Thinking of transforming your Lawrenceville, GA basement from a dark, creepy, musty storage space into a fabulous, bright living space where you can entertain family and friends? This will help you avoid the costly, time-consuming, and downright annoying hassles you don’t want in your amazing new basement! The key to avoiding many basement design mistakes is to get professional, experienced help. Unica Construction’s design-build team can help you avoid these six common basement mistakes and many more:
Creating Too Many Tiny Rooms
That basements are underground can make many people feel claustrophobic, so you want to design a space that doesn’t feel underground. This means creating lots of light and open space.
While it’s okay to add a few pieces, consider open-space options like in-line cabinets and built-in wall shelves.
Whether you’re designing a family recreation room, entertainment room, man cave, or in-lawsuit, be sure to choose basement design ideas that are open, airy, and light.
Forgetting the Waterproofing
Again, subsoil makes basements extremely susceptible to water damage. Every time a pipe bursts, a drain gets clogged, or it rains heavily, puddles (even lakes) can form there, costing thousands of dollars in damage.
Even small amounts of excess moisture can cause mold and mildew, two other things you definitely want to avoid (see #4 below for more on this topic).
Your design-build team can help by ensuring your design includes the following basement waterproofing elements:
- a sump pump
- good drainage
- waterproof building materials
Exceptional finished basement with tiled floor, pool table.
Not Adding Soundproofing to the Design
There are two main reasons soundproofing is essential to your basement renovation project:
- If you’re turning your basement into an entertainment room, it could get noisy.
- Many of your home’s mechanical systems live in the basement, buzzing, humming, and clicking at all hours. It can be off-putting if you are converting your basement into a master suite or guest apartment. All that background noise can bother you during movies, too.
There are several ways to add soundproofing to your basement, including creating extra space between layers of the wall or using sound deadening padding.
Our design-build team can make the best soundproofing recommendations based on your needs and basement design.
Installing the Wrong Lighting
Choosing the right lighting for your basement renovation is essential, not only for ambiance and space reasons but also for safety.
As the naturally darkest area of your home, you’ll need plenty of light to make it brighter to avoid security issues.
Discreet, space-saving recessed lighting is an obvious choice for basements due to low ceilings, but you’ll want to check the insulation in your basement ceilings first.
Depending on the type of insulation you have, you may need to install IC-rated bulbs to avoid fire hazards.
Depending on the height of your basement ceilings, you can also install pendant lights or other hanging lights.
Also consider built-in lighting on shelves, along walls, and other ways to bring more light into this normally dark space.
Neglecting Building Permits and Proper Egress (Emergency Exits)
Brand new furnished modern house basement
Proper exit means having safe and essential exit methods in case of an emergency.
Not only is this a safety issue to keep in mind for the safety of your family and friends, but ignoring this code and other building codes can also cost you dearly.
Insurance companies will make you pay. Building inspectors will charge you. Potential buyers may cross you off their list if you try to sell.
Your design-build team at Riverside Construction in Lafayette will help ensure that essential door and window exits are added to the design from the start and that the stairs are strong and safe.
Plus, if you don’t get the right permits for your construction project, it can also cause you a lot of expense and inconvenience.
Riverside Construction helps owners obtain the proper permits and ensures that all design plans meet the latest building and safety codes.
Do Your Basement Remodel Right the First Time
Remodeling your basement beautifully and safely can add a lot of value to your home, but only if you hire an expert to help you avoid these and other basement remodeling mistakes.
Your design-build team can also help you stick to your budget and use the right waterproof building materials that will withstand the moisture issues that can occur in any basement.
