If you think finishing your basement will be hard, you are wrong.
There are only a few easy steps that you have to follow in order to get to the basement that you want.
Don't start thinking about the details or what kind of appliances you are going to install.
First, you must pay attention to more basic renovations.
Here are the first 5 steps that you have to take before decorating.
1.
Waterproofing.
This step is the most important.
Due to the concrete found in the basement, there is a tendency for a higher humidity.
In order to protect your new basement from that, it is important that you waterproof the room.
If you skip this step, water will be soaked up by the concrete and it will cause damage.
If you waterproof the cement, water won't be able to get to it, so it won't disintegrate.
2.
Lighting.
Usually, the basement doesn't benefit from natural light.
Regarding your further plans for the room, you must take into consideration the amount of light that you need, so you will know with how much artificial light you have to compensate.
Don't forget about it, because light is very important in a room.
You can use it to create a certain atmosphere or to highlight some details.
For example, if you are a photographer and you develop photos, you will need a dark room.
Otherwise, consult a specialist when adding electricity and wires, because it is very risky to do it on your own.
However, you can add more windows for more natural light.
3.
Insulating.
This is a huge step in finishing a basement.
If the room is not insulated yet, do this right away.
Insulating will keep weather temperatures for disturbing you.
Also, it decreases the costs of your cooling and heating bills.
If the basement is not insulated well, you will lose warm or cold air through it, causing a higher bill, because the air system will work twice as much.
So be careful with the amount of insulation.
4.
Floors.
It is also important to pay attention to the floor.
There are several types of flooring that you could use, depending on your plans with the room.
You can use tile, linoleum or wooden floor, which are very easy to clean.
If you want a cozy look, you can even use an indoor or an outdoor carpet.
The carpet is also easy to clean and to take care of, but be careful with the dampness.
5.
Walls.
You can have walls framed with wall board, or built with panels or left bare and painted.
Walls built the traditional way will leave you with the cozy feeling of living in any other space of your house.
You can choose those quick snap together walls but the seams and limited colors give it that modular basement feel.
You can choose to have the walls sand blasted and painted or treated the way you want.
That would cut down tremendously on costs.
When you are done with all these steps, you can be sure that your basement is protected and functional.
Now you can start decorating.