Sunday, April 4, 2010
Unfinished basements (and in some cases, even finished ones) are dark and often damp and stinky. By the way... if you smell mold, check out
How to Prevent Mold In Your Basement for tips on how to deal with it.
The first step to improving your unfinished basement is to install lighting. The tips that follow are by no means "gospel", they're just an overall outline of how to install lighting in your basement. Besides, electrical building codes vary from town to town.
If you're not qualified to do electrical work, hire an electrician. I'm serious! You could be killed, or seriously injured if you don't know what you're doing.
First, determine if your home's electrical service has enough amperage to handle the additional usage. If you need an entirely new electrical box, this will mean disconnecting your old one from the power source coming into your home. Again, if you're not an expert, call an electrician! This is seriously dangerous work, my friend.
If your electrical box is adequate, then look for the "homerun". It's the main line running through your house from the fuse box and is capable of carrying the heaviest load.
Once you locate the lines you want to tie into, determine which circuit they’re connected to and turn it off. Again, don't mess around!
If you're not sure which gauge of electrical wire to use, ask your local buidling department. This is not the time to go cheap, guys.
If your basement is unfinished, you're golden, outlet-wize. Install the 3-prong style. If you have the old 2-prong kind, it means the outlet isn't grounded, and the wiring probably doesn't have a ground wire. Since most appliances are 3-pronged, you'll have to use an adapter (from any hardware store). Actually, some building codes require 3-pronged outlets in all remodels and new construction. So, you might as well replace them. I just remembered... find out if your local building codes require you to replace the wiring as well - if it doesn't include a grounding wire. Quit griping, you guys. They've got a good point... it's a heck of a lot safer.
Recessed light fixtures are really great for basement ceilings. I mean, they're hardly ever the normal 8'. These handy fixtures are pretty easy to install... they have instructions and everything. (grin)
Here's a tip... install a switch for the main basement overhead light at each door. No matter which door people use, the light switch is close by... very handy when walking into a dark basement.
Well, there you have it. Just promise me one thing... don't take risks with electricity!
.
Ads By CbproAds
(Disclaimer: The above is an affiliate link that will provide compensation to me if a purchase is made.)
.
How to Prevent Mold In Your Basement for tips on how to deal with it.
The first step to improving your unfinished basement is to install lighting. The tips that follow are by no means "gospel", they're just an overall outline of how to install lighting in your basement. Besides, electrical building codes vary from town to town.
If you're not qualified to do electrical work, hire an electrician. I'm serious! You could be killed, or seriously injured if you don't know what you're doing.
First, determine if your home's electrical service has enough amperage to handle the additional usage. If you need an entirely new electrical box, this will mean disconnecting your old one from the power source coming into your home. Again, if you're not an expert, call an electrician! This is seriously dangerous work, my friend.
If your electrical box is adequate, then look for the "homerun". It's the main line running through your house from the fuse box and is capable of carrying the heaviest load.
Once you locate the lines you want to tie into, determine which circuit they’re connected to and turn it off. Again, don't mess around!
If you're not sure which gauge of electrical wire to use, ask your local buidling department. This is not the time to go cheap, guys.
If your basement is unfinished, you're golden, outlet-wize. Install the 3-prong style. If you have the old 2-prong kind, it means the outlet isn't grounded, and the wiring probably doesn't have a ground wire. Since most appliances are 3-pronged, you'll have to use an adapter (from any hardware store). Actually, some building codes require 3-pronged outlets in all remodels and new construction. So, you might as well replace them. I just remembered... find out if your local building codes require you to replace the wiring as well - if it doesn't include a grounding wire. Quit griping, you guys. They've got a good point... it's a heck of a lot safer.
Recessed light fixtures are really great for basement ceilings. I mean, they're hardly ever the normal 8'. These handy fixtures are pretty easy to install... they have instructions and everything. (grin)
Here's a tip... install a switch for the main basement overhead light at each door. No matter which door people use, the light switch is close by... very handy when walking into a dark basement.
Well, there you have it. Just promise me one thing... don't take risks with electricity!
.
Ads By CbproAds
(Disclaimer: The above is an affiliate link that will provide compensation to me if a purchase is made.)
.
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