Posts Tagged Long Island Basements
4 Ways of Increasing Natural Light to Your Basement
Posted by admin in Long Island Basements on December 31st, 2011
Basements are more than just a place to store things these days. For many they are an entirely separate living area used for everything from a family room to an extra bedroom. It is for this reason that you may want to bring some more natural light into the basement to bring things to life. There are several ways to accomplish this goal that will not cost you a great deal of money. Once you know your budget you will be able to select a manner that fits your situation. Listed here are a few great ways to make your space light and airy.
- If you have a basement that does not have a walk up you might consider using the current windows to the best of their ability. If you have the typical small well windows you could enlarge these windows making them longer letting in more light. If you are using the basement as another room for your family you will want an additional emergency escape route and enlarging these windows will serve that purpose. You can choose from several great types of security glass so that you do not need to compromise safety for lighting.
- If your basement is sectioned off into rooms you will want to make sure that you are bringing the light from all windows through the level. This can be done by putting in windows on the interior walls. This can be done accomplished very easily and with style by using glass brick either in clear or in colors.
- Putting in a slider door in your basement is also another great option. Not only does it provide amazing light options but it will serve as an easy access off the area to the yard. If you have this as an option because your house is on a hill and there is plenty of basement wall in the back it could be well worth the investment. This will not only let in great light but it will create a multi-function space like no other allowing you many options for the space in the future.
- For a basement that has one open space and a bulkhead you might consider creating a walkout area at the bulkhead. This may take a bit of dirt work and some re-negotiating of the space, but it is certainly a nice way to create a well lit area that can be used for almost any purpose.
- BONUS -
Long Island Basement Window
The inside sections of your windows can be made to optimize the minimal amount of natural light. Shown in the picture you can see the inner portions of the window is angled out. This allows more natural light to disperse into the living area. You can angle out the sides and bottom sections the picture shows only the bottom. Also to further this effect you can add mirrors to those inner portions. The mirrors will reflect more light into your basement. If you dont like the look of mirrors the next best thing is bright white paint with a flat finish.
Creating useful and beautiful basement space can be done with a few changes in the way you think of a basement. This space is as useful as the rest of your home and after bringing in some natural light it will be easy to see all of the possibilities. You will want to consider all of the current sources of natural light in the basement and then decide how you can highlight those to their fullest. From there you can easily see how much more light you want to bring into the room.
Long Island Contractors
How to choose the right Long Island basement Design
Posted by admin in Long Island Basements on October 24th, 2011
If you live on Long Island and have a huge basement under your home which is full of clutter, cobwebs, cockroaches, mice and other
Long Island Basements
organisms then you are plainly wasting an opportunity to make your home more fun because that essentially abandoned part of your home could be transformed into something you and your family can be proud of. Many people are seeing the need to design their Long Island basements into something useful and there is no reason why you should be left behind. Here are a couple of tips to choose the right basement design so that it will be transformed into a place you will cherish.
Long Island basements are naturally more humid and cooler compared to other parts of your home and this should be taken into account when coming up with a basement design. Even though you may want to turn that part of your home into something that can help you chill out, it will be unwise if the design will cause damage to your home and that is why you should stay away from an idea such as installing a hot tub in your basement because it will only result in excessive amounts of moisture which will result in molds and rotting of wooden areas.
It’s also important to consider shortages you may be facing in your main house and incorporate that into your basement design. For instance if you receive lots of visitors and face problems accommodating them in your main house then it may be a good idea to design your basement into a guest suite with a bathroom and other essential facilities to make your visitors as comfortable as possible. However make sure you have enough room in your basement to be able to execute this to perfection and don’t forget to install ample heating to ensure your guests don’t suffer from the lower temperatures down there.
If you and your family enjoy going to theatres to watch movies then it will be a great idea to design your basement into a movie room, equipped with large screen plasma or LCD TV, DVD player as well as surround systems to generate the ultimate movie experience. It won’t be a bad idea to have a pop corn machine installed somewhere down there and this will guarantee more family time with your spouse and kids, while saving you some movie ticket costs. On the other hand if there is lack of room for your kids to play or you realize that they are always messing up your living room then transforming your basement into a game room equipped with a large TV, couches, console games, pool tables, etc. will give your kids the chance to play and have fun.
The basement under your Long Island home can also be transformed into a workout gym, office, workshop, bar, etc. depending on your preferences and whichever design you decide to opt for, you should make sure you will get the necessary permit as well as ample lighting and escape windows for unforeseeable situations.
Click here for a qualified Long Island basement contractor.
Long Island Finished Basements – Painting
Posted by admin in Long Island Basements on August 15th, 2011
Your Long Island Finished Basement is a valuable asset and a very important portion of your home to take care of. In order to protect the basement of your home from moisture and rot, one cost efficient way is to apply a fresh coat of paint by an expert professional basement contractor. Failing to keep up with remedial maintenance and repair to your basement can turn out to be a costly mistake. Doing a makeover to your basement will give a higher value to it. Not only that, you will be in a happy mood after the work is done. The extra protection and renewed life a new paint job will give to your basement can last for several years. Secure at least three bids and choose the best LI basement contractor based on your pre-determined criteria.
Long Island Finished Basements
In planning a total remodel or just a painting of your basement homeowners are face with the challenging decision of whether to hire a professional painting contractor or making it a do-it-yourself project. Many people are happy with the results of the painting jobs done by professionals. They believe that the quality and craftsmanship provided by good painters are worth much more than the money paid. Also the time it would take for you to do it yourself does not equal in value to the time you could spend on other projects. You might be contemplating doing the job yourself because you are having a hard time finding the right contractor. Maybe you think the cost of having somebody else do the job is too high.
If you have the money and not the time to have a professional paint your basement your going to be looking for certain criteria in your search for a Long Island Basement Contractor. Some questions you might have before you begin will be:
- How will you discover a good painting contractor?
- How can you rest assured that the finished project will meet or exceed your expectations?
- What methods will you need to follow to get a fair deal?
These are some issues you might be dealing with or should be considering. If you are deciding to paint your basement plus other areas of your home you should be able to be qualified for a volume discount. Some contractors are able to apply a better rate when the job is bigger. So now is the time to consider painting the whole basement instead of one room or painting the whole house. Depending on your budget and desire to change colors will justify your decision.
Finding a good Long Island basement painting contractor is not that difficult. You need a little common sense and some minimal resources to get on the right track. Check your local papers for ads. Some of these are free and delivered right to your door or you might get them at the local market. Search the internet for Long Island Basement painting or Long Island finished basements. Whatever term you use you should be able to find a list of contractors able to do your job.
Once you narrowed your search down choose three contractors you think might be good for you. Set up the appointments and have them over for an estimate. The estimates should be free and the contractor should be able to give you a time they will be over. While they are at your home ask them what type of paint and primer they will use for your basement. If you don’t have any idea of the paint you want to use let them suggest a brand they like. Usually Benjamin Moore or Sherwin Williams are the products the professionals use.
Request that they give you references of past jobs. Three or four references is not so bad a number to ask for. They should easily be able to supply you with that. Try to evaluate the contractor’s behavior during the interview. You don’t need a degree in psychology but some common sense and gut feeling will serve you right. Good contractors show their professionalism with positive enthusiasm, courtesy and sincerity in dealing with the probing questions of potential customers. They welcome direct and straightforward questions. Your end result is to have a good job at a fair price but having a contractor with a good attitude is always an added bonus.
If the three contractors you chose have impressive customer references and pass your other criteria, you can start negotiations. Ask them to look at your home and submit a detailed scope of work and cost. Services would cover brand, quantity, type of paint and primer, color schemes, caulking, number of coatings, time frame of work from start to finish, estimated project cost, insurance, clean up etc. Once they have submitted their bids, it is now time to finalize the terms and conditions and sign up a deal with your preferred Long Island painting contractor!
Long Island Finished Basements
Long Island Basement Finishing
Posted by admin in Long Island Basement Builders, Long Island Basements on August 2nd, 2011
Long Island basement finishing
Long Island basement finishing projects occur throughout the year. Unlike some home improvement projects that happen out doors basement finishing projects have the advantage of being protected from the weather. Long Island has a full weather cycle Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall. Conditions vary from freezing and snowy to rainy to blistering hot. These varying conditions do not affect the progress of your finished basement project.
Outdoor projects like decking, roofing, siding and driveways depend heavily on the right weather conditions to complete the job. If your long island decking contractor starts a job and gives you a completion date you can bet that it will take longer than expected. Especially if it’s during the rainy months. Rain delays happen all the time and it is a part of the construction process.
When you choose a Long Island basement finishing contractor the time it takes them to finish the job is more predictable. Of course there could be hang ups that add to the time like a rotted floor or cracked foundation that couldn’t be seen at the time of the inspection. Extra work added to the job happens all the time as well as weather delays. If you know this before the project starts you’ll have a better understanding of how long your project might take to complete.
There are also other factors that can hinder the progress of your basement building project. The LI basement contractor you hired may be doing more than one job at a time. This is usually typical of the bigger outfits with big advertising budgets and free gift gimmick promotions. If the basement builder has many employees it is imperative they have more than one job going at the same time. They need the cash flow to keep their business alive. One of the problems with that is you might get delays. Delays that make you wait for them to come back to you after you give them the initial deposit. These bigger outfits will schedule more jobs in a row before completing another. Chasing the next payments so if they have three basement projects going and they collect three deposits from separate customers then they will need to do yours for a week. Then go to the other two customers to do theirs. That’s a possible three weeks before they get back to you.
Be wary of these types of contractors during the diligence period of your project. Ask them if they have a few employees and ask for referrals. Ask the past customers if there were any delays.
Long Island Basement Finishing
LI Finished Basements
Posted by admin in Long Island Basements on July 27th, 2011
LI Finished Basements
LI finished basements are a great way to add living space to your home. Finished basements are less involved than building and extension or adding another story to the top of your home. Some of those projects might require you to find another place to live while it gets completed. Finished basements allow you to build while you stay home.
There are two main types of finished basements, prefabricated and traditional. The prefabricated finished basement is sold as a quick solution. These types of basements are built using prefabricated panels. The finished product leaves you with strips or seams every four feet. It’s built quickly because it passes the traditional system by skipping the long steps needed to complete a LI finished basement. The panel basement system skips taping and painting. Taping alone takes a minimum of three days to fill the joints and sand. Painting can also take a minimum of three days.
Although getting a basement built so quickly might be a good thing there are certain elements you might be stuck with for the life of your basement. You’ll have vertical strips or seems every four feet on your walls. The prefabrication process of these quick basements limits them to a non personal snap together panel system. Sure it takes less time but the piece together kit is the end result. If you’re the type of person that likes a real room feel then the panel system is not for you. If you did not know you were getting seams and the salesman didn’t tell you then be sure to ask.
Another element you’re stuck with is the color and texture. These panel systems are limited in color and texture. Sure they skip the painting process because it’s done at the factory but if you like changing colors every so often then you might want to consider a traditional built basement. What if you wanted to decorate the basement to your own tastes? These pre colored, pre textured panels leave you with limited options.
The actual foundation walls are something to consider also. Will these basement system installers take the time to prepare the foundation walls properly before installation? Moisture is a great concern when building a finished basement. The foundation wall needs to be evaluated for possible moisture infiltration. If a weakness is discovered then it needs to be addressed before construction can take place. Your foundation walls can be the Achilles heel of your basement if not prepared correctly. It can be a constant source of moisture infiltration through out the life of your basement.
A proper finished basement contractor will evaluate your basement situation and price it accordingly. You might have an existing basement that needs to be removed or a clean slate. Whatever the situation the traditional method which is built using studs and drywall will leave you with much more design options and give you that real room feel. Contact a traditional finished basement contractor today.
LI Finished Basements
“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.
