Your Remodeled Basement: Finishing off the Finished Room

Congratulations are in order. Everything’s done — the new walls are up, the carpeting is laid, the furniture is placed, the home entertainment system (with full surround sound) is installed. Your big basement finishing project is over and done with, and it’s time to start enjoying it.

But don’t pop that popcorn just yet. Before you sit down to enjoy your newly remodeled basement, it’s important to ensure that it’ll be safe from the kinds of problems that usually plague basements — dampness, hydrostatic pressure and leaks. You don’t want to head down to the basement one day with the latest Xbox game or Spielberg movie on Blu-Ray to find a soaked carpet and ruined electronics.

Before You Begin. Hopefully, before you began your basement finishing project, you made sure your basement was in good shape. Simply slapping up some plywood walls and throwing down a carpet pad isn’t going to do your basement any good; you may be able to make it look nice, but unless you’ve made sure your basement walls and floor are free of leaks or potential leaks, you’re only asking for trouble down the road.

An experienced basement finishing firm can check out your basement prior to any project to make sure it’s a safe place to begin working. If your foundation has cracks, or if you have a hidden black mold problem, you’ll need to take care of that before the actual basement finishing project begins. Leaks won’t stop leaking because you can’t see them, and black mold can turn your new media center into a potential health hazard.

Now That You’re Done. Once your basement is fully remodeled, you’ll need to take extra care to prevent basement leaks. And because the basement is underground, it’s more susceptible to leaks than any other area in your home.

Leaks can come from a broad variety of sources: Faulty window wells or defective rain gutters can allow water to pool and create hydrostatic pressure, which can turn tiny cracks into big ones. If there’s improper drainage surrounding your property, it’ll damage your foundation just as badly. And condensation can collect on the inside of your foundation’s cement walls, creating a perfect breeding ground for toxic black mold. So if you suspect any of these problems may be afflicting your basement, it’s important to address them.

In fact, many of these should be taken care of before you begin a basement finishing project. But if you’ve forged ahead without the counsel of a qualified basement waterproofing service, it may not be too late.