Has your basement been out of style or unfinished for a long period of time? Do you feel the need to revamp it, bring it back to life and make it a more classy space? If so then you literally need to get some groundwork done. There are a few finishes you can implement to make your basement the new favorite spot in your house. To guide you on this, here are 4 tips to finishing your basement:
- Â Â Â Keep The Walls Waterproofed
Waterproofing your basement walls is an effective method to use to prevent water leakage. There are waterproofing materials available in the market that you can use. These materials should be applied on bare masonry or concrete basement walls in order for them to function effectively.
Before you apply any coating of the waterproof materials, ensure that you remove all the loose materials on the walls using a wire brush and then wipe off any powdery white efflorescence using a masonry cleaner.
As you use a masonry waterproofing product, ensure that you spread a thick coat of it so as to fill every hole and form a consistent waterproof membrane. It is advisable that you apply two coats for the best results.
- Â Â Â Install Heating Cables
Basement floors can get really cold at times and it will be a brilliant idea to warm them up. You can do this using electric heating cables. The heat they produce won’t necessarily warm up the entire room but will keep the floors in a comfortable warm state to step on.
You can purchase either a mat with the heating cables attached or get a loose cable system. The loose cables are cheaper compared to the mats but are more labor intensive in terms of installation.
- Â Â Â Check The Rim Joists
One of the major causes of energy loss in your basement is uninsulated rim joists. The joists need to be properly insulated for your basement to have a proper finish. To do this, you can seal them using rigid insulation that has been cut to fit. You can use a thick extruded 2-in polystyrene.
Use a table saw to cut equal strips that line up with your joists depth then cut the strips up to the desired length. Fill the remaining small gaps using caulk and the bigger ones using expanding spray foam.
- Â Â Â Dry Up Your Basement
If your basement is wet or damp, you’ll have to solve this problem first before you can do anything else. There are two main approaches that you can use to solve the water problem in your basement. The first is to grade the soil in order to slope it off from the foundation then repair or add downspouts and gutters.
If the first approach doesn’t work, you can try out the second one which is adding an exterior drain tile and waterproof the walls or add an interior drain tile which will empty in a sump basket via a pump.
Dealing with the water problem will prevent mold from forming in your basement. Keep in mind that implementing these remedies can be quite technical and time-consuming and it is more advisable that you hire an expert to do the work for you. To help you find the best one to work with, check out this basement waterproofing south jersey company. They offer the best wet basement solutions.
