Are your basement windows cloudy and worn with frames that you hope no one notices or compares to the rest of your attractive, stylish home? Basement windows are the same as any other window, there's just less wall space to accomodate standard sizes like you generally see throughout your home.
Basements are considered to be dark and gloomy and basement windows are perhaps the most neglected area in a finished basement. Basement windows are not often thought about when someone thinks about home improvement. Your home will look more complete as your attention to detail stands out with the installation of nice looking windows in your basement.
First off, it is important that basement windows keep water out so they must remain in good repair and seal tightly when closed. If you currently have leaks or drafts in your windows, it is time to consider purchasing vinyl basement windows. Old drafty windows can account for as much as 25 percent of your monthly heating bill, so it's very important to select windows with high-energy efficiency. Especially for poorly done basement windows, water can easily seep right through in and cause a disaster.
Generally you will get a lower price if you replace all of your basement windows at once. Vinyl basement windows are a great investment in your home that will pay off in many ways over time. Vinyl basement windows are an ideal choice for your lower level windows, as they are more frequently exposed to moisture than upper level windows. Installing vinyl basement windows improves the look of your home and its energy efficiency.
The purpose of basement windows is to make your basement a brighter, more friendly environment and the amount of natural light you get from them can influence the basement color ideas you might have. One of the best things about double-paned vinyl basement windows is how energy-efficient they are. Old and drafty basement windows waste a lot of energy through gaps and open sections. Today, basement windows come in a wide variety of types and styles so you can choose the right one for your interior design. Like other windows in the home, basement windows can be found in a variety of materials including aluminum, wood and vinyl.
The right time to replace your basement windows is before you finish the basement. Look for windows that have heavy duty frames, preferably vinyl for durability in all types of climates and ease of cleaning. While you would always lock the windows from the inside, you might also consider glass block windows or cross bracing that would prevent egress from the outside. If your house was built to code, it will be easy to find standardized replacement windows for your basement. To prevent higher heating bills, it is important that the windows seals have additional forms of insulation to hold in heat. If money is not a factor consider some nice stained glass windows, beveled glass windows, leaded glass windows or windows with brass designs.
BASEMENT WINDOWS IDEAS
BASEMENT DEHUMIDIFIERS IDEAS
If you have an issue with basement mold and basement dampness, one of your options is to look into basement dehumidifiers. Keeping your basement dry is very important for many reasons and one way to accomplish this is to buy a dehumidifier that will keep your basement free of moisture.
There are many makes and models of basement dehumidifiers including Haier, Kenmore, GE, and Sahara. The bigger the space, the bigger the dehumidifier you will need to have it be able to effectively get rid of basement moisture. You can also try to waterproof your basement but even if you do, it still will be a good idea to cover all bases and use a dehumidifier.
Basement mold will ruin your basement and present real health problems as well. Buying a cheap basement dehumidifier is a great investment and one of those basement ideas that you should do if you have any problem at all with wetness. A great place to get one for a cheap price delivered to your door is here - basement dehumidifier.
BASEMENT REMODELING IDEAS
If you are going to do a basement remodel, you are probably looking for some basement pictures to give you lots of basement ideas. Basement Planner by Better Homes and Gardens is a book that will help you think out of the box a bit on your basement plans. It is a great book to help you visualize what you want to do.
Basement Planner 
-Get more square footage by finishing and customizing your below-ground spaces
-Explore the latest finish and decorating options for floors, walls, and ceilings.
-Solve common layout and structural problems with floor plans, design ideas, and expert advice.
-Find answers to your basement remodeling questions.
If you want to get this book about basement remodeling, you can often find it at stores like Home Depot for $14.95. If you want to get it for a much cheaper price and delivered to your door you can purchase it here - Basement Planner 
10 OF THE BEST BASEMENT DESIGN IDEAS
There are so many different basement design ideas that it is hard to know where to start. Here are then, in no particular order, are a collection of some of the best basement ideas:
1) Basement Home Theater - With the proliferation of reasonably priced LCD flat screen TV's now, this basement design idea is one of the most popular. If you turn your basement into a movie/TV room you can set up great speakers and have a great movie experience whenever you want. It may even save you money on movie tickets!
2) Basement Workout Room - More and more people are buying tread mills, weight sets, and elliptical machines and what better place to put them than in the basement. Do up the room nicely and you have yourself your own private gym!
3) Basement Workshop - If you have enough lighting and door space to get things in and out, a basement workshop might be right for you. Working in your basement in the cold winter months would be a lot nicer than in that cold garage.
4) Basement Bar - If you don't have enough space to entertain upstairs, you might consider moving the party downstairs. This is a great idea for some smaller houses. If you can put in a mini kitchen in the basement and some fun furniture you are ready to party with your new basement bar!
5) Basement Office - Many people need to work at home in today's modern world and moving the office downstairs to the basement is a great idea to separate work from play. Making a basement office also frees up a bedroom or the den where the office was.
6) Basement Game Room - Put in a pool table, poker table, or a ping pong table along with a big TV and you have yourself a game room for everyone to enjoy. Adding a pinball machine will really add to the ambience of the game room!
7) Guest Bedroom - Turn your basement into the guest bedroom and free up a room upstairs for yourself. This will work best if the basement has a bathroom and a shower of course.
8) Basement Storage - If you positively can't think of anything else to do with your basment, you can always use it for storage. If you do though, make sure you are able to keep it dry. A cold, wet basement is not a good storage place as the things you store might get ruined.
9) Basement Wine Cellar - A cool basement is the perfect place to store wine. Wine is becoming very popular now that it has been acknowledged that it is healthy and so now is the perfect time to turn that unused basement into your own wine cellar.
10) Basement Sauna - A sauna needs a special place and a basement is perfect. If you like saunas you know that extreme heat can make you feel great. Putting a sauna in the basement is several steps up from just getting a hot tub!
TURN YOUR BASEMENT INTO A POKER ROOM
If you are trying to come up with some good basement ideas, how about turning your basment into a poker room? Poker is at an all time high in popularity and people all over the country are including poker as one of their recreational activities.
The basement is a perfect place to set up your poker room or cool basement game room because it is removed from the rest of the house and people can stay down there late at night and not disturb those trying to sleep. The basemtn is also a place where you can decorate it just the way you like and not worry about it clashing with the design of the rest of the house.
If you are going to play poker in your basement, you can set up the room to include a professional poker table, large flat screen TV, a bar or refrigerator for all the refreshments, and maybe even a pinball machine. Put a good pinball machine in your basement poker room to take out your aggressions on after a bad beat!
If you are going to set up a room in your house to play poker in, the basement is for sure the best place to do it in. The basement is the best place to get away and have your own personal poker part. Cool finished Basement ideas like this will make your house the fun house on the block!
Best Basement Color Ideas
Are you thinking of redesigning your basement and you need to pick out the right colors to paint the walls? Your basement is probably one of the darkest rooms in the house and picking the right colors to paint, along with basement lighting, it is very important. The color(s) you choose can determine whether your basement becomes the warm exciting room you envision or the gloomy underbelly of the house.
When you sit down to choose your basement color ideas, you may want to think about these ways we respond to different colours:
Black
Black usually stands for darkness and despair and it is often associated with death. The color black absorbs light and unless you want your basement to be a depressing place, black should be used sparingly.
White
Much the opposite of black, white reflects almost 85% of light. White tends to make rooms seem brighter and larger than rooms painted with other colors. Unfortunately, white walls are easily the most vulnerable to scraping and marking.
Red
The darker shades of red create a sense of warmth. Red also acts to stimulate and energize so it can be a very exciting and vibrant color for a basement. The brighter reds may counterbalance the neutral colors and add life and excitement to the room.
Orange
Orange has some of the same characteristics of red. The brighter the orange the more lively the room becomes while a softer orange tends to make the room more warm and welcoming.
Green
Green can work to balance red and orange. For a basement, a darker shade of green will work much the same as black. It is probably best to stay away from the darker greens and and stay with the lighter shades.
Blue
Blue is said to calm the nervous system and can soften bright rooms. Much like green, if a very dark shade of blue is used it ends up with the same effect as black. The lighter shades of blue make people feel peaceful and comforted.
Yellow
Yellow is a fantastic color that is cheery and stimulating. Lighter yellows work to make rooms feel larger but if overused, it can be too stimulating. Yellow is best used in combination with another color.
Basement Design for Do It Yourselfers
Today in 2008, basements are no longer viewed as that extra area under the house. If a basement has the right interior design, it will add extra space for you and your family to use. It will also add significant value to your home. Some creative basement design ideas will help you find the right solution for your unused space in the basement.
The most important part of remodeling your basement occurs well before you ever touch a tool. In your planning it is best to view the unfinished basement as an empty canvas and be able to freely create anything new in addition to your basic living needs.
Are you a do-it-yourselfer interested in getting help planning or designing your basement? Several designers have made a career out of basement design and it is big business today, but you may want to design the room yourself.
One of the first things you have to consider in a basmetn idea or redecoration is the lighting. Not enough overhead lighting can spell doom for the design and the room. Since basements do not normally get a lot of natural lighting, you might want to make sure your basement design has plenty of overhead lights so the basement is not so dark when you are trying to enjoy that area.
You will probably want to carpet the basement floor and the stairs that are accessed from the inside of your home. This will make the basement feel more "livable". When finishing or remodeling your basement, make sure you paint the interior surface of the basement wall with a high quality waterproof and mildew resistant basement wall paint. Basement design ideas point out the suggestion of using bright colors for the walls, furniture and accessories.
The best basement design idea will make sure that the end result is a room that does not look like a basement. Remember, that great basements improvement design can increase the value and ambiance of your home and the quality of you life.
Basement Ideas – Basement Bar
Most houses don’t have a large enough living area to do the type of entertaining that you would like. Turning the basement into an entertainment room / bar is one of those great basement ideas that will take care of that.
If you are going to entertain guests, you will need to make sure your basement has a kitchen area, a barstool or two for people to sit on, and other chairs and sofas as well. It should have a sink and at least a small refrigerator so that you can serve food without having to go upstairs every 5 minutes. Make sure the water coming out of the basement faucet is the same clean water that comes out in the kitchen. Basement bar ideas like this need to have a full kitchen capability.
The cold floors of a basment will most certainly not work with this basement idea! You will need to have basement carpet over those floors and this will give you a chance to decide on the way you want to present the room. The carpet can be a bright colour or it can be toned down depending on the mood you want the room to have. You will also need to decide on the type of carpet, one with a plush feel or one that is more office like.
Basement lighting is another important aspect of this basement bar that will help determine its character. Track lighting always seems to give a room an upbeat feel and if you are using the room for entertaining that will be vital. Most basements are dark and so you must figure out how to effectively illuminate the room. Make sure you have a lamp or two (maybe a Tiffany lamp) in the corners of the room to make the room feel bigger.
Just like the lighting, the color of paint that you use to paint the walls will help determine the mood of the room. You will probably want a lighter color paint that will give the room a festive appearance.
With all these decisions, it is best to consult all members of the family and try to get a consensus. When everyone contributes their ideas, it helps them feel they had a part in designing the room. This sense of involvement goes a long way toward building family bonding and ultimately helps the family as a whole enjoy this basement ideas!
