A finished basement or attic can add valuable living space to your home without you having to buy a whole new house. Statistics show that a homeowner can expect to receive a nearly 70% return on investment on the cost of a finished basement or attic when the house is sold. In the meantime, a finished basement or attic provides extra living space for your family, a guest room for visitors, or simply a retreat for recreation and relaxation.
Keep in mind, though, that comfort control in a finished basement or attic often differs from what’s needed in established living spaces. Below are some HVAC issues to consider for your finished basement or attic.
Adding Insulation
To minimize the loss of limited headroom in a finished attic, instead of bulky standard fiberglass batts, consider insulating with rigid foam insulation combined with special thin, dense fiberglass batts.
In the basement, wooden wall structure with studs may be erected against walls and insulated with fiberglass batts. Alternatively, spray foam insulation may be applied directly to concrete or cinder block basement walls.
Heating and Cooling
Conditioning a finished basement or attic can impose unique challenges for optimum comfort control. Attics in particular have seasonal temperature issues that usually benefit from an entirely separate heating/cooling arrangement. Here are some options:
- A ductless mini split heat pump provides compact, all-season heating and cooling to a limited space without requiring ductwork.
- Alternatively, a zoning system added to the home’s existing HVAC system offers separate conditioned airflow and independent thermostat control specific to the attic. Zoning will also require installing new attic ducts connected to the home’s existing ductwork.
Finished basements may often utilize the same heating and cooling as living spaces above. First, however, have an HVAC professional calculate the increased heating and cooling load imposed by adding the basement to the mix. If the addition of basement square footage exceeds the capacity of the home’s HVAC components, two options are available:
- Upgrade the home’s HVAC system to new units with greater capacity.
- Install separate dedicated HVAC for the basement only, such as a ductless mini split heat pump.
Explore HVAC options for a finished basement or attic. The professionals at Paitson Bros. have been assisting Terre Haute home improvements since 1922.
Jeff Paitson is a third generation business owner who continues to run the business with the same values that have been passed down from previous generations since 1922.
Jeff’s belief is that the business belongs to Jesus Christ; therefore 10 percent of the company’s profits go toward the Maryland Community Church.
Jeff is a Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce member and in his spare time, he enjoys 
Ethan Rayburn is a lifelong resident of Terre Haute and a 2005 graduate of Purdue University.
An Eagle Scout, Ethan spent four years as a non-profit executive with the Boy Scouts of America before joining Paitson Bros. as a comfort advisor and later General Manager. In that role, Ethan has brought a renewed enthusiasm for customer care, integrity, value, and service to Paitson Bros. Heating & Air Conditioning.
Ethan enjoys singing and was a member of the Purdue Varsity Glee Club. He also enjoys playing and coaching soccer, spending time with his family and two young boys, and volunteering his time and resources with his church, Terre Haute First Baptist Church, which he has attended from a very young age.
Paitson Bros
1 (812) 232-2347
Serving the Wabash Valley, IN Area Since 1922