Posts Tagged Tips
Top Tips for a Successful Basement Remodeling Project
Posted by admin in Long Island Basements on May 7th, 2010
Typically a utility area, the basement is often overlooked. But with a good amount of creativity, it can be the ultimate solution for your space issues. So whether you are in Manhattan, Long Island, Brooklyn, Queens or Staten Island; a basement remodeling project will add considerably to the living space of the family. And the benefit does not end here as the result will also improve the whole householdâs quality of living and boost the overall value of your New York home.
Other than the given benefits, there are also advantages that makes basement remodeling a more ideal project to undertake than home addition.Â
â¢Â   The out-of-the-way location poses fewer disturbances to the rest of the household. Â
â¢Â   Since the foundation is readily there, expenses on construction of the ceiling, walls and floor are cutback.
â¢Â   With the utilities like HVAC systems and amenities such as electricity and plumbing found in the area, creating a living space out of the basement is easier.
To create a success out of your basement remodeling project, there are certain essentials that you have to look into.
Waterproofing
To ensure that whatever finish you have in mind for your basement remodeling project lasts, waterproofing is one crucial step to take. In this area, the most common problem includes moisture and humidity, flooding, molds and fungus and all these should be eliminated and controlled. Depending on what your current water issues are, will be the waterproofing methods to use that can range from simply coating the walls with water-tight vapor barrier formulas to more expensive techniques such as jack hammering.Â
Basement Remodeling Design
Designing a basement poses a whole different set of challenges. The typical use and nature of the area which is mostly underground requires the homeowner and hired contractor to deal with:
â¢Â   Ductwork;
â¢Â   Appliances such as heat pump, water heater, washer and dryer, furnace, etc.;
â¢Â   Support beams or poles;
â¢Â   Entry and exit points;
Though the rerouting of pipes or total renovation of these basement features is possible, these works can also be extremely complex and expensive. The cost-effective way to go about things is using your creativity in making them work with the overall design but still providing access to important amenities.Â
Your basement remodeling design should also ensure that there is adequate lighting (both natural and artificial), enough insulation, and comfortable levels of heating, cooling and ventilation. Adding windows or replacing current windows with larger ones help maximize use of natural light, helping you cutback on energy costs. The subterranean nature of the basement also makes it naturally warm in colder months and cooler in summer.
Basement Remodeling Ideas
Depending on yours ad your familyâs lifestyle and preferences, the basement can be turned into just about any room. There are also more ideal use, considering the isolation and privacy that the location provides. Some of the most common basement remodeling finishes includes: a bedroom suitable for your growing teen, home office, home theatre, music room, recreational area or game room, a playpen for kids, a studio for the artist in the family, crafts workshop, guest bedroom, and others.
Eugene Makeev uses his skills and expertise to help home owners in Brooklyn, Long Island, Queens, Manhattan, and Staten Island avoid the common pitfalls by matching their basement remodeling needs with prescreened contractors that specialize in basement finishing NYC.
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Six Tips on How to Build a Basement Bar in Your Home
Posted by admin in Long Island Basements on May 1st, 2010
Many of you may have a little basement in your home. Some use it as their laundry area. Some use it as their mini gym. Others use it as an extension room for house guests. But what if none of these ideas draw your attention? Yet you cannot get over the fact that your basement is not being used to its maximum potential. Then you realized that whenever you have huge celebrations at home, your living room is just not enough. Then you start thinking why not convert your vacuous basement into a bar? Bingo! So here are a few tips for you on how to build a basement bar in your home.
1. Visualize – Visualize your idea of a basement bar in your mind. This should be a good starting point on how to build a basement bar. Before anything else, you got to imagine how it is going to look like. Draw it on a sheet of paper. Go down to your basement and figure out which corner you want to put the bar.
2. The Plan – Make a basement bar checklist. After you got a basement drawing in your sketch pad, you should be able to imagine the materials and tools to use in setting it up. Other than wood, you should be able to see things like electrical wirings, lighting fixtures, framing, plumbing, and all other things you can see through in your sketch.
3. Inspiration – Check out your friends’ basement bars. Supposing you still do not have a clear view of what needs to consider in this project. You may want to visit your friends who have basement bars. And do not ever forget to ask them pointers in how to build a basement bar. That is probably one of the most reliable help you could get. For sure, your friends would be more than willing to share their experience.
4. Basement Bar Photos – Check out home design magazines. This medium is another source of ideas in how to build a basement bar. The thing is that your plans of realizing this project only happens when you have your concept clear. These types of magazines help you imagine what you hope to achieve with your basement bar because they show pictures. This is a big advantage especially if your grades in art class were very low.
5. The Right Materials – Materials to use. Yes of course you got to know this. In the planning stage, materials and labor cost are usually what determines a project’s cost. At this point, it is not enough to just know the basics how to build a basement bar. Extra knowledge is a very important factor as well.
6. Supplies and equipment. Common sense and experience will tell you that when you see a bar, there is always liquor and most often music. Although this can be thought of in details when your bar is almost finished, it may help to include this in your preparations. Maybe know a little bit about what brand of wine, brandy, or whatever liquor you know that can suit your taste. Perhaps your preference has a lot to do with the mood you set in your bar. Then of course knowing a little bit about music equipment can lead you to understand what type of speakers you need to install. Acoustic insulation is also a consideration if you want music piped in to your basement bar.
Now that you have the design plan listed out for your little project, it is time to work on it. The good thing about this is that you can do it yourself. If you have no background in carpentry or interior designing, this is a good time to learn. Then maybe, in the future, you might want to share your experience. You might want to return the favor by giving your personal tips on how to build a basement bar.
Get simple instruction on how to build a basement bar. Start with a basement bar design.
Basement Mold Cleaning Tips And Techniques
Posted by admin in Long Island Basements on April 29th, 2010
To clearly get rid of your basement mold problem, you need to consider a few things. Where is the source of the problem and after you clean the problem, what do you do to prevent it.
In this technique you will learn how basement mold cleaning in not only about investigating to find the source, you need to clean and prevent black mold from coming back. Basement mold cleaning projects are difficult because of the locations basements are usually in. They are below homes and ground level. This allows mold to migrate into the lowest area of the home. Also, these basements are dark and usually have a high amount of moisture. This is a perfect condition for black mold and mildew. So what can you do for a smooth basement mold cleaning project. The answer is quite simple, below you will find where to look for the mold and then how you will clean basement mold and what product to use for mildew to not come back.
Basement Mold Cleaning Areas To Look For Mold:
Basement Carpeting – The basement carpets always seem to soak up moisture. It is a good idea to check around perimeter walls for these carpets for mold. In order to kill carpet mold you must find the source of the problem.
Wood Pilings and Ceiling Areas – Since moisture migrates because of gravity look up at your ceilings and investigate wood pilings. These are very popular sources for mold and mildew.
Perimeter Walls And Panels – Have a look at your perimeter walls as these will have mold growth and become prime suspects for mold and mildew growth. Be sure to have a look behind the panels if you can and view close to the floors, these will be problematic areas.
Find the source of the problem – Before you clean the mold be sure to find the source of the problem. Basement mold cleaning can be a difficult event, do not clean a whole basement and forget to prevent it from happening again.
Once you have scouted out these areas in your basement and found if they have mold you will most likely found the source of the problem. Now to get to how to remove the mold and prevent it from coming back. In order to remove the mold, you will either remove the building materials by doing a small mold remediation project. This is sometimes not needed, but it is a judgment call.
If you have mold and mildew on the wood of the basement then you will need to wire brush the surfaces. This breaks apart the mold, it is also recommended to use a natural cleaning product such as Safe Shield or Molderizer, these natural cleaning products are quite powerful and safe. Which ever option you choose try to break apart the surface, most times the wood will be so stained with mold and mildew that you need to wire brush, sand down, and use a cleaning again. Most mold remediation companies will use the natural cleaning products. The biggest reason to use these natural cleaning products is simply the protection and encapsulation. Which brings me to how to prevent the mold from coming back. Mold in order to stop it from coming back you need to cut it off from the food source. In this basement mold cleaning case, use a clear barrier to encapsulate the product and prevent mold growth.
Try to clean and protect your basement by using natural cleaning products at http://www.propertyperfections.net and correct mold remediation protocols which will clean and prevent mold and mildew growing in your basement.
Is basement mold cleaning got you upside down. Try natural cleaning products that are designed to clean basement mold and prevent mold growth. Need advice about black mold ask a mold expert and hear your answer on a live tele-seminar.
Five Important Tips to Optimize your Basement Design Idea
Posted by admin in Long Island Basements on April 18th, 2010
A beautiful and functional basement lies on a good basement design idea. Having a plan or design will tell exactly if renovation is going according to how you want it. The challenge is on what to do next. Another strong consideration is figuring out how to do it. In the process, you will have to do a little research. Perhaps this article will help you.
It is always easier if you know some basic tips to optimize your plan and to help you brainstorm for ideas. Here are some important pointers that you should know:
- Don’t be afraid to use glass on both doors as windows. This will allow more light to come in during the day and saves you electricity costs. Instead of using solid wooden doors for your entrance door leading to your basement, design it that you will have a glass fixed in it. It doesn’t only give more light but also prevents someone from being slammed while going up in the basement stairs. This basement design idea is used in so many households today.
- Keep a multi-purpose room in mind when designing the plan. It gives you more freedom to explore on other concepts in optimizing your basement’s usability. Especially if your den has a lot of space, you might want to check on each corner. For example, you might want to use the dark sections as a mini-theatre since light is not likely to set in. It’s a very practical basement design idea everybody can agree on.
- Select colors that are light and easy to the eyes. Light colored walls tend to project an illusion of a bigger space. You might want to consider pastel colors. Mirrors are good options too but be cautious of its impact to the entire interior design. Make sure to put them in areas where light is most abundant. The basement design idea of using mirrors is not popular in though.
- Keep aesthetics in mind when planning duct and plumbing pipe installations. Your basement is usually where the pipes and ducts are accessible and therefore visible. Considering this should help you in planning your basement design idea. Tell your architect to place those pipes in sections where it can be easily concealed. Allow more ceiling clearance at the center. Putting this in perspective will also give you more options when you hope to remodel your basement in the future.
- Select materials that are waterproof. This basement design idea must be taken seriously at all times. The basement is the lowest point in your home. This is why the plumbing and ducting fixes are done because your drainage settles and converges here. When fixes are made, spills are most probable. Make sure your basement is made of ether tiles or vinyl so it’s easy to mop off the spill.
Regardless of your basement’s purpose, keep these tips in mind. Include these in your basement design idea. Ask friends or a family member what they can add to it. Your basement is also a room in your house. Think of it that way and you’ll be getting better results from your concepts.
Get the latest updates on the basement design idea that’s right for your home. Read more free basement remodeling idea online!
5 Essential Basement Waterproofing Tips
Posted by admin in Long Island Basements on March 12th, 2010
There are just so many reasons why you should do waterproofing of your basements. It indeed is a noble and in most cases, a practical idea at that. But with all the good things about basement waterproofing being said and discussed, you would do well to know how exactly to about this. Yes, waterproofing your basements can be one heck of a challenge, especially if you do not pay attention to some tips.
Here are 5 essential basement waterproofing tips for you.
“ Clean the rain gutters off leaves – Obviously, the rain gutters get clogged with all the water during the monsoons flowing into these drains. One thing you would find about these drains is – Once they get clogged with debris and leaves, you would find them spoiling your basement. Point 1 to a good water proofing exercise – Clean the gutters, to be safe.
“ Check the downspout – There should be a mechanism by which you should be able to direct the water away from your home. Downspouts will help you do this. Be sure to have your downspout flush the excess water some feet away from the foundation of your homes. You should also consider using a splash back at the end of the downspout. This will ensure soil erosion is minimized.
“ Invest in a good dehumidification system – Well, a good dehumidifier will always help you maintaining the correct humidity levels for your home. In essence, this system is important primarily because having the right amount of humidity in your homes would directly imply good maintenance of the basement.
“ Do not ventilate your basement a lot – A lot of people make this mistake of keeping the doors and windows of their basement open, sometimes all year around. This is a classic mistake that comes from their thought of keeping windows of their homes open. In keeping the windows of your basement open, you are inviting extra humidity to accumulate in your basement. A sure-shot recipe for disaster!
“ Paint your basement – If nothing works at all, consider painting your basement with a good waterproof paint. You would find many waterproof paints in the market. Do some research and lay your hands on some of the best waterproof paint that will serve your basement well.
It really is a mystery why people do not focus a lot on upkeep of their basements. Yes, it is possibly an area of your home that is not too visible to your guests. But poor maintenance of your basements could haunt you and the maintenance of your home in the long run. With this point being said, you would do well to waterproof your basement.
In essence, water is one big enemy especially when you consider the well-being of your basement. With good basement waterproofing, you would be able to keep unnecessary water off basements. Tips are many, but the choice is yours. The objective should be – To keep your basement well-maintained.
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“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.
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