Renovating Your Basement for Livability

 Renovating a full-height basement can be a relatively easy and cost-effective way to add new living space to your house. But is your basement really a good candidate for a renovation?

If your basement isn’t high, dry and sound, you should correct these problems before starting renovations.

If you are planning a basement renovation, you should inspect your basement for possible problems.

• Must you stoop to avoid bumping your head on a beam or duct?
• Are there intermittent or permanent traces of moisture or mold on the floor or walls?
• Is there a persistent musty odour in clothing and other objects that are stored in your basement?
• Are there cracks as wide as a pencil, or that appear to widen or shrink, in the walls or floor?

If the answer to any of these questions is “yes,” you should include the costs of fixing these problems in your budget.

Photo by John Burrows
Figure 2: Basement office

Preparing the Groundwork

Building permit

You must obtain a building permit if you intend to alter the structure of your house, increase the size of windows or exterior doors, or change the occupancy — for instance, by adding a self-contained apartment.

The building permit ensures that the changes respect minimum standards of health and safety. To make a good living space, a basement should be high enough to permit ceiling fixtures or fans with space beneath for a 1.8-m (6-ft.) tall person. Most municipalities require a height of 2.1 m (6.8 ft.) from finished floor to ceiling before they will issue a building permit, which is also the minimum height required by most electrical codes for a ceiling light. Some jurisdictions permit limited obstructions, such as beams and heating duct bulkheads, within this space. Ask your building official what minimum heights are required.

Moisture sources

Dampness or leaks in the walls or floor must be corrected, because a damp or wet basement isn’t suitable living space. Moisture problems can ruin even the most expensive renovations and make your basement unlivable. Damp walls and floors result from holes or cracks in the foundation, insufficient dampproofing on the exterior face of wall, poor drainage at walls and footings and site grading that slopes towards the foundation (see Figure 3 ). Wetness may also be caused by a high water table, which exerts hydrostatic pressure on the walls and floor. The following are ways to repair common sources of moisture.

Cracks

Although small cracks may be patched on the inside, large cracks and other causes of dampness are best repaired from the outside. This often means using heavy machinery to excavate around the foundation walls to the footings. Once the walls and the top of the footings are exposed, it is possible to patch small holes or cracks with water-resistant grout. If cracks are large or appear to be moving, you should hire a structural engineer to investigate and recommend repairs.

Drainage

Water can seep up through the basement floor, appear at cracks and holes and accumulate at the perimeter where the floor meets the walls. If this occurs frequently or seasonally, it may be the result of an improperly functioning foundation drain. The drainage tile or pipe around the footing may be crushed, plugged or missing, and should be repaired or replaced. The drainage tile should be perforated with holes to collect groundwater, and positioned so that its bottom is below the basement floor.

Some builders enclose the drainage tile with a geotextile “sock” to keep fine soil material from clogging the tile. The tile and sock should be covered with at least 100 mm (4 in.) of clear, crushed stone extending to a free-draining zone over the face of the foundation. A length of unobstructed pipe should slope downwards from the foundation drain to the storm sewer to carry away any water that collects around the footings.

Ensure that the foundation wall has an uninterrupted coating of bituminous dampproofing, or a waterproof membrane when there is hydrostatic pressure. The coating should extend from finished grade to the top of the footing and seal the joint between the wall and footing. Cover this with a drainage membrane or free-draining fill to provide the drainage zone mentioned above, and slope the backfill so it will carry surface water away from the foundation wall. As an added precaution, create a clay “dam” around the foundation walls just below the topsoil, to deflect surface water away from the house. Figure 3 shows a foundation drainage system.

Figure 3: Concrete foundation wall with insulated exterior face

Eavestroughs and downspouts

Eavestroughs collect water from the roof and rainwater leaders, or downspouts, and carry it to the ground. When the downspout fails to direct the water away from the foundation, or the grade doesn’t slope away from the walls, this water may leak into your basement. A simple solution is to extend the bottom section of the rainwater leader at least 1,200 mm (4 ft.) away from the foundation, and to adjust the grade around the foundation so that it slopes away from the house.

Window wells

Window wells can collect snow and water, and often contribute to dampness in basements. The base of a window well should consist of 150 – 200 mm (6 – 8 in.) of free-draining material, such as crushed stone, and must be at least 150 mm (6 in.) below the bottom of the window. Window wells are places where snow and water will naturally collect. Install a length of drainage tile filled with crushed stone from the bottom of the well to the foundation drain, to ensure rapid removal of standing water from the well. As an added precaution, consider installing a clear Plexiglas cover over the well if you don’t plan to use the window for ventilation. If the bottom of the window well is less than 1,800 mm (6 ft) above the footing, consult a geotechnical engineer about protecting the footing from frost action.

Figure 4: Window well at basement w

Floor drains and sump pumps

Most basement floors in houses built after 1900 are sloped to a drain that, in turn, slopes to a sewer or dry well. It became common practice after about 1940 to install a ‘P’ trap in the drain, to prevent sewer gases from entering the basement.

If you intend to live in your basement, ensure there is a proper drain with a trap situated at the low point of the floor. The trap should be kept full of water to function properly and should be topped up periodically.

If there is no sanitary sewer in your vicinity, you may install a sump pit with a pump near the lowest point in the basement floor. The sump pit should be capped and sealed to prevent soil gases from entering. The pump should discharge to a dry well or to a location above ground where the water will not leak into the basement.

Backwater valves

A backwater valve is a device that automatically closes to prevent sewage in an overloaded sewer line from backing up into your basement. A properly installed backwater valve should be located to prevent sewage from coming through any fixtures in your basement, such as sinks, toilets, showers and laundry tubs. Installing a backwater valve may be expensive, but it can protect your basement renovation from serious damage, such as that which often occurs during periods of heavy rain.

Preparing the Space

Foundation walls

To prevent heat loss to the surrounding earth, most jurisdictions require exterior basement walls to be insulated for most of their height. Although builders usually place the insulation on the inside face of the foundation wall and cover it with gypsum board, it would be better to place water-resistant insulation on the exterior face where it can keep the foundation warm. If the wall is warm, the dew point, the point at which air vapour condenses as water, occurs on the exterior of the foundation wall where condensation will do no harm.

When insulating the foundation on the inside, you should expect some moisture to condense on the inside face of the foundation wall. Place a moisture barrier, such as vapour-permeable building paper, on the interior face of the foundation from exterior grade to the bottom of the wall to prevent this moisture from wetting the insulation. The top of the wall and the space between the joists should be insulated, because it is here that most of the basement heat loss occurs. Cover the warm face of the insulation with a polyethylene vapour retarder and seal with caulking where the polyethylene meets the floor, walls and ceiling, and at all laps to prevent moisture from getting into the wall. Consult the building code for your jurisdiction for your basement insulation requirements.

Floors

Dampness and cold can enter a basement floor from the ground beneath it. Building codes require an occupied basement in a new house to have a moisture barrier, such as polyethylene, beneath the slab. If you have an older house with no moisture barrier below the floor, consider placing polyethylene over the existing floor before installing the finished flooring. If space and headroom permit, you might also install water-resistant insulation, such as extruded polystyrene, beneath the finished flooring to obtain a warmer floor.

Putting the Systems in Place

Canadian houses contain mechanical and plumbing systems that contribute to our comfort and health. The National Building Code of Canada (NBCC) sets minimum standards for water and waste piping in kitchens and bathrooms and for heat and ventilation in habitable rooms. All new NBCC “Part IX” residential dwellings and small buildings that are supplied with electrical power require mechanical ventilation, to ensure a continuous and adequate fresh air supply. The ventilation capacity required of exhaust appliances for kitchens and bathrooms is set out in Section 9.32.3 of the NBCC.

Air circulation

Excessive humidity and insufficient air movement contribute to two common problems in basements: mold growth and stale air.

Once you have repaired sources of water entry, you may put in heating and air circulation to make the space comfortable. Electric baseboards supply heat, but provide no circulation. If your house has a forced-air heating system, the furnace can provide heat and air circulation to the basement. Most furnaces provide circulation by pushing heated air out of registers and pulling cooler air into return-air grilles. The supply registers should be close to the floor in all rooms to allow the room air to mix effectively and should be near cold surfaces, such as windows.

Return-air grilles should also be located near the floor in all rooms, except the furnace room, to remove the layer of cooler air that tends to collect there and ensure proper air circulation.

Providing your basement with a heating and ventilation system that equals the one in the rest of the house should improve air quality and comfort during the heating season. But what about the period when the furnace is off and there is no air movement?

Photo by John Burrows
Figure 5: Heating plenum disguised as lighting fixture

Mechanical ventilation

It is advisable to run the furnace fan year round, or use a furnace cycling device to circulate the air throughout the house. Because fan operation consumes energy, consider replacing a conventional furnace with one equipped with an electronically commutated motor (ECM). This will enable you to select the fan speed to suit your airflow needs and conserve energy. Opening windows usually increases humidity during the warm season, because this is the period when the outside air contains the greatest concentration of moisture. Dehumidifiers and air conditioners are more effective at drying and cooling indoor air during the non-heating months.

A heat recovery ventilator (HRV) is a valuable addition to a ventilation system, because it can exhaust stale air to the outside and replace it with fresh exterior air. The fresh air recovers heat from the exhaust air, then mixes with the house air and is heated and circulated by the furnace.

The stale air in most of our houses is exhausted by the kitchen and bathroom fans, and replaced by fresh air leaking in through cracks and openings. This results in drafts, heat loss and uncertain air quality. A properly designed and installed HRV system can correct these problems in the basement and throughout the house.

Although it is common for occupants to not use, or to disable noisy bathroom and kitchen fans, this leads to higher relative humidity and increased concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the air.

Rather than compromise your air circulation, consider replacing a noisy fan with a quieter model. For more information, see the About Your House fact sheet The Importance of Bathroom and Kitchen Fans.

In some jurisdictions, the fan can be connected to the light switch so that it operates when the room is in use. More information on VOC’s can be obtained 

Nowadays the new home owners are preferably converting the basement as another living space using the possible basement ideas they could find. But they are unable to design that basement up to their requirements. Unless and until the owner wants to change the basement to a living space it couldn’t be an extra expense. If the owner wants to use the basement as a living space like home office or for some other use first of all he needs to prepare a budget regarding that. You can save your money if you plan your budget. For the basement you have to keep some things in mind, they are storage spaces, electrical wiring and water proofing etc.

A basement ca either sit empty or can be used for storage purpose in most homes, which adds an extra floor to the home but it’s a waste. There are some other different things we can do with the basement. Here are some of the basement ideas.

1) The basement can be used as a hobby room. It can also be used for any hobby which will allow you to relax and concentrate on your hobby.

2) You can use your basement to keep your TV, the basement is a place where you can change the things as you wish.

3) Another thing you have to consider is the lighting which will reveal the beauty of the room. You may choose globe lights and novelty lights to see your room as you dream.

4) The basement is always the coldest room so that in the summer you can sleep in the basement room, you could get a better night’s sleep.

5) You can also turn your basement room like a room which will tells about the theme and gives you inspiration.

These are not all the basement ideas. You can even come out with a basement idea of your own

Basement Design

Often a basement design idea paves the way for a beautiful basement. A design or a plan is capable of telling how the renovation is going—whether it is going perfectly according to the plan or not. The more you use your creative brain, the more you come out with the ideas. There are a plenty of ideas out there that are tested and verified that can offer you a beautiful basement design making your home a wonderful place to live in.

To mention a few, a space for your office might be a good idea. This can be found helpful if you are running a small business at home and if you are in need of a small office other than at your house. Playing space for children is also a good idea to implement in your basement. Children are unpredictable and messy sometimes. So, offering a special place for the children to play by themselves can help them to spend some enjoyable time and at the same time it can reduce your tensions as well.

Personal room is the other good idea that is tested and proved. If you are the person who often looks out for some place to spend your time alone, then this design can be the best basement design that you can have. Guest room is another basement design idea. If your house is fully occupied and you have no room to place your guests, you can turn out the basement in to a beautiful guest room.

If you are not satisfied with these basement design ideas, you can come out with one using your creative mind.

Basement Finishing

Having a good basement finishing idea is great. Usually all the basements leak over a period of time but no one can perfectly predict when that happens. So it is very important to prepare the basement for finishing much before you spend your amount on a basement finishing project. Your primary concern should be to keep the basement dry before acting on a basement finishing plan. This not only protects the basement from water vapour but also from the flooding as well. A damp or wet basement doesn’t suit your basement finishing plan. This is because moisture or wetness can get into the materials and cause mildew, mould, rot and unpleasant odours as well as damage to the furniture, coverings and other personal belongings.

There are few things which you need to consider while planning for a basement finishing project. Your project should include painting the walls using a water-resistant paint. The reason for this is to keep the water away from the basement.