Transform Your Basement into a Man Cave

A room in a home to entertain guests, a gameroom, or a Man Cave makes a nice addition to any home. Many homes have basements with concrete floors, unfinished ceilings, and lots of duct work, with a little effort and hard work, basement space can be turned into a great anything room.

Basements are many times used for access to plumbing, wiring, and furnace and water heater storage, yet they can still be easily converted into a fully functional living space. Many considerations must be thought through before starting renovations. Any problems must be taken care of before attempting this large project.

Many basements are prone to flooding during periods of frequent summertime thunder storms. If the basement that is going to be remodeled leaks, this will be the first priority. If the basement has a drain, elevating the floor may be an option. One substitute that can be used is called Subflor. A water sealing paint or caulking can be used for smaller leaks. Any moisture problems must be fixed before proceding with the project.

Many basements have uneven concrete floors and there is no simple way to correct this. The concrete can be painted in a bright or offbeat color to give a dull basement some life. Carpet can be installed rather cheaply in basements that have no moisture problems. Carpet padding and remnants can be found at reasonable prices, but may mean having more than one shade in order to cover all chosen areas. Most shades are easily matched, or several squares of different colors can be used to create a checker board appearance.

If the furnace and/or water heater is are both on the same side of the basement, they can be easily walled off from the main usable space by framing them in. The extra room inside the enclosed area makes good storage space. Sheets of 4X8 plywood can be used around the rest of the basement, and painted with glossy paint in a bright shade, to help brighten this sometimes dreary area of a house.

Many basement ceilings are the access for a home's plumbing, ducts, and electrical wiring. This is the reason most homeowners leave basement ceilings unfinished. A dropped ceiling with traditional grid work or a type of commercial tile could be used to keep easy access for plumbing, heating and cooling, and electrical maintenance.

For cooling a basement, fans may be all that is necessary since basements tend to be cooler areas in homes. Space heaters can be used for heating, yet must be used with caution, and never left plugged in when away from home.

Touch lights or adaptable fluorescent lighting can be used for most basement room lighting needs. For the typical one bulb fixtures found in many basements, adaptable two-foot fluorescent lights can be used. These fixtures can be found at most hardware or home stores. The bulb is replaced with an outlet adapter and the lights simply plug in. These usually sell for under $10.

With a little time, patience, and imagination, the transformation of a basement room can prove to be well worth the effort put into it.