A wonderful home improvement project is to expand a room in your home. The basement is one of the rooms that gets upgraded the most. You’re likely considering whether lowering the floors or increasing the ceiling will add space.
A basement can have its floor raised, or its ceiling lowered. There are several techniques to increase the basement’s height. You can alter the structure of your basement or decorate your room to provide the appearance of taller ceilings.
Always hire a professional to raise your basement, so the excavation doesn’t harm the rest of your house. The following are typical ways to raise the height of your basement:
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Consider Local Building Codes Before Raising Basement Ceiling
Countries, states, and municipal councils all have different local codes for finishing basements. Knowing your local construction code from the beginning is crucial. There are restrictions on the use of exceptions for exposed structural beams or parts of the mechanical ceiling system in localized basement finishing codes.
Homeowners who desire a few additional inches have options or unfinished basements that don’t match the requirements for the current ceiling heights.
Ways To Raise Basement Ceiling
Your existing basement can gain height in several different ways. You have two options, including raising the basement floor or basement ceiling, depending on the circumstances and structural stability of the building. There are other methods for increasing your overall height.
Raise Beams In Your Basement
When they run directly through the middle of your space, exposed beams might ruin an open concept basement or provide a cool architectural feature. You might be able to lift the beam rather than using walls to partition the space.
If your joists support the wood beam, you might be able to lift it by bracing all of the floor joists up against it with joist hangers. It would also be necessary to provide sufficient support for the beam’s ends.
You elevate the entire beam at this point, however. With joist hangers, raise the floor with all the joists pressed against the beam. Naturally, support would also be required for the ends of the beam. This will be effective if the joists are already atop the wood beam.
Remodel Your Basement By Removing Ceiling Joints
You might need more ceiling height if you’re remodeling your basement in an older house. Drop ceilings or dropped ceiling joints are common in older, flat-roofed homes. The main purpose of dropped ceiling joints is to support the drywall.
They do not support the structure of the house. So, you can gain a good number of inches of space by taking down the drop ceiling and installing strapping in its place. Ventilation is a crucial factor in this strategy.
The original cold zone behind the insulation is eliminated when a drop ceiling is removed. The problem can be solved by spray foam insulation, increasing airflow, minimizing moisture build-up, and allowing you to have the highest ceiling height possible.
Benching The Lower Basement
Beginning on a bench is where the adventure begins. Lowering the basement may be the only choice, but doing so might be expensive. It could have significant structural repercussions if done. A bench foundation or underpinning are two options to improve your basement.
An excavation slope is made stable by building a concrete bench there. It is utilized to lower the basement floor without reducing the foundation footings. Therefore, there is no action taken to alter the existing footings.
After the foundation footing, maintain an excavation slope.
Underpinning
A basement’s depth is increased by the process of underpinning, which calls for floor excavation. The soil, gravel, and concrete footings were there before removal. The spaces are filled with fresh gravel and concrete, creating new foundations.
In most cases, underpinning is finished in 4-foot portions. To retain the basement’s strength and stability, this method strengthens the basement’s current foundations. If underpinning is improperly excavated, your home could collapse, which would be dangerous.
Only skilled and trained personnel should finish it.
Add New Underneath Basement
Even though adding a new underneath basement is not a common solution, it can be executed for a hefty cost. To create a new underground basement, the procedure calls for contractors to raise the house off its foundations physically.
Typically, only wood-framed house buildings can use it as a feasible option. All systems would need to be unplugged during the lifting operation and then reconnected after the basement has been constructed.
It takes the longest and costs the most money out of all the options, as you might expect.
Is It Beneficial To Raise The Basement Ceiling?
Consider your demands and the use of the room before taking on the enormous task of raising your basement ceiling. Adding extra height is not worthwhile if you intend to use the basement as a playroom or games room.
Having larger basements increases the value of your home in the eyes of the real estate market. Additionally, it might increase access to daylight.
You can use various tactics and design advice to get only a few more inches of room, which will save you money and time. Your contractors are the finest persons to consult about raising the ceiling height.
Final Thoughts
The topic of the basement ceiling is discussed briefly in this post. We constantly advise property owners to conduct as much study and education as possible regarding completing and renovating their basements.
A finished basement increases the value of a home with high ceilings. The expenses and benefits should be considered before deciding whether it is appropriate for you and your situation. Your basement’s height extension may take a while to complete. However, it can result in a rise in your house’s overall value.
