Is Your Basement a Beast? How to Make It Less Creepy and More Cheery

by DixieSomers

For many homeowners, the basement is a dusty, creepy, unfinished area of the home that is used for storage and not much else. However, if you have a basement you aren’t using, that is a lot of untapped space that could make your home more comfortable and livable.

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There are several things you can do to transform your basement from beast to beauty. Before you begin, make sure you do not have any issues with water seeping in or flooding. There’s nothing more heartbreaking (and expensive to fix) than water damaged living areas.

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Lighting the Way

Adding light is the first, best defense against creepy basements. Today’s energy efficient lighting makes flooding the basement with light an affordable reality. Even if you are not remodeling the entire space, installing extra lights chases away the shadows and eases the mind. You might even consider placing lighting along the stairs or railing in order to make your trip down to the basement a bit brighter.

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A Good Cover Up

If your basement is unfinished, the first thing to do is to frame in walls and a ceiling. Depending on your abilities, this could be a DIY project. This will cover up floor joists, pipes, and electrical conduits that service the upper part of your home. It will also allow you to install other plumbing and electrical for your new living space. Make sure you don’t cover something you might need to access for maintenance purposes.

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Cover the furnace or other appliances by creating closets to house them. Make sure the closet is easily accessible and within tolerances for enclosed appliances. According to the professionals of Comfortable Home Systems who specialize in St. Albert furnace repair, these specifications can usually be found on the appliance themselves.

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Convert metal supports into architectural features by enclosing them in drywall and dressing them in crown molding and decorative baseboards. You can use the pillars to divide the space by strategically placing shelving or other room dividing elements between them.

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Storage Solutions

Create storage by installing wall-to-wall closets on one side of the basement to accommodate the items that you previously were storing. Some people’s basements are accessible from the outside via a garage door. You can keep your garage for storage and still convert a portion of the basement into livable space. Simply change the way that you frame the interior walls.

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Cozy Flooring

Carpeting a newly renovated basement gives the space a cozy feel and absorbs sound. Make sure to install adequate padding since concrete floors tend to be cold and hard. Choose a light, neutral color to help maximize your lighting, especially if you have little or no natural light coming in.

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Many people are looking at basement conversions as a way to maximize the living space in their homes. Framing in walls, adding light and color, and carpeting can go a long way toward making the space less creepy and more cheery.

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Frequently asked questions

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3 questions

Gene on May 31, 2017

What kind of lighting can I use in behind crown molding?

1
Nat34018664 on Aug 29, 2018

What color is the wall coming down the stairs?

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Barbara on Sep 23, 2019

What color are the steps painted?

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