Unfinished basements are usually musty, cold and dark and all in all, these qualities make for a pretty unpleasant living space – so read on to discover How You Can Fix Your Unfinished Basement.
It’s no wonder why so many homeowners use their basements as cluttered storage units and why so many kids are afraid to explore this part of their house unsupervised.
You don’t have to keep your basement in this sorry state.
You can make it a convenient and comfortable part of your home.
Think about it!
If you finish the basement, you could turn part of it into a playroom for the kids, a cozy living room for movie nights, or even a guest bedroom to host relatives when they come by to visit.
How can you manage that?
Credit: Andrea Piacquadio via Pexels
Here are some things you’ll need to learn – How You Can Fix Your Unfinished Basement:
Table of Contents
Tackle Moisture Problems:
That musty smell in your basement is caused by excess moisture, which encourages mold and mildew to grow.
Now, you can try to clear the air by cleaning up mould and mildew spots around the area, but these fungal growths will definitely come back when your basement’s moisture levels remain the same.
Your basement’s moisture levels could be high because humidity is getting trapped inside.
You can reduce the humidity by sealing your dryer ducts, running a dehumidifier and using exhaust fans during activities like showering and cooking.
Another potential cause for your basement’s moisture problems is water intrusion — this is when water creeps through vulnerabilities in your home’s foundation.
Here are some renovations that can help you protect your basement from that:
- Seal cracks in the foundation.
- Install vapour barriers in the walls.
- Grade the yard to prevent moisture from pooling at the foundation.
- Install a sump pump (or upgrade your current sump pump).
A professional waterproofing company can do these jobs for you.
Consider Underpinning:
Does your basement have low ceilings?
Does it feel a little too cramped to be an enjoyable space?
Then, you should consider basement underpinning.
This renovation can restore the integrity of your foundation and prevent moisture intrusion while increasing the overall height of your basement.
Underpinning is a complicated project.
You’ll want to have expert contractors on hand to make sure that every step of the basement overhaul is done perfectly.
Click here to see your options for basement underpinning Toronto experts that you can hire.
They could be the ones for the job.
Warm It Up:
Your basement is really cold. So, if you want to turn it into a livable space, you’re going to have to invest some time and effort into warming it up.
These are some projects that can help you accomplish this:
- Add more insulation behind your walls.
- Seal air gaps around windows and exterior doors.
- Check to see whether your furnace is working in top condition. Run maintenance if it’s not.
- Install wall-to-wall carpeting to keep your floor warm.
Add More Light:
Your basement might be dim, dark and dreary right now.
One simple way to improve this is to install multiple pot lights across your basement ceiling.
This strategy will let you illuminate an area that doesn’t benefit from much natural light.
You can also try styling tricks to add more light to a room, like putting up more mirrors on the walls.
Clever interior design could turn your grim basement into a bright, welcoming space.
Your basement could be an incredible spot in your home – consider transforming your basement into a games room for the kids.
All you have to do is learn How You Can Fix Your Unfinished Basement.
