The Basement Renovation:  Hiding Obstructions

Once upon a time, basements were strictly utilitarian. They were used for storage and not much else so it didn't matter if structural supports, wiring and plumbing were visible. But nobody wants to look at a drain clean-out in the middle of a finished area. Sometimes it is easiest to leave part of the basement unfinished, if most of the ugly stuff is located in one area. In other cases, creativity plays a major role in incorporating obstructions in the design. Here is how I dealt with the major obstructions in my basement.

Support Posts

There were two structural support posts in the basement. I could have looked into replacing the main beam with a steel I-beam, thereby enabling either the elimination of one of the support posts, or at least their relocation. Instead, I chose to live with them as they were. I was able to incorporate one in the partition wall but the other one was left out in the open. Originally, it had a frame built around it which was covered with paneling. Once the paneling was removed, a cylindrical post was revealed, rather than an ugly jack-post like I expected. I simply sprayed the post with a stone texture paint to make it an architectural element. Had it been a jack-post, I would have bought a wood column kit at the local building supply store.

Duct work

There are a couple of ways to frame around duct work. One way is to build a stick frame which is then covered with drywall or some other material. Another way is using a method featured on the television show, Hometime, which is what I did.

1. I measured from the ceiling to the lowest point of the ducts to determine the width of the sides of the box. I cut the side panels from oriented strand board.

2. I nailed a 2x2 strip to the bottom of the side panel.

3. I screwed a 2x2 strip to the ceiling joists, running parallel with the ducts.

4. I nailed the top of side panel to the nailing strip attached to the ceiling joists.

5. I repeated the same for the other side. Great care was taken to keep the side panels parallel to each other.

6. OSB was screwed to the bottom strips to form the bottom of the box.

7. I then attached 1/8 inch hardboard to the OSB, spanning joints for added strength.

8. The finished box was first primed with an oil-based primer and then covered with FibreDecor.

In the office, I built a frame of 2x2s and 1x2s around the duct. One foot square ceiling tile was glued and stapled to the frame. To allow access to the central air conditioning wire and hose which passes through beside the duct, one row of tiles was screwed into place and the screws were covered with plastic screw caps.

The Drain Cleanout

The drain clean-out at the exit point of the waste line is located at the bottom of the stairs, not exactly a discreet location so it was important to make it somewhat attractive. I built a box around it, using the same technique as I did for the ductwork. A door allows for easy access to the fixture and the entire structure was primed and covered with FibreDecor. I also used FibreDecor on the sloping wall above the stairs to make the transition to the basement, so the box around the drain became part of that transition.

cleanout cover door open

The Electrical Panel

electrical panel cabinet

The electrical panel was also in a fairly prominent location. It too needed to be concealed yet remain easily accessible. This simple cabinet is made from plywood. The butt joints are screwed together... nothing fancy here. I used a forstner bit to countersink the screws and concealed the screws with plugs made using a plug cutting bit. The unit is installed using "L" brackets to attach it to the ceiling joists. It is held to the wall with "L" brackets screwed into plastic anchors. The anchors are used only to hold as a reinforcement to hold the unit to the wall. The weight of the unit is supported from the ceiling joists.