Ways to Maintain the Desired Temperature in a Finished Basement

Basement is one of the crucial parts of your home but the heating and cooling requirements are not the same as those for any other room in the living space. Cooling and heating the basement is actually a tougher chore than you might have imagined. Existing beneath the land, the area of basement is not that warm as what is felt in other parts of the home. Although this is beneficial during hot days, it is not that useful during winters because it gets chillier. In fact, the latter part is something that you need to solve while installing a new system for heating and cooling the basement or while extending the existing one up to your basement by upgrading it.

If you wish to add a new system…

This is the option for you in case your current system or setup is restricted to handle the extra load. You can bring in the new system either by adding a secondary one to your basement or by replacing the current unit with an equipment of larger capacity. Of the two, installing the new one is truly a costly affair. You can expect the total expenditure to be somewhere around $15,000, while the minimum being $12,000. This is because the system is going to consume extra space as well as need extra circuits to the existing electrical panel. On the other hand, extending or upgrading is a more economical option in terms of price and storage. You will save space as well as electrician fees if switched to this option.

However, the biggest advantage of heating up your basement is that you can be a bit creative. There is no need to heat the basement in the way you do so for the other areas of your home. Rather, soak into some creative options such as wood-burning stove for enjoying some affordable heat when required, radiant heat through coils under ceiling, or ductless electric baseboard that is easiest to install.

If you wish to extend the existing system…

This is the option to go for if you are of the opinion that the existing heating and cooling unit is capable of heating, cooling, and ventilating the big or small basement space. However, you need to get it confirmed by hiring a genuine cooling and heating service provider who can do so by assessing your existing system.

If found capable, the service provider first evaluates the insulation system of your home along with other performance factors to size the current unit perfectly as per the footage/ton of capacity. This ensures balanced performance and genuine investment. The service provider will also tap the system into the main stalk, put in vents, and ensure that new ducts have constraints to avoid taking in all the heat.

Perhaps, your current cooling system is capable of keeping the basement conducive, especially on the hottest days of summer. However, in case of a difficulty while maintaining a walk-out basement cool, it becomes essential to seek help from a heating and cooling contractor who can easily decide whether you require a new cooling system that is more powerful. Alternatively, you can even choose to supplement the existing system with a window AC.

Several basements are heated and cooled, at times, through forced air for which the ductwork is already there to distribute the air that might be warm or cool. In case of its absence, the technician will incorporate the ductwork in a simple as well as affordable manner. Even after this installation, the basement might need another heat source that the technician will decide and do the needful for you. Further, in case of a walk-out basement with big and unshaded windows, supplemental cooling might be required as well.