A neat way to increase your living space is to work on your basement.
- When finishing the basement, one essential part many people overlook is the HVAC system.
Before any framing or drywall installation commences down there, take a breather and reflect about how you want your central cooling and heating unit to help keep the newly liveable space comfortable. You can choose to outsource your basement remodeling to a supplier or pick it up as a DIY project. Whichever the choice, there are some points to note. For starters take into account the air conditioner’s capacity to accommodate the additional space. Next is how to incorporate air vents into your floor plan, and whether you need to include an air return before other jobs begin. Working in the basement is no simple matter financially. Therefore, make sure there are no extra costs because you did not take the necessary steps to plan. Inquire about any code restrictions and rules regarding heating and cooling of liveable space in your area. Also, note how you are going to use this liveable space. Climate plays a huge hand in humidity and temperature control when you want to store fancy or collectible items. An expert HVAC technician can help you evaluate your system and the extra demands it will face because of the extra space. After that, the aircon mechanic can tell if you need to get a new AC unit or an additional system. When finishing your basement, make sure you keep your central heating and cooling system within reach for maintenance purposes. The same applies to furnaces, water heaters, water softeners, and gas lines which are in your basement along with the HVAC. All these should be accessible for repair. For aesthetic purposes, you may want to conceal these components from view, so consider building a properly vented utility room.