Hi, I am thinking of adding a mudroom, a small guest room, and a TV/playroom for kids. There are existing laundry machines near the basement entrace – I’d probably want them included in the mudroom.
I am wondering – what should I be thinking about as I approach this project in terms of walls, flooring, paint, and so on?
first and formost make sure that the concrete is dry inside whenis pooring rain outside. Don’t want to start with a leaky foundation. Next I would consider your egress(exits). Want to make sure that you have at least two ways out in case of a fire. i like to leave a small space bettween my wall framing and the exterior foundation this will help circulate the air and keep things dry. On the inside of the foundation walls I like to use a Dry-Lock paint. This product keeps the water on the other side of your foundation wall, they also have a product for the floors too. The bottomplate should be pressure treated(if allowed in your state) or place 30# felt between the concreate and the plate. This will keep the wood from rotting. Thanks
If you have a wet basement due to rain or ground water, please abbort the project, if not then plan it right. Keep the access to out side clear as well as the interior access in case of fire and for safety reasons. Then partition the space as you wish. Seal the concrete floor before placing new flooring, place plywood with rubber backer on the floor, then install your finish floor on top of that, tile or wood floors. Do not use carpet as it will have moisture building in it and it makes a smell. Try to keeo the windows in working conditions, or if possible to place couple windows for natural ventilation. Use mold resistant paint on interior walls, exterior walls use water resistant paints to keep moisture out. Plumbing can be worked on gravity or pumb. Electrical panel in basement, need to expand or replace if you have no room to expand it. Use moisture resistant wall board on the walls. Make sure your dryer is well vented to the outside.
In order of importance would be the following: 1. Moisture control: is there water getting through the foundation and into the basement? Where is it coming from? Are the down spouts clogged? Does the land slope toward or away from the house? Is there a water source which could be dumping water against the house? consider a water blocking coating such as “Damp Lock” on the inside of the walls. You may have to dig the exterior dirt away from the foundation and coat the exterior of the foundation with a water blocker if the interior coating doesn’t do the trick. 2. The structural integrity of the foundation: Will the concrete need to be fixed where it is crumbling or cracked? Can it stand having an egress window cut in to it? Usually a visual inspection and a screw driver will answer this question. Older foundations sometimes were mixed with what sand was available locally and it wasn’t cleaned to remove contaminants, which causes foundations to crumble. 3. How high is the ceiling? Code requirement for living space is 7’ minimum. Would you have to drop the level of the floor to accommodate the additional “Living space” 4. Egress: is there enough space outside to allow for an egress window? You have to have a 3’ by 3’ area outside the window to allow people out and firemen in. The window that gets installed for egress has to be large enough to allow a fireman in gear to get into the basement. The window size I usually use for this is a 3’ wide by 5’ tall window which cranks outward to allow for full use of the window opening. 5. Electrical panel size: when considering adding living space to a basement, you need to consider the electrical draw and the number of new circuits you’ll be adding to accommodate the additional draw on the utilities. 6. Walls: You will be adding framing around the perimeter of the space to create “interior” walls which can be insulated. You will have the framing ½” off the concrete to allow for an air gap. Every eight feet you will need to install a fire brace from floor to ceiling to prevent fire from spreading easily behind the new wall. You will also have to seal off the top of the wall to prevent fire from getting into the floor/ceiling joists of the basement. The walls will be insulated a minimum of R15. 7. Floors: you should look at the slope of the floor, whether there is a floor drain, what kind of flooring you are looking to install and how you are going to keep moisture from being an issue underneath the flooring. There are products out there which give you a base to install on while providing a moisture barrier and an air gap underneath so that the concrete doesn’t sweat. Once that is down, you can install what you like. 8. Vent the dryer out through the rim joist so that there is no moisture build up in the laundry area. 9. Plumbing: With the new laundry location, you have to consider the drainage of the washer. Supplies are easy. Waste is another matter. You have to have a minimum of ¼” drop for every foot of run to ensure that everything drains correctly and might need to saw cut the floor of the basement to allow for this by tying into the main drain. Hope this helps. Sincerely, M
The main things to think about are sump system, leaky foundation walls and proper ventilation to prevent mold growth.
When considering new plumbing in the basement:
Gravity mainly pulls your waste to the lowest point. When installing new plumbing fixtures in the basement, they are typically below the existing main drainage line. This will require a pump (which will raise your plumbing cost).
A pump will fill to its capacity and then shoot the water up above the main sewage line, so gravity can then once again take over.
Also keep in mind, if your new fixture is not close to the existing drainage you will need plenty of room above the drop-ceiling/ceiling treatment for the piping to run to the existing drainage, while maintaining its required drop over its distance.
Making sure there are no water problems or Foundation issues(Cracks, Floor problems) in the basement is the first line of defense to making sure you will have a successful remodel. If there are, those items must be taken care of first.
Contact a chamber of commerce in the nearest town to look for qualified contractors.
If you are doing it yourself…
Use metal studs…easy to cut/carry/nice and straight.
Dropped acoustic panel ceiling…keeps your utilities overhead still accessible.
Moving plumbing (your washer/dryer) is always expensive.
Make sure you have big enough windows for egress.
Always first is the water!!!
