skip to main content

Design Dilemma Basements

What to do with a foundation shelf in basement?

15 days ago

we moved to a townhou with finished basement . i have a separate sewing room there and the rest of the long basement space is our tv room and office corner. I keep hanging various paintings or textile wallhangings, books, etc, but not sure of the best way to decorate a foundation shelf, the full length of one basement wall!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
15 days ago
How high is that wall? I think stop putting stuff on it and maybe hang some art above but probably more horizontal than vertical I would not use that as a shelf at all.
Josee
Original Author
15 days ago
Thanks! I’m just starting to think about how to use it. The wall above is 50” high. Also thinking of moving the tv to an opposite wall. I guess I could look at this as a gallery wall.
Related Discussions
DOW Super Tuff -R insulation direct to Basement Foundation?
Q
Comments (3)
Fire-rated foil-faced polyisocyanurate is used in unfinished basements with the foil side to the interior, so no fireproofing barrier is needed. However, it should only be halfway down the wall, allowing the lower portion of the wall to dry to the interior. (This also allows moisture trapped behind the impermeable foil-covered polyiso boards to drain off.) See Building Science Corp. RR-0202 Figs. 11 and 12. Since you're finishing the basement, more economical choices would be extruded polystyrene (XPS) or expanded polystyrene (EPS). Thermally, an inch of XPS is more than sufficient in your climate if followed by fibrous insulation. (See link above for further details.) I think you'll find the adhesive won't work well. *** I mostly grew up on Long Island--including Long Beach and working on Fire Island in the summers. Somewhere in the family scrapbook are photos my father took of the devastation wrought by the Long Island Express in 1938. Seeing the flood damage that now runs for more than a 100 miles along the South Shore I'd be a little fatalistic in doing any basement finishing there. This post was edited by worthy on Wed, Jan 2, 13 at 8:55
...See More
What do you think of this problem with our foundation?
Q
Comments (5)
Funny, in a build I did a few years ago, the surveyor gave the excavator the wrong cut--too shallow by a foot. My faith in the surveyor overcame my common sense and I didn't increase the pour height. So the basement walls had to be heightened. I chose to raise them two blocks, about 16.5" overall. This was on top of a poured foundation. But whether poured or block, it's not unusual to add height. The blocks may have to be anchored with rebar drilled into the foundation and the topmost course has to be solid or filled.
...See More
Cellar/Basement/Foundation
Q
Comments (3)
If you don't have to crawl, your cellar is not a crawl space. Unless you're on a tight city lot with no buildable land, it may be less expensive to add on above-grade than trying to convert a century-old basement to living space. More than likely, you will have to excavate the entire perimeter of the basement to dampproof the foundation walls and add weeping tiles. You will have to cut out at least one window to standards of required egress windows. If the floor is even concrete, it's very likely too thin or broken up to support finish surfaces. This presumes the water table is not too high and that your foundation is block, brick or poured and in good condition.
...See More
Cost of Foundation and Finished Basement
Q
Comments (3)
Way way too cheap to do any of that. Half priced to 1/3 priced. It can’t include that whole scope for that. Just a bath addition with no basement, finished or otherwise, or any of the rest of the added space averages 90K. Are you dealing with licensed and insured general contractors? Have you had architectural plans drawn up?
...See More
kandrewspa
15 days ago
I agree with Patricia. That would be a lot of tchotches if you were to put things on the shelf everywhere. If you have a need for organized shelving you could do something like this over part of the shelf. Or not - I'm just posting this because I thought it was a clever use of the shelf. But you shouldn't be buying things just to fill up something like this. This is good if you already have things you want to display in a more intentional way.
Bernal Bonus · More Info
PRO
RappArchitecture
14 days ago
Forget about using it as a shelf. Hang art instead.
acm
14 days ago
You could put the TV and components up there, to avoid a dark piece of furniture. Then ignore the rest.
PRO
JAN MOYER
14 days ago
last modified: 14 days ago
Hang art and ignore the shelf. Not every horizontal surface need a "thing". Once you start? It will need more "things". Answer to that? Like smoking.... don't start at all. Much like doo dads above cupboards in the kitchen. Bare can be lovely.....every eye needs a place to rest.

Related Stories

REMODELING GUIDES Know Your House: The Steps in Finishing a Basement

By Bud Dietrich, AIA

Learn what it takes to finish a basement before you consider converting it into a playroom, office, guest room or gym

BASEMENTS Design Workshop: Is It Time to Let Basements Become Extinct?

By Eric Reinholdt, Architect

Costly and often unnecessary, basements may become obsolete — if they aren’t already. Here are responses to every reason to keep them around

BASEMENTS Tricky Basement Bathroom? Cool Design Opportunity!

By MyFixitUpLife show

Have some fun with your bathroom design while getting all the venting, privacy and storage you need

BASEMENTS Room of the Day: From Unfinished Basement to Spacious Great Room

A partial basement in San Francisco is transformed into a striking living space

BASEMENTS Basement of the Week: High-End Problem Solving for a Show House

By Becky Harris

Dark and dated? Naturally. But this '70s-style basement had myriad other design issues too. See how the designer rose to the challenge

BASEMENTS Basement of the Week: For the Love of Sports and Games

By Becky Harris

Skateboards, an elevated train, a surfboard lighting fixture ... see how one family packed their basement with fun features

ROOM OF THE DAY Room of the Day: From Dark Basement to Bright Master Suite

By Jeannie Matteucci

Turning an unsightly retaining wall into an asset, these San Francisco homeowners now have a bedroom that feels like a getaway

LIVING ROOMS Below My Houzz: An Inviting Basement With Industrial Edge

By Becky Harris

Reconfiguring a cramped, damp basement opens up a new world of sleek, functional spaces

ARCHITECTURE Know Your House: What Makes Up a Home's Foundation

By Bud Dietrich, AIA

Learn the components of a common foundation and their purpose to ensure a strong and stable house for years to come

BASEMENTS Room of the Day: Swank Basement Redo for a 100-Year-Old Row House

By Annie Thornton

A downtown Knoxville basement goes from low-ceilinged cave to welcoming guest retreat

Sponsored

More Discussions

Help with doors????

80

75% of renovations are done, and I don’t like the white rail.

49

Kitchen Island Design Help

19

Gardening in south Florida

1

Help with modifying sink cabinet.

6