Nope, not this blog. The basement!
When we bought our house, we knew full well that the term "finished basement" was being used pretty loosely in the property assessment. Painted wood paneling and industrial carpet just didn't do much for us, and when our window well failed to drain one year during a heavy storm, we ended up ripping off a wall of that lovely paneling and removing a section of the carpet. Don't let the pictures fool you, it was nasty.
Since that time, we've used the basement for nothing more than laundry and storage. Occasionally, our out of town guests would sleep on the extra-long full bed that was kept down there, but those times were few and far between. It really hasn't been a place of comfort.
Plus the basement has always been a small safety concern. We knew that there must have been a history there, things that weren't always seen. The musty smell has been somewhat overpowering. And the fact that our lighting was rigged with extension cords? Not good. Not to mention the toilet has been out of commission for the past year. The idea of continuing to use that space for actually
living just didn't seem wise. So we started to research.
Two years ago we brought in our first expert, and after coming face to face with some rather large-numbered quotes, we paused on our momentum to forge ahead. In the meantime, we often wondered if remodeling the basement would be something the two of us could handle. After all, we know some very handy friends who might be able to help out. But it never came to that.
We weren't confident enough in our own abilities, nor were we willing to compromise six months of weekends to get it done. After all, this wasn't the same as installing crown molding, putting in a closet system or hanging a new light fixture. Friends or not, we knew a project this extensive was not for us.
After a winter of closeness in our small living room, we started looking around once again for professionals to quote the job. And as God would have it, Scott ran into a church acquaintance at Lowe's who, at the time, was having his kitchen remodeled. A two minute exchange in the store that afternoon landed us here today with a remarkable young man who not only owns his own business, but has a degree in architecture.
Our "basement guy", as Morgan calls him, is a perfect fit for us. He is meticulous in his work and has promised to go the extra mile. When he voluntarily told me he'd be vacuuming out the floor joists before installing the new drop ceiling, it was music to my ears!
Today is the first day of the project. Our basement was demolished in four hours, and it was a fascinating process. Scott and I were downstairs a few times to see the progression and both blown away at what "bare bones" truly means.
Here are some pictures detailing this journey. If you've ever seen our basement, you know what an enormous change this is. We're excited to watch it all unfold and share the process with you along the way.
Shots of the basement, fully loaded, from two weeks ago:
Phase two, the empty basement:
And the view you've all be waiting for, Demo Day:
(I'm standing in the bathroom to take this photo!)
(old bath and dryer area)
(old washer and tub area, plus storage under the steps)
The only treasure found during demolition (other than vintage tin ant traps) was a family signature from 1972. The names of Frank, Joy, Denise, Jeff and Melissa are written below. Our neighbor, an original settler, still keeps in contact with this family and has happily shared a bit of house history with us already. It's fun to imagine another family living within these walls nearly 40 years ago!
Stay tuned for more progress pictures!
