Useable space is the most precious commodity in our homes, especially in the Calgary climate, where we are indoors through-out the winter months.  We can all come up with a wish list of what we would do with that extra space….

 

Somewhere to kick up our feet and watch a movie.  A quiet place to get some work done. A personal space to unwind in solitude.

 

OR, something more practical…

 

Extra storage. A space for the kids to blow off some steam. A dedicated space for hobbies.

 

Ideas are endless, but how can you satisfy these wants or needs?  The answer may be right under your feet.

 

Your basement.

A properly designed basement will add practical, functional space to your home to fill any need you and your family may have.  However, for this space to be useful while remaining an enjoyable space to be, some changes will need to be made to this below grade part of your home.

Basements often suffer the stigma of being dark and cold, and for good reason.  They usually do not receive the best care, attention, planning or share of the budget when the house is initially built.  Damp, cold floors, small windows, poor lighting, and insufficient heat are the most common negatives that plague the average basement in Calgary.  Interiors with Elegance has solutions to alleviate all of these woes and bring subterranean comfort levels on par with that of the rest of your  home.  Here are a few of the steps we will take when helping you with your Calgary area basement development:

1.  We would start at the bottom, the concrete floor and sub-floor.  Concrete acts as a sponge, absorbing any available moisture in the soils surrounding your home.  There are several sub-floor systems available for basements that solve the “cold and damp floor” problem.  These systems have a moisture barrier as well as a drainage cavity below the floor surface to separate, protect, and insulate the floor from the damp concrete below.

    

 Of course, in-floor heating is a great option to put on top of the sub-floor for tiled areas in a basement.

2. Next, we would enlarge existing windows, or even add windows to your basement to allow more natural light and fresh air into the space.  This will at the same time satisfy today’s stringent Emergency Egress standards for bedrooms.

3. To supplement the additional natural light achieve with larger windows, electric lighting will be needed in your basement to make it a cheery, bright and welcoming space.  Pot-lights are a great option for basement common areas such as family rooms, gyms, media rooms or billiard rooms.  By add task lighting like floor lamps and wall sconces, you will take the dark out of your basement.

      

4. Finally, warmth!! The heating system in your basement most likely was installed as an inexpensive and basic rough in that satisfied requirement just enough for the house to sell.  Usually the registers in basements are installed in the ceiling to save on expense.  However, we all know that heat rises,  so to achieve a truly warm and comfortable basement, we would bring those registers down to floor level, just as it is on the other floors of your home.  Maybe adding a fireplace to the basement is an option you would want to consider.  With a strong enough output and fan, it can add to the warmth of your basement as well.

     

Whatever need or want you are looking to satisfy in your basement development, Interiors with Elegance can help you maximize the comfort level by eliminating these typical basement negatives.  Call us today and we will help you do the most with the space right beneath you, and improve the overall experience of living life in your Calgary area home.