American Houses

The Essentials


In New York City, living space is a luxury that is mostly availed by the grand money-makers. For the average thriving everyday in busy New York, condos, apartments and small townhouses are the more popular option. Space is always an issue. But what most of these people have not realized is that there are still areas in the house left unused. If you are one of these people who have left their basements as storage where everything just catches dust or mold, then it is high time to consider some serious basement remodeling.

To start off, do ample research and hire a basement remodeling contractor in New York that you think is best suitable for the job that you need done. This project would require an advanced knowledge not only in construction and design, but also in flooring, heating, waterproofing, wiring, as well as plumbing. So, unless you are a contractor yourself, this project is better left for the pros to handle.

The NYC contractor makes sure that the job is done in reference to your needs, taste and plan. When deciding on the most suitable space to create out of the basement, consider the readily available advantages that it offers. You can plan to set it up as a dark room or home theatre, music room, play area, or just anyplace where you can enjoy the isolation and privacy. There are essential things to take into consideration while drafting your basement remodeling plan and these are:

Dampness and other water problems

The basement is an area in the house known to be more prone to dampness, flooding and other water problems. Before heading on to the rest of the work, this should be your primary concern. Depending on your budget, you can either have a de-humidifier or have good floor heating with waterproofing membrane to take care of the dampness. But even if the issues given rarely occur, you should still consider that proper insulation is in place. A basement remodeling founded by giving permanent solution to future problems would result to lesser costs in the long run with less risks of maintenance.

Lighting

Another important element in basement remodeling is lighting. Having at least one wall above the ground is advantageous in maximizing natural light. To get more sunlight, you can have new windows added or increase the size of existing ones. For areas without windows, you can have radiant lighting fixtures. Mirrors mounted on ceilings and/or walls also help in heightening the effects of the lights.

Heating and air conditioning

Have a professional check if the heating and air conditioning of the whole house could amply accommodate the additional space resulting from the basement remodeling. If the existing system does well, the next step to consider would be having zoned heating and cooling. If not, have another heating and air conditioning system installed to control the temperature in the new living space in the house.

To achieve a basement remodeling project result to last a long time, focus on the given essentials. If you need to cut-off on the budget on some areas, be more creative and try to make use of the current floor plan. Incorporate the existing posts, support beams and other features that basement originally have into the design. Removing the visible duct work would also be expensive. To solve this unsightly portion, you can opt to have a low ceiling and just play with the lighting to make it seem higher, or frame boxes around the duct work with the rest of the ceiling in its original height.

About the Author: Eugene Makeev has been in the home improvement industry for a while. His skills and expertise, which have been polished through time, are now used to help New York home owners avoid the common pitfalls in home improvements by matching their needs with the right, prescreened Basement Remodeling Contractor New York. To know more, visit www.craftsmennetwork.com