When you’re finishing your basement, you have to contend with a different environment than the rest of your house. Since the area is damp and humid, more finishing mistakes can happen. Also, since the basement is where you have mechanical equipment like water heaters, sump pumps, furnaces, and the like, you need to work around things like piping and wiring.

Avoid damaging your home and protect your house’s resale value by keeping these things in mind when you’re finishing your basement:

Check for Existing Moisture Issues

Before you start with a basement finishing project in the Western Massachusetts or Northern Connecticut area, you need to check all the walls—every square inch—for leaks and cracks. You need to repair structural problems with your foundation before you cover them up and repair existing water leaks. You also need to address cracks in the wall. A foundation wall crack might go all the way through or stay within the wall. Either way, you need to remedy it. If the foundation wall has a crack and it moves, or if the waterproofing seal on the outside is broken, it can let water into the basement. 

A leak like this could be damaging for a finished basement wall. If you finish your basement without checking for cracks, leaks might go undetected for a period, damaging the materials and causing plenty of molds to grow.

Work with Metal Instead of Wood or Fiberglass

Using wood materials in a basement’s moist environment will only rot and warp the material. It also makes your wood items susceptible to mold. Don’t use wood studs in basement walls—these cannot handle the humidity in the room. Instead, use products specifically for basements like metal. Using appropriate materials will minimize the likelihood of water damage and mold.

Similarly, avoid using fiberglass insulation. This type of material gets moldy because moist air leaks into the basement and condensates. Condensation coupled with food sources like wood and fiberglass enables mold to proliferate.

Avoid Wood-Based Flooring

Hardwood, laminate, and carpeting will not last in the humid environment of a basement. These materials will undoubtedly show signs of mold after exposure. Instead, use vinyl flooring—it is waterproof and can withstand floods. Some people are averse to using vinyl for their floors because they equate it with dated designs and colors. Today, many vinyl flooring manufacturers can recreate the look and feel of ceramic tile or hardwood on this material. You can safely use vinyl in your basement waterproofing project.

Watch Out for Poor Design or Floor Plans

Don’t spend resources without knowing exactly what type of space you want to create in the lower levels of your home. Having a general idea of what you want in your basement is one thing, but knowing where you will put specific rooms, furniture, or appliances is an entirely different matter. Working with a designer and a basement finishing contractor will help you build a basement that is stylish yet functional.