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How to make basements comfortable

Even before the start of construction, the question arises of how to make the basement in a private house the most convenient. This will require significant construction costs, but over time everything will pay off in full.

Your home will receive additional spacious rooms for household needs and food storage. It is always best to plan ahead and draw up an accurate plan of the location of the premises even before construction begins.

Everything needs to be planned in advance

There are various schemes of basements. Even at the stage of designing a house, it is necessary to accurately determine the number and purpose of each room in the basement. If everything is planned in advance, then you will not have to start alterations immediately after construction is completed.

Don’t leave these questions for later. After the completion of construction work, it may turn out that the entrance to the basement is inconveniently made. Or something is not provided by the builders at all. And just completed construction will have to continue.

What can be done with your own hands

Of course, the construction of a house and all basements can only be entrusted to specialists. Professionals will always offer a variety of cellar schemes for a private house and, of course, take into account your wishes.

The basement space must be correctly calculated and reliably made so that over time there are no problems with the house itself. This is one of the most time-consuming stages of construction work. Here you need to take into account many factors that affect how the house will behave for many years after construction is completed.

Mistakes can cause the house to crack if the basement space and floors are built incorrectly and without taking into account all the features of the soil on which the house stands.

After the completion of construction work, you can independently do the decoration of the premises and the construction of non-bearing, additional partitions. All major work on load-bearing structures should only be carried out by highly qualified professionals.

How to finish

It is quite possible to finish the basement in a private house with your own hands. As a rule, these are ordinary painting works, which each of us can do. Do not finish with wallpaper and multilayer coatings. Moisture can accumulate in the basement and such a finish will not be durable and reliable. It is best to perform plaster work for painting.

But the walls and floor of the vegetable storage room are best finished with wood. Inexpensive pine is quite suitable. Be sure to make additional ventilation in the home vegetable store. This will keep homemade apples and potatoes until spring.

Ventilation above all else

Ventilation should always be given special attention. Humidity levels are usually higher here. Ventilation in the basement of a private house can be natural or forced. Natural — this is when the exchange of air occurs naturally. In forced — electric fans of various capacities are used.

In basements, it is better to use both systems at the same time and turn on forced air exchange if necessary.

There are systems of automatic adjustment, when the ventilation of the premises occurs depending on the changing parameters of temperature, gas content and air humidity. It should be noted that proximity to the ground can lead to the accumulation of harmful gases in the basement, which only good ventilation will help get rid of.

Basement accessibility

An important factor is the entrance to the basement. It is best to make it closer to the main entrance to the house, say, on the veranda. It is not uncommon for large items to be brought into the basement. Therefore, the entrance must be easily accessible.

If you need to go down to the basement directly from the residential sector of the house, the kitchen or the common corridor, then you need to separately think about how to arrange the entrance to the basement. It should not stand out from the general interiors. The door to the basement in this case will be decorative.

Additional Precautions

Do not forget that the durability of the house itself depends on the safety of the basement. Dampness and eternal smudges on the walls will lead to the gradual destruction of the foundation. The safety of the walls must be monitored constantly and prevent any damage.

It is not necessary to alter the supporting basement structures. They have a big burden on them. Therefore, the decision to demolish the interfering wall for more space can lead to irreparable consequences.

What can a basement be used for?

Usually all heating equipment and water supply are mounted here. It is not necessary to place the main regulating electrical equipment in the basement. In the event of an emergency, the basement may flood, leaving the entire house without electricity for an indefinite period of time. This is the ideal place to store vegetables and long-term food.

If space permits, then here is an ideal place for a pool. A billiard room, a recreation area, a favorite bar where you can spend time with friends are also conveniently placed in the lower part of the house.

How to keep warm

Particular attention, along with humidity, should be paid to the temperature in the basement. It is desirable to maintain a positive constant temperature throughout the year. The basement must not be allowed to freeze in the winter, and excessive heating in the summer. Insulation of the basement of a private house is recommended to be done.

At the construction stage, all work with the foundation, and, accordingly, with basements, must be carried out in accordance with temperature fluctuations in your region. Complete freezing of basement walls is unacceptable. This problem is solved by small heaters that will maintain the set temperature.

In summer, the temperature balance is maintained by ventilation. It is best to install control equipment that will provide a constant set temperature.

Digging your own basement is not a good idea.

If a basement was not originally built in your house, and you decided to dig it under the house, then there are several important factors to consider. In any case, in no case should you do it yourself.

Not every specialist will undertake to dig a hole under the built house. The price of even the smallest mistake can be a warp of the foundation or the destruction of the house. Cracks may appear in the hay of a brick house.

If the house is wooden, of course, it will not crack, but it can sink to one side due to improper earthworks. Restoration work will be very expensive.

Building a basement in a residential building is one of the most difficult jobs. Here you need to take into account many factors and make all the necessary accurate calculations. Earthworks in the vicinity of a loaded foundation, without exaggeration, can be attributed to jewelry.

Photo of a basement in a private house

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONvCBnvS7gI