At TurnKey Renovators, we turn underused lower-level space into living, entertainment or storage areas across Greater New Orleans, wherever the site conditions allow it. Get your free estimate and we will check the space for moisture first.
A finished lower level is built in layers, and the moisture layer comes first. Pick a stage to see what it covers.
In a city where much of the ground sits at or below sea level, nothing gets finished until the space is dry and ventilated.
Plan My Lower LevelNew framing, insulation and wallboard turn bare walls into finished rooms, with board chosen for the moisture it will see.
Plan My Lower Level
Lower levels need floors that handle moisture. Tile and luxury vinyl plank both hold up better in damp conditions than hardwood.
Added bedrooms, bathrooms or recreation rooms make the space earn its keep, with code-compliant egress wherever it is required.
Plan My Lower LevelMaterial choice follows the exposure. Wallboard that is fine in a bedroom can fail in a space that stays damp or might flood.
FEMA rates standard paper-faced gypsum as unacceptable below the base flood elevation. Glass-mat faced gypsum and cement board are accepted as flood-damage-resistant.
Porcelain tile has low water absorption, and luxury vinyl plank is moisture resistant and easy to repair plank by plank.
EPA advises keeping indoor humidity below 60 percent, ideally 30 to 50, and drying any leak within 24 to 48 hours.
Finishing a lower level for play or storage and adding a place to sleep are different jobs under the building code.
| Requirement | Recreation room in an existing basement | New bedroom in a basement |
|---|---|---|
| Escape opening | Not required when an existing basement is only altered or repaired | Required in each new sleeping room |
| Opening size | Not applicable | At least 5.7 square feet clear, 24 inches high and 20 inches wide, sill no higher than 44 inches |
| Below-grade windows | Not applicable | An area well with drainage, plus a ladder or steps when the well is deep |
| Ceiling height | 7 feet for habitable space, 6 feet 4 inches under beams and ducts | The same 7 foot minimum applies |
| Smoke alarms | One on each story, basements included | One inside the bedroom and one outside the sleeping area |
Our five-step process, with a moisture check built in before any finish goes up.
We look at the space, talk through how you want to use it and check whether conditions allow it to be finished.
We plan the rooms, the escape openings any bedroom needs and the materials suited to the moisture the space will see.
Moisture measures, framing, insulation, wallboard and flooring go in, in that order, with materials sourced by our team.
You get updates at every stage, including what we find behind the old walls and floors.
We review the finished space with you and make sure you are satisfied before we close out.
We take on basement and lower-level projects across the Greater New Orleans area once a site check confirms the space can be kept dry.
Moisture, code and what the space can become.
Where conditions allow. Large parts of Orleans and Jefferson parishes sit below sea level, so we check the space for moisture before we plan any finish.
Moisture management comes before any finish. Depending on the space, that means vapor barriers, ventilation, humidity control and wall and floor materials rated for damp conditions.
The code requires an emergency escape opening in basements, and one in every basement sleeping room. If you alter an existing basement without adding a bedroom, a new opening is not required.
Habitable space needs at least 7 feet. Beams, girders and ducts may drop to within 6 feet 4 inches of the finished floor.
Living space, entertainment, storage, or added bedrooms, bathrooms and recreation rooms, as long as the space meets code for that use.
Porcelain tile or luxury vinyl plank. Porcelain absorbs less water than ceramic, and vinyl plank copes with damp better than wood, so both suit a space where water is a risk.
Tell us about the project and we will come out, measure and hand you a clear written estimate with no hidden fees.
504-527-8711