Tips Before Starting a Basement Renovation
Posted on: 2011-08-01
Renovating your basement, by far, is one of the easiest ways to add living space to your home. However, before you start your renovations, you have to ensure that your basement is really ‘fit’ for this type of reno.
Here are a few things to look into before they start a renovation.
Procure Building Permit.
If you intend to alter the structure of your house, increase the size of the windows, or exterior doors, you must procure a building permit first. The permit makes sure that changes you are going to make will respect the standards of health and safety as specified in the building code.
Repair Leaks and Fill in Cracks.
Before you do the major renovations, you have to make sure that the leaks on the floor and wall are corrected first, because a damp basement is not be a suitable living space. Cracks are also sources of moisture. These should also be repaired or patched from the inside. However, if the cracks are large, these may have to be repaired from the outside.
Prepare the Floor.
Cold and dampness can enter the basement through its floor. This is why you should have a moisture barrier beneath the slab. Some options may include putting polyethylene over the existing floor before you install the finished flooring. You can check out stores that offer special flooring materials that can act as a moisture barrier for your floor.
Consult a Professional
While not every basement renovation requires a professional contractor, there’s still several factors that must be considered before you start making ‘permenant’ renovations.
Parabola Developments has been involved with dozens of Edmonton home basement makeovers, and we’d be happy to answer your questions.
Of course, if you’d like us to handle the job, we can certainly do that too!
Photo by Milly Eaton from Pexels
