Benefits of a Walkout Basement

When evaluating the design of a timber frame house, an often overlooked area is the basement. Basements are typically used as a utility space and for heating and cooling units. A walkout basement is an excellent way to add value and living space to your home.

Walkout basements, sometimes called daylight basements, are in houses that are on a slope. This design has part of the basement above ground and that is where the entry door is located. The section of the floor covered by the ground is why it is called a basement.

You can exit and enter a walkout basement without using stairs, you “walkout” right onto the ground from the door, hence the name. When a walkout basement is included in timber frame home, full-size windows can be incorporated. This is why walkout basements are also called daylight basements.

The advantages of a walkout basement with full-sized windows in a house are numerous because now, what was formerly a utility basement area, transforms into a living area with a myriad of possibilities. They can have full-sized windows, many towns and cities will allow bedrooms in the basement because of the various means of escape.

With a walkout basement, added bedrooms are available with little extra expense. It can also be used as a living room or a playroom, just about any living space would be well-suited in a basement. No worries about dampness because the ventilation is taken care of by the full-sized windows and the fact that the living space part of the basement is not underground.

They can also be used as a garage. Since a part of the basement is fully above ground, an entry garage door can be designed in the plans. The part of the walkout that is underground can still be used as a utility space.

Walkout basements add value to your home since they increase the flexible and livable space to a home. Since this is a multi-level design, costs are saved on roofs and foundations.