2 minute read
Considering Finishing Your Basement?
Expert Contributor article by Tom Rafferty, Owner of Rafferty Painting & General Contracting
Finishing your basement is a great idea and can add more living space and value to your home. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work for some basements because of their size, the mechanical layout or other variables.
Most older homes were not designed to be finished. Here are some key things that will help you determine if such a project is feasible for your basement.
1. Do you have a lot of pipes and wires on the ceiling areas?
2. Are the heater, hot water heater and electrical box located in one area or spread out in various basement locations?
3. Is the ceiling height low? (often the case in older homes)
4. Is the floor level or buckled?
5. Does the floor take on water?
6. Are the walls deteriorating?
7. If you’re hoping to add a half- or full-bath in the basement, how feasible and how much expense will that add to the project?
Now, all these issues can be corrected, but will substantially increase the price of the remodeling project. You have to consider the price in relationship to the amount of square footage you will gain.
When finishing your basement, remember these important things that should be done or used.
1. Make sure pressure-treated lumber is used on the framing. At a minimum, the bottom plate has to be pressure-treated.
2. Make sure any deteriorated walls are scraped and coated with the dry lock waterproofing paint.
3. Most importantly, if there is any chance of water getting into your basement, we recommend installing a French drain. There’s nothing worse than finishing your basement and finding out you have water problems after the fact.
4. Make sure walls are insulated with the proper R value insulation.
5. Make sure a vapor barrier is installed behind the wall, covering all insulation and studs.
6. Make sure there’s proper airflow to prevent any mold or mildew from accumulating.
If you and your contractor determine that your basement is a viable candidate for a remodeling project, your contractor will then provide you with a detailed proposal including your agreed-upon specifications. As the project progresses and nears completion, you and your contractor should agree on what is completed to your satisfaction, what’s still to be done and the completion timeline.
Expert Contributor Tom Rafferty, Owner of Rafferty Painting & General Contracting
PAINTING & GENERAL CONTRACTING
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