Designing the basement area

Nowadays a large number of houses have basements and they are planned as as an area where the members of the family unwind and entertain friends. The uses are many but what is the most important thing is that basements are nowadays a bright and lively place and not a dark,damp and dingy part of a house. Also it is essential for you to identify the exact useage of the basement and then get down to the execution stage.

First and foremost at the construction stage ensure that the basement is waterproofed properly,as seepages are the most common problem in basements.

Secondly all basements must have proper air circulation. Even though there would be an air conditioning system in the basement there must be a source of fresh air in the form of high windows or ventilators which are easily openable.

The next important factor is lighting. Ideally there must be a source of natural light in a basement in the form of high windows or ventilators. In addition to natural light there will be artificial lighting. These may be ceiling mounted or wall mounted or free standing pedestal lights,incandescent or fluorescent lights. As per the planned usage of the basement decide upon all the lights points in advance so that the wiring can planned in accordance.

Now let us talk about the flooring and the recommended flooring is definitely hard flooring. Incase you are planning upon having a home theatre system in the basement you may even consider a wooden flooring keeping in mind acoustics. Loose carpets and durries would help in sound absorption as well. Wall to wall carpeting is definitely not recommended for basements. Even having a multi layered ceiling might be useful in case of a home theatre in a basement as it would take care of wiring required for the projector installation etc.

Lastly come the toilets which can ideally be planned a few steps above the floor level of the basement to ease the process of the waste disposal. In most cases pumps are installed to pump up the waste from the basement toilets to the level of the manhole above. Also if possible the level of the toilet should be such that it should be possible to have an exhaust fan and a window in the toilet to prevent a reverse flow of foul smelling air and a flow of fresh air.

These are the general points to be kept in mind while planning the basement in the house and I hope you enjoy good times in the party area that you are planning in the basement.

We have an old style office,which has not been renovated since it was originally done. First and foremost we are planning to redo is its ceiling. We have no concealed wiring or lights in the ceiling,infact the ceiling is a maze of criss cross of wires,beams and other service lines. How do we give the ceiling a neat appearance?

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The first thing you need to know is that you need to conceal the maze of criss cross of wires,beams and other service lines by bringing in a false-ceiling. The secondary ceiling which is created below the primary ceiling,that is,the main roof,is called false ceiling. A false ceiling has many advantages and is used to conceal varied service lines structural features,open pipes and wiring,and air-conditioning ducts. Also it gives more options to use special lighting systems such as cove lighting,wall washers,floating effects and so on. The false ceiling can also be used to give thermal insulation for a given space as well. False ceilings are of various types.

Wall-to-Wall false ceiling type is the commonly used one. This is a straightforward ceiling with plane,curved,domed or angular shaped forms connecting all the four walls. Materials mostly used in this category are POP,gypsum board,thermocol,extruded aluminium,plywood,wooden panelling and ceiling tiles etc.

Modular ceiling comes in fixed sizes of panels thus accommodating the lighting system with the same,multiple or fractions of the modules. Acoustic tile is the best example in this category. Even extruded aluminium strips can be brought under modular system. The advantage in the modular system is the flexibility it offers in terms of change in the lighting system. This also offers flexibility to service ducts and pipes that run below the primary ceiling without damaging the false ceiling.

Detached ceiling is a part ceiling with or without covering the primary ceiling. This type is mainly used to play with the levels of the false ceiling,to provide cove lighting,wall washers and floating effects on the ceiling. Most of the false ceiling materials are suitable for this type of system. This system is creatively used,especially at the exhibition galleries and showrooms using very unusual materials like fabrics and other similar kind of materials. I am giving this information since I am not aware of the kind of work you are dealing with.

False ceilings are relatively easier to maintain in the long run if the right materials are used. Avoid using the textured or porous materials especially at the non-air conditioned space. This will accumulate dust in the longer run,thus creating difficulty in maintenance. As far as possible,one should select the ceiling materials in such a way that it can be painted at a later stage. Another important point to be considered is that the space between false ceiling and the primary ceiling shall be completely sealed off so that it becomes easier for maintenance. Lastly I would advise you to engage an architect and other relevant professionals to execute the job. This way the execution of the false ceiling can be executed in accordance with the overall layout of the office keeping in mind requirements of lighting,fans and air-conditioning. l

The author is an architect

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