room or a more elaborate set-up, you need to investigate the plumbing situation in your home. If your main plumbing drain runs underground, it will be a relatively simple installation. If your main drain is above-ground, you’ll be fighting gravity and we’ll need to install an ejector to get waste where it needs to be.

Ceiling

Look up at your unfinished basement ceiling, and you’ll see a whole whack of pipes, ducts, and wires that make the rest of your home run smoothly. We cover these up with drywall for aesthetic purposes, but this can result in a lower ceiling height. When planning the layout, make sure to account for areas with lower ceiling height. You may not be able to stand at full height in a certain area, but perhaps we can create custom-built cabinetry for storage in that space.

Height

In many basement activities, you’ll be sitting, so space isn’t a huge concern. But say you want to build a home gym. If you want to do jumping jacks or run on a treadmill, which is a foot off the ground already, height restrictions start to become a factor.

Waterproofing

Ideally you’ll never have to deal with a flooding or water leak issue, but it’s tremendously important to be prepared just in case – especially if you’ve just undergone a finished basement renovation. Waterproofing requires a decent up-front investment, but it’s worth saving you the expense and stress of replacing and restoring flooring, furniture, and sentimental belongings in the event of flooding.

Keep these factors in mind, and you can plan a proper finished basement. If you would like any more information, don’t hesitate to contact us today.