We have been working on the basement for almost a year now. While we in New York and Connecticut at this time last year, our basement flooded. We came home to five inches of water in the basement. We were really bummed because we had just started using the basement. We had bought a tv for the basement over the holidays and we were in the process of making it cozy. We had celebrated G & G's birthday in January last year and we were really enjoying the space. We still have a lot left to do, but we have been making progress. These are some before pictures from when we moved in (or right before).
The point of origin, for all of the damage in the basement, started in this corner in the boys work room, the sump pump. While we were in CT and NY last February, it had warmed up, thawed and then it snowed 14 inches. They think that something got caught in the sump pump, blocked it, and it stopped working. We had about 5 inches of standing water in the basement. Once the boy had a look at the sump pump, jiggled it a bit, it started working again, no problem.
We had everything ripped out of the basement, all the way down to the cement floors and walls. In May, when we had some major storms and tornadoes, we came home from the movies to more water coming into the basement, this time, not from the sump pump, but other areas. Granted it was a big storm and overwhelmed our gutters, but we still had to figure out where the water was coming in from. Between the boy and my dad they got things sealed up. They had already put so much time and effort into hanging sheet rock and drywall, new framing as well as redoing electrical stuff. We also had damp walls from the landscaping, so we spent a good part of the summer fixing that as well. My dad and the boy did use some kind of special paint to seal the walls as well.
Then, in July, when we took off for a weekend at the lake (one of only two weekends at the lake last summer) we had another big storm. Thank goodness this time no water problems. . .or so we thought. That Monday, I went to work from sister J's for the day and then off to dinner with the girls. The boy got home from work that day. . . to a flooded basement. This time the sump pump, which seemed to run all the time, was finally dead. The boy called my dad and they jimmyrigged something to work until we could get a plumber out the next day to install a new pump. This time we decided to go with a super duper pump with a battery back-up and an alarm. It cost a pretty penny, but knowing the kind of damage we could have, we decided it was well worth it.
In the back room, the boy and my dad decided to make two rooms. A work room for the boy, and another room which will eventually be a room for the boy. A library, a study, whatever he wants it to be. (sorry these pictures aren't that great, I have such a hard time with my point and shoot)
A couple of months ago, the boy and my dad finished off the two rooms. The boy painted the floor in his work room, and the best part, put a wine "cellar" closet in for me. We bought the wine rack off of Craigslist for $25. The boy secured it to the wall so that it holds really steady. He also put shelves in to hold our wine glasses for our wine events. We also have quite a bit of Summit, helps to have volunteer duty there. I LOVE my wine closet and even though there are some empty spots, I hope to fill them soon!
Some before shots.
And Afters. . .
The boy has since filled his work room up, with work room stuff. . . and he is working on projects while continuing to work on the basement. The main room is getting closer to being done. I am hoping to have a reveal on the main room soon.
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