June 6, 2010

basement

Our latest project has been finishing half of our basement. This is one of the only before photos I have where you can see the old windows and the cinder block walls.
We finished the right side of the basement (approximately 450 sq. ft.) and added a door that opens to the unfinished side on the left where the laundry, furnace, water heater, and sump pump are located.
First we replaced the windows. Then we had a sub-floor drainage system and new sump pump installed by Perma-Seal.
Next, we were super fortunate to find a couple of guys, John and Robert, who were able to fit us into their schedule right away to do the framing, drywall, and electrical work.
They came over on a Thursday to give us an estimate, started working four days later, and within 10 days the basement was ready for taping, mudding, and sanding.
After a few days of that, it was time for us to paint and install flooring. We had heard that laminate flooring is easy to install yourself and an ideal flooring option for basements, so Mike gave it a try. It took just over a day from start to finish!

John and Robert came back for two days of finishing touches (including hanging a few of our old kitchen cabinets), and then it was ready for us to move in.

We're so happy with how it turned out, and the timing couldn't have been any better as our kids' summer vacation is just beginning. The extra space, with a significantly cooler temperature than the rest of the house and a soundproofed ceiling, is just what we needed!