The Basics of Basement Design
By Jim Stewart
A beautifully executed basement design can give you the perfect space for entertaining, a den for family activities, a game room, and even a basement bar. This is a great do it yourself project. It is out of the busy part of the house so you do not have to be finished in one weekend. Your basement should be brighter lit than above-grade rooms. Do this with both natural (outdoor daylight) and artificial lighting. Use large windows where ever possible and keep the to an open floor plan. Light colors are preferred as they help make the basement feel larger. Bright or dramatic color schemes will be the goal for your basement design.
The basement bar may be the focal point of your basement design. It is usually virtually impossible to remove any posts or columns as they support the weight of your house. You can design new walls to conceal the necessary posts and columns whenever possible. There are lots of do it yourself plans available in magazines, on-line or at the local building supplies store. The basement bar is the perfect place to use mirrors to decorate the walls. If any air ducts or plumbing need to be relocated, run them along walls or beams. This leaves the ceilings higher in the centre of rooms, where it is critical to have more headroom.
If water is going to enter the house it most likely to be in the basement, so keep this in mind when choosing the flooring. The basement bar floor will of course be tiles or vinyl. Carpet may be installed, in the rest of the basement, of course, but you should consider using more water resistant floor coverings such as tiles, vinyl or area rugs (these can be easily taken up and dried out or cleaned). Your basement design can use the hard floors to an advantage by installing heated floors or perhaps the tiles create a checkerboard design in the recreation room.
About the Author
Jim Stewart
has been involved with home construction and improvement for over 40 years as a tradesman, contractor and site supervisor and has seen the entire spectrum of home improvement. Jim is a student of the industry and gladly passes on what he has learned. Jim is now the also the publisher of
http://www.Basement-Central.com/ and http://www.best-kitchens.com/
Jim can be contacted at Homes42005@yahoo.com
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