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What Can You Use a Basement For?
from:When confronted with a bland open space of an unfinished basement, this is the question a lot of people ask. The quick answer is: practically anything, but it does depend on how much you want to spend. With that in mind, let’s look at some ideas for turning a cold open room into something decent.
Typically, an unfinished basement is one big room. So, step one, ask yourself if you want to subdivide the room into several rooms? Lighting is always an issue for a basement; so, try to maximize the windows, and arrange the room layout so that each room has at least a couple of them. Also, stay away from dark colours for the walls, floor and ceiling; you want colours that will reflect light and brighten the rooms.
Next, there are the uses – the ones that are inexpensive. If you simply put down a decent floor, put up some walls, extend the electric and heat and air conditioning, you can create wonderful spaces for multiple uses. You can have a playroom, a carpentry workshop, a craft or sewing room, or just a place to hold the occasional party.
Now, if you want to go with something fancier, installing a really good electrical system can let you put in a home theater. In some cases, this can involve a projector, real theater seats, and a full surround sound system. You’ll need to check with the dealer who sells the equipment to see if it goes off a lot of heat. If it does, you may need a stronger air conditioning unit. Also, some electronics need special dedicated cooling systems. Then there are other electrical issues to consider. Check your home’s power service; do you have enough amps to safely operate a home theater? If not, you’ll have to upgrade your system. Is your home properly grounded, and does it have sufficient surge protection? If not, you’ll need to take care of both of those issues. You do not want to lose your home theater due to a lightning strike.
If you want to include some kind of room that uses water, that can really increase the cost. A full bathroom means you have to install a drain line, and often that has to go under the flooring. In most basements, the floor is concrete, and at least eight to twelve inches thick! Also, if you want to do any sort of home crafts that need water – ceramics, a greenhouse etc – you’ll need a water and drainage system as well.
So, there are plenty of options available to you when it comes to basement uses. Consider your budget, your interests and what your family might like, and you can come up with some great ideas to make your basement a fun spot.
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