Basement Update - Entering the Home Stretch

New Columns! And all the furniture in a huge pile!

The basement is a construction zone again - and as the Official Floor Installer, I'm just trying to stay ahead of the contractors.

The current phase of our basement renovation is being performed by Sam Flores, of Complete Home Remodeling.

Sam helped us out with drywall a couple of winters ago, when we had water infiltration due to an ice dam.


The remaining items on our "to-do" list:

Install NuCore Flooring 

This is the only task I've taken on myself, even though I'm usually only able to start after the kids are in bed.

So far, the results are "adequate". I'm approximately 80% finished - I have the bedroom, and about 10 rows in the "play area" left to complete,

I need to be finished soon - because Sam and his team need to install baseboard.

I see a couple of trouble spots which may need further attention - seams that aren't perfectly flush, or edges that are a bit too far away from the wall.

Hopefully, Sam can cover my mistakes when he installs baseboard and trim.

I also need to pick up some "transition pieces", which make up the border between the "finished" rooms, with NuCore, and the unfinished concrete floor in the storage and utility rooms.

Installing Window Casings and Trim

This was completed yesterday. They look great.

Installing Doors

I absolutely cannot wait for this to be completed - and I expect that this will happen today.

You'd be surprised how "unfinished" a space looks when it has gaping holes in the wall instead of doors!

Finish Bathroom

There's a lot to be done here. 

Floor tile will likely go in today or tomorrow. It's a standard white hexagon mosaic. 

Shower wall tile should arrive today. We hope so, anyway!

The vanity and toilet are available for pickup at Home Depot, but we're still waiting for Lowes' to tell us that the shower door has arrived. 

I expect that the bathroom will be the last area to be finished. 

Painting

This will be performed by Sam's team.

While we're definitely capable of painting a basement, and probably should have taken this task on to save money, we're going to save a ton of time, avoid any equipment purchases and inevitable spills, and get a better-looking result.   

Bar Area

We purchased a Frigidaire Gallery 42-bottle Wine Cooler, which can also hold standard beverage cans. 

We will, however, have to select and purchase cabinets and countertops - it's going to be white shaker cabinet doors, because it's 2016 and that's what you do. :)

We've pushed the cabinet design and purchase back a bit, because it's unclear if Sam's team will be doing this work, or if we'll do it ourselves. It's relatively straightforward.  

Current Status

It's really shocking how "finished" the basement looks, just after adding the flooring and window casings. 

I expect that adding doors will be a similar leap forward. 

The basement also looks brighter, just by virtue of adding the NuCore floor. 

Yesterday, for the first time, I had the feeling that people might actually want to spend time in the basement. 

It feels like a real living space, instead of an underground den.  

We've definitely increased the value of our house by adding a bedroom and bathroom - but more importantly, we've increased the value of the house to US. 

It seems that for as long as we live in this house, this basement will be a primary gathering place for our kids and their friends - just like my own basement was when I was growing up. 

I'm just glad we went with the spill-proof floor.