Basements, Attics and Crawl Spaces - Dig or don't dig?
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MyBellaHome
10-10-09, 07:10 PM
I'm looking to refinish/remodel basement. It has a spare room with bathroom already, but mainly used for washer/dryer for owner/tenants use as well as boiler and meters. The pipes are overhead and they lie below ceiling. I would like to hide pipes above and columns that are about the basement. Do I need to dig? Is this doable? Is it expensive? I'm new to this but am willing to listen and try...please someone advise?:wall:
chandler
10-10-09, 07:38 PM
Why would you have to dig to hide pipes overhead?
Mr. Fix It
10-12-09, 12:57 PM
My advice is to build a addition onto your home and not try to make a livable space out of a basement.
The reason for wanting a open ceiling is to be able to get to those pipes and wires if you have a problem and not have to take the ceiling down every time you have a problem.
Also some building codes say that it is illegal to have hidden junctions inside of a ceiling for your electrical.
In my area of the country, we have a problem with something called Radon Gas. As long as the basement is not finished and is not air tight, you will not know that you have a problem.
Once you seal everything and there is no where for the gas to escape, then the problem begins. Radon can cause cancer.
I'm not sure, but maybe the reason why she wants to dig deeper is because the ceiling is not high enough to walk without being hunched over in some places in her basement.
I would think that the columns would need to be there to hold up structure. I don't think that the builder just thought that this looks like a good place to put up a support prop and put the columns there for a reason.
When doing anything, you always replace structure with structure. You do not remove support and then let it become a freestanding structure.
The reason for wanting a open ceiling is to be able to get to those pipes and wires if you have a problem and not have to take the ceiling down every time you have a problem.
Also some building codes say that it is illegal to have hidden junctions inside of a ceiling for your electrical.
In my area of the country, we have a problem with something called Radon Gas. As long as the basement is not finished and is not air tight, you will not know that you have a problem.
Once you seal everything and there is no where for the gas to escape, then the problem begins. Radon can cause cancer.
I'm not sure, but maybe the reason why she wants to dig deeper is because the ceiling is not high enough to walk without being hunched over in some places in her basement.
I would think that the columns would need to be there to hold up structure. I don't think that the builder just thought that this looks like a good place to put up a support prop and put the columns there for a reason.
When doing anything, you always replace structure with structure. You do not remove support and then let it become a freestanding structure.