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5 Ways to Rejuvenate Your Outdated Basement

A finished basement is one of the best amenities a home can have. It provides additional living space away from the main living area but still provides quite a premium of square footage. If your home boasts a dry basement but hasn't made it beyond concrete walls and floors, then consider converting it into finished living space. On the other hand, if your basement is semi-finished or simply outdated, then consider the following basement renovations to update the space.

Floor, Walls, and Ceiling

The shell of any room is essentially comprised of three elements -- a floor, four walls, and a ceiling. In a basement, these elements may be present but in a slightly less fashionable format than the rest of the home. Existing finished basements are often guilty of tiled floors, paneled walls, and drop-ceiling tiles. There are good reasons why your basement may be bearing these potential eyesores but there's no reason why you can't update them.

The most common type of ceiling used in finished basements is a drop ceiling. The reason is obvious; with duct work, floor joists, and wiring running to and fro, the easiest way to tactfully hide the mess, but still have access to it, is to install a drop ceiling. Unfortunately, drop ceilings almost always go hand in hand with ugly, commercial-feeling flourescent lights.

To make your basement living space feel more like a model home than a dentist office, consider framing in part or all of the ceiling area and installing finished drywall. You can then incorporate other types of lighting, like canned or pendant lighting. If you have areas that still need access, consider a coffered-style ceiling with removeable drywall panels above access points. The finished look of drywall will create warmth and give the space a more homey feel. Make sure none of the ceiling tiles show signs of recent water damage from leaks before installing drywall.

If a drywalled ceiling is out of the question, then replace the ceiling tiles with new, clean tiles and paint the ceiling grid. This is probably the least expensive way to update a drop ceiling; though minimal cost and effort are involved, the results will go a long way. Modern drop ceiling tiles feature patterns, some are paintable and many are just smooth-surfaced to closely resemble drywall. Select a style that will improve the look and feel of the space and replace any flourscent light lens covers or fixtures to complement the ceiling tiles.

Even if your ceiling is acceptable, nothing screams "outdated" louder than dark wood paneling. Many basements are guilty of this home improvement faux pas from decades gone by. Tearing off existing wood paneling and adorning the walls of your basement with drywall will vastly improve the look and feel of the space. By sheer location alone, basements are already dark and dim without the same availability of natural light as the upper levels of a home. Wood paneling only enhances the darkness and dimness while it dates the room.

If you have no experience with drywall installation, especially if additional framing is required, look into hiring a contractor to do the work for you. It is an investment that will pay off for years to come and add significant value to the home. If you can't install drywall where paneling exists, at the very least look into replacing the paneling with a more modern style or painting the existing paneling a lighter, brighter color.

When it comes to basement floors, the type of flooring used may be dictated by the basement structure itself. If flooding is a problem, carpet may indeed be a bad choice. If your basement is dry with no history of flooding and doesn't have carpet, install it. If it already has carpet, replace it with a durable new carpet to update the room. If your basement tends to get wet, then tile is indeed the better choice. To achieve an updated look, replace the tile with something more modern or purchase room-sized area rugs to soften the look and feel.

Lighting, Color and Functionality

If you have a more modern basement that isn't suffering terribly from outdated building materials, you can rejuvenate the space by providing the basics -- a fresh coat of paint, new lighting, and so on. While looking at your basement's potential, you might want to consider if its use is outdated. Perhaps the space was once used as a playroom for your children that are now in high school or have left the nest. Conversely, maybe the space was previously used as a bar and gaming room and now you need a family room. Redesigning the space to accommodate your current needs will result in bringing it up to date, not only in appearance but in functionality.

As with any room in your home, periodically updating a room is necessary to not only maintain your home's appearance but to alleviate the boredom and lack of use that rooms sometimes fall victim to. A basement is often overlooked but it is a veritable mecca of living space when properly designed.

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