A lot of changes have happened this past week. Drywall is up and the mudding (filling the joints between drywall panels) is done. The first round of texture spraying was done yesterday, so it will be ready for paint soon. Met with Marty again to pick out the bar-top surface. Just having the drywall up really helps visualize what the room will look like when complete. Really looking forward to seeing the final product!

Here are a few photos during the drywall phase.

Framing is now finished, and the first inspections are complete.

Inspections:  both electrical inspection and building-code inspection were handled the same day.  I did the walk-through with the inspectors and they both commented on a few of the framing features as being above the normal standard that they see when doing inspections.  Inspections were approved with no fixes required.

Drywall is next.  Marty and I sat down last week to do a few more of the fixtures selection.  This is (for me anyway) a bit difficult, as you are trying to picture what the end-product will look like in a finished room.  When you get to this part of the proc

ess, make sure you have thought through not only cosmetic issues (what color carpet you want), but also try to really picture how you will use the rooms.  If you will be having a particular activity in an area (entertainment room, a space to play games for kids, whatever), try to picture the things that you will need for this and talk it over with Marty.  Little things like remembering to have extra electrical outlets on one wall to power all the electronics, or focused lighting for an area….  having this done before drywall is much better than after!

Basement’s edge stays on-track with their information flow; keeping me informed of what is happening, how it is progressing, and what to expect for the next step.

I am starting this blog to detail my experiences in a basement remodeling project that is being handled by Basement Edge.  I’ll try to keep it relevant to prospective clients who are looking for remodeling work done.

Research:

Basement Edge was referred to me by some close friends who had their basement finished a few years ago.  After calling and receiving quotes from several companies, I decided to go with Basement Edge for this (extensive) project.  Why?

1.  Surprisingly, two of the companies that I called did not return calls, and two of them played phone-tag for a day or two, then never heard from again.  Basement Edge was always very prompt in all communications.

- My thoughts:  if a company is not willing to exert any effort to acquire new business, how can I expect them to conduct the actual business with professionalism?

2.  After seeing the work they had done for my friends, I was very impressed with the attention to detail and overall experience they had.

3.  The quotes that I did receive were all estimates.  Basement Edge was the only company willing to provide a ‘fixed price’ quote that would not creep up as time went on.  Yes, their quote came in higher that some of the estimates, but it is a finite price.  Experience with other companies has taught me that you can expect the ‘estimate’ to creep up significantly during the process so Basement Edge really isn’t more expensive.

Work to be done:  I am starting with an empty shell of a basement.  I will end up with a fully finished basement that will have an entertainment room, wet bar, utility room, exercise room, 3/4 bath and office.  Just a tiny bit of work.

Week 1,2:  Framing.  As you know if you live in the area, the weather has been a bit ‘off’ over the past couple of weeks.  Despite this, framing is on-schedule.  I am amazed by how quickly this part of the process can go.  If I tried this, I would still have a pile of scrap wood and a dozen building-code violations!  The crew that is doing the framing is great.  I stopped by the first few days to chat with them and was impressed with how quickly they are working this project.  When I visit they are polite enough to give me a tour of what they have done, what they are doing, why they are doing it, and what will happen next.  I realized that this is getting in their work-flow, so have learned to stay out of their way.  Framing is almost complete, new water lines are run (for bathroom and bar) and the ductwork for the heating / AC looks about done.

Issues?  One one small hickup so far.  During the electrical install, some outlets upstairs lost power (possibly due to installing the conduit?)  As you can imagine, having this much work done will never be without minor problems here and there.  I contacted Marty and she had it fixed the next day.  No drama.  (the only reason the crew didn’t notice it in the first place is that the area affected is inside the house, where they do not have access.

Other things:  Marty and I have met a few times now to start picking out some of the finishing pieces.  Bathroom fixtures, cabinets, tile, etc.  Good selection of options and if I have had questions on other options, she quickly comes up with samples so I can see them.

-Brian