When it comes to basements in homes, they often come unfinished. This leaves homeowners a choice, whether they finish a basement or not. However, having a finished basement can bring a lot of benefits to your household and property.

Unfortunately, finishing a basement can be pretty tricky business. While some basements only need a couple of tweaks, others might need more than that. But no matter their initial state, making your basement livable, aesthetically pleasing, and, more importantly, legal can take a lot of work.

To avoid any issues later down the road, here are some of the things you need to consider before you start!

1. Refer to Local Building Codes

If you’re planning to finish your basement, make sure to check the local building codes first. This will help you figure out what’s allowed and what’s not while making changes to your basement. For example, in some places, you can transform your basement and turn it into a bedroom. While in other areas, it’s forbidden to do such renovation.

2. A Stable Foundation

More often than not, finishing a basement might require some remodeling. Before you start, though, make sure that your home’s foundation is stable. There might be cracks and leaks in the area, which, if left unchecked, may cause issues during your remodeling. This can lead to potential dangers and expensive repairs, so make sure you have the stability down.

3. Eliminate All Water Issues 

Water issues in your basement can pose a great problem to your plans. Because of that, it’s important that you solve and take care of any water issues before finishing the space. You don’t want to end up with a wet and moldy basement. Not only does it pose an unpleasant sight, but it can also be dangerous to your health.

4. Insulation and Ventilation

Basements tend to be colder than the rest of the house because of their location under the ground. Before starting any remodeling or renovation, see to it that your basement has proper insulation and ventilation. If you don’t address this problem, you might have a very uncomfortable time down there during the winter season.

5. Check for Asbestos and Lead Paint

Asbestos and lead paint are considered silent killers since they can affect people’s health without any symptoms. What’s more, is that they can exist in your very own home, such as your paints and insulation. Therefore, you must check for possible asbestos and lead paints in your basement before doing any work. If either are present, have them removed by a professional as soon as possible.

6. Electrical and Plumbing Plans

You’ll likely need some electrical outlets and plumbing during and after finishing your basement. It’s recommended that you plan the layout for electrical outlets and plumbing in advance. This way, you’ll know where everything is going to go and how they all connect with each other. This can also help cut down time from doing any trial and error.

7. Install a Drainage System

As mentioned before, basements are prone to moisture due to their location. If you’re finishing your basement, especially if you have plans to have a basement hot tub, install a drainage system. A proper drainage system can help keep the area dry, reducing the chances of mold and mildew growth.

8. Assess the Ceiling Height

While finishing your basement, there might be moments where you’ll need to stand up in the space. If that’s the case, there might not be enough headroom for lighting fixtures and other amenities you’re planning to add. By assessing the ceiling height you have, you’ll have time to adjust your plans to fit your location best.

9. Flooring and Insulation

Choosing the right flooring and insulation is important whenever you’re finishing your basement. Otherwise, you could end up with a space that is cold, uncomfortable, and drafty. When helping you choose a flooring product for your basement, your contractor will likely consider when the home was built.

If your home was built before the 1950s, your basement will probably have a concrete slab floor, which is not the best option for a finished basement. If that’s the case, you may want to consider opting for a subfloor and installing new flooring on top of it. But if you want something else, your contractor can help recommend flooring products that will work best in your basement.

Taking care of these things before you start construction will help ensure a smooth and problem-free process. Finishing your basement can be a great way to add extra living space to your home, but it’s important to do it the right way!

Ready to take the plunge and get in gear to finish your own basement? Call us at Grand Rapids Basement Pros now! Our dedicated team will be happy to help you with all your basement needs.