By Christopher Behan

Having a newly finished basement can be exciting, as you have free reign to decorate this highly flexible area of your home. However, there are some important considerations you need to make before choosing the various elements in this new space to ensure you dont damage your basement room before youve had a chance to enjoy it. Whether youre looking to build the ultimate home theater, an apartment for an elderly relative or a new game room for you and your children, taking a few moments to understand the limits of your new basement room will help you ensure it stays attractive for years to come.

Of all the factors that control what your put in your basement room, none is as critical as weight. Heavy objects can not only be difficult to get into a basement, they can potentially cause serious damage. Direct contact with the cement floor can lead to cracks or scratches that permit water intrusion, while the subfloors included on many systems can be crushed. The special wall panels many basement remodeling systems use may also have different structural properties than dry wall. Be sure to ask your basement contractor how to attach any artwork, shelves or other features youd like to include and what sort of weight restrictions apply to the panels youve used. Hanging features such as lighting and fans can pose issues as well on many basement finishing systems, due to the suspended ceilings many of use. Rather than try to directly attach to theses systems, which tend to support very little weight, connect directly to the joists and beams above them and cut tiles to fit as tightly as possible around the protrusions.

Another important consideration when decorating a basement is choosing items that can withstand high moisture. Most basement remodeling project cant completely waterproof the space, since new cracks can form and even the best sealant can wear over time. As this occurs, the humidity in your room can increase causing a variety of issues. It can build up behind the glass in pictures frames and condense as seasons change, causing serious damage to the photos inside. It can lead to rusting on metal, warping in wood or even shorting out of electronics if left unchecked long enough. By choosing items that made from rust-resistant metals, that have sealed electronics and that are made from moisture-repellent composites, your decorations are at a much lower risk for moisture damage.

Youll also want to check on how the elements of your system fare when exposed to other materials. The same absorption that makes panels water resistant may also cause it to need additional coats of paint. You system may only support few wired connections running through it as well, restricting how many electronics your room will hold. Be sure to talk with your contractor about your plans ahead of time, so they can help you choose a system that will best support the dcor you hope to achieve.

About the Author: Christopher Behan is a professional writer specializing in the home improvement industry. His writing focuses on

basement remodeling

, replacement windows, sunrooms, and other home remodeling products and services, and his work has been featured on multiple home improvement websites.

Source:

isnare.com

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