| We are enjoying our "new" basement space so much. We knew when we tackled the project that it wouldn't be easy. From dank and moldy, dark and creepy, dirty and cluttered,  |
to...
light and airy,
clean and dry,
Before and after:
This is the basement view from the bottom of the stairs looking straight ahead and to the right.
The biggest difference [besides the mold scrubbed from the walls] are the new windows. Before they were covered with cardboard because they were broken or missing. Can we say classy?
Jeff put in the new windows and also added moulding. The top, faux crown moulding covers an uneven ledger board. The base moulding makes the room feel very finished and I love how it looks.
Another before:
We used this space for storage, but never used it for playing. Besides being very dark because of no windows and poor lighting, it was cold and damp. We [being Jeff] repaired the major leaks with better outside drainage and Damtite on the inside walls. It still felt damp and objects on the floor drew moisture. I had given up hope for ever turning this into a usable space until one of many internet searches produced a product called Dricore.
I did a lot of research and the product seemed to be the answer to all our problems. It protected against small leaks, provided insulation, and added a subfloor that accepts carpet and pad.
 |
| This is the Dricore product after installation and before the carpet |
The Dricore subfloor is a genius solution and I can't say enough good about it! The temperature in the basement rose about 5 degrees and the floor feels solid and warm.
Before and now:
We use this space all the time! The kids enjoy playing down there.
Friends and cousins have a place to run and play.
We are basically done, with just a few details to finish.
Recover the couch, paint the stairs and stairwell walls, and figure out a shelving unit for toys.
This is just lots of fun and I wanted to wait until every last detail was done before the BIG reveal. For now, this is the new functional and fantastic space at our house. Come over and play any time!
9 comments:
#1 rule: no food or drinks in the room!
Looks like your #9 anniversary gift will pay off for years:-) The windows just make it a perfect room.
This is AWESOME! When does your house END? I always wondered who had room for those cool "Pottery Barn" rooms with all the furniture and toy cubbies, you know the ones I mean. I can't wait to see it fully lived in. What a great space!
The basement looks so warm and inviting, what a great addition to your already loveable home.
It looks great! Good job on all that research and finding the right products. Sometimes I wish we had a basement. I don't think the kids would like the crawl space very much but some days... :) Have fun being cool in the summer and having lots of room for the kids to play. We will definitely have to come down sometime and try it out. :) --manda
It's so much fun doing a before and after, isn't it?! What an awesome job creating a space that you will use A LOT! So worth it!! Bravo!
Wow! Love it so much! What I wouldn't give for a room like that instead of having my living room runover by toys!
You guys did a great job! Gotta love hard working, talented and creative husbands!!! I'm sure you will enjoy that space this summer, no more sending your children down to play with mice! :)
What an inviting space. I want to go down there and play! Nicely done.
It looks great! Trim boards and carpet are so nice...wish our basement felt that cozy.
.....I can't wait to see the couch! Janelle
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