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Cracked basement floors are inevitable, so what exactly do you do about them?
Large basement concrete slabs naturally expand and contract. This type of movement will inevitably cause cracked basement floors. If it was built and poured properly, the builder should have used control joints within the slab to help actively determine where and which way these cracks are going to occur. If it wasn’t, then there’s no telling where or even how they may spread.
Actively planning for cracks on a basement floor requires the use of control joints. Unfortunately if your slab is already poured and hard this is going to be pretty difficult to do if not impossible. But if it’s part of a new construction, having control joints in your basement slab will allow for cracks to form uniformly and expectedly due to movements caused in the drying and shrinking process as well as for contraction and expansion over time and temperature changes. These control joints are hidden and have to be made before the concrete cures. What happens is that the crew finishing your slab will actually slice through the entire thickness of the slab in a grid-like fashion. After it’s all sliced, they’ll re-trowel it to make it all smooth again giving the appearance of a completely solid piece. When it all cures and the slab eventually moves it will crack along those grid lines. In other words, when the concrete does crack as we all know it eventually will, you’ll know where it will crack and that it will also crack in a straight line instead of randomly all over the slab.
How big does the crack have to be to worry about?
Again, there’s some general guidelines amongst basement contractors that they tend to follow. If you have a crack on your basement floor that either separates or gives a vertical displacement of more than 3/16ths of an inch, then you’re likely to have a problem that needs some attention.
What do you do about cracked basement floors?
There are literally a number of things that you can do to remedy the cracks in concrete floors, but they are really dependent on what type of crack and what kind of flooring application you plan on installing over it. In all actuality though, probably the most prolific one is to do nothing at all. Take for example that you are just going to be laying a simple pad and carpet over the floor. The separations will be completely unnoticed and the differences will simply just disappear. But if you are going to install a much thinner type floor covering, something like vinyl tiles or linoleum, those same cracks and lifts in the floor could could cause some unwanted dips and spikes in the flooring itself. If you want to fix it you’re going to need to go rent a grinder from a local tool depot, as I’m sure you probably don’t just have one laying around and besides, it’s not like you need to buy one as you’re not going to need it again after this job, and just grind down all those irregularities that are shooting out of your concrete slab. You can then take a floor leveling compound and work the floor back into a level state of being.
Now if your cracks are a bit more serious or you’ve got a fairly large spot that sticks out quite a bit higher than the rest of the floor, these will entail quite a bit more work and it’s often quite hard to pinpoint it down to a certain cause. The good thing about this is, you’re not likely to have this type of situation as they are not that common. If you do happen to live in an area that has a fairly large substrate of clay underneath, like the Midwest, you may be a little more proned to some problems with your floor. The clay alone can play a major role in breaking up a concrete floor quite easily as it sucks up all that moisture and expands. To fix something like this can be difficult. There’s really only one or two things you can do. Get rid of the clay, or, you need to find a way to divert that water so it doesn’t get sucked up through the clay around your home. Either one can be a very painstaking task and you’d want to make sure that that is what’s causing the problem so I’d recommend checking with a professional not only to see that this is the cause, but what it would cost to get it corrected. Might turn out to be the best money you’d ever spent on your basement before you ever did anything in your basement.
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If you have a basement, you likely have walls made of concrete. There are two hard and fast rules that you can count on from concrete. One is as it cures it gets hard. The other is as it ages, it cracks. There’s rarely any exceptions to these two rules. And you can bet a dollar to a donut that if your basement wall is made of concrete and it has a little bit of age on it’s side, you will find some cracks somewhere along that wall. There are two main issues that you’ll have to deal with and look at when inspecting a basement wall for issues prior to remodeling that we’ll talk about now.
Types of Basement Walls
Really there’s only one type of basement wall that you’d want to have and that’s made of concrete. Now these concrete wall can be built one of two different ways though. One way has them being made of concrete blocks mortared all together to form a solid wall. The other is a wall that’s actually poured concrete like you would pour for a foundation to form a solid concrete wall. It doesn’t matter if you have a block or poured basement wall as they can both suffer from the problems listed below just the same. They can both crack and they can both bow.
If you are fortunate enough to live in a very old house it’s quite possible that you have stone basement walls. If you do, you won’t experience some of the problems associated with them listed below.
Cracked Basement Walls
There’s quite a bit of difference in the way these two walls will crack. A concrete block wall will tend to crack along the mortar joints and follow that path. In a poured concrete wall they can be just about anywhere. If the cracks have stopped moving they are typically of little concern. What you will find sometimes is there is quite a dispute between newer home owners and builders when these cracks are discovered. The problem with this is you’ll typically have a hard time with resolution from the builders side simply because of the nature of concrete. You will sometimes find though, that you have a better leg to stand on if you wall is a block type and the crack is more than a quarter-inch wide. These should definitely in my book be considered as a must fix builder item for a newer home under some kind of warranty. The big thing to remember is that it’s ok to have some acceptable cracking in your basement walls, provided you are going to do some minor repair work before remodeling. The main concern with them is that you absolutely must make certain that no water is leaking into your basement through these cracks.
Cracked walls are often an indication of past or possibly current water drainage problems and is something that should definitely be corrected before the basement remodel begins. You can do this but it’s going to take some time like a few months or a season or two to see whether or not the cracks are active or stable. Winter and the corresponding thaw can be absolutely brutal to a basement wall. If you discover that a crack is still active and spreading you should first turn your attention to the cause of the problem and correct that first. You might find that there’s simply too much water pressure against the wall causing it to crack. Or it could stem from a season cycle where the ground freezes and then thaws that is causing the wall to move and crack. It might even be something as simple as a big tree who’s roots have decided to invade your basement walls space. Whatever it is, fix the problem first. After that’s fixed, clean and caulk the crack. This will help with any seepage and give you a chance to remeasure to see that it’s not active anymore.
Bowed Basement Walls
If you have a bowed basement wall, what you’ll usually find out is that it’s due to the same reasons they crack. There is some outside force creating enough pressure or more likely water pressure to push them inwards. There is kind of a general rule that most contractors go by and that is if the wall isn’t bowed in more than an inch and is no longer moving inward than it’s not a problem. It can be quite expensive to straighten one out but it’s really not that necessary if it’s less than an inch and not moving anymore. Being not bowed very much makes them pretty easy to hide when you do your remodel behind a framed wall. But if it does happen to still be moving you’ve got to check it out to get it fixed. Again, if you’re not comfortable getting dirty and getting to the source of the problem unmistakably, you might see some professional help just to be sure.
Now, if your basement wall is actually bowed in more than an inch, you’re more than likely going to need to have it straightened back out. After they reach that point, there’s definitely a better probability that the walls will eventually cave in. Not a pretty sight and something that will end up costing you a lot more money than just getting them fixed. It just doesn’t make much sense when you are investing your time and hard earned money into a basement remodeling project to improve the value of your home and building it all in front of a questionable wall that you really have no idea when it might give way.
There are times where you end up with a bowed basement wall for no good reason at all. There’s nothing that’s really causing it. The water pressure on the wall from the outside is fine. There’s no tree’s digging in it’s roots. The ground saturation is fine and the slope is streaming water away from the house. In these cases the only real reason for you having this bowed wall is due simply to some poor construction work. The builder may have been a bit sloppy leaving you with this. It happens. Problem is it’s hard to tell that it is actually a cause of poor construction without the help of an individual qualified to spot it.
There’s quite a few different methods that can be employed to correct a bowed wall, it just really depends on the circumstances surrounding the situation. It could call for anything from wall anchors, tiebacks, tuck pointing of mortar joints, to installing some reinforced rebarb to strengthen it. Actually fixing the bow in the wall may be a little more than you might want to take on and it can be a little tricky so it could be in your best interest to employ the work of a good professional for that.
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The greatest nemesis that all basements face is dying an untimely death by water. There really is no point in even attempting to finish your basement if it suffers from water leaks or seepage. If you try and avoid it by employing an “out of sight, out of mind” type of attitude, you’re simply delaying the damage by just covering up the problem. It’s still there, I promise you. You will ultimately find remorse in rotting floors and drywall, mold and mildew, and if you’re lucky that’ll be all it takes. For now, you should really take this opportunity, since you haven’t started that basement remodeling project just yet, to fix that water infiltration problems before you’ve gone and put up all the insulation and drywall and other stuff and get that dry basement that you need before the project starts.
When you start to try and track down the source for your water woes, there’s a multitude of things that you’ll need to look at. But here’s the two that are really the main culprits to most all basement water problems that you’ll find almost 90% of the time. The first one stems from Mother Nature and all her refreshing and renewing rain that falls building up all the surface water and the second is simply poor drainage to disperse all that water that’s falling down. The simple solution to this problem is to just ensure that all the water drains away from the houses foundation. Typically, this is one solution that most anybody can do themselves, but in heavier problem areas where the ground actually slopes into the foundation, you might need to employ the services of a good landscaping crew to redo the slope using those big machines that’ll grade the land into a proper slope away from your foundation in no time.
But what if you are successful in ruling out surface water problems and drainage issues but you still have those problem areas that leak in your basement, you may have a ground water problem. Ground water is not actually water that is on the ground, it’s actually water that is below the ground. If you want to sound all scientific than you could call it subterranean, but essentialy means the same thing if you hear someone calling it this. Basically it’s nothing more than water that’s moving in the ground from high water pressure areas to low water pressure areas. If it’s determined that your basement leaks because of ground water you’ll have to find a way of diverting and redirecting that water through utilizing a sump pumps and pits and installing a basement drain tile, two essential ingredients for quality dry basement systems. If you have a newer home this actually may already be done as buiders started putting these types of systems in with new home construction sometimes upon owner requests simply because it’s easier to install this type of system when the home is being built and not after it’s already finished.
Here’s some good news for you though, even if your house doesn’t currently have these as part of it’s drainage plan, you can still install them in your home whether it’s new or old. Here’s some key points to remember for this whole dry system to work. The basement drain tile can be installed either outside the basement wall or inside the basement itself. This “tile” is nowadays more along the lines of a perforated pipe rather than an actual clay tile. The sump pump and pit, however, are typically installed inside. For this inside installation to work, you’re going to need to cut out the flooring around the entire perimeter of the basement. This perimeter cut will need to be anywhere from 1 to 1.5 feet from the existing basement wall. Then you’ll need to do some excavation work removing just enough dirt and debris to put in some gravel, the drain tile and ultimately the sump pit itself. Once done you’ll have to pour a new floor over everything that you just tore up. It’s pretty genius actually as the water that was seeping around and through the old foundation will now flow directly to the gravel and drain tile, the new lowest points you’ve just put in with the least amount of water pressure. These will now move that same water along to the sump pit where it will essentially get flushed away via the pump making your basement a much safer, drier place.
As you can probably tell from the explanation just above, this task can become quite back-breaking and laborious fairly quickly. Not only that, depending on the situation it could require some specialized tools and skill set to really knock it out right to get that dry basement. Because of this, it’s not something that’s really recommended to take on as a DIY type project. You’d be much better suited hiring something like this out to a qualified basement professional. If you can’t find any problems causing your current basement water woes from the surface or drainage issues and suspect that you might have a ground water problem instead, seek some help by consulting a specialist or engineer that could tell you for certain before you just decide that’s what it is.
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There are a number of benefits that a homeowner can reap when remodeling a basement. Probably the biggest benefit though deals directly with space, not only do you add additional storage space, but, dependent on how the space is finished, you could add some much needed living space as well. However, before you jump in head first, there’s some things you really need to take in consideration before you begin remodeling a basement.
One of the most important things that you really need to do before taking on this project is to simply really take the time to get thoroughly familiar with your basement. I know it sounds corny but it’ll save you loads in the long run. Now I’m not talking about the same type of familiarity you may have with your wife like knowing every nook and cranny of her, although that wouldn’t hurt, but really just getting in touch with the total surroundings in your basement. How it is in it’s current state. The layout of it all. Does it have any load bearing features that you’ll need to be careful with. What factors are you going to need to pay special attention too during the renovation like the HVAC system or plumbing. Is the furnace going to get in the way? There’s a ton of factors that you’re going to have to get involved with that you might really not want to, but we’ll get into those a little bit further down.
When you’re looking at this, just keep in mind that there really are only two types of basements. The first type is the one where it was built with absolutely no thought whatsoever other than being this place you had underneath your home. This type was never intended to be a livable or even habitable space. If you are lucky, you’ll have a home that was built with the second type in mind, one that was planned to one day possibly be finished and actually a usable room. These are pretty easy to spot. Typically older homes more often than not have the first type where you were never supposed to go down there and newer homes have ones that were built with an eye towards finishing. There’s a fairly adequate time period for it all too, if you’re home was built prior to the 1970’s it’s quite likely that you’ll have the first type of basement, those built afterwards will tend to favor the second type due to not only the technological advancements but also becoming more of a norm.
Along those lines, if you have a newer home you’re probably going to have a much easier go at remodeling the basement. You’ll still have to contend with you’re own peculiarities but in general it should be much easier renovating. In general, what you’ll find is most will already have the plumbing all lined out already to make it easier to put in that bathroom by being able to tie into the existing lines. The basement ceilings will already have all the air ducts and pipes and wires tucked into the beams nice and neat, or they may be confined to a more out of the way place as the builder was looking ahead at someone being able to finish the space out. You’ll also find that the stairs will be built with better headroom so you don’t bump your head coming out of or into the basement and that they’ll also likely be more accessible. Now this may not hold true for all newer homes, but in general, there’s probably more forethought involved.
However, if you’ve been blessed by owning an older home with an older basement, say pre-1970, you probably have nothing more than an extra storage area underneath your home that had no forethought into it ever becoming a place that was supposed to be finished. These were built as places that the owner would have that they could have easy access to as a storage area and furnace holder, as it’s much easier to throw something down in the basement than carry it up a ladder for storage in an attic. Some of these may have some really thin and poorly poured concrete floors, or might not even have a concrete floor at all and just be dirt. The ones that do have a furnace pit will most likely not be functional at all due to all it’s extremeties and likelihood that the pipes and ducts running from the unit will be all over the place. If it ever was upgraded to a forced-air furnace, you might be one of the lucky ones where your furnace is actually smaller and have less lines running all about.
One thing to keep in mind even if an old basement has been upgraded with a new furnace is this, the space still may not be practical and compliant with building codes for a livable area. Sure, the new furnace will free up some much needed space in an old cramped basement, but the space still might not meet the minimum height requirements by code. You may still either have to raise the house or lower the floor. These type of jobs really aren’t for the weekend home improvement specialist that you live with and more along the lines something that a professional should bang out for you as they require the use of some pretty heavy machinery and could ultimately affect, should something go wrong, the liability on your house to your insurance carrier. If you go this route, just make sure the contractor carries adequate liability insurance to cover any damages that you may incur. What you have to look forward to is that once it is done, then you can start your weekend carpentry skills to finish the basement yourself. Fortunately, this isn’t a norm and only has to happen very rarely. But giving yourself adequate headroom will not only make your basement easier to remodel but definitely more comfortable to use as well.
Knowing this now, you could really go over the entire area in an old basement to start inspecting the layout and not just the furnace if you plan on remodeling it. Start with inspecting the overall mechanics of the place. Where do all the pipes, wires and ducts run and also how good of condition they are in. One of the last things that you’ll want to do after remodeling a basement is to tear down the new walls and ceilings to fix or replace some faulty pipes, wires or ductwork. Not only is it a painful process because your tearing down your blood, sweat and tears your poured into it fixing it all up, but it’s a costly one as you’re doubling your expense having to rebuild it once your done.
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- Basic Guide to Basement Remodeling Have you ever wondered how others manage basement remodeling like...
Have you ever wondered how others manage basement remodeling like such professionals? Have you ever stood in your dark and dank basement and wondered how you can do that too? It really is not as hard as it may first appear. With just a little know how and knowing how to proceed, you’ll be remodeling like a pro in no time.
Basement remodeling is a great place to start your do-it-yourself career. Not only can you add a lot of useable space to your home, but its mostly concrete down there so there’s not a whole lot you can do to screw it up beyond repair. By choosing not to hire a contractor to do the work, you will save time and money in the process. But you will need to plan your remodel very carefully to maximize your potential.
First you need to completely empty the entire basement. Anything that is there besides the walls and ceiling needs to go so that you can properly assess the area. If the basement is currently used for storage, go through all those things carefully to decide what you can throw out and what you can keep. Measure the room carefully so that you have the best idea of how much space you have to work with. This is also a good time to look for water damage or mold problems. This is also the time to examine every inch of the space for structural damage. Before you begin your basement remodeling is the time to get these things fixed, it will only be more difficult later.
You should waterproof the basement if you’re planning on using it for a purpose other than storage. The main two ways of doing this are tanking and spraying the area. Tanking means applying a waterproof membrane to the basement to prevent water from getting into the basement. It’s pretty expensive but looks and works great. Spraying involves a chemical compound to prevent water damage, so it is less environmentally friendly than tanking, which involves no chemicals. If you decide to continue your basement remodeling without waterproofing, realize that you are taking a risk that may prove more expensive later. You may end up paying for water damage or mold growth in the future which will be more expensive than waterproofing the room now.
One of the most crucial points in this project is the lighting. Basements are generally dark, which is why they’re not used for much. But there’s no point in going about all this remodeling work just to have a depressing space that no one wants to be in anyway. Think of the purpose you’ll be putting the basement to in order to determine the right lighting. A workspace or office will need bright lighting so everyone can see. But a family room can have more subtle lighting to create a more relaxed space. Basement lighting can be a crucial ingredient in the remodeling project. These steps will help ensure that your project will be a resounding success.
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- Basement Waterproofing Nothing can turn you off the idea of remodeling your...
Nothing can turn you off the idea of remodeling your basement quicker than finding puddles of water everywhere. Or walking down to your finished basement after a storm to find the carpet soaked through. But there is no need for dismay; basement waterproofing is a straightforward procedure that can prevent the problem from ever reoccurring. Or prevent it from ever occurring in the first place.
Basement Waterproofing
You should also check the foundation for cracks and holes. This can also be a problem with letting water into the basement. Even small cracks should be chiseled out to ¾” deep and then patched. The smallest crack can still let in water. You should also check the floor of the basement and repair and cracks there too.
If none of this solves your problem then the key to good basement waterproofing is a quality waterproofing coating. One thing to note is that no coating will prevent water problems if the block walls aren’t sound. So if there seems to be a recurring water problem then it might be wise to make sure there’s no structural damage to the block walls first. But if the walls are just fine, then there’s no reason to not buy a waterproofing coating and get to work. The first thing to do is brush away any look material, dirt, or grease from the area. You should also get a really good quick drying cement to patch any cracks or holes. Providing the smoothest and most secure surface will help the waterproofing coating work best.
Read and follow the manufacturer’s instructions very carefully. Probably the most frequent error is not applying the coating at the spread-rate that the manufacturer suggests. This is a very important step that can’t be overlooked. If the coating is too thin, the entire basement waterproofing project will fail. If you have excessive water getting in, a second layer may be necessary.
Some products try to use the terms waterproofing and water-repelling as the same thing. They’re not the same thing. Water-repelling coatings are for above ground concrete. It will temporarily repel water but isn’t designed to work in sub-ground environments but waterproofing coatings are. Water enters a structure differently when it’s introduced above ground as opposed to below ground. Just like you wouldn’t use a pair of scissors as a steak knife, you shouldn’t be using basement waterproofing material that just isn’t made for that purpose.
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Many homeowners have an unfinished basement that is just sitting around and not providing anything to them or their family. With the current housing market, if you need more space, it makes more sense to finish that basement to add some room to your home. The basement walls are the first place to start.
Be sure that the room is clean and free of as much dust and grime as you can. This will ensure that there will be no problems later, and some remodeling materials can’t adhere to dirty surfaces as well. This is also a good time to take room measurement. Then look at the amount of water or moisture in the basement, this is very important to know. If there is any standing water or mold growth you should call a professional. This will prevent problems later on since they can fix the current problems and figure out how to decrease the likelihood that the water returns.
Next, estimate how much drywall and furring strips you will need for your basement walls. For those who are new at this, furring strips are thin wooden strips that allow you to attach drywall to a concrete surface. For a good estimation assume that you will need one sheet of drywall for every four or five feet of wall, and four furring strips for that same length. Once you have the materials its time to get some work. Screw the furring strips to the concrete space leaving about a half-inch of space between the strip and the floor. This is just in case water seeps in; there won’t be mold growth. Make sure all your furring strips are plumb with a level. Drill holes in the concrete every 16 inches and screw in concrete screws.
Finishing Basement Walls
Now you need to shim the furring strips. This is taking a small wedge of wood and making all of the strips stand an even and uniform distance from the wall. Make sure all your strips are even and plumb with the rest so that your basement walls are even. If you don’t already have insulation and a vapor barrier, now is a good time to run to the home improvement store and get some. Insulating basement walls increases it’s ability to resist heat loss. This is an easy step, just cut the insulation to fit in between the furring strips. The vapor barrier will reduce moisture. Staple the barrier to the furring strips, but don’t go overboard since you still don’t want too many holes.
Cutting and screwing in the drywall is next. Measure the drywall based on how far apart you put the furring strips and cut to that size. Use specially made drywall screws and carefully screw them into place. Be careful, you can break the surface of the drywall. Now just put some drywall compound into the breaks and screw holes to create even surface, sandpaper it and your basement walls are ready for paint.
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Putting the finishing touches on basement ceilings may seem like a difficult task, but it doesn’t have to be. Yes, it’s hard but with some planning and attention to the finer details it will be a relatively seamless process. It’s important for you to consider things like what kind of basement ceilings you want, what materials you’ll need and what the step-by-step procedure is. The worst mistake a homeowner can make is guessing on things only to find out that you’ve done it incorrectly and now need to hire a professional to fix it. This will only increase the cost, time and frustration to get the job done.
Converting your basement may often require some structural work. This is usually not the case if you’re just redoing the basement ceilings but if other work is being done it may be wise to consult a professional to make sure your entire floor doesn’t cave in. Basement ceilings are a topic that offers a lot more than you might expect. Your options are vast, so know what you like and what you don’t like. Some of the choices will be very practical and inexpensive but may not be the most eye catching, or necessarily what you want. Other options will be more expensive but may be the exact look you want from your basement. Only you can decide which is right for you and your budget.
The simplest and least expensive taste in ceilings is probably the suspended basement ceiling. They are easy to install, quick to buy and immediately give the room a more finished feel. Never let other people tell you that the look isn’t right for you, or that a basement doesn’t really need a finished ceiling. If you want it and you like that, that’s what matter; you will be the one spending most of the time in there anyway. Suspended ceilings are also nice if you suddenly decide to redo your plumbing or wiring work later. Basically a suspended ceiling is a bunch of ceiling tiles that are attached to a metal grid and suspended a few inches off the main ceiling. The most important reason that people like these is the lightweight and mobility of the metal frame. It makes it very easy to install and easier to redo if you change your mind later.
Drywall Basement Ceiling And Wall - Unfinished
The most professional appearing ceilings will probably be drywall basement ceilings. This is not the easiest solutions but does give the best finished appearance. Its probably best to not do this one yourself unless you have a lot of do-it-yourself experience and then you can probably work it out fairly well. The nice thing about drywall is the versatility, once its in place you can paint it whenever you like. Another good option is acoustic tile. These basement ceilings are easy to install since all that needs to happen is you staple them to furring strips. They are probably the middle ground between the previous two.
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These days it seems that most every basement remodeling project centers around some sort of theme to give that extra added comfort in ones home. You’ll find everything from creating a home theater room or a game room or just a place to relax. One trend that is really setting in these days is including a basement wet bar in the plans when renovating the basement. Problem is most people don’t even realize what this is but they want it. What we’ll try and do here is explain exactly what a wet bar is, why you might want one for your basement, some definite must have accessories to have the true experience and finally some possible alternatives.
Basement Wet Bar
Like most homeowners these days, you might not even know what exactly constitutes a basement wet bar. First a wet bar is nothing more than a small counter or bartop that you can uitilize for entertainment purposes like mixing drinks. What makes it wet is that it includes a sink with some form of running water. This is what makes it wet. You’d be able to use this sink just like you would the one in your kitchen where you can clean glasses or knick-knacks that have gotten dirty during use. They come in a multitude of styles and designs and some are actually even quite stylish. The typical wet bar has either a stainless or wood countertop, and most of the woods are laminated some way to help aide in cleanup.
People are finding more and more uses for these these days and one of those uses is in the basement. Whether you are trying to create a “bar-type” atmosphere in a smaller basement or if you simply want a corner of a large basement that you could use to kind of entertain and clean-up after on, basement wet bars are becoming quite trendy. Not only that, people are being able to blend them into the basements decor quite naturally with finishing off the wood countertops in very unique designs and patterns. Wet bars are becoming more and more of a DIY type project as most of them are being custom built to accomplish this.
Although some might not consider these must have’s to complete a wet bar look, some of them you could be really lost without. Typically you’ll find that there is adequate storage underneath to not only accomodate a “mini-fridge” to keep those beverages frosty, but also shelving that would allow you to store basics like paper towels, drink mixes, stem-ware and whatever else you might need around a bar. With the onslaught of the “kegerators”, these wet bars are taking on a very different look and feel and some even have taps built right into the countertops on some higher end custom models.
If you do have a smaller type basement or simply don’t want to tie-in a wet bar in the room, you could go with the alternative of acquiring a portable wet bar. With a portable wet bar, you could have the ability to actually move them out of the way when you need the room for another reason. These are mostly store bought and are not very difficult to put together. Plus, if you plan on moving in the near future you could still use it in your current home and simply pack it up and bring it with you when you move.
As you can probably tell, there are many uses for a basement wet bar and you probably have your own idea of why you need one that could be completely different than the ones I’ve already stated. Regardless of whether you actually need one or not is completely up to you, but just keep in mind that if you are building a wet bar yourself, your options are really only limited by your resources and your ability.
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