Homeowners who are lucky enough to have a full or a partial basement may be ignoring a potential real estate gold mine by leaving it unfinished. According to many surveys, basement remodeling ranks third, just behind kitchen and bathroom renovations, in measures that can be taken to raise the value of a home.

Why you should consider a Basement renovation

Remodeling your basement can provide you with not only additional living space downstairs but can free up space above ground too. By moving an older child’s bedroom to the basement (an idea that is very appealing to many teenagers) or creating a central entertainment room there, it frees up space to change the way your home looks overall.

Bring your business home

The basement is also a great place for a home office. You will get far more work done in an environment that is separated from the traffic of the rest of the house and that is specifically designed for the purpose of conducting business.

The possibilities are in fact endless. Before any work begins at all, most basements have structural issues that will need to be addressed first, in order for the renovation to be successful. Usually the number one issue to contend with in any basement is moisture.

Address problems first

Even if your basement is considered ‘finished” already, calling on the services of a professional water proofing expert is money very well spent. They can help you determine where you basement is vulnerable to moisture problems and offer you solid, lasting solutions to the problem. There can be no more distressing scenario than spending a good amount of money to renovate your basement space only to have it all undone by moisture problems and water leaks.

Moisture may be hiding

Moisture is also a factor that should be taken in to consideration when choosing flooring. Installing a sub floor is always advisable, as although the carpet sales clerk may tell you that his products can be installed right over a concrete floor, it is never a good idea. The warm (and possibly slightly moist) air in the basement can creep through the carpets fibers and cause a layer of mildew to form underneath it, which not only makes for an unappealing damp smell it can also be bad for your health too.

The importance of insulation

The way you choose to heat and insulate your basement area can make a real difference to the moisture level and air quality too. Fiberglass is an ideal insulating material for many basement rooms but polystyrene can be almost as effective and tends to retain less moisture, which can actually be a bonus in the basement room. When it comes to heating, your existing furnace (which is probably located right in your basement anyway) may be sufficient, but adding radiant floor heating of some kind may help reduce the dust and debris that builds up in the area.

Finally, in most cases running a good dehumidifier in your remodeled basement area can easily take care of any lingering moisture issues that remain.

By Melanie Rivera