Basement Ideas on a Budget

There never seems to be enough room in the house. The longer you live somewhere, the more stuff your family piles up. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a place designated for extra storage? Taking it a step further, what if there was an extra living space in your home? We’re talking about the benefits of a finished basement. Unfortunately, fully developing the foundation of your home can be costly. You have to account for everything from flooring and drywall expenses to framing and electrical work. If you aren’t careful, you could be on the hook for tens of thousands of dollars. Surely there are ways to get the most out of that below-grade space without breaking the bank, right? Here are three ideas to consider from Houzz:

1. Keep the ceiling exposed – Do you find industrial-style living rooms appealing? You can achieve this style in your basement simply by keeping the ceiling exposed. Of course, not everyone is lucky enough to have a deep basement with a high ceiling. Nonetheless, you can still get creative here. Consider incorporating stylish drop-ceiling panels that help keep the ceiling joists open. Go ahead and paint them a bold color to create the illusion of depth, helping the ceiling recede and, ultimately, become less noticeable. Another plus to this is that your wiring is available without needing to cut into drywall.
2. Get rid of drywall – It’s pretty amazing what kind of an impact a new coat of paint can give a room. Whether you’re trying to update the basement or another room in the house, a fresh coat of paint is an absolute must. What about drywall, though? Here’s the thing: a limited amount of drywall helps add interest to the room and keep overall project costs to a minimum. So make it a point to ditch as much of the drywall as possible. Trust us, you’ll be glad you did later on in the process.
3. Create a focal point – Who said your basement can’t be stylish? Take some time to furnish your space as you would with a room upstairs. Just remember to establish a focal point right from the beginning. Feel free to add pieces such as a bar, a shelving area with a space for a TV (home theater, anyone?), rugs, furniture, and anything else that comes to mind. This part should be fun! Once you’re done decorating, you should have an appealing space that you can enjoy on a regular basis.

Dependable Foundation Repair

Is your basement damp, wet, or have cracked walls? Then it’s imperative to invest in foundation waterproofing before even thinking about completing your below-grade space. The waterproofing contractors at Zablocki have been helping Milwaukee homeowners with such dilemmas for more than three decades. You can count on our basement waterproofing professionals to properly assess your home and get to the core of the problem.

Don’t make the mistake of assuming that all foundation contractors are the same. Turn to Zablocki Waterproofing today for hassle-free wet basement solutions.