JANUARY 2024
OUR INSIGHTS
Basements, originally designed for storage and utilities, often serve as neglected spaces. While many remain unfinished, they represent untapped potential, offering a significant portion of square footage in your home. Though traditionally overlooked as gathering spaces, basements can evolve into valuable and livable areas with thoughtful considerations.
Unlocking the potential in basements lies in recognizing the opportunity they present. A whole level beneath your main floor, basements offer ample real estate, capable of doubling your home's square footage. True, some transformations may demand more extensive measures, such as adjusting foundations or lifting and digging for additional headroom. Yet, the investment can be transformative, potentially offering a cost-effective alternative to a second-story addition or the purchase of a larger house.
While the prospect of lifting and digging might seem daunting, it can be a less disruptive and financially pragmatic solution compared to expanding upwards. This process not only maximizes usable space but also avoids the complexities of adding a second story. In essence, the basement becomes a canvas for expansion, offering the chance to reimagine the space as a cozy retreat, a home office, or even an entertainment haven.
Considerations for a more inviting basement include strategic planning to address issues like lighting, insulation, and air circulation. Creating inviting nooks, incorporating cozy furnishings, and optimizing storage solutions can transform the basement into a functional extension of your home. In the end, this often-overlooked space can become a thriving part of your living environment, adding both value and comfort to your home.
MAXIMIZING YOUR HOME’S LOWER LEVEL
IT’S GETTING HOT IN HERE
While renovating your basement can increase the functionality of your home, the lower level often faces many inherent challenges that can appear daunting, such as the historic reputation for being a cold and harsh space. A radiant floor system can be a great way to make a basement space more enjoyable and functional. Not only does a radiant system supply heat to the lower level (removing the need for the basement to be connected to the heat source supplying the rest of the home) but it creates a warm and enjoyable flooring surface to walk and play on, removing that stereotypical basement floor chill. A radiant system can be either electric or hydronic and functions by either heating wires under the flooring or running warm water through tubes that create heat that radiates through the flooring to fill the space.
If your basement needs a new slab floor due to foundation work, or after digging down to create more head height, introducing radiant heat into the concrete slab can be a cost effective way to bring heat into the space. This addition allows the slab to serve as the finished floor, if desired. Radiant floor systems can also function under traditional flooring materials like tile or LVP, depending on the manufacturer’s specifications. If you are looking for a way to make your basement feel cozy and warm, it’s worth considering if a radiant flooring system is the right solution.
OUR SERVICE EXPERT, JOE
We are delighted to feature Joe Quiros, our Service department manager, who has contributed his expertise to our company for the past one and a half years. With a background in restaurant management and remarkable handyman skills, Joe brings a wealth of experience to our team. Leading our Service department, he oversees a range of smaller projects, including miscellaneous repairs, leaks, door replacements, interior/exterior painting, HVAC/furnace installations, new decking, and more. He's also been a catalyst in expanding our commercial portfolio with various projects in the pipeline. Currently, Joe is successfully managing a challenging restaurant remodel at Ba Bar in Capitol Hill, where his skills were put to the test when we had to recently transport a 800 lb. piece of wood to replace a fully rotten structural beam. His dedication and proficiency make him an invaluable addition to Crescent Builds. If you have a service project, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us to see how we can support your goals!