Finding a good guide to finishing a basement can be a bit overwhelming, as many on the internet or in books don’t really give you a good starting point. Here’s a short guide to finishing a foundation to help you get started.

Finishing a basement is a great way to increase the value of your home. The amount that a foundation can add to home improvements is often not thought of. The good news is that you don’t actually always have to pay an exorbitant cost to transform this room.

By doing the research and understanding some basic things in renovating, like waterproofing your basement, understanding how lighting works, and knowing how to make repairs, you can cut your costs considerably since you won’t need to hire a professional to do these things for you.

So here are the things to think about:

1) Building Codes

You will need to research what building codes are required for foundations in your area. If you don’t know the building codes, you can make some big mistakes, as they revolve around roof height and waterproofing, in addition to many other things. Even having the ceiling too low by an inch will put your room out of code, and you won’t be able to legally sell the house if you wanted to. You also need a building permit before proceeding.

2) Maps

You can’t really dive in head and foot, you have to plan first how you’re going to do things and what the basement will look like. This will also help you make sure things fit within your budget. You have to draw your basic layout and probably do some professional plans for the building department as well. You will need to do your research and find out what they require.

3)Things to remember around a base

Basements generally get damp very easily and are prone to being a breeding ground for mold. That’s why you’ll need to see what waterproofing options you have, one that will also insulate the room in the event of a flood, since the basement can usually flood quite easily.

Also remember the plumbing and be aware of where to put things like pipes etc. if you are going to install a bathroom. You don’t want to have pipes sticking out of the walls in places where you really want to put furniture. Your wall options should also be considered here. There are many wall panel solutions, such as the Owens Corning system, that will fit well, but need to be built into your plans in terms of space.

4 floors

You have many flooring options, but not all of them will suit your needs. Tiles and vinyl flooring are the most popular for underlayments as they work well against moisture. Carpets can present problems just like hardwood floors, simply because of moisture.

6) Lights

Effective room lighting planning is often overlooked. Try to keep the base as open as possible with large doors, and if you can have a window, take advantage of that fact.

A combination of direct and indirect lighting is needed when it comes to artificial lighting. Combine this with the use of mirrors and be sure to use fluorescent bulbs or whatever looks more natural. The colors of your tiles and walls also contribute to the lighting, and remember to place the lights in a spot that suits the room (for example, if you intend to turn it into a library, make sure there is good lighting around the reading area).

These are things you really need to consider and this article serves only as a getting started guide for finishing a basement.