Elder Care | Mother In Law Suites » Home Improvement

Basement Remodeling Ideas

Tom — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 14:46:01 +0000

Your basement is a part of the house you have neglected for too long. It does not need to be a dark, uninviting room useful only for laundry and storing boxes of things you haven’t looked at in decades. Your basement can become a perfectly good, useful part of the house – even a place for someone else to live comfortably. In this article, we’ll mention some basement remodeling ideas to get you started. Once you start with ideas for remodeling your basement, you will find that it’s almost like you’ve added a new floor to your house!

Here’s a scenario that many of us may face: what if you have a relative, like a mother-in-law or a child, come back to live with you for a time? The basement can be an excellent place to remodel for this purpose, giving your relative space they can feel at home in. The basement naturally feels a little different from the rest of the building – you can use this to your advantage. That “different feeling” will make your guest feel more comfortable with calling a certain portion of the house their own.

You can seize on that “different feeling” for other purposes, too. Once you’ve renovated the basement, you will find that the space’s unique qualities make it very suitable for rooms in the home that aren’t meant to feel quite like the rest of the house. The basement can make an excellent playroom for children, or a good home office space. Since you want to be able to focus on work rather than the demands of home, having this different space can be a real asset. A game room or a den with a bar might also be good options. Since most basements are huge, open spaces in comparison to other rooms, you may even be able to utilize more than one of these concepts without even needing to build new walls.

Basement Remodeling Considerations

There are some things you will need to take into account as you remodel your basement, though – the basement just isn’t like the other rooms in your house. The biggest difference is lighting. Pretty much every room in the upper floors of your home has windows to let in some ambient light, but because the basement is below the grade of your property, it lacks this property. Don’t respond to this just by flooding the place with bright lighting and whitewashing your walls – while that will make things very bright, it will also make it garish and uncomfortable. Instead, consider using warm, bright colors, and using things like can lighting and sconces. The dark quality of the basement can be an advantage in some settings, like a game room or a den.

Other things to consider are elements like pipework or ventilation ducts. Try and keep these along the walls of the basement, so that they don’t crowd the space in the center of the room. You can also cover them up with paneling so that they don’t stand out, or paint them a darker color for a more moody effect. There are plenty of ways to make these pieces work for your renovation.

The main thing to remember is to not be daunted by the task at hand. Your basement has the potential to be as inviting and useful a part of the home as any other room, and has other advantages besides – that “different feel” we mentioned, which makes the basement a perfect place for a mother in-law suite, a playroom, an office, or dozens of other uses. Instead of just a place to store your high school memorabilia, why not give the place a remodel and see what a difference adding a floor to your house makes?

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Tom — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 23:06:36 +0000

Project Type

If you are planning to build an addition, you may want to consider finishing out your existing garage and building a new garage. The cost of building a new garage is far less (in some cases 1/2 as much) than adding additional new living space. For a basement in-law suite you will need a walk out basement and a window that meets your local codes. Concrete foundation walls can be cut to exact opening sizes allowing you to add a door or window if your natural grade permits.

Garage in-law suites will require windows in the bedroom in accordance with your local building codes.

When remodeling a basement, installing a sub floor system such as DRIcore helps to keep the flooring warm and dry as well as adding a healthier living environment for you loved one.

Safety Monitoring

Even when your not in the room with your loved one, you can still check in to make sure their OK and that their receiving proper treatment from others such as healthcare providers.

When planning a construction project don’t forget to consider any other wiring needs you might have in the future, such as Cable TV, Internet connection, etc… The cost of wiring is far less during construction as compared to post construction.

Wheelchair Accessibility

In addition to adding more space and freedom of movement to your in-law suite this option also enables you to have piece of mind, knowing that in the event of injury or other medical complications your loved one will be able to navigate independently or with assistance through his/her living space even in a wheelchair.

In Home Care

Having a lockable passage to your home requires a exterior entrance to the in-law suite and gives you the option of securing your living space when your not present. This gives you piece of mind, knowing that home health care providers have access to your home only at your discretion.

Having a Rehab/Exercise room can save you time and money. Your loved one can be rehabilitated in the comfort of their own living quarters which can save you time that would be spend driving to and from expensive rehab facilities as well as keep your loved one under your watchful care.

Special Health Needs

An In-Law Suite can even be built with hospital like equipment and treatment capabilities, but without the cold and sometimes dangerous environment. This way your loved one can spend their time around friends and family in a comfortable, safe place, and still get the treatment they need from in home care providers.(Of coarse its always recommended to follow the advise of your physician)

If lack of mobility is a main issue your loved one is facing, a lift can be built into the structure of the building and could facilitate helping your loved one out of bed for bathing, changing, etc…

Chairlifts and many other helpful devices can be installed and designed into the project to make your in-law suite conform to your loved ones needs, and provide them with the best possible living space physically and emotionally.

For basement suites or other special situations an elevator is a great option. Over the recent years the cost has come down on in home models and can be more affordable than you might think.

Safety Accessories

Adding something as simple as a handrail or grab bar can literally be a life saver. Placing Ramps and Grab bars in important locations can help your loved one stay independent for as long as possible.

These simple fixtures can help to minimize falls and other accidents before they happen, its true what they say, “an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.”

Floor Plan

Below is a link to a few samples of in-law suite floor plans in each of the basic design models. Remember everyone has a unique situation and needs, so these are just to help you get some ideas. FLOOR PLANS

Bedroom

When thinking of remodeling, make sure that a window can be placed in the bedroom. Having this in mind first can be a guideline and starting point for the floor plan layout of your project.

Dimmer switches are an easy way to help the room to feel warm and comfortable. In addition they also extend the life of incandescent bulbs.

Structural backing for wall mounted TVs or other items should be considered for installation during initial construction and can sometimes help to make the most of your family member’s living space.

Bathroom

When designing your in-law suite consider using a Jack and Jill bathroom configuration. This gives any guests your loved on might entertain access to the restroom without going through the bedroom.

Kitchen

Collapsible sink bases are made at the right height for wheelchair accessibility but still have an under-cabinet that can be removed or left in place. - Thinking of things like this in the design phase can help you be better prepared from the future and may even save you money and time in the long run.

If your loved one is suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s it is recommended to evaluate their abilities and determine if they will be able to use a kitchen. Doing this now can help you spend your project budget in the best way possible for your loved one’s needs.

When laying out the kitchen, its a good idea to design it around making all the essential appliances and items within reach from one area if possible. This way your loved one won’t have to walk back and forth many times to get from one often used area to another. When grouped together, your loved one can easily get something from the refrigerator, prepare, and cook it with as little walking as possible.

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Mother In Law Suite Garage Conversion: First Steps

Mother In Law Suite Garage Conversion: First Steps

Tom — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 12:30:52 +0000

Are you considering converting your garage into a convenient elder care floor plan?
You can use this simple formula to see if the square footage of your garage is large enough for a mother in-law suite. To find the square footage of your garage space you must measure the inside width and depth of the garage. You can calculate the width of the garage by measuring from side wall to side wall. For the depth measure from the parting wall between the garage and the living area to the garage overhead door. For convenience you can round off your measurements to the nearest foot. Next take the width and multiply it times the depth. The product will be the square footage of usable space. Example 20 feet wide x 23 feet deep equals 460 square feet. (20’x 23’= 460sqft)

Garage In-Law Suite Minimum Dimensions

You should be in a range of 350 to 900 square feet to create a comfortable in-law suite floor plan. The low end of the range would be adequate for a bedroom, bathroom and small limited kitchen/eating area. On the high end of the range it could be adequate for a large bedroom, handicap bathroom, living room, full service kitchen, comfortable eating area, separate entrance, utility room, etc. The more spacious and/or more rooms required naturally the more square footage you will need.

Garage In-Law Suite Considerations

If the entry from the garage to your home includes steps it will be nesessary to raise the garage floor (or in law suite floor) level to meet the house floor level. Believe it or not this is a good thing. When you raise the in-law suite floor level you can use the resulting crawl space for plumbing such as drain pipes from the toilet, shower, sinks, etc. You can insulate the perimeter walls of the garage crawl space to create warm floors for your mother in-law suite.

If your access to the house is on the same level as the garage floor, you might have to break the garage concrete floor to install the plumbing for the mother in-law suite. The good thing about this is that you probably won’t have to use a ramp to access the new space from the exterior.

Cost Effective Home Improvement

The garage conversion to an in-law suite is one of the most economical types of home improvement in a cost per square foot basis. It creates a living space that keeps your loved one close to you, while creating two separate living spaces for privacy and the highest level of independence possible. In addition to the cost effective and convenient attributes of building an in law suite in the garage, it can add to the value of your home and does not change the look of your home from the exterior.

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How We Built Our Garage In-Law Suite

Tom — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:38:52 +0000

My wife and I knew we had to do something rather quickly for the well being off my mother in-law. She needed 24/7 care. She wanted her own space but was unable to take care of herself. Barb (my wife) and I talked it out. We needed a place she could use on the first level of our house.

We had only one place available. It was our attached garage. We decided it was the best to build a garage apartment or Mother in -law suite for Barb’s mom there.

How We Built Our Garage In-Law Suite

We made an entrance door off our laundry area to the single slip of ourgarage. Our garage was deep enough that we built a bedroom, adequate size closet, accessible bathroom with a custom shower, kitchenette and small sitting area. We made the entire space independently tempered by using a self contained electric HVAC system that fit into a small closet space off the kitchenette.

The entire in-law suite fit inside the single car slip of our three car garage. We raised the floor of the in-law suite with wood framing to match the existing finish floor elevation of our home. We used 2×4 wood studs to frame all four perimeter walls. We insulated and dry walled the perimeter walls. Now we had a rectangle of the total square footage for the mother in-law suite.

Next, we installed a drop ceiling across the full dimensions of the mother in-law suite. By framing the interior wall after the drop ceiling it allowed us to easily wire from the top down for all power outlets, switches, coaxial cable for TV, phone lines and monitoring system drops. We utilized a 2×2 drop ceiling. It made the space look larger. The drop ceiling gave us the capability to add or relocate any wiring changes just by lifting a ceiling panel and execute the change.

We used can lighting, dimmers and illuminated switches throughout all the rooms. Illuminated switches help your loved one find the switches easily in the dark. We even placed an illuminated switch by the bed. This would allow my mother in-law to turn the light on or off in the comfort of her bed.

Our central vacuum system based unit was in the garage. It was very simple to add a port for the mother in-law suite.

We used 3/8” engineered composite wood flooring. It is free floating. It is flexible and easy to install and maintain. We installed a heating outlet in the crawl space. This allowed the heater to keep the floor toasty and warm for bare feet.

My wife’s mother loved here place. She raved about it to any one who would listen. It became her place, her personal space. She liked the temperature set to 80 degrees all the time. That’s ok. That’s what it was for.

Our garage was perfect for her. It was quick, simple, warm, and home. Take a look at the video of our mother in-law’s suite, our garage apartment floor plan, or you can even use our free concept design form to get started on your garage renovation for a mother in law suite!

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Mother In Law Suite Floor Plans

Tom — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 14:11:08 +0000

We have put together some Mother In Law Suite Floor Plans to help you start thinking about the best way to lay out your mother in-law suite. These are just examples, but they help to illustrate how simple and efficient design can help you keep your loved one safe and still maintain the highest level of independence possible, while at the same time adding value to your home.

In Law Suite Floor Plans

Each in law suite floor plan is designed around one of three different home remodeling application. If thinking about the mother in law suite floor plan layout is a little too overwhelming for you at this stage, please try our free mother in law suite design form to help you take the first step in making sure you have considered as many of your loved ones needs as possible. This simple form will also e-mail you a list that will be the basis for your floor plan design and will help ease you into designing the perfect mother in law suite for you and your family!

Mother In Law Suite Addition Floor Plan

This in law suite addition plan is perfect for adding some extra space for mom. The size can be adjusted to suite your special needs. Adding a mother in law suite addition to your home can give your aging parent the privacy they need and the peace of mind you need too.

Mother In Law Suite Addition Floor Plan

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Mother In Law Suite Basement Floor Plan

Adding a mother in law suite to your basement is a cost effective way to add comfortable and safe living space to you home. Basement mother in law suites work best with a walkout basement but there are many solutions available to help you build a basement in law suite even if you don’t have a walkout style basement.

Mother In Law Suite Basement Floor Plan

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Mother In Law Suite Garage Floor Plan

Remodeling your garage for a mother in law suite may be the most cost effective solution to creating a safe and comforting place for mom in your home. Since the garage is already connected to your home its not har to relocate electricity and plumbing if the design is well thought out. The foundation is already there as well and since it was made for a car to drive into the grade of your land is probably even with at least some part of the garage structure and will make it easy to build an accessible entrance for your loved one to safely enter and exit their new home.

Mother In Law Suite Garage Floor Plan

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Garage Conversion: Mother In Law Suite

Tom — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 00:07:05 +0000

The video below is an example of a conversion of a single bay of a two-car garage into a cozy In-Law suite. This Mother In Law Suite was designed and built by T.Bills Constriction Inc. in St.Louis Missouri. Careful mother in law suite design and planing was used to make this living space comfortable, usable, and efficient.

Garage Conversion for Mother in Law Suites – Pictures

Click on any of the images below to enlarge.

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