Agent Offfers
Realty Times TV

Do I Need a Professional for that Basement Renovation?

Written by Posted On Monday, 14 January 2019 18:24
Do I Need a Professional for that Basement Renovation?

Renovating your basement can be a huge undertaking, financially and in terms of workhours required. However, the basement can also provide some nice extra living space in your home and can cost less to do than adding on an addition to your home. If you are handy with tools, you may think you can turn this into a DIY project. However, some things are just better left to the professionals and this is one of them. Here are some things you might be able to do yourself when renovating your basement and the things you should call in a professional to do for you.

Start with an Inspection

Before you begin renovating your basement, there are things you should look for. If you’re not comfortable doing these, you can always call in a professional. The cost isn’t all that much and it’s well worth it to know what you’re getting in to before you begin.

Moisture & leaks. Tape 2-foot squares of plastic sheeting on the floor and walls. Wait two weeks. If you get condensation under the plastic sheeting, your foundation is not sealed. If there is condensation on top of the plastic sheeting, your basement needs to be dehumidified.

Rot & insect damage. Look for rot and insect damage in the floor joists, header joists, wood window frames, and the sill plate. You can check this by using an awl to probe these areas for any weaknesses.

Sagging floor joists. To do this, climb a ladder until you’re eye level with the underside of the floor joists. Look at them perpendicularly to see if any are out of line or not straight.

Carbon monoxide leaks. Fuel-burning equipment and ventilation should be inspected to ensure your home is safe before work beings.

Depending on what you find in your inspection, you may need to make some repairs prior to remodeling. Again, some of this you may be able to do yourself, others should be left to a professional.

If you are turning your basement into a livable space, according to code you will need ceilings that are at least 7 feet high, maybe more. If you don’t have this then you’ll need a contractor to lower the concrete floor. Or, a cheaper option might be moving ducts and pipes. You’ll need a contractor to tell you if this is a possibility and to do the work.

Waterproofing

When it comes to waterproofing your basement you can probably tackle small things like sealing small cracks and gaps around your home and pipes with a concrete compound. You can use hydraulic cement to fill larger cracks inside and outside of your home.

You can add gutters and diverters to divert gutter water at least 10 feet away from your home’s foundation.

Have a professional repair any cracks that are wider than a pencil. Any major leaks in your home you should reach out to a professional for repair.

If the ground is sloping towards the home, you may want to call in a professional to bring in dirt to raise the height so water runs away from the home.

Pipes

While jobs like moving pipes or redirecting them should be done by a professional, you can insulate pipes before they are boxed up yourself. Putting foam insulation sleeves over hot water heater pipes and cold water pipes will prevent heat loss and prevent condensation from dripping into your new walls.

Walls

Speaking of walls, you might be able to do this job yourself, but you must use the right materials. Don’t use standard drywall. Look for a sheet rock that will stand up to mold and mildew.

Interlocking paneled walls are good for DIY projects because it’s less labor intensive and takes up less floor space. However, if you want a more traditional wall this is likely better done by a professional.

And of course, if you found issues with rot, insects, carbon monoxide or sagging floor joists, unless you have extensive experience in fixing these things, you should call in a professional.

Just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should. You can probably handle most minor issues fairly easily. However, complicated jobs such as plumbing, electrical, sagging joists, insects and heavy moisture should be turned over to professionals.

A good way to decide if you need a professional is to ask yourself three things… In the worst case scenario, could it kill me? Could it destroy my home? Does it require special permits? While chances are, the worst case scenario will not happen, the possibility is there so it’s important to carefully consider whether or not you should do it yourself.

Find more Home Maintenace tips here

Rate this item
(0 votes)
Rick Lawson

As a past Realto for ReMax and a Home Inspector I enjoy sharing information and home maintenace tips

https://howtohousetips.com
More in this category: > 3 Vital Parts of Your Home Renovation to Plan around the Weather 6 Real Estate Trends to Watch in 2019
back to top

Agent Resource

Before You List

Today's Headlines

Realty Times

From buying and selling advice for consumers to money-making tips for Agents, our content, updated daily, has made Realty Times® a must-read, and see, for anyone involved in Real Estate.

Links

Sections

Search

Joomla! Debug Console

Session

Profile Information

Memory Usage

Database Queries