Basement development thoughts...

[lastprodigy]

basement is starting to get developped in a months time, got all the main features/floor plan laid out....it is a walkout....master w/ ensuite...second bedroom....2 nd bathroom not in the bedroom though....wet bar...rec area w/ built ins for future entertaintment (well though out, not a 100 shelves).....but planned for what will go there....anywyas just lookign for thought on what "little things" can be added at this time which would be a huge pain in the ass after its done.....so far all i can think of is wiring run for home theatre....

looking for any thoughts/ experince thanks

[Xtrema]

I don't know if you even plan to switch to a ceiling mount projectors. You'll get the wiring for that too. If you are not sure, build your entertainment centre room with suspension ceiling instead of dry wall. That way, you can have more options down the road for changes.

CAT6 is always nice.

You may want a floor radiant heating system seperate from the main furnace. That way, you get to have a seperate temperature control. And it's much more efficient to radiate heat from the floor than pushing air. Basement tends to get overheated in winter espeically thermostat is on main floor.

Try to hide the posts if you can on your design. Support posts are ugly IMO.

[lastprodigy]

in floor heating is a consideration .... there wont ever be a projection system so im not too worried about that......there will have two be one or 2 exposed posts but if done well i think they can be ok.......

any other thoughts?

[Khalil]

Just make sure you have roughed in everything that you will be needing. Home Theater, possibly internet connections etc.

[Street_Soldier]

have an outlet on the ceiling for a future projector, you never know.

wire all the rooms with ethernet, may be a good idea if you dont have wireless.

if your computer and entertainment center are in different rooms prewire the walls so u can connect them easiliy. i just ran central vaccum tubing all along hte walls so i can easily change wires in and out.

install central vac

[t-im]

don't skimp on the lighting!!! get lots of potlights, and dimmers

[izzoblitzo]

just cap the support columns with those fancy roman columns.. you can buy them at home depot or totem. They'll give it a little bit of an elegance.

The basement is usually the most confined, most restrictive level of the house. Layout your rooms carefully.. I did mine wide open concept.

Speaker wiring is a plus... separate circuits for computer jacks... feature wall colors for some depth... be careful and try not to get too many bulkheads, or at least utilize them into the design if possible.. as someone mentioned before.. lots and lots of lighting... TWO WAY switches!! Insulate the bathroom walls...

holy cow.. I can go on forever!

Use consistancy if you can so that it doesnt look like your basement is put in years later..

I did my basement with the same colors, baseboards, casings, headers, hardware, carpet, doors etc etc so it looks like my basement was done at the time of building my house!

[FiveFreshFish]

If you decide not to go with heated flooring, get a subfloor system. Keeps your feet insulated from the cold slab.

[96Mx6]

The new Bell sat needs 2 cables run to it...

[HRD2PLZ]

Originally posted by izzoblitzo
Use consistancy if you can so that it doesnt look like your basement is put in years later..

I did my basement with the same colors, baseboards, casings, headers, hardware, carpet, doors etc etc so it looks like my basement was done at the time of building my house!

That is such a big plus whenever I see a home with a developed basement. You have no idea how many nice houses I have shown where the basement does not flow well with the rest of the house. And I have seen both extremes too, in some cases the basement is FAR nicer than the rest of the house and in other cases it is just the opposite. When your home has a good flow, it not only looks better, but it feels larger too. This way, a basement doesn't feel so much like a basement.

[lastprodigy]

most of what you guys said is already gonna be done i mean the house is barely 2 years old and definately not gonna cheap out....oh its definately not gonna have a projector system haah....and i got wireless so it doesnt matter.....other than that i cant think of any little things that might be useful

[Street_Soldier]

post pics when u are done

[frozenrice]

If you have a rough-in vac system, make sure you tie it all in plus add one in the basement before closing up the ceiling and walls.

[lastprodigy]

yea have that rough in but dunno what type of flooring will go in yet....

[MrPid]

Originally posted by lastprodigy
most of what you guys said is already gonna be done i mean the house is barely 2 years old and definately not gonna cheap out....oh its definately not gonna have a projector system haah....and i got wireless so it doesnt matter.....other than that i cant think of any little things that might be useful

Yeah, but if you sell your house down the line it's a value add to somebody that doesn't have wireless or want wireless...

You could rough in multiroom audio in addition to home theatre. If you do rough in home theatre, conduit and electrical for future projector is nice if the room is suitable. Sounds like it might not be though... Regardless you'll want proper insulation and soundboard for whatever room you do as HT on all sides.

If you don't already have it in, rough in the security as well. That includes windows, doors, pirs, glass breaks, smoke/co and moisture in pertinent places (e.g. fireplaces, sumps, window wells).

If you don't already have irrigation outside or feature lighting or an automation sytem with temperature monitoring, you could consider roughing in a conduit to outside for future use before you wall everything in.

You can also do cameras if you're inclined.

Phone and small tv in the wetbar of course...

Other than that, make sure you don't do one of those bathrooms where the mirror and counter extends past the sink and over the toilet. Doesn't matter how attractive you are - nobody wants to see themselves having a piss.

Good luck!

[kaput]

.

[lastprodigy]

bump....ok after many delays (damn its hard getting construction these days) its starting in about a week.

I was thinking to have a cable/power outlet put about mid-height where the tv will go (likely plasma) ... how do you guys do this with your pre-existing cable outlets? I was thinking of having it about at a height where the tv would cover it.

Any other last minute considerations appreciated...

[lastprodigy]

Also been thinking of a painted ceiling intead of a plain white knockdown type.?

[nismodrifter]

Sorry this doesn't relate exactly to your question posted above but what you are you doing for your bar? how big is your basement?

Definately post pics once you're done (possibly even keep us updated as it progresses...I'd love to see what you're doing with it). We are finishing up ours this year (all DIY). All we have left to do is some drywall in a couple places, plumbing for the bathroom/bar and then comes the finishing part. Can't wait to have it done, house is going to be freaking HUGE once its all done.

[lastprodigy]

somewhere in the 13-1500 range....its all getting done profesionally, were not touching any of it.....

bar...something simple...jsut bar sink, and bar bridge (hidden by cabinet door )....cabinet will follow the same trends as upstairs in the kitchen, same granite counters and such....dunno what else there is to say about it.... the basement defiantely adds a nice chunk of space to the house.....plus ill have a huge bedroom for my self with ensuite and walkin closet ....