Mistakes To Avoid When Renovating Your Basement
As you start to plan your basement renovation, you will come across several choices and have to be quick in making decisions. In a hurry to finalize everything, you can miss out on some details which will cost you later.
To ensure you have a good experience, here are nine common mistakes you should avoid.
- Forgetting about the budget
The first thing to do while planning for basement renovations in Toronto should be to set aside a budget and see if you have enough funds. If you don’t have enough cash, you must figure out ways to get your project financed. Forgetting to plan out your budget can lead to compromising on ideas later to keep up with the available money.
- Overlooking the unpleasant odor
If you enter your basement for a relaxing time, but it gives out a mushy smell, your time for relaxation will turn into an hour of stress. Make sure you check your basement for any smells before getting it renovated. This smell could be a reason for even more significant problems like mold or foundation issues. A basement with such problems will be useless to spend thousands on.
- Ignoring municipal permit
If you are planning for changes that need a permit, get it as soon as possible. Finish Basement in Richmond Hill in style with all the permits. You might think that the process is long and what is the worst that could happen without permits. But it wouldn’t be the best idea to risk so much time and money just because you don’t want to wait for permits.
- Inadequate lighting
You might believe that lesser lights will create a vibe for your basement, but that might be a major mistake. Basement Renovations experts in Toronto don’t recommend dim lights in the basement. It is better to use a dimmer switch if you want dim lights every once in a while. But ask your contractor to install adequate lighting in your basement, so it doesn’t look scary.
- Not paying enough attention.
Your basement renovation might be a part of the complete home renovation project. If that is the case, focusing only on the upper part of the house can prove to be dangerous for your basement. You need to pay enough attention to all parts of the house, including the basement, so there are no design flaws that you come across later.
- Forgetting about waterproofing it
Flood-proofing the basement can cost a little extra, but it will make your basement renovations last longer. Imagine finishing the basement in Richmond Hill, and just then, it gets flooded. Hire an experienced contractor and check for cracks or leaks before the renovation begins. Also, ensure that you ask them to add drain tile and a flood control system while renovating it.
- Sticking to the idea of a wet bar
Not all basements need a wet bar for them to be interesting. Although they are always in trend but adding them should be a personal choice rather than the trend. Ask yourself if you will have guests over often and if you plan to entertain them with the wet bar. If you don’t, adding a cabinet or bar with sofas rather than a wet bar with hard stools is better.
- Choosing laminate flooring
A prevalent mistake people make while basement renovation in Toronto is adding laminate or hardwood floors. They are water-resistant but won’t help with waterproofing the basement. This kind of flooring is costly, so if they get damaged by water, you will regret making such an expensive mistake.
- Removing load-bearing walls
Are you in favor of removing walls to make more space in your basement? You can do it but make sure you don’t let any of the load-bearing walls fall apart. It might happen accidentally, but you will pay a huge price as a failed load-bearing wall can cause several problems. You will have to deal with structural damage like sagging ceilings, drywall cracks, and unleveled floors.
The Final Word
You might also forget to soundproof your basement or choose low ceilings other than these common mistakes. With all your ideas regarding the basement, ensure that you don’t overdo it and implement only the ones that fit your budget and the overall design of the basement. Understandably, you must be excited about renovating your basement, but keeping it simple and subtle is the trick to the best basement renovation.