Six Tips on How to Build a Basement Bar in Your Home
Many of you may have a little basement in your home. Some use it as their laundry area. Some use it as their mini gym. Others use it as an extension room for house guests. But what if none of these ideas draw your attention? Yet you cannot get over the fact that your basement is not being used to its maximum potential. Then you realized that whenever you have huge celebrations at home, your living room is just not enough. Then you start thinking why not convert your vacuous basement into a bar? Bingo! So here are a few tips for you on how to build a basement bar in your home.
1. Visualize – Visualize your idea of a basement bar in your mind. This should be a good starting point on how to build a basement bar. Before anything else, you got to imagine how it is going to look like. Draw it on a sheet of paper. Go down to your basement and figure out which corner you want to put the bar.
2. The Plan – Make a basement bar checklist. After you got a basement drawing in your sketch pad, you should be able to imagine the materials and tools to use in setting it up. Other than wood, you should be able to see things like electrical wiring, lighting fixtures, framing, plumbing, and all other things you can see through in your sketch.
3. Inspiration – Check out your friends’ basement bars. Supposing you still do not have a clear view of what needs to consider in this project. You may want to visit your friends who have basement bars. And do not ever forget to ask them pointers in how to build a basement bar. That is probably one of the most reliable help you could get. For sure, your friends would be more than willing to share their experience.
4. Basement Bar Photos – Check out home design magazines. This medium is another source of ideas in how to build a basement bar. The thing is that your plans of realizing this project only happens when you have your concept clear. These types of magazines help you imagine what you hope to achieve with your basement bar because they show pictures. This is a big advantage especially if your grades in art class were very low.
5. The Right Materials – Materials to use. Yes of course you got to know this. In the planning stage, materials and labor cost are usually what determines a project’s cost. At this point, it is not enough to just know the basics how to build a basement bar. Extra knowledge is a very important factor as well.
6. Supplies and equipment. Common sense and experience will tell you that when you see a bar, there is always liquor and most often music. Although this can be thought of in details when your bar is almost finished, it may help to include this in your preparations. Maybe know a little bit about what brand of wine, brandy, or whatever liquor you know that can suit your taste. Perhaps your preference has a lot to do with the mood you set in your bar. Then of course knowing a little bit about music equipment can lead you to understand what type of speakers you need to install. Acoustic insulation is also a consideration if you want music piped in to your basement bar.
Now that you have the design plan listed out for your little project, it is time to work on it. The good thing about this is that you can do it yourself. If you have no background in carpentry or interior designing, this is a good time to learn. Then maybe, in the future, you might want to share your experience. You might want to return the favor by giving your personal tips on how to build a basement bar.
Vinyl siding has limitations. It is prone to impact damage (the photo shows damage due to a hail storm), melts when exposed to extreme heat and becomes increasingly brittle as it gets cold. But even in the summer if a baseball or golf ball hits it, your vinyl siding can break or crack.
Then what? With colors and textures often not found in nature, matching existing vinyl siding can be hard to achieve. And without knowledge of how to separate the strips of siding, you’ll never get them apart. Well, don’t worry. I’ll show you how to repair damaged vinyl siding for under $10 (if you have spare siding material). And I’ll also let you know where you can find discontinued siding styles and colors so that repair looks great!
Introduction to Vinyl Siding Repair
Vinyl siding is the most fragile of all siding materials and besides melting when exposed to extreme heat, it will become brittle in cold weather. When cold, vinyl is especially prone to impact damage such as cracking or breaking apart. Repairing small sections of vinyl siding can be an expensive proposition if you have a repair technician come out for a house call. A contractor can charge $300 or more for the vinyl siding repair.
But don’t worry. You’re going to learn how to make the vinyl siding repair for a small fraction of that price. And if you have a spare section of siding still available and don’t have to buy it, this repair will cost you less than $10.
Needed Tools and Materials
• Section of Matching Vinyl Siding
• Vinyl Siding Zip Tool
• Tin Snips
• Pry Bar
• Claw Hammer
• Galvanized Nails
• Utility Knife
• Carpenter’s Square or Metal Straight Edge
Getting replacement vinyl siding that matches your existing siding will either be the easiest or most difficult part of the repair. Besides coming in textures and colors not found in nature (like some of the above), vinyl siding patterns and colors can be discontinued which makes it difficult to match.
If you have vinyl siding left over from the original installation then it’s easy to get the replacement stock.
If you have an older vinyl siding installation then you need to take a sample of what you have on the home to a nearby contractor siding supply for a match.
But what if you can’t find a match? Well, an interesting service I’ve found that can analyze your vinyl siding and find you a match is called SidingMatch.com. For $100 they will analyze your vinyl siding and provide you a complete siding description and distributor location so you can purchase your replacement vinyl siding. They can even help you if your vinyl siding design is discontinued.
Vinyl siding is thin, flexible, moves with variations in outside temperature and relies on being interlocked at the top and bottom to achieve its weather tightness. As you will soon see, it is the technique used in the interlocking process that is the trick to removing and installing the siding.
It is fastened to the house with nails driven through elongated holes in the nail hem. However it is CRITICAL that the nails not be driven tight against the nail hem or else the siding cannot move with temperature changes and will buckle. This is the most common error made in vinyl siding installation.
You need to make sure there is a 1/32″ gap between the nail head and the vinyl siding(about the thickness of a dime). To attach or to separate vinyl siding requires a special siding removal tool called a zip tool. Let’s review how to use this tool in the next section.
To access and remove the damaged section of vinyl siding you must first unlock the siding above and below the damaged section.
• Using a zip tool, unlock the vinyl siding above the damaged section by inserting the curved tip of the tool blade under the end of the overlapping panel and hook onto the back lip of the buttlock.
• Then pulling the tool downward while sliding the tool away from the end continue separating the panel all the way across its length.
• See the Tutorial How to Use a Zip Tool – Vinyl Siding Removal Tool.
• Repeat for the bottom edge of the damaged panel.
• Remove the nails holding the strip directly above the damaged area.
• Remove the nails by using a pry bar.
Next you will have to cut out the damaged section of vinyl siding.
• Using a pair of tin snips, cut out the damaged section of siding.
• Use care not to cut the top or bottom edges of the panels above or below the section you are removing.
Next you will cut and install a section of replacement vinyl siding for the repair.
• To make speedy work of cutting the siding, use a quality layout square like the Stanley Quick® Square that will give you a clean, straight right angle cut when cutting the replacement section of vinyl siding.
• Cut the siding using a utility knife with a new blade.
• Cut the replacement piece of vinyl siding about 3″ longer than the section you removed. This gives you about 1½” of overlap on both ends.
• You must also cut back the nail hem about 2″ on each side of the replacement panel so it fits into the space of the removed section.
• Slide the replacement section into position. Hook the replacement section’s bottom edge (buttlock) into the lock at the top edge (top lock) of the piece below. Push the replacement up until it snaps into place.
• Space the nails about 12″ apart and center them in the elongated holes in the nail hem.
• Leaving a 1/32″ gap between the nail head and the siding, nail the replacement panel into place using galvanized nails with heads a minimum of 5/16″ in diameter and with a shank of 1/8″ in diameter.
• The nails must be long enough so they can penetrate at least 3/4″ into framing or furring.
Once you have the new patch installed, you need to use the zip tool to relock the top edge of the vinyl siding.
-by Bob Formisano, About.com Guide to Home Repair
If you would like to speak to a siding and roofing specialist like Better Homes and Basements please visit them online or contact them toll free at 877-548-3889.
Vinyl siding interlocks at the top and bottom of each siding panel. That’s how it keeps wind driven rain out of the wall. In order to remove (or install) a piece of siding, you need to use a special hand tool called a Zip Tool. The zip tool safely separates the top and bottom adjoining / interlocking panels.
To properly use the zip tool to remove or replace a panel of vinyl siding, proceeds as follows:
• Wedge the curved tip of the tool blade under the end of the overlapping panel and hook onto the back lip of the buttlock.
• You can try starting at an end of the panel where you will find a slightly enlarged hole for the tool to slide into, or you can look for a somewhat loose spot in the panel joint.
• Unlock the siding by exerting downward pressure and slide the tool along the length of the siding panel exposing the nail row of siding you want to remove.
• Sometimes you can unzip the siding with your finger once it is started with the zip tool.
• Reverse procedure to relock siding panel.
If you would like to speak to a siding and roofing specialist like Better Homes and Basements please visit them online or contact them toll free at 877-548-3889.
Unfortunately for homeowners across the country, it is estimated that over 60 percent of homes have a part of their basement that has leaking issues making a wet basement one of the most frequent complains by homeowners. If you are not one of the lucky people in the 40th percentile, there is something you can do about it.
When you have a damp basement, smell musty odors, or see white powder (efflorescence) and minor water leakage, it is recommended that you fix it now before the problem gets worse and more expensive to fix. If you think a part of your house may be at risk to mold or mildew and would like to speak to a mold remediation specialist like Select Waterproofing USA please visit them online or contact them toll free at 877-548-3889.
It is estimated that once a basement starts leaking you can face up to $14,000 in exterior basement waterproofing or $6,000 for interior basement waterproofing, which will generally include the installation of both a French drain and sump pump.
Below is a checklist of common problems along with solutions:
• Cracks in poured concrete walls- Fill the cracks permanently with Foundation Crack Repair Kit. Seal the walls with Concrete Sealer.
• Cracks in block walls- Repair the cracks permanently with Epoxy Crack Filler Kit mixed with sand. Seal the block walls with Concrete Sealer.
• Leaking floor to wall joint- Route out 1/2″ deep with a grinder and fill with Epoxy Crack Filler. Or inject with Foundation Crack Repair Kit.
Seal the wall with Concrete Sealer.
• Wide gap between the floor and walls- Stuff with foam backer rod. Fill with Epoxy Crack Filler, which is flexible.
• Leaking cracks in concrete floor- Fill the cracks with Floor Repair Kit.
Seal the floor with Concrete Sealer.
• Leaking expansion control joints- Fill with Epoxy Crack Filler, which is flexible.
• Water seeping through concrete or block walls- Waterproof the concrete with Concrete Sealer.
• Water seeping through clay brick walls- Waterproof the brick walls with Concrete & Brick Sealer.
• Water seeping through basement floor- Waterproof the concrete with Concrete Sealer and/or Masonry Color Sealer.
• Leaks around pipes or penetrations- Fill the opening with PipeTite Gap Filler Kit.
• Seeping wire ties in concrete walls- Inject with PipeTite Gap Filler Kit.
• Sump pump or power failure- Install our water- or battery-powered backup sump pump.
For additional information regarding mold removal and mold remediation please contact Select Waterproofing USA with any questions. If you are located in the Pennsylvania, New Jersey, or Delaware areas and would like a free estimate please visit Select Waterproofing USA online or contact them toll free at 877-548-3889.
How to Install a HydroTex Floor and Membrane Coating
The final step in waterproofing your basement in order to achieve a complete basement waterproofing system is installing a HydroTex Floor and Membrane coating to further keep away any unwanted moisture. According to the American Society of Home Inspectors, over 60 percent of basements have moisture seepage in one form or another, while 38 percent experience mold and fungus growth due to an elevated moisture level.
HydroTex Floor and Membrane coating is a sealer that penetrated deep inside the wall and floor membrane and chemically reacts with lime and alkalis, expands into microscopic pores, and hardens as a mineral. This seals against water, water vapor and radon gas creating one product that combines concrete waterproofing, damp proofing, and concrete preservation with radon mitigation.
The final stage in waterproofing your basement can be applied to poured concrete, concrete blocks, cinderblocks, mortar and stone. Contrary to what many homeowners believe, new construction homes are best to waterproof because it will often prevent future moisture problems by strengthening the concrete and reducing cracking.
Most basement remodeling professionals like Select Basement USA offer free estimates and tips on how to pursue your project. If you are located in the Pennsylvania, New Jersey or Delaware areas and would like a free estimate please visit Select Waterproofing USA onlineor contact them toll free at 877-548-3889.
Because basements are prone for leaking due to its location below ground more and more basement waterproofing professionals are using an EPA rated mold coating on basement wall foundations. These antimicrobial coatings are made to kill residual mold remaining after pre-cleaning contaminated services. Some also inhibit the future growth of mold and mildew on interior surface wall surfaces such as plaster, wallboard, drywall, concrete, masonry, block, wood, primed metal and galvanized metal.
EPA Mold Coating products often form a dehydration matrix that prevents moisture penetration and growth and often eliminates any existing odors. These mold coatings should be applied when air and surface temperatures are above fifty degrees with a brush, roller or spray. The advantages of many EPA Mold Coating products include the obvious mold resistant protection, its durability, its easy application on porous and non-porous surfaces, and its water resistance.
So why is this fairly new product important to your home? Mold has certainly made its way into people’s homes as well as the headlines recently. Many people still don’t fully understand the health hazards of fungal exposure. The term toxic mold is somewhat misleading as it exudes an idea that certain molds are toxic, when actually certain types of molds produce secondary metabolites that produce toxins. The correct term is mycotoxins. Airborne mycotoxins can definitely destroy one’s health and home. Sometimes, people are unaware that they are breathing mold spores and mycotoxins until they are very sick.
Most basement remodeling professionals like Select Basement USA offer free estimates and tips on how to pursue your project. If you are located in the Pennsylvania, New Jersey or Delaware areas and would like a free estimate please visit Select Waterproofing USA onlineor contact them toll free at 877-548-3889.
Cracks that appear in the foundation walls of your basement are usually caused by concrete shrinkage. This shrinkage generally occurs within the first few months following the concrete pour but can grow larger due to continued pressure from soil contraction and expansion. The initial shrinkage happens because water evaporates from the poured concrete.
So how do you repair foundation cracks that may cause structural deficiencies or water seepage? The most efficient means is using a low-pressure injection of an epoxy or polyurethane foam. Most of these foundation cracks are strictly leakage problems that are brought to our attention after heavy rains.
However, as the crack was initially caused by stress, foam filler will seal the crack but not prevent further foundation cracking. Additional reinforcement will most likely be necessary such as carbon fiber countersunk staples.
Further reinforcement most likely will be necessary, using carbon fiber countersunk staples. Other materials that may be needed include, formulated injection material, surface seal, port adhesive, a manual dispensing tool, static mixers, surface ports and hose assemblies.
Most basement remodeling professionals like Select Basement USA offer free estimates and tips on how to pursue your project. If you are located in the Pennsylvania, New Jersey or Delaware areas and would like a free estimate please visit Select Waterproofing USA onlineor contact them toll free at 877-548-3889.
An interior drainage system that is installed on the interior of your basement will consist of a Trench, a French Drain and a Sump Pump. The system will actually allow water to penetrate through the foundation walls, which is then carried out through a series of trenches.
A 10 inch trench will be dug throughout the perimeter of your interior basement walls. This is designed to keep soil under your basement floor while allowing water to seep through to the trenches. Weep holes are then drilled into the block walls to drain any water that may appear. This water will make its way through the series of trenches to a sump pump which will drain out any water.
Any homes built prior to 1960 will usually contain clay pipe sections about 18 inches long that were used as underground and under-floor drains. Because there were no holes drilled into the manufactured pipe, a quarter inch space was left between them to allow water to seep in. This drain tile is still used today although builders have since switched to a plastic material. These drain tiles can be used for filed drainage, exterior footing drains and road drainage.
The major problem with these existing drains along the footing of basement walls occurs when dirt and debris clog spacing. This is not too big of a problem as basement waterproofing professionals can install WaterGuard or DryTrak to alleviate the problem.
Most basement remodeling professionals like Select Basement USA offer free estimates and tips on how to pursue your project. If you are located in the Pennsylvania, New Jersey or Delaware areas and would like a free estimate please visit Select Waterproofing USA onlineor contact them toll free at 877-548-3889.
