Even if your basement is a dingy space used to house the clutter you don’t want in your home, it might be time to think about reclaiming this large and often underused space.
However, addressing the problems of moisture and high humidity is the first step toward making the space both comfortable and healthy. Most basements have concrete floors. While concrete is one of the most durable materials available, one flaw is that the flooring is porous. This leads to a damp, humid and dusty environment. Because the floor makes up over 40% of the surface space in the basement, choosing the right flooring is a key to making the space a comfortable part of the home. Traditional flooring materials like carpet, vinyl or even laminate can harbor mold, mildew and allergens.
Flooding
Because basements are below grade, flooding also remains a threat. While taking steps to keep water away from your basement by properly grading your property and adding a sump pump (and a battery-powered backup) can prevent most floods, water from pipe leaks as well as floods that overpower the pumps is a possibility. Standing water can doom almost any organic material to the dumpster.
The Right Floor
Decorative epoxy concrete coating systems are an intelligent and attractive solution to basement flooring problems. When installed correctly, these floors significantly reduce humidity, mold and mildew, while transforming your basement into highly functional living space. The flooring is impervious to water. Mopping or using a Wet-Vac will remove the water and leave the floor as beautiful and uncompromised as it was before. The epoxy concrete flooring systems is also rugged enough to be used in garages, commercial spaces and even outdoors on patios and porches.
Walls
While adding wallboard to the walls can finish the space to look like a room in the house, today’s waterproof basement paints come in many textures and colors. If the space is going to be used as a playroom or added workspace, these textured paints might be the perfect solution to keeping the humidity down, adding color and giving the space a finished look.
Storage
Once the floors and walls are finished, adding cabinetry, and wall systems can keep clutter at bay and add needed workspace to the room. Products made by manufacturers like Gladiator are UL listed and lab tested. They are specifically engineered to withstand conditions in a garage, but are designed to fit into any indoor décor. Many cabinets feature oversized casters to keep the cabinets off the floor in case standing water. There are also many wall-mounted systems available.
The Holidays are coming. Having a finished basement can add wonderful entertaining space to the home. It is also the perfect place for the kids to run around and play, leaving the rest of the house clean and tidy.
For more information about transforming your indoor and outdoor spaces, call Garage Store Illinois to hear about their flooring and organization products that can transform every corner of your home into a beautiful and functional space. Call us at (847) 428-8862.