Our basement renovation

[Elaine]

My husband and I are about to tackle one of the biggest jobs (besides parenthood) we've ever done. Full demolition and renovation of our basement including a small bathroom. Normally this wouldn't be a huge challenge but we have a 2 year old and I'm almost 12 weeks pregnant so we have limited time to do it (weekends only) and we have a deadline (next April). Sounds an awful lot like the job I left when my son was born...

Short version, on July 24th our basement was flooded with about 2-3 inches of water (storm sewer backed up) and along with losing most of the things we had in the basement the bottom 2 feet of drywall was removed from most of the walls. We were one of of 500 homes in our neighbourhood and roughly 1000 homes in total that were flooded.

Yesterday I talked to our insurance adjuster and she was sending in our request for a cheque to cover the structural damage from the insurance company (contents and appliances are not included in this pay-out). This means we can FINALLY start demolition!

Main room:
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o193/Laineys_Pics/Reno%20WIP/DSC04460-1.jpg

Back room and bathroom (computer space is to the left and behind me):
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o193/Laineys_Pics/Reno%20WIP/DSC04464-1.jpg

We're not quite sure what the end result will be yet but we've got 2 plans laid out. Both involve the removal of the wall separating the two rooms (on the right side of the top picture). That's going to fun. I've got a hammer, lots of frustration (I'm a SAHM with a toddler...) and I'm ready to start smashing through some drywall.

This will be a work in progress of our adventures in renovating. I'll post pics as we go so I can track the progress. My brothers and BIL will be helping us and I'm foreseeing several close calls but pure entertainment at the same time. As long as I'm not within their reach I'll be fine...

[Ashley]

Wow, what a project!! I think we're going to need a picture of you swinging the hammer through the wall :hehe: Great blog Elaine!!

[Jojo]

Great blog story. And like Ashley said get some pics of you with your smashing hammer ;)

[Ashley]

Posted on the blog :hula:

[Farah]

Oooooooh this will be a fun one!

[Elaine]

This weekend marked the beginning of the basement demo. We started with the simple move of a switch. Building code dictates that the power switch for the furnace must be in the same room as the furnace. Our switch wasn't and to save the $100 to have it moved by the furnace guys we did it ourselves.

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o193/Laineys_Pics/Reno%20WIP/DSC04591-1.jpg

Next came the tear down of the horrid, ugly ceiling tiles. Great if you're 6 feet tall but it sucks if you're 5 feet tall. My husband walked through the room with a crowbar pulling down the tiles while I had to stand on my tip-toes to barely reach them or stand on a stool, pry the tile down, get off the stool, move the stool and start the prying process over again. I gave up after 3 tiles and moved on to pulling off trim from around the ceiling.

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o193/Laineys_Pics/Reno%20WIP/DSC04587-1.jpg

You know, there's nothing like smashing a hammer through a wall and not getting in trouble for it. We took turns smacking the wall until we were able to pull most of one sheet off. This was just an brief initiation to the actual demolition that we'll be doing in the next few weeks. This week I'll be removing all the power outlet covers, light switch covers and phone jack covers so we can get down to business next weekend.

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o193/Laineys_Pics/Reno%20WIP/DSC04586-1.jpg

I'll give previous owner credit for doing his own home reno's but he could have at least done them right. We're going to have to hire an electrician to check all the wiring down there because MacGyver didn't have a clue what he was doing when he added light fixtures and outlets and the place looks like a fire trap. When we moved in he had the dryer hot wired directly to the wire from the breaker box. We had to put in the special outlet ourselves. When we tore down a small wall we discovered that one of the light switches is much the same (no electrical box, the wires go directly to the switch).

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o193/Laineys_Pics/Reno%20WIP/DSC04593-1.jpg

We also found a light box hidden behind the ceiling tiles full of a bazillion wires and we're not sure what they're for.

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o193/Laineys_Pics/Reno%20WIP/DSC04594-1.jpg

There's some really scary stuff down there. Yup, time to call in a professional...

[Ashley]

Thanks Elaine!! I have this saved as a draft for tomorrow! :hula:

[Andrea]

Can't wait to see the finished product! We need a pic of you in a tool belt with the hammer!:D

[Farah]

:hula: Where's the pic of you beating the crud out of it?

[Elaine]

For the DIY blog carnival... Pics will be added tomorrow evening for round 4.

===============================

We have wanted to redo our basement since we bought our house 7 years ago but never had the time, money or the motivation to do it. At the end of July our basement, along with about a thousand other homes in our neighbourhood and surrounding area, was flooded after heavy rain. Luckily no raw sewage (gag) just rain water but no one could guarantee that there was nothing damaging in the water so virtually everything it came into contact with had to go. Suddenly we had the motivation and the money to redo the basement. Time, not so much, but motivation and money, yes. With my husband working full-time, a 2 1/2 year old boy terror running around and a new baby due come the spring (we were out buying a pregnancy test when the basement flooded, actually, and wouldn't have known about it if our neighbour hadn't asked us when we pulled into the driveway), time is something we don't have a lot of.

So, you know all that stuff you pitch into a room/closet/in our case basement that you'll "get to later"? Well, we were forced to "get to it". A lot of it was tossed in the garbage as was all the furniture which was great because most of the furniture was old and crappy anyway.

~ Round 1 ~

Restoration company rips out bottom two feet of drywall throughout the rooms. We clean out all the junk that had accumulated over the years and toss all the furniture.

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o193/Laineys_Pics/Reno%20WIP/DSC04460-1.jpg

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o193/Laineys_Pics/Reno%20WIP/DSC04464-1.jpg

~ Round 2 ~

Tear down walls, ceiling and remove the bathroom. Make a mental note to force all those helping to wear face masks so they're not inhaling the minute dust particles floating in the air...

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o193/Laineys_Pics/Reno%20WIP/DSC04762.jpg

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o193/Laineys_Pics/Reno%20WIP/DSC04769.jpg

Attempt to figure out what the heck the previous owner did with the wiring. *scary*

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o193/Laineys_Pics/Reno%20WIP/DSC04594-1.jpg

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o193/Laineys_Pics/Reno%20WIP/DSC04593-1.jpg

~ Round 3 ~

Remove the remnants of torn up linoleum left on the concrete floor because previous owner glued it down. For the record, this sucks. There is no easy way to do it and believe me, we tried all sorts of things. We used a heat gun and tried to scrape it up; incredibly slow going. We poured boiling water on it and tried to scrape it up; slower than the heat gun. We tried a blow torch; slow going and emitted a horrible odour. Finally we pulled out a belt sander and after filling our entire house with dust (note to self - cover ALL vents when we start sanding the drywall) the linoleum foam and glue was gone. *Happy dance* After the dust has settled we cleaned the floor, primed it and sealed it with paint.

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o193/Laineys_Pics/Reno%20WIP/DSC05261.jpg

This is what happens when you put too much pressure on a cheap paint roller handle. Snapped off at almost the base of the handle forcing the person who snapped it (AKA my husband) to finish half the floor on his hands and knees.

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o193/Laineys_Pics/Reno%20WIP/DSC05279.jpg

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o193/Laineys_Pics/Reno%20WIP/DSC05330.jpg

~ Round 4 ~

Put up new insulation that meets the R requirements to get a refund from the government. *Another happy dance* Frame the exterior of the room. Take a stab at the so called laundry room and see what sort of damage we can do to the remaining drywall (that's behind many pipes and wiring).

Apparently the floor was a little messy so Ben took care of it...
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o193/Laineys_Pics/Reno%20WIP/DSC05355.jpg

Nothing is work when a compressor and nail gun are involved.
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o193/Laineys_Pics/Reno%20WIP/DSC05368.jpg

I do believe the end is in sight. *Yet another happy dance* We still have a long way to go but once the walls are up it starts to become fun. How often are you given a big cheque and told to buy all new stuff? After the government rebates (for making our house more energy efficient) and tax credits we'll get a good portion of the money we pay out back. *Final happy dance* Now if only there was a way to get a little more time (like 3 day weekends) so we could have the work done by Christmas.

[Jojo]

Looking good Elaine! :hula::hula:

[Ashley]

Wohoo, looking good!! I'm going to have to bring y'all down when we finally stop moving :hehe: Good luck on continuing on!! :hula:

[Ashley]

Posted!! :hula: http://mothershideaway.blogspot.com/

[Andrea]

Looks great! You've been busy!

[Farah]

Looking good!! :hula: How long until you think it's finished?

[Elaine]

We were hoping to have it done before Christmas but I don't know that it's going to happen. Sometime in January is my guess. Framing the outside walls will be finished this weekend and possibly the interior walls too (bathroom and laundry room) but that's a little tricky so it may take longer. Next Saturday is booked (November birthdays), the Saturday after that is booked (Santa Claus parade), and that brings us to almost the middle of December. It all depends what can be done this weekend and those 2 weekends in December before Christmas.

Sorry for the novel. :blush: I guess I could have just left it at the first sentence, eh? :hehe:

[Ashley]

Good luck this weekend!

[Elaine]

The end is (almost) in sight! It's been a long haul and with the start of April deadline looming overhead my husband (with a lot of help from my brother, brother-in-law and father-in-law) has been working his tail off to get this done as soon as possible. A few more sheets of drywall work, a little more plumbing, a ceiling :hehe:, some final touches and we'll be ready for paint! :hula:

We've gone from this:
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o193/Laineys_Pics/Reno%20WIP/DSC04460-1.jpg

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o193/Laineys_Pics/Reno%20WIP/DSC04464-1.jpg

To this:
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o193/Laineys_Pics/Reno%20WIP/DSC05330.jpg

To this:
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o193/Laineys_Pics/Reno%20WIP/DSC05375.jpg

To this:
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o193/Laineys_Pics/Reno%20WIP/IMG_0287.jpg

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o193/Laineys_Pics/Reno%20WIP/IMG_0288.jpg

[Carmen]

:hula:Making progress!

[Ry&ChansMommy]

Looking good!!!!:hula:

[Ashley]

Wohoo!! :hula:

[Farah]

Not bad! When do you think it'll be finished?

[Elaine]

Finished? Never. :hehe:

Apparently the ceiling is the easiest part to do so once the fiddly things are done (the bathroom plumbing being one of them), the walls have been painted and the floor has a final coat of sealer we can do the ceiling. My guess is it won't be finished until the end of February. It's tough when you've only got one day a week to work on it. :sigh:

[Heather]

Hey, well at least it's coming along, right? I know you'll be so glad when it's done.

[Andrea]

Looking good!:))