If you have a basement in your house, tanking and damp proofing can open up possibilities you would never have otherwise considered. Your basement can be a useful storage area, no longer for junk, but for things you love, like wine or art. It will have better sound insulation than the rest of your house, so it’s a great place for your home office, an entertainment area where you can watch movies or listen to loud music, or even build a music studio.
Whatever you decide to do with your basement, with the right preparation you can make an attractive space that you will want to spend time in. Here are four ideas for making it beautiful.
- Ensure that it’s damp-proofed
This is the boring bit, but basements can be prone to damp. Water can seep in from the ground, and the problem may be compounded by poor ventilation. Make sure this is sorted out, or all your decorative plans may come to nothing. You don’t want to spend a lot of time, effort and money on doing the place up if it’s going to be ruined by damp. This requires technical expertise, so make sure you get professional advice.
- Consider the lighting
Basements are usually dark, even if there are windows to provide some natural light. So it’s important to ensure that yours has adequate lighting. If you are using the area as a workshop or kitchen, it’s especially important that the light is bright enough so that you can see everything comfortably, but even if you’re using the space to watch movies, you’ll want to be able to get the room lit up properly when it’s time to do the cleaning.
- Take low ceilings into account
The ceiling is likely to be lower than in rooms throughout the rest of your home. This can sometimes give a slightly oppressive feel if not handled properly. Elaborate mouldings and dark colours are often not a good idea in this situation. Likewise, consider lights set into the ceiling, rather than pendants.
- Be judicious with partitions
Low ceilings can make the space visually awkward if the floor area is large in relation to the height of the ceiling. You might want an open plan arrangement but consider breaking up the space where appropriate. A well-proportioned room the starting point for a beautiful space.
If you feel your basement could be put to better use, have a think about what you might want to do with it. Before embarking on any work however, make sure the space is made good with tanking or damp proofing. Getting professional advice from London Damp Company is a good starting point for your beautiful basement project.
