Happy Monday!

One of the first rooms we tackled when we bought our house was our basement. I am glad we did as it has served us well. Our unfinished basement had many windows, high ceilings, and our electrical panel was basically new. This made things much easier and cost effective when we finished our basement.

I new I wanted warm colours in my basement and a feeling of coziness. High ticket items like an expensive wine cellar or bar was not on our list. We wanted a T.V with surround sound, a designated play area with games and bins and an open space to play with light-sabers, Nerf Guns and Lego. A fireplace was high on our list.

There are lots of things to consider when finishing a basement so you will need a plan. How you will be using your basement is really important. You might want an open plan, wine cellar, play area, work out area, game area………..you know what I mean! Also important is the style you want to achieve.

Things to Consider

• You need required permits (electrical, plumbing)
• Your foundation should not have any moisture problems. If it does you need to take care of them before starting anything
• Do you need a sump pump?
• Consider installing a backwater valve  backflow@Ottawa.ca (Backflow Prevention Program)
• Hire a professional HVAC
• Hire a professional Electrician
• These are just a few things to consider, older homes may have other issues (Asbestos) you need to hire professionals that know what they are dealing with. To keep costs down we painted, Scott installed the cultured stone, added the speaker cables and speakers. Scott installed the flooring and installed some light fixtures. He did most of the framing as well. Doing some of the work ourselves saved us a lot of money.

Where to Buy

• Lights – Lamps Plus
• In-wall Speakers – Monoprice
• Interior Doors,Transom Windows, and Trim – De La Fontaine

Colors

• Revere Pewter – BM HC172 (Used only 1/2 strength)
• Palladian Blue – HC144