unfinished basement / sewing area floor type and curtains??? suggestions
 

I would love to have suggestions for my sewing area in the unfinished basement. My husband is putting in a dry core floor on top of the concrete and would love to have some suggestions.
Thanks, Michelle

not sure what constitutes a "dry core" floor, but I know that having carpet in my sewing room is a problem. I would much prefer a smooth floor surface, either wood or vinyl flooring so my chair can roll around better and a daily swiffer would clean it up. As for curtains, I have become a fan of the 3M Command products and use them to hang just about anything in my home, incuding to put up curtain rods.

I love my hardwood floors! I don't have carpeting anywhere in my house.

I made some curtains out of oilcloth!! It's a very decorative design, does not attract lint or dust. Also after having the chance of replacing the carpet, we had tile laid. It is easy to roll on and easy to clean = more time to sew ;)

I removed the carpet in my sewing room in our current home and laid laminate flooring that looked like tile to help with the thread issues, cleaning and because I hate carpet in general. In our soon-to-be new home that we are remodeling I will be laying down vinyl plank flooring due to its waterproof qualities. I want the flooring in the entire house to match and since that means kitchen and baths :eek: we need something more durable than laminate (its a pier and beam house so no tile) yet economical.

I second the command hanging gadgets.

As for window treatments, currently I just have 2" wood blinds. New space will not have any windows which actually doesn't bother me (weirdo I know), it just means more cabinet, shelf, design wall space for me. But I always wanted to make matching machine covers for my machines and matching curtains in some "notions/sewing/dressmaking themed" fabric.

No carpet for me, tile or wood are great for all the above reasons. I have sheer's for curtains lets lots of light in but cuts the glare.

I would second those suggesting a vinyl flooring product. You just never know with basements no matter how much waterproofing you do. We recently installed vinyl plank flooring in our dining room and I love it. The product is 'Allure' available at Home Depot. Very economical, 30 year warranty and waterproof. We chose the dark 'walnut' color. It has a 'distressed' appearance to it - in that it has colorations made to look like small scratches and actual 'dents'. I have hardwood in my sewing room but would not mind this product either. Just be careful doing research. There are two versions of 'Allure' - one has a 30 yr. warranty and one a 15 yr. The 15 yr. is water 'resistant' not water 'proof'. It's about 1/2 the thickness. Planks fit together very snugly, no reveal or cracks for dirt to get trapped. Cleaning is with a damp mop with plain water; dry dust mop; or for very heavily soiled areas, a cleaner specific for that flooring. Again, would highly recommend this product.

My sewing area used to be in the basement and the floor was cold. I guess that would be my only concession to carpeting. If you are in a colder climate, maybe a few strategically placed rugs for warmth and coushioning would be best on your non carpeted floors.

I had a concrete coating put down on my basement floor. Several layers of coatings and it looks like stone. Love it! Winters are cold here , but I put on some wool socks and I am so much warmer.
Not sure how much natural light you have coming into your basement , but go with light colors for anything.

Basements are usually cool, carpeting would add some warmth. Curtains, something made from a bright cheerful fabric. Something simple you can throw in the washer, use a tension rod since you are dealing with concrete walls.

I would think the next thing would be to check the walls for dampness and have a humidity check on your basement. You sound as if the basement has not been used before as a living area but perhaps as a storage or laundry area.
I would want electrical outlets everywhere! So that I would reconfigure my sewing area as the whim hit me. All my sewing machines set up permanently, small ironing area, large ironing area, cutting table set up high so I didn't have to bend over, etc. Portable lighting, permanent lighting, etc. Tv, computer, radio - the list goes on. Good luck.

I work in the "unfinished" part of our basement.....I painted the concrete foundation wall a butter yellow....altho the floors are the concrete, where I stand to cut fabric and work on longarm I layed down those large puzzle pieces found in kid's dept and now I noticed they have also appeared in box stores......in walking pathways I have long inexpensive runner type rugs and valances on the windows........to let in as much of the beautiful sunlite as possible. I also bought an electric broom to pick up threads/snippets. When done "playing" each day, I give the whole place a quick zip with elec/broom and when I come back down to play again all is neat and clean...well most of the time anyway!!!!

All the above suggestions are great.
I too like smooth floor for picking up pins, and moving my chair, and general sweeping.

If it was my basement, I'd also buy a good DE-humidifier to remove excess moisture in the air. That way nothing will "smell" and there will be less of a chance of mildew, esp. with all the fabric you'll be storing! :-)

Might want to also invest in large plastic totes for some storage over that floor. ( What if you had a flood of only a couple inches???? or if the elect. went out and the sump pump didn't work? )

Cold? an elect. floor heater or gas wall heater; a rug under your feet; a warm sweater!
Hot? a ceiling or floor fan; a window AC if it would fit?

Good luck and happy sewing.

When we bought our current home, the 1st thing we did was take out all the carpet. We had laminate put in the bedrooms. The rest of the house had it, except for the kitchen and bathrooms (they have tile.) In our house before this one we had hard wood, which was beautiful, but takes alot more to care for than the laminate that looks like hard wood.
I am a diabetic and my husband was afraid I would not see pin in the carpet and step on it.
We also have rescue dogs and foster for the local Humane Society, so alot easier to keep hair undercontrol.
I am happy for you and your new space! Can't wait to see pics!......
Blessings to you,
Penny

Laminate floors would be what I would pick but know you have to put down some type of base layering. I would forget curtains, unless you hang then to the sides of the window. Make sure you have lots of light and mirrors to reflect light. Best to build a closet so you can keep everything away from dust, humidity and clean up clutter. Best wishes. Please share when your project is complete.

Great idea.

My DH painted the concrete floor white and we put scattered some throw rugs for the cold. It's great....easy to keep clean!

I am a big fan of carpet - sorry the rest of you are against it. The only part of our house that doesn't have carpet is cold. But we are not on a slab.

i work in the basement and it's cold down there in the winter, so carpet is a must have. I'm also working on an efficient way to heat the area....hmmm.....

Every basement is different. Our basement is 1/2 underground with exposed foundation walls about 4 feet up the walls. There are windows on all sides at ground level (no window wells).

We have good perimeter drainage and no issues with damp at all.

The only two rooms in our house with carpeting are the family room and dh's office. My sewing room and the laundry room have painted concrete floors. There was old tile, but we suspected it had asbestos and some were lifting so we have the rest removed.

We are lucky too to live in a mild climate (damp in winter outside). The basement is the most comfortable are of the house during the summer. If it feels cool in the winter we just put on a space heater.