BASEMENT BATHROOM IDEAS

If you have a basement that you want to use for a specific purpose, you might want to consider adding a bathroom. Whether you want to use the space for a basement office, basement game room, basement home theater, basement gym, basement bar, or basement guest room you will find that a bathroom downstairs is very convenient.

If you choose to install a basement bathroom, it will add significant value to your home because it will suddenly make that are below your house usable for many things. The more versatile a house is, the more people will be interested in buying it.

If you are doing a basement remodel, that is the time to seriously consider adding a bathroom or redoing the old one that is there. It is much less costly if you do all the work at the same time.

Adding a bathroom to your basement is something that is beyond the skill level of most people. As it will involve tearing down or adding walls, extensive plumbing work, and electrical wiring, it is best to get a professional involved. A qualified professional will save you time and money in the long run and you can sleep at night knowing that you will be avoiding most of the problems you would encounter if you were doing it yourself.

Depending on what type of a basement you have and what you plan on using it for will determine whether the basement bathroom needs to be complete with a shower. If you are going to only use the space for entertaining or working, you don't need to invest in the added cost of installing a basement shower. Having only a sink and toilet (a powder room) will be plenty. However, if you anticipate using your new basement as a guest room or extra bedroom, having a shower downstairs will very convenient and might be worth the extra cost.

Many people are deciding to upgrade and expand portions of their homes now rather than move to bigger houses. With the terrible economy, they are deciding it is less of a risk to put more money into the house they already own rather than uproot the family and move to a bigger house. This means that more and more people are looking into finishing their basements and making them into rooms they can actually use for something.

Adding a bathroom is one of those basement ideas that makes sense on many levels when you start to figure out ways to get more out of your house. People are understandably hesitant right now to spend the extra money on a basement remodel but when the economy eventually turns around they will most likely be glad they did. A basement bathroom is something that most homeowners are glad they thought of once the hassle of installing it is over.

HOW TO FIX BASEMENT WALL CRACKS

The materials used most often to make basement walls and the foundations may allow water to get through. These porous materials also crack and that is something you need to keep on top of and fix.

First of all it is important to find all the cracks. You might have pictures, posters, or something else covering your basement walls and you need to take everything down to see if there are cracks. You should do this periodically as a part of your basement ideas routine maintenance.

Basement cracks can either be horixontal in nature or vertical. If you find a crack you want it to be vertical because that can be caused by the house settling and by differences in temperature. Vertical cracks are easier to repair and if they are very thin, there is probably no need to worry or do anything.

Horizontal basement wall cracks, on the other hand, can be much more serious and you should fix them right away. You may need to call in a professional for these as it is best to take care of them correctly. These horizontal basement cracks can mean some sort of structural damage.

You can find a product to fix these basement wall cracks at your local home improvement store and they they will mix and dry fast. They are good for filling in the cracks and you can ask your store what they have. They should also have all the tools you need to do it yourself if you like or if you are unsure, you should always call a professional contractor. To find the best most reliable contractor in your city, please take a look at Angie's List.

BASEMENT DEN IDEAS

This first question that might be asked is: what exactly is a den. The word "den" is not used as much as it used to be but turning the basement into a den is one of the better basement ideas you can come up with.

There is no one definition of the word den but it is usually thought of as a room where people go for a variety of purposes. When offices where less common in houses (now many people have a "basement office"), the den was often used as an office. That was the best place to put a desk and some bookshelves along with maybe a fax machine. Now so many people have offices in their homes that they are rarely referred to as dens.

A den is also a room that is used as a gathering place. The den can be a television room and a place where a family goes to just hang out. Not all homes have a family room for this and so the den is the place they go.

A den can also be used as a quite place to go for reading and to get away from the noisier parts of the house. If you want a smoking room or a cigar room, a den would be a great place for that purpose.

Those are some basement den ideas if you have a basement and don't know what to do with it. Basically a den can be whatever you want it to be...sort of a multipurpose if you so choose. Turning your basement into a den is great idea if you need extra space for your family members to spend time and hang out.

BUILD A SOUNDPROOF BASEMENT MUSIC ROOM

A basement music room is one the best basement ideas you can have if you are a musician. The basement is a perfect place for your band to practice or for you to be alone with your instruments and music.

If you want to do it right, you should soundproof your basement so that you won't bother other people in the house or the neighbors. Soundproofing your basement music room is something that will be hard to do yourself and you will probably need to find a professional to do it. It can also be expensive but if done right, it is worth it.

With the video game Guitar Hero being so popular, if you have a game room in your basement you might already feel like you have a basement music room. And if you don't have a basement you might wish you had one for your kids to go so they don't make so much noise.

The most popular place for a band to play is usually in the garage but a basement is the next best place. You can play your music loud and not bother too many other people. In fact, the basement is a great place for your music no matter what kind or style it is. If you just want to deck the room out with big speakers and rock out the basment is the place to do it!