If you are lucky enough to have a cellar in your home, there are many materials available now to make the most of this space.

 

Dependant upon its size, it can be turned into anything from dry storage to a games room or even an independent apartment!

 

Various building regulations apply, so if you want this conversion to become an ‘official’ extra bedroom, you will need to show that you have conformed to certain standards, and building control approval. Local authorities differ in some requirements, so before you invest any money, have a word with your planning office.

 

As the home-owner, your only requirement is that upon completion of the works, you have what you asked for – so make sure you communicate with your builder. If you want the room to be a bedroom, and for the house to be sold in the future with this described as a bedroom (and not storage), have all of this discussed and in writing before any work starts.

 

Head room is a major factor. Waterproof floor slabs and ceiling insulation may take several inches off the existing clearance, and digging down may be an option. Again, professional advice is best taken, as the existing floor may be adding strength to your foundations – something you really cannot afford to weaken! This doesn’t mean that limited headroom automatically stops the work though - a structural engineer may be able to come up with a design which adds support whilst lowering floors.

 

When talking to your builders, make sure their proposed work conforms to BS8102, the Code of Practice for Protection of Structures Against Water from the Ground. This should mean that they have given consideration to important items such as end-use requirements, height of water table, and drainage systems. Ask them what guarantees or warranties are available, on the workmanship and the materials.

 

A popular method of basement waterproofing is to apply a ‘dimple,’ or ‘egg-box’, membrane to the walls. Wall membranes are jointed to floor damp proof membranes, so that you have, in effect, wrapped your room internally. This allows water to still seep out between the bricks, so you don’t get any build up of pressure, and run between the dimples down the wall, where it joins special channels which take it to a sump, from where it flows, or is electrically pumped, to the main drain. High capacity sumps are available if you wish to put a bathroom in to your basement.

 

This membrane method reduces likelihood of salts coming through to the wall finish, and the air-gap helps to get rid of cold corners where mould may grow. The water-management element of the drainage ‘future-proofs’ against changes in the water table (rising of ground water).

 

On to this membrane you can batten-and-plasterboard; some have a mesh to allow direct plastering.

 

Dependant upon what you wish to use the basement for, air and light may be an issue. If there is no window or coal shute, light tubes may be an option for natural light. Ventilation or extraction will need to be considered - assisted ventilation is essential if no external openings are available.

 

And finally, access – as a ‘proper’ room, the stairs will need to conform to regulations. Again, check with your local building control, as for some uses, or if the basement has several rooms, more than one exit is required.