Winterizing Your Basement

Posted by cynthia on Dec 6, 2011 in Basement Finishing, Basement Renovations, Energy Efficient Basements, Featured |

by Jacques Bouchard

A Harsh Winter Is On The Way — Is Your Basement Ready?

No matter where you lived in the United States last year, the 2010-2011 winter was one for the history books. And with this year’s winter kicking off with a harsh Northeaster that left more than three million homes without power, you can be sure that more wintry blasts are on the way this time around.

While many homeowners are bracing their homes for the coming winter by insulating their attic, installing energy efficient windows, and by upgrading their utilities, many homeowners overlook their basement entirely when winterizing.

How A Basement Costs You Money In The Winter
A basement is where many homeowners keep the utilities in their home — including their furnace, water heater, HVAC system, air ducts, hot water pipes, and more. These utilities use energy to make heat, and they will need more energy if they’re in a cold environment.

Additionally, a cold, drafty basement means a cold floor and drafty environment in the floor above. Along with being uncomfortable underfoot, this will bring cold into the main area of the home, increasing demands on your heating system.

Creating a Kitchen in the Basement

Posted by cynthia on Jul 27, 2011 in Basement Design, Basement Finishing, Basement Finishing Contractors, Basement Finishing Permits, Finished Basement Ideas, Home Improvement, Uncategorized |

By Elizabeth Gormley

A kitchen, or kitchenette, in a finished basement has some great advantages.  Maybe you are housing guests, in-laws, a nanny, or you have a tenant living in your finished basement.

A kitchen downstairs allows privacy as well as extraordinary functionality in your home.

Also, a new modern kitchen is one of the most effective ways to add value to your home, and looking to the finished basement is a great way to go at a fraction of the cost an addition would be.

A new kitchen is a tall task for even the most accomplished do-it-yourself homeowner.  Much of the design and execution of the kitchen should be handled by a contractor.  This is particularly true when it comes to installing cabinetry, counters, and new appliances.

Because a kitchen of any sort poses some challenges such as plumbing, grease, smells, noise and cooking fumes, as well as some hazards concerning fire safety, consult your local building and fire codes to see what they recommend and what kind of permits you will need to build your basement kitchen safely and up to code.

One of the reasons homeowners are wary of a kitchen basement is the possibility of flooding.  The appliances are expensive, and the right amount of water can ruin your refrigerator, oven or dishwasher.  It is imperative to seal and waterproof your basement before getting started.  Also, consider that a kitchen is the most common place for a house fire.  There should be an easy escape route, aside from the main stairway.  If there is not, you will need to create one.

The proper ventilation is key in a basement kitchen.  Think about how cooking odors can linger in your upstairs kitchen, and realize the basement is below ground level.  It will be much more susceptible to trapping smells.  Plan on installing a ventilation hole in the side of the basement.  This will be effective against cooking scents and also condensation.  For ventilation and safety, the kitchen should not be tucked into an interior corner of the basement.  It should have at least one wall with open air behind it.

Even if you do not have a tenant or live-in downstairs, a kitchen basement is ultra-convenient in today’s modern home.  Particularly if you have a basement home theater, have friends over for movie night or Sunday football games.  You can fetch snacks and beverages in seconds, with the fridge and oven just a few steps away.

For help with your basement finishing project, enlist the help of one of our skilled Total Basement Finishing contractors! They offer free design consultation, offer full-service basement remodeling and will help you  obtain the necessary permits.

Basement Bathroom Tips: Shower Heads

Posted by cynthia on Jul 26, 2011 in Basement Bathroom, Basement Design, Basement Finishing, Basement Finishing Contractors, Basement Renovations, Energy Efficient Basements, Finished Basement Ideas, Uncategorized |

By Jacques Bouchard

When it comes to a quality basement finishing, it’s all about the details.  A basement bathroom is a fantastic way to improve on your home, and it pays back for itself by 80% or more when the

home is sold.  If you could greatly improve the quality of your space by adding another $50 on to the final cost of the job, wouldn’t you do so?

There are few ways to improve on your home that are more effective than choosing the best shower head possible for your basement bathroom.  You spend a lot of time in front of your shower head, and  the way the water is released makes all the difference.  Enjoying a soothing, comfortable shower is a guiltless

pleasure. And if your family is growing, it may be the only valuable moment of privacy and quiet you’re guaranteed every day.

To help you make the most out of your basement bathroom, Total Basement Finishing offers these shower head shopping tips:

1. Choose a handheld shower head.

Fixed shower heads give a sleek designer look to a shower, but they’re much more difficult to repair and often fall short of the quality of their handheld counterparts.  A handheld shower head is able to be mounted in a cradle that allows for all the advantages of a fixed shower head, but they also are able to be removed to aid in bathing with children and seniors.  Additionally, a detachable shower head allows for ease of use when cleaning the tub, cleaning objects placed in the tub, and bathing pets.  When selecting a handheld shower head, be sure to select one with a high-quality, durable hose that can stand high water pressures without blowing out and can endure daily use without wearing down or forming kinks.  If a handheld shower head is definitely not your thing, remember that you can also install multiple fixed shower heads in a single shower-including one on both ends.

Tips on Paying Your Contractor

Posted by cynthia on Jul 26, 2011 in Basement Finishing, Basement Finishing Contractors, Basement Renovations, Home Improvement, Uncategorized |

By Francine Maglione

When it comes to coughing up payment to your basement contractor, things can go sour quickly. Is the contractor going to take your money and run? Are you stiffing an honest contractor out of hard-earned money? Too often, the problem lies with the contract and a vague description of payment terms and conditions.

Tim Carter of “Ask the Builder” believes that the best way to pay a contractor is to agree on periodic payments that are based on the amount of work completed. Carter advises against paying for work that has not been performed and recommends getting a breakdown of costs from the contractor before the job begins.

You must also remember to always have enough money to complete the unfinished tasks so you aren’t left with bills you can’t pay and an incomplete job. One suggestion Carter makes is to use a tiebreaker clause in your contract. This has the parties agree on an independent inspector who will give a ruling on the quality of the work done and settle any disputes between the contractor and homeowner.

To read more about Tim Carter’s tips for paying a contractor, check out these “Ask the Builder” columns:

Tips on Paying Contractors

The Other Side of the Fence – Be Fair to a Contractor

When to Pay a Contractor

Picking the Best Basement Wall Products

Posted by cynthia on Jul 26, 2011 in Basement Finishing, Basement Finishing Contractors, Basement Framing and Insulation, Basement Insulation, Basement Renovations, Energy Efficient Basements, Featured, Finished Basement Ideas, Finishing Basement Walls, Green Basement Finishing, Uncategorized, Waterproof Basement Wall Panels |

By Jacques Bouchard

As the real estate slump continues to worsen and homes become more and more difficult to sell, homeowners are finding that the best option for gaining more living space for their family is to finish the basement.  In response to this ever-increasing trend, many companies are designing wall panels especially for use in a basement.

However, these companies are often providing products that are hastily researched, poorly created, or make false or misleading claims about how well they work and how appropriate they are for a basement finshing project.  Before you make a decision on the basement wall product that’s right for your home, consider these five questions:

Making Space for a Finished Basement

Posted by cynthia on Jul 26, 2011 in Basement Finishing, Basement Finishing Contractors, Finished Basement Ideas |

How to Make Room for More Room in Your Home

By Jacques Bouchard

I did a little spring cleaning over the weekend.  Among other things, I brought four 60-gallon Rubbermaid containers into the basement.  Four. More. Giant. Containers.

In all, I have three dozen of these storage units now– all filled to the brim with things I’m not likely to touch (or think about) again for the next five years.  As I stacked the containers, I thought of the most common reason homeowners never finish their basement:

“I’d never be able to finish my basement with all that stuff in there!”

Pishposh. Remodeling a crowded basement IS possible.  Here’s what you should do:

Don’t Plan to Finish the Entire Basement

Most basement remodelers do not recommend finishing every inch of your basement.  While an entire floor of your home is overkill, SOME storage space is a good thing.  Allocate one-half to one-fourth of your basement as a dedicated area for storage, utilities, and laundry.

If you have a little extra in your budget and would like the storage area to look its best, try out some inexpensive upgrades.  Basement Systems Inc. offer the  ZenWall product to give it the same look as the finished space. Alternatively, line it with rigid, white plastic boards (BrightWall) and waterproof floor tiles as a cost-effective upgrade.

Let Some Things Go

If you haven’t looked at it in five or ten years, what’s the chance that you really need it?  Finishing the basement is a great reward for finally organizing all that junk, sifting through your photos, and finally tossing out Aunt Edgar’s old rocking chair.

Yard sales, Goodwill, and your local waste disposal & recycling company are the way to go.  You’ll be surprised how good you feel without all that stuff weighing you down!

Use Vertical Storage

Of course, some things have to stay.   But if you stack those boxes and crates one on top of the other, it’s not going to be accessible.  The solution?  Vertical storage.

Storage shelves are relatively inexpensive and can do wonders for adding available space to your home.  Over the weekend, I personally picked up mine from Seville Classics, and in two hours I’d at least doubled the available space in my closet.  Awesome!  But whatever brand you use, you’re going to be very satisfied with the end result.

Ask Us for Advice

At [dealer], we’ve been remodeling basements in [state] since [date opened], and we’ve got tons of great ideas on how to maximize storage space in your home.  Additionally, we’ll be able to help you build custom shelves, cabinets, and closets to optimize what you have.

We’d be glad to offer you a free, no-obligation basement finishing consultation and cost quote if you live in the [state] area, including [cities].  Give us a call today to get started on your new & improved home!