basement options? walk out, look out?
gingerjenny
12 years ago
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flgargoyle
12 years agopps7
12 years agoRelated Discussions
Walk-out basement exterior?
Comments (2)Our house is bricked to grade... so our walkout's French doors are surrounded by brick....See MoreWhat should I use for flooring in walk out basement?
Comments (5)There is a new vinyl out now that looks like wood. I think it's sold in strips. Someone over in the Home Decorating forum said they bought it at a big box store (HD or L's) and it looks very nice! Very nice indeed! A great compromise for this kind of application. We put vinyl tiles down in our walkout basement when our kids were younger than yours, and it's still holding up just fine. (One is about to graduate from college now) Believe me, it has taken years of use and abuse. We put a large (inexpensive) area rug down in the family room/TV area to give it a warmer feel and when the kids wanted to play board games on the floor... but the rest is just the open tile. Easy to keep clean too. We did use wall-to-wall carpeting in the guest room down there and it's been replaced once and is about to be replaced again. It does have a "warmer" feel but it doesn't hold up in the long haul as well as the vinyl. My 2 cents - good luck!...See MoreGeneral walk-out basement sloped lot plans
Comments (14)And please post when you do get the plans so we can see. We're all house junkies on this forum. (For example, one of my favorite things to do is go on Sunday's to look at open houses and I bet I'm not the only one!) I can't speak for how to interview or questions to ask, but can suggest some things once you've narrowed it down to the "one". Start putting together pictures of homes you like, rooms you like, etc. The more research you do like that, and you'll start to see patterns in what you like. Put a list together of MUST HAVES for your home. Put together a second list of wish to haves and a third list of I'm dreaming but wouldn't it be nice because you never know when a good architect or designer can add in your dream wishes too. If you must have certain rooms near one another, spell that out roughly. As I said, I wanted the view from my great room/master/dining room/DH's study to be my pool and back yard and I wanted my rooms to create a backyard courtyard feel. I also wanted my laundry near my bedroom but didn't need a laundry room. Have your budget in mind. Know your priorities. It's obvious that you're not looking for a large house. Do you want to be able to have more details like crown moldings, wainscoting, etc? One thing though is DO put that garage in now. The cost really is minimal. :) Best of luck. Keep an open mind and don't rush the process. I started in March and thought I'd have it worked out by the summer. HAH! Getting it right on paper is a lot cheaper than having to make changes once you start building....See MoreDrop Ceiling in a 1907 walk out basement
Comments (2)There is nothing risky about it. For any repairs or changes, you'll have to open the ceiling and then repair the opening. If you are willing to put up with that and don't intend on staying in the house for a long time, go with drywall. I say 'long time' because a shorter stay will mean less likelihood of repairs or changes. Decades ago, I finished my basement and wanted a drop ceiling because I specifically wanted access. Dry wall would have been cheaper (at that time). I went with plain white even though the "in" thing was a black or dark brown grid. Over the years, there have been repairs and changes/additions - like running another phone line or running a new cable line for a TV location. I've been very glad that I have access and was able to do those repairs/changes quickly without the added task of patching drywall and repainting. There is another option - just leave it open and pretend you are going for a 'loft' look. A sub-option is to install all your lighting and other pipes, wiring, etc. and then spraying the entire ceiling black (after masking the lights and other items, of course). This was also a popular option when I did my basement but I didn't consider it for a moment. Basements are dark as it is and I can't imagine a basement with a black ceiling. However some people like this approach....See Morelavender_lass
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