Turn Your Basement into a Man Cave

Do you have an unfinished basement in your home? If so, you may consider remodeling your space and investing in basement waterproofing in Racine, WI, as it will add on so much more usable space to your home. You can still preserve some of the space to dedicate for storage, but at least part of your basement could turn into something fun or useful. It might, for example, be a game room, rec room, bar or home theater. Of course, one of the most popular ideas is to turn it into a “man cave.”

What exactly is a man cave? Really, it can be anything you want it to be—it’s just a space that incorporates your hobbies, activities and interests. Your typical man cave is likely to include a dry or wet bar, a refrigerator, a big-screen television, comfortable seating and maybe some areas dedicated for games (think pool tables, ping pong tables or card tables). But ultimately, it’s entirely up to you what you will put into your own man cave.

Before you can bring in all the fun stuff, though, you need to finish off the section of the basement you’ll be remodeling. Here are some of the tasks you’ll need to complete:

• Basic plumbing: Having a sink and a toilet nearby will be of great convenience, because it will prevent you from having to make frequent trips upstairs.
• Dehumidifier: One of the biggest problems with basements is that they tend to attract moisture. A dehumidifier can keep the air (and building materials) dry, and eliminate a lot of the musty smells you might associate with basements in Wisconsin.
• Exterior wall insulation: You can expect the temperature in your basement to drop quite a bit in the wintertime if it’s not properly insulated, so having some insulation on the exterior walls is a good way to make sure the space is usable all year long. You can also add some supplementary heating if you wish, installing an electric heater or a gas fireplace.
• Water management: If you believe your man cave area could be susceptible to flooding after snow melts and heavy rains, you may want to install a sump pump and perimeter drain (if you don’t already have one).
• Moisture-resistant walls and floors: Again, basements tend to attract moisture, so it makes sense to go for moisture-resistant walls. While stone and concrete walls can work just fine for your man cave, they do tend to sweat. If you insulate those walls and properly dehumidify the space, you can feel comfortable putting up drywall. In addition, while concrete slabs can be sufficient flooring and are easy to paint, they aren’t comfortable and will also sweat. We recommend laying down a thin underlayment moisture barrier on the concrete and then installing a vinyl tile or plank flooring over it that is water-resistant.
• Soundproofing: Finally, if your new man cave is going to be a big hangout spot, you might want to add some soundproofing features. This can help to prevent you from being disturbed by HVAC or laundry equipment in the next room, or from disturbing others upstairs.

For more tips for creating your man cave, or to discuss basement waterproofing in Racine, WI, reach out to the team at Langenfeld Masonry & Concrete today.

Categorised in: Basements