and odorfree. (NAPSA)—Whether you’re looking to add a homeoffice, extra bathroom, more storage space or a second living room to your house, you might start by looking down. Refinishing your basement can be a simple and relatively inexpensive solution to get more out of yourliving space. Plus, you can do many basement renovation pro- jects yourself. Try thesetips: Plan Ahead Before you tackle any work, think about how you'll be using your finished basement. If you’re going to have an entertainment center—complete with a flatscreen TV, DVD player, video games and music—be sure you have enough outlets to run your devices. Plan for plenty of overhead space if you are including a game room with a pooltable, dartboard and minirefrigerator. If your basement will include a homeoffice, you may need a wireless-Internet signal booster to maintain quick surfing speed. Energy Smart Basement windowsare notorious for letting in plenty of outside air. One solution for cutting energy bills is sealing cracks and gaps with a silicone-based caulk. If splurging on replacement win- dowsisn’t in the budget, consider heavy window coverings to help stop airflow. Additionally, put timers on basement lamps to be certain they’re turned off when the room is not in use. Stay Warm and Dry Water is the No. 1 enemyoffinished basements, so make sure to use a waterproofing product such as Platon, available through CertainTeed Corporation, to guard against the moisture that can seep through a home’s concrete slab. The durable, easy-to-install dimpled membrane forms an impermeable moisture barrier and air gap, allowing the concrete to breathe while keeping the floor dry. A value-added bonus: Platon keeps the finished floor isolated from the cold, damp concrete, so it becomes room temperature, not slab temperature. This helps keep floors warmer in winter and odorand condensation-free in summer. Up To Code Remember that basements are subject to the same building codes as the rest of a house. Depending on the size of the project, you might even need a building permit to begin work. Be certain to check with buildingofficials before you begin renovations and, if required, bring in an expert to help with certain parts of your project. For more information, visit www.certain teed.com.
