Basements are making their debut as multifunctional spaces, presenting an expandable living space to the homeowners. A finished basement can serve various purposes that you might not have thought in the beginning ―from converting it into a kids creative place to a different living place, exercise area or a mini workplace. There are ample options to choose from.
Although everything sounds exciting, yet renovating or reconstructing your basement is a lot more different from refurbishing your upper floors. Environmental factors have a bigger role to play while you are into your basement remodelling. Humid conditions, moisture, excessive heat, and an intrusion of pests can be some of the leading factors that can cause trouble and mistakes in the basement renovations. Here are some of the common basement remodelling mistakes to avoid-
1) Constructing the humid basement- Since basements lie underground, they can easily fall prey to the humid conditions due to the hydro pressure of water lying below the foundation. The moisture can rise to the floors and walls, making them damped quickly. Remodelling your basement overlooking this major issue can lead to problems. The weak walls and floors may not support the new work, and it may get damaged quickly. Therefore, you must inspect the place and repair moisture-affected areas. Later, use dehumidifiers to keep the place dry.
2) Avoid the cluster- If your basement is spacious and large, consider yourself lucky. You can experiment a lot with open space and utilize it to the best of the needs. If you are worried about the visible plumbing line, wiring or other electrical fixtures then using wall facades and plasters can hide them all. You do not have to waste your space by making chaos out of it. That is why do not create a cluster of rooms and add extra partitions. It will make your place look packed and less functional, thereby increasing the moisture levels. To plan the layout well, hire basement renovators.
3) Using cheap insulation- Insulating a place is a complicated process, and one cannot afford it doing again and again. So avoid using elements like loose fibreglass, wooden studs and drywall since they are organic and easily absorb moisture present in the basement. Using them in your basement is no less than a disaster as they make ideal conditions for the growth of mold spores. Therefore, go with waterproof and inorganic insulation material that will deter the growth of molds and stay for longer.
4) Installing wooden subfloors- Many people install wooden subfloors in their basement, but they suit well to the upper floors. As discussed earlier, anything organic is not suitable for the basement. However, many of you might trust your manufacturer who says they are treated with mold-resistant chemicals but don’t be so gullible and invest in other material subfloors like laminate or vinyl floors.
5) Not going for weatherstripping- Weatherstripping keeps the water away from your basement. When there are heavy rains or snow, the basement being below the foundation of your house can easily let water in. In that case, it becomes necessary to block the basement entry points with weatherstripping.
