Basement Remodeling
Beaverton Oregon
Why Remodel?
If you are fortunate enough to have an unfinished dry basement in Beaverton, you might as well be sitting on a gold mine when it comes to additional living space. For so many homeowners a basement is just an large closet. A few imaginative basement ideas should help you tap into all that extra square footage and add a eye-catching addition to your home. With that in mind, the reason that so many basements remain “unfinished” is that basement remodeling can be quite challenging.
Although there are numerous ways to transform your basement into one of the more inviting rooms in your home, you need to first ensure the space is livable. There is a huge difference between the other rooms in your home and your basement, and they come with their own unique challenges. Because of this, it is vitally important that you understand these challenges if you are going to be sensible about any changes you may want to make.
There are a number of things you need to consider: whether the basement has excess moisture; whether it has provisions for heating and cooling; whether it has ducts and pipes below the ceiling joists that may need relocation; whether it is radon-free, and whether your ceiling is high enough.
What will be the purpose of the new space?
Once you have determined that your basement can be remodeled, then you must determine the best use of the space. Because of the low-light environment of a basement one of the most common uses is that of a home theater. Obviously that is an option, but there are many different ways to use your basement, including a home gym, mother-in-law suite, home office, or even an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) to generate extra income.
The number of possibilities is almost limitless, and you can even incorporate two or more ideas if you have the space. When deciding on what to do with your basement, try to remember that all your ideas will need to comply with specific building codes. For instance, if you decide to turn the space into a bedroom, you may need several means of egress, so you would need windows that are big enough to fit through in case of a house fire.
What do I do with all my junk?
Typically, an unfinished basement slowly becomes a storage area for all the junk you accumulate. Which means that all this stuff needs to be moved elsewhere when you renovate your basement. You may need to still commit some of the basement room for storage reasons rather than using it all up as finished space. However, you can also find more creative ways to create storage areas in your house. For instance, you could build shelving or small closets under the stairwell, have shelves along the walls enclosed behind small doors, or use stock cabinetry as storage chests and bench seats.
What are your flooring choices?
Flooring options for the basement are limited simply because the room is below ground level. While a carpet may be your first choice for covering the floor of your basement, you do not want to have to contend with mold and mildew. Perpetually wet carpet is irritating, but the mold that it could result in can resulted in medical conditions for your family as well as costly remediation costs to eliminate it. If there is any kind of moisture concerns in your basement then you should consider waterproofing before you consider your flooring options. However, this does not mean that carpets are not appropriate choices for all basements. If you basement doesn’t have moisture issues, there’s no reason at all why you shouldn’t get carpet.
Fortunately, even with a basement floor that is sure to get wet, there are good flooring alternatives to choose from. You could go with a sub-floor specifically made for use in basements. These are constructed to form a shield against any moisture that might permeate the concrete slab below. Believe it or not, all-in-one options do exist. They consist of plastic sub-floor tiles fused to a finished floor surface. Stained or colored concrete is an additional alternative that assures you never have to worry about mold, and you can combine this with in-floor radiant heat for a design and style that is both attractive and comfortable.
Beaverton Basement Finishing
It is worth mentioning again, when it comes to basement remodeling the building code is the most important aspect. Making sure your basement is up to code has to trump all other decisions. Because of this, it is always recommended to work with professionals who understand all the unique challenges that come with basement finishing. Our expert team of remodeling contractors know all the the inner workings of basement remodeling as well the building code unique to Washington County, Oregon.
Call (503) 342-8234 today for all your basement finishing needs for your Beaverton home.
CCB# 185266