Is your home’s basement little more than a concrete-walled sublevel? The kind of place that’s good for doing laundry and storing Christmas ornaments and nothing else? Then you’re missing out! You stand so much to gain when you transform your basement into liveable square footage. Benefits of basement finishing include:
- More room to work and play in
- An estimated 70% return on investment
- A safer spot to hide in during tornado warnings
- The perfect place to contain kids’ toys (and noisy kids as well)
But the advantages to basement finishing don’t end there. When you convert your lowest level to a high-class living space, you will save money on heating and cooling costs as well! It’s a long-term investment in your home that will benefit your checking account and the environment alike.
Why Does a Finished Basement Require Less Energy?
One of the greatest downsides to an unfinished basement is its poor energy efficiency. When an underground space’s walls are nothing more than concrete block or poured concrete, they’re pretty much destined to be the same temperature as the surrounding soil.
That can be a good thing in summertime – but a very bad one during the winter, when the surrounding soil is freezing. Adding insulation and drywall to unfinished walls will help them retain heat far more effectively. Instead of feeling a shiver whenever you go downstairs, you’ll feel cozy!
Don’t forget about heat loss through the floor, either. Uninsulated ground floors can sap away up to 30% of a home’s heat. But once you’ve concealed a basement’s concrete floor in damp-proof membrane, plywood and carpeting, you can reduce that heat loss by as much as half. The energy savings can equal hundreds of dollars a year.
It Goes Beyond Walls and Floors
A finished basement’s insulated walls and floor aren’t its only energy-efficient features. It doesn’t matter how many windows your basement has, or how small they are. If they’re old, then they turn into veritable fountains of heat each wintertime – and let more of the sun’s heat in during summer. If you’re finishing your basement, then upgrading to contemporary insulated double-paned glass is certain to help you stay comfier.
Naturally, its lighting is one of a finished basement’s most important features. Replacing old wiring and lighting fixtures with replacements that meet contemporary standards will significantly reduce electricity usage. So too will upgrading to modern LED light bulbs, which require 90% less electricity than traditional incandescent lights. Touches like these are certain to enhance any basement’s aesthetic appeal as well. You’ll actually want to hang out underground!
Let’s Get Started on Finishing Your Twin Cities Basement
Are you ready to embrace the energy-saving power of the finished basement? So long as your home is located in the greater Twin Cities area, Angell’s Construction Services is at your service!
Contact us today to request a FREE consultation. Once we understand your basement finishing goals, we’ll come up with an affordable plan that satisfies them in full. And if your basement is already finished but starting to show its years, we’ll set right to work remodeling it to perfection.