Turn Unused Space Into Living Space

Fred Anderson Need more living space? Don’t add on – add under If you need more living space, and you have an unfinished basement, garage, carport or porch, here are some pointers for converting it into that space you need. First, check with your building inspector to make sure the project you have in mind complies with building codes. Then, when you begin your project, a rental store can help you in a number of ways. You may want to add a bathroom, and that may mean running a sewer line beneath your concrete floor or pad. To break through the concrete, rent an electric breaker hammer – it runs on household current. Rental centers also carry a full complement of plumbing and concrete finishing tools, so you can place that sewer line just where you want it and restore your floor or pad. If you're converting a basement and the building inspector tells you to add or enlarge window space for emergency exits and better ventilation, rent a concrete saw so you can cut out those spaces with precision. Safety note: For some jobs, gasoline-engine-powered equipment will produce the best results. But using a gasoline engine indoors puts you in danger of carbon monoxide poisoning. To prevent this, in the work area, open windows and use high-volume fans (available at rental centers) to vent exhaust gases directly outside. Another safety note: Some basements collect radon gas, a natural soil element that causes cancer. Test for it. If you find a high level, follow the advice from your building inspector or nearby EPA office to seal cracks that may be letting it in. You’ll want to seal cracks anyway, to prevent water seepage – and the mildew, mold, rot and stains that come with it. Exterior caulk may be enough to seal small cracks. For larger cracks, use hydraulic cement. After patching, seal the whole wall just to be sure. Also check outside the house to make sure your downspouts carry rainwater away from the foundation. If they don’t, extend them to at least six feet – and down-slope – from the foundation. With these steps taken, it’s time to begin framing up the walls of your new space. If you're converting an unfinished garage, you're ahead of the game - your studs are already there. In all other spaces, you'll need to frame up your new walls. Securely attach the top plate at the top and sole plate at the bottom of the walls you're about to construct. Space vertical 2-by-4s 16 inches on center, allowing space for insulation bats and heating ducts, if they’re in your plans. In a basement conversion, you can easily secure the verticals into the foundation walls and the sole plate into the concrete floor with a powder-actuated tool you can rent. You can use the same equipment to secure the sole plate to a concrete pad when converting a carport. Safety note: Hold the powder-actuated tool tightly on the board when you “shoot” the fastener through the wood into the concrete. With your new walls framed up, next install wiring and heating ducts, and finish the walls and ceiling. If your new space needs insulation, install that too before enclosing the walls. The kind of heat you bring into your new space depends a lot on how you heat the rest of the house. If yours is a hot water system, you can extend it into the new space – but it’s complicated and may be best left to professionals. Electric baseboard or wall heaters can do the job at lower cost. With a forced-air system, you can install heat registers in walls in the new space. In a basement, ceiling registers will also work. Warm air moves horizontally through round galvanized ducts, then vertically to registers through rectangular ducts placed between wall studs. Besides the ducts, you’ll need special sheet metal fittings to ensure all connections in the warm air system are tight. In contrast, the cold air return to the furnace may be space between studs that’s lined with galvanized sheet metal. If you want to do the work yourself, you can rent sheet metal working tools. When wiring your new living space, plan the placement of ceiling fixtures to complement the uses of the rooms, and allow for adequate wall receptacles. Draw a plan showing all fixtures, receptacles and switches – and all appliances, heaters or air conditioners that might need their own circuits. Then get your plan approved by the building inspector. Do the wiring – and install phone lines and television cables while you’re at it. Hire a master electrician to put in the new circuit breakers and connect your new space to the main service. With all the “hidden” work done, it’s time to cover your walls and ceiling. To help you hang the drywall, you can rent a drywall jack and a screw gun. Rental centers also carry drywall finishing tools, texture machines and paint sprayers to finish your new space. Tip: To gain quick access to utilities, before hanging the drywall, build a small frame around plumbing valves and electrical boxes, and leave a hole in the drywall inside the frame. Cover the hole with a return air grill.