Finished Basements

[flip_it_fast]

Most people won't even consider buying a house if the basement is unfinished. They want that space to use for more than just storage but they don't want to have to do the work themselves or have to hire out to have it done. One of the main things in most basements is what to do with the concrete floor. Something that you can do yourself is to lay tile on it.

You will need TSP (a cleaner), concrete patch, concrete sealer, tile, mortar, trowel, grout and grout float.

First you will prepare the concrete for the tile. Scrub the floor thoroughly with the TSP. Allow it to dry. Check for any places in the concrete that need to be repaired or leveled.

Next, you need to plan the tile layout. You want to begin laying the tile so that when you do get to the end and have to make cuts in the tile, the cuts are in unnoticable places.

Mix the mortar in small portions at a time. You don't want to mix too much at once and risk it drying up before you can use it. Then begin laying the tiles in small sections at a time.

Apply the grout using the grout float. Use a damp rag to wipe off excess grout from the face of the tile as you go. Allow the grout to dry completely and then repeat. If the tile appears cloudy don't worry, another wiping down after the grout has dried will clear it up.

Last, apply the grout sealer to prevent staining and mold growth.

[homealone]

This is proably something that we should do to our basement, but instead when it was converted into a couple of bedrooms we laid carpet down in there.

It tends to get a bit chilly down there even with the furnance being in there, so we thought that carpet would be the better way to go for the kids.

Though soon things will be changing as one will be heading off to college, and the youngest who will still be with us for a long time will be taking over the room that our son now uses. After that is all done we plan on turning our daughters room into the TV area in the house.

Because we plan on doing this its proably still not a good idea to put tile down. Though I am sure that tile would look 100% better than the carpet that is in there now.

Now back on subject.... Your right I have seen several shows of people looking to purchase a home and they have passed up some great prices and beautiful homes, simply because the basements were not finished. This surprised me. I guess because if I could save money on the home. I would manage to deal with an unfinished basement for a while or do the work myself.