Consider the basics when giving your basement a makeover

Consider the basics when giving your basement a makeover
Outside of homes in the older sections of Reno, not many houses in the Truckee Meadows are built over basements, but if you have one or you have a walk-out or daylight basement, you either have some extra living space or a dark, dank, damp storage pit.
If it's the latter, that underappreciated basement could be more.
If that's the case, consider first things first before diving into an underground decorating project.
Before you even splash a coat of paint on the walls, make sure the space is usable -- legally.
"The first thing to consider in order to make your basement legal, you must have egress other than the stairs," said Steve Stegmeir, a master trade specialist for plumbing at the Home Depot in Spanish Springs.
That means there must be more than one way out of the basement in case of an emergency.
It can be a window, for instance. And that's easy enough to install, even with a concrete or cinder block foundation, Stegmeir said.
Then there's the problem of water or dampness.
Basements "are dank and damp," Stegmeir said. "There are products, such as UGL paint, a system that waterproofs cinder block and concrete.
"Ideally, first make sure the concrete is sealed from the outside to keep from trapping water inside the concrete," he said.
If the outside ground slopes toward the house, build it up so water does not run down toward the house. Then use the paint on the interior walls.
"You can leave it at that or put sheet rock over the top," he said.
UGL is actually paint, but it's difficult to tint and is designed mainly to cover cinder blocks because it expands and fills in cracks, Stegmeir said. Consider applying it as a sealer, then paint over it with a color.
With flooring for a basement or a walk-out basement, Stegmeir said tile adheres well to a concrete basement floor.
"You do not have to do multiple steps. You do not have to put stuff on a subfloor for tile floors," he said. "There's no middle step as far as underlayment."
The only flooring material to avoid in a basement is wood, Stegmeir said, because moisture in the floor can cause the wood eventually to buckle. Read directions on laminate flooring, he said, but because it's a floating floor system, it can be installed right over the concrete.
Helpful tips
Stegmeir provided several other tips to consider before starting a basement makeover:
? Concrete walls need specialty anchors for shelf brackets. By using furring strips -- 1-by-2-inch strips attached to the concrete -- sheet rock walls can be installed over the concrete. Then, items can be hung on walls as on any sheet rock wall, but "remember you have only 3/4 inch of space, so if you put in a 2-inch nail, it'll hit concrete," Stegmeir said.
? Basement ceilings often are exposed floor joists where wiring and plumbing run. If the ceiling is to be covered with sheet rock, make sure to determine the placement of any ceiling lighting first, "so you do not have to cut it open again," Stegmeir said. "If (the ceiling) is already covered, you'll have to go into it" to install ceiling lighting.
"If it is not a finished basement, you might not want to try to make a living space, but a game room or a study," he said.
Once the basics are considered, think about what use to make of this part of the home that's usually relegated to storage or utility status.
"The place can be transformed into a luxurious hangout," said Maryann Decker of Designing Women Interiors in Sparks.
Decker agreed that protecting the space from dampness is the most important primary consideration.
"Second, select flooring. If it's concrete, you can select to paint the floor and use area rugs to give warmth, or tile, laminate or wall-to-wall carpeting," Decker said.
Consider turning the area into a game room with a pool or poker table, a pinball machine or video game.
"It also could be used as a home bar/theater/child's play area," Decker said, "an extra closet for summer-winter clothing for the family to free up space in bedroom closets, an exercise room with wall mirrors to open up and lighten the space. ... Wall mount a TV or (make) a wine cellar.
"Or have the whole area painted with a Tuscan/Italian scene," Decker said. "It will make you feel like you have escaped and gone to the wine country."
Basement spaces usually have lower ceilings and limited views, said Sheri Kovac of Kovac Design in Reno. Generally, there's one window set high on a wall and the view outside the room is a staircase.
To make the room more interesting, Kovac likes to drape an entire wall to add texture and warmth and to hide doors that lead into such areas as laundry rooms.
Before wallpapering, apply "blank stock" to the wall to keep the grooves of wood paneling or cinder blocks from showing through the final wallpaper.