Finishing your Basement in a Cost Effective Manner
Posted by admin in Long Island Basements on March 9th, 2010
Tough times call for tough measures. While the ongoing fiscal downturn has put many basement finishing plans on hold, many others are looking to go ahead with their plans and are looking at economical yet good ways of turning their basements into living spaces. Given below are a few tips that should help you do just that.
The first thing you would need to do is to figure out what you want to do with the basement. While this seems like an obvious step, the options that one has are truly varied. You could choose to convert your basement into office space (thereby saving on office rental), or you could simply choose to create a play area for your children. Knowing in advance of what you exactly want will result in your saving on unnecessary irrelevant expenditure. It is also a good idea to draw a plan and itemize it at the very onset.
As part of your initial planning, also set a timeline for the project. For instance, if you do not find time during the week, you can schedule to work upon the basement during weekends and plan accordingly. Your plan should ideally tell you how much work would go into refinishing your basement and this should help you in devising an estimated timeline. In deciding when to start, try to make sure that you do not have to give the project an extended break half way through.
Decorating a refinished basement is an important aspect of the project and should not be overlooked, as this is what would help incorporate the basement into your main living space. If you intend to use your basement as a den, you could choose to set up an inexpensive mini bar with minimalist seating. Remember that you do not have to splurge in decorating your basement, as there are a number of fairly economical options that you can opt for.
It is also a good idea if you can get some knowledge about interior design and construction as this could result in your saving money that you would have otherwise spent in seeking professional help. Besides, with a tight budget, a ‘do it yourself’ basement finishing project can be a great alternative. In looking for basement remodeling finishing ideas and tips you can go through home improvement magazines and books, and the internet is a great source for any information that you might need pertaining to finishing your basement.
Planning the expenses that you would have to bear is also important. In planning the costs at the very onset, you would have a clear idea of the options that suit your budget and the ones that do not. Also, in planning out your expenses at the very onset, you could also look to buy your required material at discounted prices.
Also, since you would have to deal pipes in finishing your basement, some knowledge about plumbing could help you avoid employing a plumber. However, with water playing havoc in many basements, it is best to take professional help if you have any apprehensions about doing the plumbing yourself.
Remember that if you can adhere to the aforementioned points about refinishing your basement, your project does not have to cost a bomb.
Your online source for information on how to finish a basement.
Basement Finishing Ideas For DIY Enthusiasts
Posted by admin in Long Island Basements on March 8th, 2010
Basements can be a major selling point when it comes to real estate. Many people like having a finished basement for many different reasons. For some it is a recreation room where they can set up a pool table or a ping-pong table.
For some it is a storage area, a great place to put things that won’t fit in the attic. For many, however, it is a wasted area that is partly storage, partly a game room, and mostly unused. But, for those of you with a little DIY heating and plumbing knowledge and the ability to get a home remodeling loan, the basement can easily be turned into the best spot in the house.
Why Remodel The Basement?
Most basements in America were not built for much of anything except extra storage space. They are usually left unfinished by the builder with nothing more than a 60-watt light in the middle of a large, open room. The biggest reason to remodel your basement is because of all the useable square footage that it will provide. There is a lot of wasted space in a basement because it was never finished enough to be able to do anything with it. All the other reasons for remodeling come in the form of what you will be able to use the space for.
I think that the best use for a basement is to convert it into an entertaining area. It is very nice to have a place to bring a lot of guests to without worrying about the whole house getting trashed. There is also a lot of benefit as far as noise goes. If the party is always in the basement, the noise will never reach the complaining neighbors! It is also a very unique entertaining experience to have a separate, slightly isolated area for entertaining. And so, the question now is, how can you make a dull, lifeless basement transform into an exciting, vibrant entertainment area? Here are a few basement-finishing ideas to help you out.
Make it warm and inviting
Basements are usually cold and inconvenient, that is why nobody ever goes down into them. Start with a heating and air conditioning upgrade. Run a few heating and air vents throughout the basement so that every section of it stays nice. A wise thing to do would be to allow the basement heat and air to be turned off when no one is using the basement in order to save money. Basement lighting is also quite inadequate most of the time. Run a few wires around and add more light. Be careful when working with electricity, as this is one of the most common causes of residential construction accidents.
Section it off
It isn’t that difficult to add a few walls here and there. Throw up a few walls for a bathroom, add some dividers to separate a kitchen area, and even put a small bedroom to accommodate guests. The addition of a few walls will make the basement much more appealing.
Put in a bathroom
When entertaining, you do not want to have to ask your guests to walk upstairs in order to use the bathroom, especially if you are serving alcoholic beverages, which increase traffic to the restroom exponentially. You also do not want to house guests in your basement and make them travel upstairs in order to brush their teeth or wash their face. A small bathroom, with or without a shower, will be a huge asset. Check out a lot of different bathroom designs in order to find the one that suits your situation. If you will not be sleeping guests in the basement, all you need is a toilet and sink. If you will have people staying in the basement, it would be nice to have a nice shower, sink, toilet, and closet space. Someone with a little DIY plumbing knowledge and an eye for bathroom design can put in a nice bathroom very easily.
Use it often
There is no point in doing anything to a basement if you are not going to do anything in the basement. Once you have put all the time and effort into remodeling, don’t let it gather any dust. But be careful, with a nice finished basement, you may never have a quiet night to yourself ever again!
Isabel Baldry is a freelance writer who writes passionately about a number of subjects. She has contributed more about home remodeling and basement finishing here.
Home Building 101: Basement Finishing Ideas
Posted by admin in Long Island Basements on March 7th, 2010
Home Building 101: Basement Finishing Ideas
Hot Basement Ideas for Room Layouts
Your basement can be the most diverse area in your home. What should you include? Many people include a bathroom, bedroom, game room, storage room, and a home theater if your budgeting allows. If you need a place for your book collection or a spare room for your guests, your basement may be among your best bets. What are other ideas for getting the most use of your basement? Lets answer this question while ensuring we fit your personality and your individual lifestyle.
Library or Shelving
Basements are quiet areas. What a good spot for a reading room! Snuggled in your newly finished basement you now have the chance to enjoy your favorite books in peace and quiet. You still are inside your home just in case you are wanted upstairs.
Make sure your books are away from the window light to avoid sun exposure. Ceiling lighting is almost always needed inside the basement, so be sure to plan out your light fixtures to illuminate your basement lighting correctly. Mix strong task lighting with direct ambient lighting. Look over the light bulb packages and lighting fixture boxes at your supply store if you do not have the time to look up the definition of lighting and the lighting terms I stated seem like another language!
Movie Room
The movie room also called the home theater or entertainment room is among the most popular in finished off home basements. Proper Planning is essential before the basement finishing off process starts. Speaker wiring, cable wiring, and electrical wiring all need to be included prior to having any work done.
Wine cellar
Basements are often including the option of a Wine Cellar. Do you have a large collection of wine? Consider having something larger than a shelf for storing your bottles. Having an entire room designated for this very purpose is a very intriguing and fascinating idea indeed! It actually is quite simple to achieve adding this delicacy to your home. Basements are usually cool and dry. This is the environment needed to keep wines. Ideal temperatures range within 48 to 56 degrees Fahrenheit. If you live in an area with a hot climate, you will probably need to Move Away. 
I mean – buy an air conditioner or air exchanger.
Home Work Out Area
This area has cluttered many a basement that was just too small for including it. Often a membership to your local YMCA (No Affiliation so I Hope I’m O.k. with stating this in my article) “Y” “M” “C” “A”, the “y” “M” “C” “A” … O.K. enough singing.
When basements are large enough, you may transform basements into fitness centers. Basements including treadmills, or lots of fitness equipment, can easily fit into your space with the right planning. Home sauna’s are now popular in basements for when the work out is complete. They can be bought pre-made, equipped with your favorite C.D. or players, and use regular electrical outlets for power.
Recreation and Family Rooms
Living rooms in basements are wonderful areas to hang out. Keep in mind people also use this basement area for entertainment purposes. A separate family room will allow your family to engage in different activities and relax without having to worry about keeping it in Tip Top shape if someone should happen to stop in. If you have small children, a carpeted floor or rugs are ideal for a play areas.
Hope this helps – Sincerely wishing you remodeling success!
Build Writewell enjoys spending time with his lovely wife and young son. He loves the outdoor activities such as fishing, softball, playing catch, and shooting hoops as well as boating. He is the proud author of http://www.brandsconstruction.com/Blogb2/index.php http://www.HomePlansforFree.com
http://www.BrandsConstruction.com
7 Great Basement Design Ideas
Posted by admin in Long Island Basements on March 6th, 2010
Do you have a big, cold, wasted basement under your house? If you do, this is a great opportunity to turn that room into something exciting and in some cases even free up more room upstairs. Basement design ideas are as good as you want to make them and the more you use your imagination, the better ideas you will come up with. Here are 7 time tested basement ideas that can add to your home and make it an exciting place to live:
1) Basement Home Theater – Or maybe just a big TV room if you choose. With the proliferation of reasonably priced LCD flat screens now. this basement design idea is one of the most popular. If you turn your basement into a movie/TV room you can set up great speakers and have a great movie experience whenever you want. It may even save you money on movie tickets!
2) Basement Workout Room – More and more people are buying tread mills, weight sets, and elliptical machines and what better place to put them than in the basement. Do up the room nicely and you have yourself your own private gym!
3) Basement Workshop – If you have enough lighting and door space to get things in and out, a basement workshop might be right for you. Working in your basement in the cold winter months would be a lot nicer than in that cold garage.
4) Basement Bar / Entertainment Room – If you don’t have enough space to entertain upstairs, you might consider moving the party downstairs. This is a great idea for some smaller houses. If you can put in a mini kitchen in the basement and some fun furniture you are ready to party!
5) Basement Office – Many people need to work at home in today’s modern world and moving the office downstairs to the basement is a great idea to separate work from play. Making a basement office also frees up a bedroom or the den where the office was.
6) Basement Game Room – Put in a pool table or a ping pong table along with a big TV and you have yourself a game room for everyone to enjoy. Adding a pinball machine will really add to the ambience of the game room!
7) Guest Bedroom – Turn your basement into the guest bedroom and free up a room upstairs for yourself. This will work best if the basement has a bathroom and a shower of course.
These are just some of the basement ideas you can use to make your basement into a room that is used instead of one that just sits there empty.
For more great ideas on what to do with your basement and pictures please go to Basement Ideas.
What is the Cost to Dig a Basement?
Posted by admin in Long Island Basements on March 5th, 2010
The cost to dig a basement hole on our 1800 sq. ft. house was only $790. However, I have a feeling you want to know more than simply the cost of digging the basement hole.
Some of the other costs that you likely want to know about are::
……..You need to dig the basement hole, which as I said was $790.
……..How about pouring footings and foundations, which costs $6 to $7K
…….Then there is pouring flatwork cement for a tune of $1.00+ per square foot x 1800 sq ft = $1800.
…….Putting in sub-rough plumbing which can be $1,000 plus the cost of gravel and the excavator’s charges.
win
…….There’s the windows for your basement which includes window bucks of close to $500 (4 windows) and the corrugated window wells of $500 …total $1000 + or -.
…….The actual windows cost $400+ depending on if you have a walkout basement with sliding glass doors, which would be plus the cost of the sliders.
…….Sealing the basement walls to prevent water leakage through the walls will be another several hundred dollars.
…….The cost to backfill around your basement adds a few hundred more.
…….Now the last question is how big is your basement going to be?
That $790 figure of digging a basement suddenly became a whole lot more didn’t it? The reality is, however, that the real cost only involves a few of the above: digging the hole, flatwork cement, and windows, window bucks and window wells.
You still have to either poor a cement slab, or put in footings and foundations, which in the case of the later, go down to frost level. You still have backfill whether you have a basement or not. You still have sub-rough plumbing, with gravel before the slab. With a slab you will have furnace ducting to consider too.
Even though you have all the above items to consider in building a basement, it is still only a few thousand dollars more to add a basement, in comparison to the total cost of building your home.
Considering that your home may be worth $250 thousand to $400,000, your basement will probably only cost $7K-$10K+ added to the cost. All things considered, there isn’t a better investment for that extra 10K in comparison to doubling the living space of the first level, that a basement adds.
As an example, consider the storage space it adds to your home. If you didn’t have to rent storage space, what would it save you each month? Or wouldn’t it be nice to park the car in the garage instead of using it for storage space?
In addition, the basement maintains an even temperature of around 59 degrees all year, so the cost of air conditioning in the summer is drastically reduced when compared with air-conditioning an upper story with the same amount of floor space.
If you build your home on a hillside, a walkout basement makes for a nice feature opening up the basement so it doesn’t feel so “deep” in the ground.
Many people are putting home theaters in the area of the basement that doesn’t have any windows.
The furnace, hot water tank and water softener can all go in the basement utility-furnace room and not take up precious main floor living space.
Some areas of the country are too close to sea level to have a basement, but if you live inland, having a basement is a real advantage when compared to the cost of putting one in. To dig a basement is a an economical way to increase the square footage of your home.
In reality, what is the cost to dig a basement? Very little, and the benefits far outweigh the negatives.
Linda Baxter is a piano teacher, and stay at home mom of nine children, (22 grandchildren) who acted as General Contractor for building their retirement home. She hired and paid subcontractors, was overseer of all construction work (with the help of her husband, RL), and did most of this from her ?armchair?.and telephone. She freely shares her experiences on her website, http://www.home-built4u.com, hoping to help other potential owner/builders escape some of the pitfalls she and RL experienced, of being their own GC.BIO
How to Effectively Manage Remodeling Your Basement
Posted by admin in Long Island Basements on March 4th, 2010
Purchasing a new home is often very exciting, scary, and a little disappointing. New homes are great but they often do not come with finished basements. Some homeowners can’t have the basement finished when they first buy. This can lead to cramped spaces with a new family just starting out. After all, everyone needs their own space to take the occasional time out.
Often families, that are growing (new kids, new pets, new grandparents), look to the unfinished basement for their expansion needs. They just need more living area for everyone. However, there are a few things to remember before diving into remodeling your basement.
The Difference Between a Hole in the Ground and a Roughed in Basement
Many older homes have basements if you can call them that. Nothing more than a hole with some concrete and paint, they leave a lot to be desired. Some newer home if not all of them have a basement roughed in but not finished. Builders want to keep the costs down and leave the basement finishing to the new owners. Often basements are not included when they are constructed to save money.
However, older homes almost always have them in some form or another. The problem with many of these old basements is that they were not built to be living spaces; just dirty holes with rain water storage. Many of the older basements have cracked, concrete floors, issues with mildew, and leak during the spring thaw. Many remodeling issues are even difficult to the professional contractor. The difference is they have prior experience to help them out. Let alone a novice homeowner. All this means is the remodeling of your basement should be considered a project that requires time and planning ahead of any work to be completed. You have to be sure your investment is not washed away with the first heavy rain storm hits.
Stopping up the Water Problems is Number One Priority
If you know you have water problems, you have to take care of those before you start remodeling a basement. This is not always easy. Often this critical step is not always affordable. There are times when it is nearly impossible to do it. Some older basements have stone walls that are pieced together with mortar. Those walls routinely have water running through them and it is difficult to make this type of foundation water tight. Just a little water goes a long way. Dripping in over time, a basement carpet can harbor mold and be soggy even though the actual source is extremely hard to track down.
As New Homes Settle Problems Can Creep Up
Newer basements are more secure and are generally build better but even some of them have major problems due to settling of the ground around the house. If you suspect or know you have problems, have someone come in and tell you the probability of fixing things right so you can continue with your plans for remodeling the basement. A few dollars and a couple of weeks to get issues corrected right from the beginning will alleviate many expensive corrections down the road. No one wants to rip apart a new sheet rocked wall to fix a condensation problem when that could have take 10 minutes and a few feet of plastic to fix. Think the entire basement remodeling effort out from the beginning. Think like a project manager or contractor and divide the work out into phases.
Getting Advice is Important; Especially for Electrical Work
Once you are sure you will not have water problems, you can start your endeavor. However, remember that a basement is underground. There can be problems with ventilation, light, and heating. You may want to start remodeling a basement on your own to save money. But if you really don’t know what you are doing, you should find someone to advise you before you begin. This is especially true for the electrical work and wiring. There are strict building codes related to electrical design. This particular area it is often better to higher a professional. The small cost of this will be worth it if you can avoid some of the common problems some have when remodeling any part of the home.
How to Avoid Building Your own Money Pit
Remodeling a basement can be an expensive venture. The last thing you want is to find all of your hard work and hard earned dollars have gone to waste. Without the proper planning, any project can run into delays and disaster. This is even more often the case for a basement remodel that you attempt yourself. It is never wasted money to ask for expert advice when you lack the experience to do it right.
It is true you can save money by doing some of the easier things yourself. When you consider the risk of doing it wrong, you may decide and feel more comfortable with the water issues, heating and cooling design, and any plumbing work if you make sure a contractor takes a look or actually does the work. Effectively managing the build out or remodeling of your basement is never easy but it can be done.
At Solargies, our goal is to spread the use of renewable solar energy as simply and as rapidly as possible. Daniel Stouffer is a freelance writer and solar energy consultant. Find out how to rent a solar energy system at: => http://www.EcoCrews.com
The Benefits of Adding a Basement Bedroom
Posted by admin in Long Island Basements on March 2nd, 2010
Adding a bedroom to the basement is much less expensive and time consuming than adding a bedroom on to the house. Still, as in any other remodeling projects, adding a bedroom to the basement takes some time and planning.
Adding an egress window to new construction is roughly around $800-$1200; adding to a retro-fit is roughly $2,000 to $3,500. Add a bedroom to the basement is much less costly and time consuming to add in a bedroom of the house. However, as in any other remodeling project, adding a basement room to take some time and planning.
Finishing off a basement is a great choice for homeowners. It makes more use of your entire house, it doesn’t require costly additions because the space is already there, and it adds value to your home. Finished rooms in the lower level are listed under the Basement Finish section on these property records.
Egress windows must be put in any basement if you are planning on having a bedroom or living area. Egress windows are required in every room used for sleeping purposes (bedrooms) on any floor and in basements with habitable space. If you are constructing a new home, the code requires that you put an egress window in each bedroom. Egress means a way out or exit, so a basement egress window is an exit or means of escape generally in case of fire. Basement windows used to be tiny spaces that allowed a slight amount of light into the basement.
Heating ducts typically run in the ceiling of the basement (since there is not an empty floor below to run the ducts). Ducts extending from the ceiling down to the floor help heat the cold floors of the basement. If cold air returns are needed they can come from the ceiling or be brought down the walls also. Usually a standard basement comes with a few basement heats and you may just be lucky enough that you can hook up into one of them.
All plans for a finished basement installation are subject to all applicable local building codes and regulations, including, without limitation, if applicable, the issuance of valid building permit(s). As the installation of the finished basement takes place, each and every mechanical trade, including Heating and cooling, Plumbing, Fireplace and Electrical must be inspected. If any of these inspections happen to fail, all corrections must be made in order to continue with the work schedule.
Finished rooms in the Basement are listed under the Basement Finish section of property records. Finishing space in the basement is especially great for creating rooms that can be used in order to get away from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the house. You can actually get work done in office space in the basement because you are not right next to the living room or the kitchen (rooms which tend to be the activity hubs of the house).
As always just be sure to do your homework when trying to find the best contractor for the job. The lowest price is not always the best way to go and if you choose to make your final decision on just that fact, be prepared to be disappointed most of the time.
DiCicco Building Company has been a Michigan Remodeling contractor for over 20 years. We are also leaders in Kitchen and Bath Remodeling along with being an award winning custom residential home builder. We also specialize in Finished Basements and home additions.
Basement Waterproofing in Indiana With Ice Guard
Posted by admin in Long Island Basements on March 1st, 2010
Leaky basements and problems with crawl spaces occur almost in all houses. Indiana homeowners face this problem more frequently and persistently as the climate and the soil of this region is very humid, often resulting in damp basements and water seepage into the lower rungs of a house. Basement waterproofing is a basement repair service that holds a place of prime importance for homeowners, especially in wet and humid regions like Indiana.
Wet basements almost always lead to cracked walls and weak foundations, with black mold and carpet mold growing in the crawl spaces. These days, basement repair services and their allied facilities like mold removal companies are thriving as business ventures. However, employing good basement waterproofing contractors is not easy, and should be employed only after a thorough market research. The home contractors might also be able to guide the homeowner with some experienced assistance in the search.
Waterproofing the basement or crawl space can be done in many ways, some of which are technical and some are manual. Sump pumps, crawl space vapour barriers and crawl space vent fans are some of the most popular technical gadgets used as crawl space dehumidifiers to maintain a dry basement. French drains, ‘tanking’, helical piers, crawl space liners and other types of basement drains help keep the basement clean of mold. But basement waterproofing becomes complex during the winters, when water in the pipes, sump pump discharge avenues and crawlspace drainage tend to freeze.
During such times, it is necessary to use Ice Guard to save your basement from flooding. Sump pump discharge lines, when frozen, can create major problems for any homeowner in Indiana as the weather is particularly harsh here during winters. This problem takes a worse shape than in other similar types of regions because of the harsh weather conditions in Indiana. The Ice Guard has perforations through which the water can get an exit point, the normal one being frozen or snowed shut. It is also useful when basement drainage lines get covered in snow or ice.
The fact that the Ice Guard system is completely automatic is another advantage for homeowners in Indiana. Homeowners can, therefore, pay more attention to foundation repair tasks and basement remodelling plans. It is energy-saving for the homes too. For a homeowner, basements are not usually the foremost concern as far as resale value and interior design is concerned. But a good, dry basement always enhances the complete look and the resale price of a house. Make sure to go for some of the most trusted basement repair companies for your basement waterproofing needs.
Crawl space moisture not only damages basements but also degrades the level of hygiene at home. So it is wiser to use all the available measures for guarding against basement water leaks in the houses in Indiana.
Jonathon Lester is the Webmaster of the basement repair company Indiana Foundation Service, which has been serving the homeowners of Indiana for years with quality basement waterproofing and repair systems. He has been highly instrumental in helping the people of Indiana fight the problem of water leakage that has plagued the state for over 100 years. Indiana Foundation Service is by far, one of the most sought after crawl space waterproofing contractors today in Indiana, USA.
Is There A Better Use For Your Basement?
Posted by admin in Long Island Basements on February 28th, 2010
Basements are the base of a structure: they are the room formed by the foundation, and are, as a rule, always underground. There are several different styles of basements.
Cellars:
Cellar style basements are very common in older houses and are designed to keep perishable good cool throughout the year. People often store wine and preserves in such a basement. This style of basement was especially prolific during WWII, and they became make-shift bomb shelters all throughout Europe.
Crawlspaces:
A crawlspace style basement is exactly what it sounds like: a room through which one is forced to crawl or crouch. These are often only a foot tall, and claustrophobics are generally advised to keep away from them. This is the rarest type of basement, as they are innately more dangerous than other styles, and also expose the house to a higher termite risk, as well as other problems.
Daylight Basements:
This style of basement is also referred to as a walk out basement, and is used in houses that are situated on slopes. This style of basement is only half underground, but allows an occupant to exit through the basement out of a back door. The design for daylight basements is decidedly modern: the complexity of building a house on an uneven foundation makes it difficult to ensure that the foundation is below the frost level, even in places where the basement is above grade.
Lookout Basements:
These basements are the exact opposite of crawlspaces: they extend further above grade than other styles of basements, adding the benefit of above-ground windows. While these first came into being as a result of slightly uneven construction sites, the design was so popular that people would implement it even when their home was to be built on level ground. This sort of basement is also the most economical, as it helps reduce excavation costs.
Walk-up Basements:
Any basement with a staircase leading outside is referred to as a walkup basement. This design often features angled doors, which helps keep the weather off of the stairwell. Generally speaking, the basement is the largest room in the house. Scarcely decorated and often containing the water heater, washer and drier, basements can still be turned into the best room in the house.
Carpeting can be applied, but many basements feature a septic drain that must be topped off with some sort of liquid in order to prevent sewer gasses from seeping up into the house. If you are mindful of where these liquids migrate, carpeting will not be a problem. Even without carpeting, one can furnish a basement with all the necessities of a good workshop, a raucous game room, or even a cozy bedroom nook. All it takes is a little elbow grease.
Now there is a gallery of powerful information yours for the taking. Decide now to improve your home decor, reduce stress and impove the quality of your life. Click here: Basement Remodeling
“Long Island Contractor Will Build Your Basement With No Worries”
Creating extra living space affordably has never been easier. This Contractor shows dozens of different uses for basement spaces, then shows their clients exactly how they will accomplish each task. Spaces include adding an extra bathroom, a family room, bedroom, home office, kitchen or game room to their homes.
A basement can be as fine a living space as any other area of the house. Basements present their own challenges, such as moisture, lack of heat and light, among other issues, but many ideas are available to remedy these.
Click here to get a reliable Long Island basement contractor.
