Basement Renovation Checklist

1. Basement Renovation Checklist Having a strong basement is very important for the safety of your house. This is why you have to, first of all, ensure that you address any issue that is related to your foundation before going ahead with your basement renovation. The following are very important issues you must address before you commence your basement renovation: 1: The height of your ceiling: The lowest that your ceiling can be should be 6.8 feet high, and it should also have a headroom just below the top of the frame and the ductwork. 2: Make sure your walls, slabs and footings are in good condition: To enable you to achieve a good result with your basement renovation work, you have to be sure that your walls, slabs, and footings are in good conditions. Check for issues like cracks, crumbling and powdery mortar and concrete and get experts to address them. 3. Floors: If your foundation was built on a disturbed soil, you might at some point in time experience sinking and also the lifting up of your concrete floors. So you'll need to call in an expert to analyze and address the issue. Don't also neglect your uneven floor joists and beams. There can make or mar your basement renovation work. 4: Check for harmful gasses: Before carrying out a basement renovation work, you have to as a matter of necessity get a professional to check for harmful gases(methane, radon etc) in your soil. 5: Check the humidity level:

2. Undertaking this action is very important as excessive humidity is one of the most dreaded and harmful effects that can cause severe damage to your basement. However, you don't need to pay for the services of a professional for the humidity test because you can do-it-yourself by simply observing the following:  Any bad or usual smell  Traces and pools of water on the floor  Heavy dampness on your basement walls.  Development of mould or fuzz  Lifting floor tiles  Damage to framing or finished walls  Condensation on pipes and other surfaces. 6: Pests: Fumigate your basement to keep it safe from the harmful effect of rodents and insects. These pests have the capability of causing severe damage to your basement. In addition, there is also vital information you have to keep to heart before and during your basement renovation work. This information includes the following: Basements are required to have an exit path. And the exit path must is expected to  be wide enough and also accessible. The standard measurement for exit doors should be at least 32inches wide and  8inches in height. Basements are expected to have corridors that must be at its least 35inches wide.  Before you go ahead with any structural modification ensure that you seek the  professional input of basement experts. They will give you the best judgment. In conclusion, follow this guideline and get the best result from your basement renovation work. Article Source: http://homelandguild.org/basement-renovation-checklist/