Ideas to hide utilities in basement?

[CowboyAndIndian]

I have a basement that is quite nice, but which I cannot finish. I would like to make the basement aesthetically pleasing, without building walls or laying floors. I want to use the basement as an exercise area and possibly an office that my son can use when he visits us.

I cannot finish the basement since there is a spring under the foundation. The sump pump goes off every 2-4 minutes. I have put in backups and I do not think there will be a failure, but I do not intend to take the risk. This is not surface water, I have put in a french drain to handle surface water which it does rather well.

I can make the basement aesthetically pleasing by adding lights, painting the ceiling black, drylok'ing the walls white and painting the floors with cement paint.

I am looking for ideas on how I can hide the utilities. There are three separate areas, all against the exterior wall.

• In one corner, there is a sump area. Several pipes coming out of it, one the main sump pump, two the backup water-powered pump, and third the radon extraction pipe. Just above the sump is the house's main electrical panel. The whole house vacuum to the right of the panel was removed after these picture was taken.
• The water meter and the main sewage pipes. These just stick out about 8 inches from the wall.
• Under the stairs are the house heater/ac as well as the water heater.

I've attached a couple of pictures so you can see them.

How would you hide them?

All solutions should be water-resistant in the case of a flood. Oh, and being on the MMM forum, a cheap solution would be great.

I have carpentry skills/tools as well as electric and some plumbing. So, can do the work myself.

[Askel]

I'd just frame some walls around it and find some cheap paneling to put over it. Not really water resistant, but if it gets wet, it'll dry out. And can be easily replaced if it stains eventually from too much water exposure.  Maybe raid the habitat for humanity re-store to see what I can score for cheap interior doors and cupboards to maintain access.  It looks like if there is any prolonged flooding down there, you'll probably have bigger worries than some 2x4s and paneling.


Note: Building codes often have specific requirements for how utilities are covered and what kind of access to maintain.  Read up on that if it's a concern. 

[BikeFanatic]

+1 to the panneling above  and a couple of big fans to  dry everything when it does get wet.
Another Idea is curtains or those foldable panels people in NY use to hide the water heater in their apartment.

If you do frame it out and put up panelling walls I wonder if there is a plastic wood product that you can frame with. I have a plastic wood deck, it looks great but does grow moss on one side due to the very wet climate.

Otherwise that is a good size basement hope you can use it for a little extra room. Also there is a mold resistant white paint I used on my basement ceilings and it looks good, better than black in my opinion. I could try to upload a picture. But I just use the basement for projects like bike repair and such.

[CowboyAndIndian]

I'd just frame some walls around it and find some cheap paneling to put over it. Not really water resistant, but if it gets wet, it'll dry out. And can be easily replaced if it stains eventually from too much water exposure.  Maybe raid the habitat for humanity re-store to see what I can score for cheap interior doors and cupboards to maintain access.  It looks like if there is any prolonged flooding down there, you'll probably have bigger worries than some 2x4s and paneling.


Note: Building codes often have specific requirements for how utilities are covered and what kind of access to maintain.  Read up on that if it's a concern.

All good ideas. I was worried about the water, but if I can get water-resistant paneling and use pressure-treated wood for the paneling it should be good.

Does anyone have any ideas for cheap, water-resistant, mold-resistant panels? Bonus points if they look good.

Good point about the building codes.  I know that for the furnace/water heater, I need to make sure that I do not starve the gas furnace/heater of incoming air for combustion. Need to figure out the others.

For the furnace, I was thinking about something like in the pictures, with smaller gaps

[CowboyAndIndian]

+1 to the panneling above  and a couple of big fans to  dry everything when it does get wet.
Another Idea is curtains or those foldable panels people in NY use to hide the water heater in their apartment.

If you do frame it out and put up panelling walls I wonder if there is a plastic wood product that you can frame with. I have a plastic wood deck, it looks great but does grow moss on one side due to the very wet climate.

Otherwise that is a good size basement hope you can use it for a little extra room. Also there is a mold resistant white paint I used on my basement ceilings and it looks good, better than black in my opinion. I could try to upload a picture. But I just use the basement for projects like bike repair and such.

The foldable panel is a great idea. I saw something in IKEA like the picture shown.

There is a plastic wood product (sells as PVC trim in the big box stores) and you get the regular 1x4, 1x6, etc dimensional lumber. They work pretty much like wood and you use PVC cement to glue them together instead of wood glue. In the sump corner, you can see the sump/radon cover (white) which I built using these PVC planks.

I thought of black paint for the ceiling because it is so busy. Lots of pipes,  wires, etc. I've seen black ceilings which just disappear (I think the restaurant "On the border" has this ceiling). With white, it definitely will be brighter, but all the pipes and wires will also be visible. I'm torn between hiding all the stuff in the ceiling and having more light in the basement. Please post a picture of your basement ceiling, would love to see it.

[cool7hand]

+1 on framing and paneling

[zolotiyeruki]

I'll veer outside the box a bit, since aesthetic things are not my forte, and have been covered well by others.

1) are you aware of subflooring products like dricore, which elevate your subfloor off the concrete, in case you have (minor) flooding?
2) if your sump pump is going off every 2-4 minutes, I'd be concerned about premature failure.  Could you add a smaller-capacity pump that runs continuously (or nearly so), to reduce the on/off cycling?  Also, are you sure the check valve on your sump pump is operating correctly?
3) the sliding barn door thing is in vogue--for hiding utilities, could you mount top-hung sliding panels or doors that wouldn't require anything to touch the floor?

[lthenderson]

I think what is mentioned above is a good starting point but if this were my basement, I wouldn't stop there, especially if I was going to any amount of time down there. In my basement, I installed a Ceiling Max system directly to the bottom of the joists. I know most of the big box lumber stores sell a version of these. They have the look of a suspended ceiling but attach directly to the bottom of the joists so you loose only an inch of headroom at the most and they are easily removed for access to wiring, plumbing, etc. behind them. Having white panels and low profile LED light pucks (that look just like can lights) go a LONG way to making a space feel more homey, more so than just painting everything black.

For the flooring, there are floorings that are completely impervious to flooding and can easily be dried out with a fan should any flooding occur. Think garage floor tile systems or weight room flooring. Those you might need to pull up and dry off the floor before putting them back on should flooding occur but other things like laminate or tile can just be permanently installed.

Cover up the walls. Most of my basement has stud walls with sheetrock with the sheetrock held up off the floor by an inch in case of flooding and access ports for accessing what is behind them as needed. They also divide up the area for privacy in the exercise room, office, family room and mother-in-law suite which I have built there. The bottom plate is treated to withstand moisture. There are other alternatives to covering studs such as wainscoting on the lower half of materials that can withstand a good soaking and screwed into place with color matched screws for easy removal if necessary

Yes these ideas all cost money but they are all very easily DIY and can be done in stages or gradually with time to make them affordable and best of all, you end up with something that just doesn't look like a painted over basement with a few cheap walls thrown up to distract you from the piping behind them.

[SunnyDays]

I was also going to suggest PVC folding screens for hiding the furnace and sump pump.  Amazon has lots of options.  You could also buy pvc lattice and make your own.

For the water meter and pipes, why not play them up?  Paint them silver or black and put industrial style shelves inside the pipes and a low metal bench/cupboard underneath to make it look like a feature.  You have a cabinet there anyway, so you must need some storage.  To go with that theme, paint the ceiling silver too, so it looks like metal.  Black will make it feel both dark and low, and white isn't quite the right vibe for a basement, IMO.  Throw a few big black and white pictures on the walls and you have industrial style decor, very "in" right now.

[CowboyAndIndian]

I'll veer outside the box a bit, since aesthetic things are not my forte, and have been covered well by others.

1) are you aware of subflooring products like dricore, which elevate your subfloor off the concrete, in case you have (minor) flooding?
2) if your sump pump is going off every 2-4 minutes, I'd be concerned about premature failure.  Could you add a smaller-capacity pump that runs continuously (or nearly so), to reduce the on/off cycling?  Also, are you sure the check valve on your sump pump is operating correctly?
3) the sliding barn door thing is in vogue--for hiding utilities, could you mount top-hung sliding panels or doors that wouldn't require anything to touch the floor?

I need to explore dricore and see if I can use that.

The smaller capacity pump is a great idea. I'll check if I can implement that. Any suggestions for a low capacity submersible pump that can run continuously?

The check valve is working well, I got a transparent one (Zoeller Clear Quiet) which reduced the noise of the previous one, and I can monitor its working since it is transparent.

I think the top hung panels/doors is a great idea. Looks good, moves out of the way for servicing. Even if I don't have it as a barn door, I could just install eye hooks at the top and hang from the joists. I especially like the idea of it not touching the ground!

[Paper Chaser]

There are also all kinds of fake plants that are sold as inexpensive privacy screens in all sizes

https://www.amazon.com/Windscreen4less-Artificial-Decorative-Fence-Screen/dp/B00XKIY2X0/ref=asc_df_B00XKIY2X0/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=193975440659&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11825462960287658071&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9016100&hvtargid=pla-307153502862&psc=1



https://www.amazon.com/Artificial-Expandable-Stretchable-Privacy-Screen/dp/B07GNDXZFH/ref=asc_df_B07GNDXZFH/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=242002144936&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11825462960287658071&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9016100&hvtargid=pla-554924003488&psc=1

[CowboyAndIndian]

I think what is mentioned above is a good starting point but if this were my basement, I wouldn't stop there, especially if I was going to any amount of time down there. In my basement, I installed a Ceiling Max system directly to the bottom of the joists. I know most of the big box lumber stores sell a version of these. They have the look of a suspended ceiling but attach directly to the bottom of the joists so you loose only an inch of headroom at the most and they are easily removed for access to wiring, plumbing, etc. behind them. Having white panels and low profile LED light pucks (that look just like can lights) go a LONG way to making a space feel more homey, more so than just painting everything black.

For the flooring, there are floorings that are completely impervious to flooding and can easily be dried out with a fan should any flooding occur. Think garage floor tile systems or weight room flooring. Those you might need to pull up and dry off the floor before putting them back on should flooding occur but other things like laminate or tile can just be permanently installed.

Cover up the walls. Most of my basement has stud walls with sheetrock with the sheetrock held up off the floor by an inch in case of flooding and access ports for accessing what is behind them as needed. They also divide up the area for privacy in the exercise room, office, family room and mother-in-law suite which I have built there. The bottom plate is treated to withstand moisture. There are other alternatives to covering studs such as wainscoting on the lower half of materials that can withstand a good soaking and screwed into place with color matched screws for easy removal if necessary

Yes these ideas all cost money but they are all very easily DIY and can be done in stages or gradually with time to make them affordable and best of all, you end up with something that just doesn't look like a painted over basement with a few cheap walls thrown up to distract you from the piping behind them.

All good ideas, but with the kids out of the house, we would not be using this much. 30 minutes average a day. Dont want to  spend 10-20k for this.

Whatever I'm doing does not prevent any upgrades like what you propose. It can possibly be done later.

[CowboyAndIndian]

I was also going to suggest PVC folding screens for hiding the furnace and sump pump.  Amazon has lots of options.  You could also buy pvc lattice and make your own.

For the water meter and pipes, why not play them up?  Paint them silver or black and put industrial style shelves inside the pipes and a low metal bench/cupboard underneath to make it look like a feature.  You have a cabinet there anyway, so you must need some storage.  To go with that theme, paint the ceiling silver too, so it looks like metal.  Black will make it feel both dark and low, and white isn't quite the right vibe for a basement, IMO.  Throw a few big black and white pictures on the walls and you have industrial style decor, very "in" right now.

If you cant hide it, flaunt it! I like that.

[CowboyAndIndian]

There are also all kinds of fake plants that are sold as inexpensive privacy screens in all sizes

https://www.amazon.com/Windscreen4less-Artificial-Decorative-Fence-Screen/dp/B00XKIY2X0/ref=asc_df_B00XKIY2X0/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=193975440659&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11825462960287658071&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9016100&hvtargid=pla-307153502862&psc=1



https://www.amazon.com/Artificial-Expandable-Stretchable-Privacy-Screen/dp/B07GNDXZFH/ref=asc_df_B07GNDXZFH/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=242002144936&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11825462960287658071&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9016100&hvtargid=pla-554924003488&psc=1

This would probably work well outside, but will actually highlight what I'm trying to hide.

[Fishindude]

+1 For taking a hard look at that pump.  Any pump that turns off / on that frequently is going to fail prematurely.

[CowboyAndIndian]

+1 For taking a hard look at that pump.  Any pump that turns off / on that frequently is going to fail prematurely.

Yeah, I am quite concerned with it.

I cannot find a continuously rated 2gpm pump with a 12 feet head. Any suggestions on what type of pump or where to look for it?

[BudgetSlasher]

Have you considered fixing up only a portion of the basement?

If my uses were limited to an exercise area and spot that can be use as an office when family visited and my goals were strictly to improve the visuals for those uses, I would focus the money on a smaller area and just fix up a corner of the basement to be a nicer place rather than the whole basement. Then again I am the kind of person who thinks an unfinished basement is the perfect aesthetic for my home gym.

For looks I might also gussy up the stairs/landing at the bottom so if the door is open it looks nicer.

[CowboyAndIndian]

Have you considered fixing up only a portion of the basement?

If my uses were limited to an exercise area and spot that can be use as an office when family visited and my goals were strictly to improve the visuals for those uses, I would focus the money on a smaller area and just fix up a corner of the basement to be a nicer place rather than the whole basement. Then again I am the kind of person who thinks an unfinished basement is the perfect aesthetic for my home gym.

For looks I might also gussy up the stairs/landing at the bottom so if the door is open it looks nicer.

My area needs permits etc. to finish the basement. I cannot do physical labor more than a couple of hours a day (I'm 63), so I will have to get someone else to do this work. That plus the fact that we wont use it more than 30 mins a day and I am not ready to spend approx $20k for the work.

I definitely have plans to fix up the stairs/landing. Replacing the lighting there, and improving the looks of the treads/risers should really improve its looks.

[lutorm]

Having lived a decade in a single-frame house, where you by definition can't hide anything, I'm going to come out and say that it's really nice to have utilities exposed. Take a long hard think on how often you'd need to open this up and whether the ensuing pain is worth making it look a bit nicer.

Also, do remember that anything you do to the floor or ceiling will decrease the usable height, which often is marginal in basements anyway. From experience, it makes quite a bit of difference to the feel of a space whether the lowest point in the ceiling are floor joists, with the actual floor half a foot above that, compared to covering the joists up and making the entire space (slightly lower than) that height.

[NorCal]

If you did anything with framing, maybe you could use PVC board for the bottom section.

If it were me, I’d maybe get creative with corrugated metal. It’s fairly inexpensive, and I’ve seen some very nice spaces built out with it.

[BudgetSlasher]

Have you considered fixing up only a portion of the basement?

If my uses were limited to an exercise area and spot that can be use as an office when family visited and my goals were strictly to improve the visuals for those uses, I would focus the money on a smaller area and just fix up a corner of the basement to be a nicer place rather than the whole basement. Then again I am the kind of person who thinks an unfinished basement is the perfect aesthetic for my home gym.

For looks I might also gussy up the stairs/landing at the bottom so if the door is open it looks nicer.

My area needs permits etc. to finish the basement. I cannot do physical labor more than a couple of hours a day (I'm 63), so I will have to get someone else to do this work. That plus the fact that we wont use it more than 30 mins a day and I am not ready to spend approx $20k for the work.

I definitely have plans to fix up the stairs/landing. Replacing the lighting there, and improving the looks of the treads/risers should really improve its looks.

What is your budget? Perhaps I misread or didn't understand I interpreted your first post as saying you were going to paint the whole ceiling black, drylok all the walls white, paint the entire concrete floor, and upgrade the lighting through out. Between decent finishes and materials for a good preparation that could add up fast.

Your basement looks to be a good size, so I was suggesting taking the amount of money needed to fix up the entire space (or less) and exploring what spending it in a smaller section of the basement (perhaps something around a horse stall 12'x12') as an exercise/office area would result it.

As for permits, perhaps there is a creative way to not meet the code's meaning of finishing a basement, but still make a nice corner.

[ixtap]

Vinyl outdoor privacy screens seem like a logical solution., whether to block off the utilities and leave an open area or to block off the exercise area to work out in peace.

[SunnyDays]

BudgetSlasher makes a good point - basements are not considered finished if part is left undone, like a laundry room or ceiling for example.  That might affect your need for a permit, depending on your local regulations.

My own basement has had the walls insulated (because I live in a cold climate), drywalled and painted with baseboards.  The floor is just painted cement and is otherwise open.  I furnished a corner of it and it looks good enough for the fairly minimal cost of it.  More could still be done if I wanted, but this is sufficient for me.

[BudgetSlasher]

BudgetSlasher makes a good point - basements are not considered finished if part is left undone, like a laundry room or ceiling for example.  That might affect your need for a permit, depending on your local regulations.

My own basement has had the walls insulated (because I live in a cold climate), drywalled and painted with baseboards.  The floor is just painted cement and is otherwise open.  I furnished a corner of it and it looks good enough for the fairly minimal cost of it.  More could still be done if I wanted, but this is sufficient for me.

I was thinking of someone I worked with who setup a basement office. To get around all the mess of code/inspection/so-on he put together some free standing tv-set style walls with a cheap hollow core door, threw down some inexpensive rubber mats with a cheap area rug, used the existing outlets with power strips to add a floor lamp, slapped up a coat of paint and moved in his desk(by pulling a wall aside, rather than trying to fit it through the door). The materials probably did not even cost him 1k, even with today's prices well below 2k and he had a lovely to him and professional to viewers workspace.

My basement sounds a lot like yours, minus the painted floor and finished corner. With all the light fixtures we have it kind of has an industrial loft feel. In addition to all the utilities you find in a basement, we've got our washer/dryer, brewery, upright freezer, pool table, canned good shelves, networking rack, treadmill, rowing machine, dumbbells, and depending on the time of year up to ~4 tons of wood pellets.

[CowboyAndIndian]

I've finally started working on the basement and it is a work in progress.

I've got another thread with all the details in case you are interested.
https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/do-it-yourself-forum!/semi-finishing-a-basement/msg3080940