Cellar Conversion Before and After

A cellar conversion has to deal with a number of factors if it is to provide a liveable space that adds value to the house. So let’s see how it does this.

Darkness and Poor Light

There are several ways that light can be introduced into a previously unlit space. Some people are able to pull the garden back from the rear of the house, creating a small courtyard, with a retaining wall for the garden. That means that the rear wall of what was the cellar can be removed, with appropriate structural support put in place for the house.

The solid brick or cement wall can then be replaced with a glass wall. The result is that light floods the basement, the wall is a feature, and the courtyard area between the glass wall and the garden retaining wall becomes another feature, with perhaps an attractive patio planting scheme.

Another solution is a light well in which light from a hallway above is allowed to reach the floor below through a transparent glass inlet - often toughened glass that can be walked on. Daylight systems and light tubes are often used, since these can reflect and refract light from one area to another.

Dampness

This is a specialised area and one that must be dealt with by qualified experts if you don’t want a basement that looks great when finished but gradually becomes damp again. The experts will survey the basement and map where water is coming from before recommending solutions that will permanently exclude it. These can include “tanking”, or lining the area, using sumps, drains and pumps and so on. Many jobbing builders know the lingo but don’t have the underlying expertise and are likely to use the wrong products and techniques, resulting in wasted money.

Impractical Head Height

Many cellars don’t have enough head room to serve as a practical living space. There’s really only one practical option: digging downwards to create a higher room. This involves supporting the main structure of the house while the basement is dug out. If there is an existing stairway down to the basement, it will need to be extended downwards. This is one of the reasons that you so often see new feature staircases in basements - it’s a matter of making a virtue out of necessity.

The new floor will need to be damp-proofed and then the new flooring will be installed with appropriate supports.

Ventilation

it’s important to prevent condensation forming when moist warm air from the new basement meets colder air from the outside environment. An expert waterproofing design will go most of the way, but it’s also essential to ensure that air can move freely through the space. There are two options for this: a power-driven air conditioning system or ventilation provided by windows, grilles and vents.

Sensors are now much cheaper to use and install, and many systems can sample the moisture content in the air and switch on fans to remove humid air from the basement. Climate control is an essential part of basement maintenance.