Despite its many uses, all too many people leave their basements unfinished because of cost; however, if you have an unfinished basement a basement finishing system is a great option for making it a fun and lovely space. It isn’t like the traditional basement finishing where you have wall stud walls or furring strips with attached wallboard; rather, a basement finishing system is a package of materials that you will use to take an unfinished basement and turn it into first-class living space.
The foundation of your house is…. well your foundation. If your foundation was laid out wrong, or you are having problems with water or expansive soils around your foundation, you will see them manifest themselves in other areas of the structure.
If your foundation does not have an adequate water drainage system to drain excess water and you do not have a sufficient water barrier on the exterior basement walls, you will have a damp or soggy basement and subsequently, this will lead to mold.
For many styles of homes having the right type of basement dehumidifiers can help eliminate dust and mold in the home. If someone in your household suffers from allergies than installing basement dehumidifiers can make them less severe. Older homes have more trouble with such issues because the basements aren’t always able to stay dry due to the overall structure. If you have a damp basement then it is likely mold, mildew and allergens have found themselves a breeding ground.
Concrete core drilling is the process of drilling perfectly round holes through concrete walls, floors and other concrete structures. Concrete core drilling is the most commonly recognized use of any diamond concrete cutting tool. Concrete core drills or “core rigs” can be operated in any orientation, vertical, horizontal and even upside down thru concrete ceilings. A concrete core drill bit consists of a steel tube with diamond segments brazed or laser welded on the drilling end. The core bits are mounted on the rotating shaft of various types of concrete core drilling machines. Most concrete core drills are connected to a stand that is secured to a wall or floor with a concrete anchor and a bolt but there are also concrete core drills that use vacuum pressure to attach to a floor. There are also many different types of “hand held” core drills. Concrete core drills can be powered by electricity, hydraulic, gasoline or air power sources. Concrete core drill bits can range in diameter from 1/2 inch to 72 inches in diameter and drilling depths are virtually unlimited with the use of extensions. A solid cylindrical slug or “core” of concrete is removed from the hole after the drilling is complete. The applications for concrete core drilling are virtually endless.
Ah…the basement! This area of the home is generally given the least amount of attention when it comes to overall design, function and livability. That is, unless you have or are planning to convert the basement area into a family or recreation room that really becomes a part of the overall useful living space in the home.
The basement by its very nature tends to be a dark area since it is located below ground level and has few windows and those are often casement or half windows that are frequently located in window wells, further reducing the outside light availability. Consequently, a major, but seldom considered issue, is the safety factor that results from navigating around a dimly lit area particularly if it is cluttered with storage or other household items that are generally not used very frequently.