We creatures of habit spend most of our time inside our homes on the ground and first floors. If you have a few grumpy teenagers they’re most likely going to be in their rooms or outside with their friends. But for parents in their family home, we usually spend it on the ground floor. Whether that be for reading, cooking, talking with friends or being out in the garden. We only ever go to the unloved part of the home when we need something from it. It’s almost as if we’ve become accustomed to being ungrateful to the basement. We use it for storage and don’t think much of it. Since you paid all that money to buy the house, why would you waste even just 1-square foot of it? Spare a thought for what could be. The ‘downstairs’ could be a new bedroom. If you want to really get imaginative, it could be an awesome family games room. Don’t like pool and air hockey, then fit a home cinema for all your liking. Where to begin?
Clear The Ground
Basements are often the cesspit of the home, it’s where we keep the old, dusty and grungy things we know we should throw out but don’t. You can expect all sorts of creepy crawlies to make this dark space their home. First thing’s first, get rid of all the junk you don’t need. Basement clearings are the mother of all spring cleaning jobs. No doubt, you will come across things you forgot about and thought you threw away. Don’t be so hard on yourself, we all horde in some way. Literally, pick everything up, and move it out of the basement. Hopefully, you have lighting in the room because you’re going to need to scrub the floors, walls, and ceiling clean. Get all the muck and gunk off.
The Way In
Stereotypes live on if you let. The creaking, cracking, moaning sound of old wooden basement steps are things of nightmares. Countless horror movies have used the sounds of old unloved stairs as a precursor to a shocking event that happens to one of the characters. Leave those cliche moments for fiction, and make some new basement stairs. Replacing the staircase isn’t that difficult actually and it’s a more than capable job for the average DIYer. Get the basics down such as the measurement of the top floor and the bottom floor, as well as the horizontal space you have and you can then start with the marking and cutting the wood. The supportive structure gets laid down first and then it’s simply going up and up gradually. Nailing and the quality of the wood are the basis of a strong step, so don’t skimp out on good quality wood; even if it is just for the basement.
Once you’ve done these two things, you’re ready to use the space you once didn’t appreciate. If the floor is in bad shape, a moderate layer of fresh concrete or hardwood flooring can give it a new image. Make sure the stairs are strong and well varnished to stop bugs from eating at the steps. Please note this was a collaborated post.
