Renovating Your Basement- Man Cave Edition

When we look at a basement, all we see is the untapped potential that the area can provide. The basement can be transformed into several different settings like a play area for your children, a workout area or even a second family room. But, when it comes down to it, the basement is the perfect setting for a man cave! While you might see the basement as cold, boring and drab, it’s only a few steps away from becoming the ultimate man cave where you can escape when you need some peace and quiet. Want to learn how you can turn your basement into your hideaway? You can find out down below!

When it comes to a basement renovation, the best place to start is with the flooring system. Not only will the flooring set the mood of the man cave, but it will also help keep all the valuable possessions you keep inside it safe from water damage; if you choose the right one. So what type of coating should you use? We have found that the best flooring system to use in the basement is an epoxy floor coating. This is because epoxies offer dozens of different design options like metallic epoxy, epoxy flake flooring and even logo implementation to show off your favorite sports team or auto manufacturer. Most importantly, epoxy is used in the process of basement waterproofing which will eliminate water seepage through your concrete flooring, keeping electronics, valuables, and furniture safe from water damage.

Everyone knows that a man cave isn’t complete without a toilet! If you want to save yourself a trip upstairs every time you have to use the bathroom or wash your hands, it is a necessity to have basic plumbing routed to the basement. But if your basement is below the sewer line, make sure to have a pump installed as well so no sewage overflows into the basement as well as keeping smells in the basement at bay by completely removing sewage from your lines into the main sewage lines.

We think everyone knows just how rowdy a man cave can be, especially on game days! So to avoid annoying everyone upstairs who don’t want to take part in festivities, it would be your best bet to have soundproofing materials installed on the ceiling and connecting walls of the basement. Not only will this keep everyone upstairs happy, but it will also keep disturbing sounds that are coming from the upstairs plumbing, HVAC system, and the water heater. Methods of soundproofing include:

As we all know, the basement can become very cold, especially during winter; which is rapidly approaching! So to keep your basement warm during the winter and cool during the summer, the best method is to insulate your exterior facing walls. Not all walls in the basement have to be insulated unless you are renovating the basement into a living area with separate rooms. Along with insulating your walls with R-25 to R-30 rated faced insulation; which will aid in vapor the resistance to vapor transmission, we recommend tapping into your heating and cooling system, install a gas fireplace or use an electric heating system.

If your basement has been untouched prior to your renovation, chances are that it only contains electrical outlets only where completely necessary for items like your HVAC systems and your water heater. If you want to have your man cave dream in full effect, chances are that you are going to need to run additional electrical to the basement for items like your TV, chargers and any bar lights you want to hang up! First, you are going to want to make a design of what you want to be done. Recessed lighting, electrical outlets or switches and even if you are going to need a sub-panel for the basement electrical. To get the best experience, save time and avoid getting electrocuted, contact a contractor that will help you plan exactly what you need done.

Well, there you have it, the essentials to turn your underground dwelling into the man cave of your dreams! While you might want to tackle this task alone, the best choice is to hire a professional contractor to take care of the technical items like plumbing, electrical, insulating and water-resistant floor coating. Now that you have what you need, we wish you the best of luck designing and creating the man cave you deserve!