A simple basement bar could be made up with several different cabinets choices for the floor and the wall cabinets. You could use a midrange quality cabinet with a laminate top. You can use an inexpensive sink and faucet to make it a wet bar. Depending on budget you can add a tile floor or backsplash.  If that’s not in the budget just paint the drywall behind the bar and carpet up to the cabinets. You can always add the tile work later down the road. The average cost of a simple basement bar would be around $2,500-$4,500 depending on your selections and feature

Basement bar with undercabinet lights, a mini frige and wine fridge but no sink

Bar with mini fridge, wine fridge, and sink

An custom bar would usually consist of higher end cabinets, granite countertops and be slightly larger or have an actual wrap around bar for seating. The cabinet choices for this type of bar would vary greatly. You could also dress up the cabinets with different types of decorative moldings. This would be the type of bar for entertaining guests at a party. You would basically have all the features of your kitchen. This bar would not only have a sink and faucet but it would have a disposal, dishwasher, refrigerator, wine fridge, microwave and more. You would complete the bar with floor tile and an interesting tile backsplash accent complete with under cabinet lighting to highlight the features in your design. You could have different levels to the bar or add pendant lighting above. You could build in flat screen TV’s or fish tanks in the wall. There is many different ways you can make your bar stand out above the rest. the average cost of a custom basement bar will start around $5,000 and go up from there. For more information on basement remodeling visit BasementSource.com

Basement bar with full fridge, microwave, wine rack, undercabinet lights, tile backsplash, and more

Keep the dust down

Make sure that you or your basement contractor take these steps before starting the remodeling work.

Move all personal belongings out of the basement. If there is no room and they have to stay in the basement move them into an area that is not being finished and cover them well with plastic. It’s also good to hang plastic over the crawl space openings and Install a wall of plastic around the mechanicals area (furnace, hot water tank, etc.). Make sure when you do this that you leave enough room for the furnace and other gas appliances to breath. Stay at least 4 ft away from all of the mechanicals. You can also buy a system called a    ZipWall   that makes it easy to block off areas from dust.

Make sure the door at the top of the stairs is always kept closed when not in use. Open a basement window and place a fan in the window blowing out. This will create a vacuum in the room and blow a majority of the dust outside. Then when the door on the upstairs is opened the dust in the air will be drawn down and out the fan in the basement window instead of upstairs.

When installing the return air lines in the basement make sure you stuff a towel into the opening or tape them off with duct tape. Otherwise your sending all that dust and debris straight into the furnace and throughout your home. Make sure to remove the towel or tape when the basement remodeling is complete then you can install the return air grills

Change your furnace filter several times throughout the project. It is best to change the filter once after the drywall is done, after the painting and after carpet and your final cleaning. This will help cut down on dust in the upstairs and save your furnace. When all that dust gets into the furnace it gets into the blower motor and burns it up.

And finally when your basement is done hire a professional duct cleaning company. They will come and vacuum out the all the construction dust in the air supply and return lines in your furnace. Otherwise you might be seeing dust in your house for the next several months after the project is completed.

For more information on basement remodeling explore  BasementSource.com

The cabinetry and styles utilized for constructing basement bars often have more personality than cabinetry utilized in other rooms of the home.  The homeowner feels free to create a more dramatic space in which their personal style can be expressed without the resale fears present when designing a kitchen or other predominant space in the home.  The cabinetry style typically falls into one of the following three categories: traditional, contemporary, or transitional family friendly.

            Traditional cabinet styles and finishes are often used to create a pub style bar.  Typically a designer would suggest a door style with lots of detail and applied moldings in a darker wood species and stain for this style.  One way a homeowner can add their personal touch to this style is by ordering the cabinets with distressing or in a rustic wood species.  These options give the cabinetry an older more authentic appearance with use of sand through, worm holes, and dents.  Decorative wood overlays are another way the homeowner can add their personality to the bar.  The overlays make cabinetry appear handcrafted; their intricacy makes the cabinets appear that they are custom built by an artisan.  Homeowners should also consider the type of storage they will need in their basement bar.  Typically in a traditional bar you will find stemware holders displaying wine glasses and lighted cabinets with glass doors displaying liquor bottles. 

            A basement bar found in a contemporary home is typically thought of as very simple; design flair and personality are not added necessarily by the intricacy of the cabinets, like in the traditional bar.  These qualities are added by the accessories and cabinet finishes.  Vertical lift door cabinets are being offered by most mid-level and up cabinet companies.  This type of cabinet hinging is considered a more contemporary alternative to the typical hinging.  Integrated appliances fitted with matching cabinet panels, creates a seamless and simplistic design—the bar may house a clear ice maker and the appliance would appear to be just another cabinet.  Putting a dramatic finish on a contemporary door style will also create style and personality—cabinet manufacturers are offering bolder and a larger selection of paints and finishes.  Although, a homeowner may fall in love with Washington Red Cherry paint, she may feel apprehensive about using it in her kitchen, but in a basement bar she can use the color that she loves.

            A family friendly basement bar is possible with some of the options that cabinet manufacturers have.  Typically family friendly cabinetry serves a dual purpose: storage for adult items as well as children’s items.  The cabinets will often have roll trays and other interior accessories for games and children’s snack items.  The adult cabinet storage available consists of locked liquor cabinets, as well as a safe out of reach cabinets for glass stemware.  The most popular cabinet styles in family basement bars are simple in style so they are low maintenance and require little cleaning.

There is a great kitchen design book that can help you to design your space. Its Design Ideas for Kitchens (2nd edition) This book talks about layouts, cabinet types & styles, energy efficient appliances, hot new countertop ideas, and more. There is plenty of useful information that you can apply to the design of your new wetbar.

For more information or purchasing cabinets visit www.thecabshop.com

For more basement remodeling tips visit BasementSource

There are unlimited uses for a basement.  With the proper planning and design you can create a basement that is more fantastic than you ever dreamed.  Of course there are the costs of a basement remodel which can sometimes deter people from finishing their basement.  This is where many people decide on the do it yourself (DIY) method to save some money.  As long as you have a clear set budget of what you can afford then you have a good starting place for hiring a professional contractor.  Most basement contractors will give free estimates and will usually offer advice on what will work for your space.  This is always a good place to start gathering information and details on how the space will be put together and give you good ideas on what you may want to include in your basement. The best place to start is with the book Basement Ideas. It will help you with all aspects of your basement remodeling project.

The first question to ask yourself is who the space is for.  Is it for a kid’s playroom? An entertainment area for the parents? An in-law suite? or add a basement bathroom  Figure out who the space is for and from there you can start to figure out the layout and how the rooms will flow together. Most basements are cut up and have mechanical’s and  things you will have to move or design around.  Your basement contractor can help with this or you can always hire a basement design expert if you really need help.

Below is a list of basement ideas that you check and see which of them you would like to have when you finish your basement.

Home Office, Closets & storage, Sauna, Bedroom, Children’s play area  ,Bathroom, Exercise room, Home Theater  , Hobby area, Workshop, Laundry room, Wine storage, Wet Bar, Pool room, In-Law suite

This is just a fraction of the many ideas for your basement plans.