Choosing the Right Basement Flooring

Tips on how to choose basement flooring when remodeling your basement. By choosing the right basement flooring, you can avoid having mold and water issues in your basement.

Unless it's been recently flooded, you may not pay much attention to the flooring in your basement. If your basement has had water in it, you know what a pain it is to rip up the soaked, heavy flooring and throw it away. No one wants to spend their free time and money getting rid of sopping wet flooring. If you could avoid this scenario, wouldn't you do it?

The secret to avoiding this wet scenario is to make sure it doesn't happen again, even if your basement does take on water. You can't control the rainwater but you can control the kind of materials you use in your basement. That's why using waterproof flooring is vital to protecting the investment that your finished basement is.

Protection is Key
Most basement flooring is made of wood, tile, carpet, or laminate. These options are porous and like a sponge - they simply take on water until the flooring can't hold anymore. They also have a wood subfloor which absorbs water and holds the liquid in place beneath the flooring. This is critical because where water sits, is where mold and mildew thrive. Once mold and mildew get hold of a basement, if left unchecked, it can create structural softening and damage.

So again, the point is to make sure this issue does not present itself in your basement. The way you do this is installing basement flooring that will not hold water and will not mold or mildew. Flooring that will not rot or mildew can be broken down (pun intended) by what material it's made of.

Organic materials made out of wood or clay tiles will take on water and rot so you want to avoid these flooring options. (Basement carpeting is included in this category because it's a composite of organic material which does take on water when wet.) Instead, flooring that is not organic and will not take on water is recommended.

If you install waterproof basement flooring, even if your basement gets water seepage or leakage, the basement flooring can be dried out and reinstalled with minimal damage. You'd never be able to do that with traditional basement flooring!

While You're at It Get a Warmer Basement Too
When waterproofing or finishing your basement, it's important to think about the finished product you're creating. Basements are underground spaces and as a result, they're naturally cooler in temperature. Padding into the basement in bare feet is usually a quick affair because the floor is colder than your body temperature. Putting flooring on the cement floor by itself won't change the temperature much because the cold air will simply be dispersed onto the flooring you lay down.

Instead, adding a subfloor (not made of wood) underneath your basement flooring gives a space for cold air and moisture to collect. This gives a space called a thermal break, between your basement flooring and the cold concrete of your home.

The result is warmer feet as you pad around your basement. If being comfortable in your basement is important to you, subflooring may be the little secret that makes a world of difference in your basement remodeling project.

Stylish Basement Flooring
Inorganic basement flooring can also be a stylish addition to your home. Many basement finishing contractors use inorganic flooring that look like parquet, wood finish, carpeting, and tile but won't absorb water like traditional flooring will.

Superior Basement Systems is a trusted and basement waterproofing contractor in Canton, OH. They are the wet basement waterproofing contractor that area Ohioans know and trust. They serve Canton, Alliance, Ashland, Fredricktown, West Lafayette and surrounding Ohio towns. Contact them today for a free basement waterproofing, basement finishing, or crawl space repair estimate.

Basement Flooring and Waterproofing in Canton, OH
Basement Flooring and Waterproofing in Canton, OH.

By Marianne Snyder Published: 7/10/2010

Local Kansas Basement Finishing Company Offers Free Dehumidifier with Purchase of TBF System

Shawnee, KS - Most basements in Kansas City or anywhere in Kansas for that matter, have been a bit waterlogged the past couple of months. Total Basement Finishing of Johnson County understands, and that is precisely why they are making it easier for flood victims with wet basements to receive products to improve their living space and health.

Recently, TBF of Johnson County has been helping finish Kansans' basements as well as offer additional products that truly serve as a remodeled basement's "finishing touches." One specific product is the SaniDry Basement Air System – a dehumidifier specifically for the basement environment - which TBF of Johnson County is giving away for free! (SaniDry is free after client has purchased a TBF system.)

The best part about Kansas' local Total Basement Finishing, Inc. contractor is that they only have to finish a basement once. They use the highest quality products that are either waterproof, water resistant, have a moisture shield, mold resistant, and do not rot! So if your finished basement is ever affected by a surprise ground water leak or plumbing leak, your walls and floors will not be damaged!

Other companies cannot match that kind of product quality and efficiency. TBF of Johnson County knows how important it is for Kansans to receive help right now with the effects of the inconsistent and harsh precipitation, which is why they are offering a free SaniDry with each purchase of a TBF system.

The SaniDry is made to eliminate the influence of damp and musty odors in your finished basement by drying and cleaning the air. The system includes two filters; a pre-filter which filters larger dust particles and a second filter which removes particles out of the sir down to two microns in size. The SaniDry is just one of many basement finishing products for your Kansas basement finishing project offered by TBF of Johnson County. 

TBF of Johnson County has been finishing basements for over 20 years. Contact them today for a free estimate. Do you want a moisture resistant Kansas Basement? With specialized wall panels and flooring, you can have just that! They service Kansas City, Osawatomie, Lawrence, Lenexa, Overland Park, Olathe and surrounding Kansas areas.

Learn More About How You Can Have A Green Basement!

You aren't going to be gardening with that green thumb, you're going to be remodeling your basement with green basement finishing products and thumbing through all the money you just saved with a more energy efficient finished basement!

Your home isn't going green, it's staying green! Although being more energy efficient and conscious of your energy emissions is the new trend for most homeowners and business moguls, it's time for every homeowner who wants a green basement to have a green basement. Maybe you have believed that going green is more expensive, the way the organic vegetables are nearly double the price of the "had-beens" that are other vegetables.

But, if you want a more energy efficient basement, and lower energy costs, you have got to invest in some green basement finishing products.

What's the Benefit?

So, why are you finishing your basement anyway? If you want to have more living space or update your home with a customized room, or maybe you've heard that you can upgrade your basement with new and/or green products that you will save money -- you're right! If you want any of these for your home, then you can see the great benefit in remodeling your basement, especially to save a dollar, or a couple hundred.

Some basement finishing companies actually offer green products, from ceiling tiles to flooring.

Green Products
Ceiling Tiles: How could a ceiling tile be green? Well, it would have to be able to withstand a lot of damage and last a long time, therefore saving you money from all those replacements. It would also have to be made at such a high quality that it tightly seals and helps maintain the appropriate temperature. And, of course a recyclable product is always a bonus. Did you know that some metal framings, where the ceilings are installed, are actually recyclable and are known to last for decades? It's true.

Wall Panels: You know that insulation helps maintain temperatures, and that's why it's important to have the best quality insulation in your basement.

In particular, some insulation is actually 94 percent less ozone-depleting than all the other insulation on the market.

Not only is the wall's insulation green, but so is the wall board. A wall board can be found that is made with 95 percent certified recycled materials.

So, it might be wise to reconsider using that drywall and fiberglass on your basement walls. Oh, and by the way, by avoiding these two products and choosing the right ceiling tiles you could save up to $400 a year! Is that green enough for you?!

Basement Windows: We've now reached the belt of your head-to-toe green basement transformation; the windows. Some windows are just grisly to the eyes. You know the ones. They resemble the wood that a clan of termites just had for dinner. Wood can rot, corrode, and need updates such as new coats of paint. And, because wood can get moist when it's hot, or obviously if it gets wet, then it can become a habitation for mold.

So, what's your alternative? When you choose the vinyl window design you will own windows that will not corrode, rot, need paint, or welcome mold growth. Considering this vinyl design will also lessen the drafts that are all too common to most windows. Thus, your new windows will be conserving energy.

On average, your vinyl window, when compared to the single-paned, steel-framed window, could save you 30 percent or more!

What's the other part of a window besides the frame? The glass. With something called Low-E glass you can lessen the pounding heat in the summer and the squalls of wind in the winter.

Laminate Flooring: This can become the most essential aspect of your green basement. Think about this: after some research you will find that some floors are made of laminate. According to floor facts, laminate flooring has many more benefits when compared to pre-finished engineered hardwood flooring.

Laminate flooring ranks as having very good or excellent performance in resisting scratches, stains, fades, impacts, and easy maintenance.

Additionally, yes there's more, some laminate flooring is made from post-consumer products, and is recyclable. As for the o-zone, that's coming in at a big, fat ZERO.

Flooring can also have a huge influence on your health, as many other household items or appliances. Chemicals are used more prevalently than you think, and can be polluting your home. But with some laminate flooring, you can sleep better knowing they do not contain lead, cadmium, mercury, or formaldehyde.

Remember, mold loves to grow in moist climates, so it's best to have mold resistant products, like the vinyl windows we just discussed. But, your laminate flooring can come waterproof, and you know that, no water means no mold!

As laminate flooring lasts for what seems forever, your investment in laminate flooring will outlast any other flooring. Therefore, by purchasing laminate, you're saving money while going green.

Tiled Flooring: It has some similar benefits that we saw in laminate flooring. The tiles are made with post-consumer products and are fully recyclable. They are also very long lasting.

Isn't it always a shock to your poor little feet when you scurry across your chilly concrete basement floor? It's almost as if you're playing a game -- the floor’s made of ice, get to a carpet for safety! But seriously, cold floors are uncomfortable. With special tiles in your basement, you can expect the floors to be about 8-10 degrees warmer.

Basement Dehumidifier: So, we have learned how to make your basement green from ceiling to flooring, but there's one more thing you must consider; the air.

No one wants a musty, muggy basement, so by choosing not only green materials, but waterproof materials as well, you are almost to the point of completely removing moisture from the basement environment. With an Energy Star rated basement dehumidifier you can remove so much moisture and allergens, too! With particular dehumidifiers you can eliminate up to 110 pints of water each day without even having to empty a bucket!

So you want to save money and you want to go green. You must contact Total Basement Finishing of Johnson County, Kansas -- a Kansas green basement company. The products discussed in this article can be found by searching for our unique green basement finishing products: TBF Drop Ceiling Tiles, EverLast Basement Walls, EverLast Basement Windows, MillCreek Flooring, ThermalDry Tiled Flooring, and SaniDry XP.

You can trust TBF of Johnson County; they have been finishing basements for over 20 years. Contact them today for a free estimate on how to make your basement a Kansas green basement. Do you want a moisture resistant Kansas basement? With specialized wall panels and flooring, you can have just that! They service Kansas City, Osawatomie, Lawrence, Lenexa, Overland Park, Olathe and surrounding Kansas areas.

By Samantha Walton Published: 7/13/2010

Don't Remodel Your Basement on Your Own

You're dad's the repairman, he's the 'Mr. Fix-it,' and he has to rest at some point! Give your handyman a break when it comes to the big home improvement projects such as basement finishing, and find a contractor to do the job. All you have to do is list what you want done, and prioritize your needs. The best contractor will have the best products and resources to help your basement finishing project come to life!

Dad the Repairman

Every Father's Day you can find cards that encourage dads to continue working on the house, being the best "repairman in town," and also thanking dad for being the man with all the answers.

For some, dad is the one you go to for help, and he's always been reliable. He's been there to help when you have a flat tire, he's told you the best brand of paint to buy, and he was the one who helped negotiate the car salesman when you got your first car. He's generous, caring, and loves to help.

Dads love to help, and admittedly, they have a lot of wisdom -- but is it safe to say that dads are human and have their own specialties? There are the dads who are great with the car repairs, and don't know how to turn on the oven. Or, maybe he's a painting prodigy and hates doing yard work. Whatever strengths, likes, or dislikes he may have, he's human and can only do so much.

So, when it comes to hefty projects such as basement remodeling, no offense to dad, but contacting a highly trained and certified basement finishing professional may be the best route to take. This may be the time for dad to take a break, relax from being the Renaissance man, and maybe even give him a chance to focus on some other things on his to-do list.

But, in order for the man of the house to step down from such an undertaking, he will have to know that his home or his child's home is being taken care of by the best basement finishing experts in the area.

So, here are some things to consider when you are trying to seek outside help.

Just Ask

Asking for help is not that easy for anyone, especially if the project had appeared to be simple at first glance. Let's set the scene.

You check out your home's basement, and you find it's pretty dark, muggy, smells kind of weird, insulation is falling everywhere, and there's some mold. Until now, you thought your basement was just the room of the house that was good for storing things, but now you're wondering if even that's a good idea!

Now that you have a pretty good understanding of where that musty smell in your home originated, you have to figure out how to fix the problem. Although you've never dealt with having to repair and remodel a basement before, you don't think it's that big of a deal.

So, you go down again, you try to pack in the insulation, you clean out the mold, try to remove the puddles, add a coffee table and two patio chairs, buy some organizing boxes, install a new light, and you put that bathroom air-freshener you just bought to use. Problem solved.

About a week later, you decide to show your friend your handiwork and how you can help him out with his basement. You go to show your friend and realize, the basement mold is back with a vengeance. Your basement is still muggy and it doesn't look how you'd imagined. But, now what?!

It's time to call a basement finishing and remodeling expert.

Experience

You do your research and you come across a company you think looks pretty decent. They come by and make an estimate for the repairs and services they have to offer. Everything seems a bit high, and for some reason it just doesn't seem like they will do any better of a job than you had done. So to you, it really would not be worth the investment. Back to the drawing board you go.

Before you put more time into researching an expert basement contractor, make a list of what you are looking to accomplish, and also have an idea of what is most important to you. Once you've finished your list, you will have an easier time finding the right contractor for you.

Do the Job Right

You know that you could do the job yourself, but you also know that sometimes it's best to just ask someone who has the experience, the training, and the resources to do a quality job. It's better to do a job right the first time, rather than waste your time and money and have to redo it anyway.

Not only can you have the job done right, but some basement contractors can completely remodel your basement in about two weeks time!

Did you know that there are materials for walls that won't grow mold or rot; floor tiles that are stain resistant and don't dent easily; and ceiling tiles that won't grow mold or sag! There's so much to look forward to when you've found the right basement finishing contractor. So why wait?!

Professionals Who Care

At Lake Side Total Basement Finishing, you know you're getting a job well done. They back up their products with warranties such as a 50-year basement wall warranty, and a 30-year ceiling tile "no-sag" warranty. They offer only the best walls, ceiling tiles, and waterproof flooring.

So, now you know who to call once you know you have a basement problem, and you want your basement remodeled into a beautiful living space. Lake Side offers free, on-site basement inspections, a design consultation with interactive software, a written copy of the proposal, and a full-color book about basement finishing!

For expert , contact basement remodeling in Milwaukee Lake Side Basement Finishing today. They proudly serve Milwaukee, South Milwaukee, Racine, Kenosha, Menomonee Falls, Walworth County, and nearby WI as well as Rockford, Gurnee, Waukegan, Algonquin, Belvidere, Buffalo Grove, Highland Park, Loves Park, Zion, and nearby IL.

By Samantha Walton Published: 7/1/2010

Why Finish My Basement?

Sometimes we don't know there's a problem until someone who fixes problems can help us out! So, maybe you don't think your basement is in dire need of some assistance, but read through this article. You just might decide it's time for some updates! Remodeling your basement can help you enjoy your space and keep your family safe.

How Do I Know I Need to Finish My Basement?

For starters, if you have ever thought of your home as a beautiful castle, there's one room that every castle always has: a dungeon.

Thankfully we're in the 21st century and your home doesn't need to torture you. So, if you consider your basement to be your dungeon room, it's time for an update!

Maybe your basement isn't as bad as a dingy dungeon, but here are some cues for an upgrade. If your basement is wet, has poor air quality, mold, or smells, you need to consider finishing your basement.

But, there is a big difference between having the local handyman finish your basement, and contacting certified basement professionals who use the right products to prevent you from remodeling your basement a second time. We'll discuss what qualifies a basement for remodeling, and also who you can contact for reliable service.

A Moat for Your Castle

Water - it's not the most desirable element to have dwelling within your home. But, if you do, either you have a moat, or you have some plumbing leaks. Either way, it's not a good look for your home's value, or your potential to enjoy your whole house! So, don't leave your basement in this wet condition.

Maybe you have had some leaks, but nothing major, or if you have never had leaks, guess what? You're not immune unless you have had your basement completely finished with waterproof materials.

Since homes are made of a large piping network, it's more than likely that one will burst. You want to be prepared when that pipe bursts and water is everywhere.

What Are You Coughing-up?

Yes, you are coughing-up a lot of money if you continue to take your family to the doctor with asthma symptoms, coughs, allergies, and paying for quick fixes that don't last. These symptoms could be a result of the air you are breathing. Sure, you don't spend that much time in your basement, but neither does the air.

This is called the stack effect. Air comes in through the areas of your home with low air pressure such as your basement, and flows into the higher levels of your home, then back outside. According to building experts, up to 40 percent of the air you breathe on the first floor rose up from the basement.

So, if you think keeping your basement hidden will protect you from dealing with what's down there, unfortunately that is not the case.

Mold Might Love Your Basement

Odds are your basement is a prime living arrangement for mold. Check this out:

Mold likes to live in temperatures between 32 and 110 degrees Fahrenheit, be around water or humidity, eat organic materials, and produce spores and multiply.

Basements tend to be humid, and wet. If you don't see water, you have to remember that the earth is a very moist planet, just dig down a couple of feet and you find moisture. That moisture constantly enters out basements through the porous concrete walls and floors in the form of water vapor.

The dry wall, lumber, particle board, and use of air conditioning are all prime examples of why mold is most likely to be in your basement. These materials are organic, so they were living at one point and that's what attracts the mold. The air conditioning tends to cool the air so quickly that there is no time for dehumidifying the air. So, mold is resting comfortably along with you.

What's That Smell?

If you're wondering how mold multiplies, it's through the release of spores. Coincidentally, these spores are to blame for giving basements that funky smell and many people suffer from an array of allergy symptoms from mold spores, too.

So, let's change the stigma. When someone smells something musty it's easy to say, "Ew, it smells like a basement!" No one wants to be a part of that group with a stinky basement. By choosing to remodel your basement with waterproof materials, you will be protecting your living space from mold and its spores. Bye-bye moldy smell, hello clean air. Happy breathing!

What Not To Do

If you can identify with any of the above concerns, please do not continue to use this space. When your basement is wet, has mold, and smells; the air not only carries these things into the rest of your house, but drastically effects whatever is in the space.

Think about this. All of the items you are storing such as: out of season clothes, your kid's toys, holiday decorations or maybe summer furniture; they are all absorbing each of those pollutants we just talked about.

A basement can be a great storage space, but you'll be doing yourself an injustice by storing things in an unhealthy and destructive environment.

Here's What To Do

Now you know whether your basement needs some TLC (tender love and care), and Lake Side Total Basement Finishing can help you transform your dysfunctional basement to an alluring and functional space. Not only should you want your basement to be alluring, but it also needs to be sustainable. This means you need to have your basement finished properly with waterproof materials.

What do you need?

Is your basement old or in need of an upgrade? Do you want help with your electrical work, basement lighting, windows, staircases and other odds and ends? Lake Side Total Basement Finishing offers free basement remodeling quotes in Milwaukee, and surrounding areas: South Milwaukee, Racine, Kenosha, Menomonee Falls, Walworth County, and nearby WI as well as Rockford, Gurnee, Waukegan, Algonquin, Belvidere, Buffalo Grove, Highland Park, Loves Park, Zion, and nearby IL.

Call 800-219-3978 for a free basement finishing estimate. With each free estimate you will receive a design consultation with 3D imagery of your newly designed basement, our book "Basement Finishing Science - What to Have Done…and WHY", and a free written quote.

By Samantha Walton Published: 6/23/2010

Almost everyone who owns a house with an unfinished basement, dreams of having it finished. How can you not think of it? After all, an unfinished basement is a whole floor's worth of space that can be easily turned into any type of room your family needs.

However, basement finishing projects are hardly inexpensive and, because basements are like no other room in the house, there are special challenges when it comes to choosing the best finishes and configuration. Basements usually house utilities, plumbing, wiring. They are also quite prone to moisture and water accidents. All of which must be taken into consideration before you tackle your project. Making the wrong choices, can literally spell disaster.

Below are the six most common mistakes homeowners make in basement remodeling projects:

1 - Finishing a Wet, Damp or Flood Prone Basement

Because of the way they are built, basements are always prone to moisture and floods.

Your basement is basically a box of porous concrete, buried in wet ground, and when that ground gets saturated with water, the resulting hydrostatic pressure pushes the water against the foundation walls. That water will eventually find its way into your basement, through cracks, the joint between walls and floors, as infiltrating the concrete through capillary action. To make matters worse, basements can also be flooded by plumbing leaks, broken water heater tanks and other water accidents. Without proper drainage, a reliable sump pump system, and proper dehumidification, no basement is dry enough to be finished.

2 - Using wood studs, fiberglass insulation and drywall.

While these materials work well when finishing rooms above grade, in a basement they usually spell disaster. Basements are naturally humid, and all these materials have the tendency to absorb moisture. They are also made with organic compounds: wood, paper and, in the case of fiberglass, a urea based adhesive is used to hold the batch together.

When you combine moisture with organic matter, you create ideal conditions for mold to develop. In addition, fiberglass loses all its R-Value when damp and drywall, in contact with water, will begin to decompose and release toxic fumes. Basement walls should be finished with 100% inorganic and waterproof materials that will survive a basement flood or water accident.

3 - Using wooden subfloors, hardwood floor, cork or bamboo.

Basically, anything that is made with organic materials is a bad idea for basements. Manufacturers might tell you that these products are either naturally "mold resistant" or are chemically treated to be so. Some wooden basement subfloor manufacturers might claim that the product has a vapor barrier and it is raised from the floor to keep the wood from soaking the moisture from the slab. However, read the small print. None of them really stand a chance to survive a flood, which can be caused by a plumbing leak, for example. Look for basement flooring solutions that are specifically engineered to withstand all sorts of basement moisture conditions.

4 - Improper use of vapor barriers

Many contractors will tell you that if you attach poly sheets all over the walls and the floor of the basement, you can pretty much use any type of finish you want, because the "vapor barrier" will protect the materials. Some will have an even worse suggestion: Placing the vapor barrier over the studs and the fiberglass, and then attach the drywall. According to the US Department of Energy's Building America Best Practices recommendations, moisture from basement walls and floors should be allowed to evaporate and dry to the interior. This kind of vapor barrier will only do one thing: trap the water vapor between the concrete and the barrier, where it can condensate, and can cause mold to grow.

5 - Not having a backup sump pump

Every year in Wisconsin, millions of dollars are spent on basement flood cleanup, restoration and replacement of flood-damaged property. To make matters worse, the damage is never covered under homeowners insurance, and even special flood insurance establishes coverage limits when it comes to basements. Even if your basement is properly waterproofed and has a good working sump pump, without a battery operated backup sump pump, you are at risk for a basement flood. Keep in mind that the same storms that have the potential to flood your basement can also cause power outages. No power, no pump! Battery backups are also useful in case of a primary pump failure or other electrical malfunction.

6 - Disregarding moisture control.

You did all the right things when finishing your basement. You provided drainage, a good sump pump with battery backup. You chose all the right materials for the walls, floor and ceiling. Yet your basement smells musty or you found some mold spots growing in the furniture, fabrics or paper. Although proper waterproofing and good basement finishing choices can greatly improve conditions in the basement, in some cases they will not suffice to control the moisture in the basement.

Basement moisture levels tend to be higher because of temperature differences between the basement and the areas above grade. When basement moisture levels go above 60% mold will start to develop, especially in organic surfaces. Even if you don't see it, if the basement smells musty, the mold is present. Basement moisture levels should be closely monitored and a dehumidifier should be used to keep RH levels at or below 55%.

For beautiful, impeccably finished, basement remodeling in Milwaukee, Wisconsin trust LakeSide Total Basement Finishing. As an authorized Total Basement Finishing dealer, Lakeside offers 100% waterproof and mold resistant green basement finishing systems. Cynthia Freeney is the Social Media and Web Reputation Manager for Total Basement Finishing. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cynthia_Freeney

Making Space for a Finished Basement

April 13th, 2010 by jacques

Image Credit: Kim Scaborough

How to Make Room for More Room in Your Home

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.

ZenWall is an affordable solution to spruce up storage areas

If you have a little extra in your budget and would like the storage area to look its best, try out some inexpensive upgrades.  We recommend our ZenWall product to give it the same look as the finished space.  Sometimes, we 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, and in two hours I’d at least doubled the available space in my closet.  Awesome!

Ask Us for Advice

At Total Basement Finishing, we’ve been remodeling basements since 1987, 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 .  Give us a call today to locate a Total Basement Finishing Dealer near you, and get started on your new & improved home!

Posted in Basement Remodeling Ideas, Home Improvement, basement finishing ~ Edit post

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