Keep the dust down

Make sure that you or your basement contractor take these steps before starting the remodeling work.

Move all personal belongings out of the basement. If there is no room and they have to stay in the basement move them into an area that is not being finished and cover them well with plastic. It’s also good to hang plastic over the crawl space openings and Install a wall of plastic around the mechanicals area (furnace, hot water tank, etc.). Make sure when you do this that you leave enough room for the furnace and other gas appliances to breath. Stay at least 4 ft away from all of the mechanicals. You can also buy a system called a    ZipWall   that makes it easy to block off areas from dust.

Make sure the door at the top of the stairs is always kept closed when not in use. Open a basement window and place a fan in the window blowing out. This will create a vacuum in the room and blow a majority of the dust outside. Then when the door on the upstairs is opened the dust in the air will be drawn down and out the fan in the basement window instead of upstairs.

When installing the return air lines in the basement make sure you stuff a towel into the opening or tape them off with duct tape. Otherwise your sending all that dust and debris straight into the furnace and throughout your home. Make sure to remove the towel or tape when the basement remodeling is complete then you can install the return air grills

Change your furnace filter several times throughout the project. It is best to change the filter once after the drywall is done, after the painting and after carpet and your final cleaning. This will help cut down on dust in the upstairs and save your furnace. When all that dust gets into the furnace it gets into the blower motor and burns it up.

And finally when your basement is done hire a professional duct cleaning company. They will come and vacuum out the all the construction dust in the air supply and return lines in your furnace. Otherwise you might be seeing dust in your house for the next several months after the project is completed.

For more information on basement remodeling explore  BasementSource.com

So here are my recommendations.
1. Change out your existing pump with a high quality pump like the Zoeller M53 Automatic Mighty Mate 1/3 hp Sump Pump

2. Buy a battery backup system to install or have your contractor do it. The two I recommend are the following:
Standard- Glentronic’s Bw4000 Combination Primary and Back-up Sump Pump System
Best- SUMPRO Gold Complete Battery Back-up System w/ 2 Batteries (5000 GPH) – SPD- SUMPROGOLDKIT
(Most systems require you buy the batteries separate but you normally get the best deal from a local dealer like interstate batteries or an auto part store.)

3. Always, Always, Always have you battery backup system installed on a seperate breaker from your existing sump pump. If for some reason one of the breakers trips the other one should still function.

4. Normally the batteries only last for about 4 years so keep track of when you installed it and when its due for replacement. 

Always use a backup sump pump in your finished basement

Author: David Michael

The cabinetry and styles utilized for constructing basement bars often have more personality than cabinetry utilized in other rooms of the home.  The homeowner feels free to create a more dramatic space in which their personal style can be expressed without the resale fears present when designing a kitchen or other predominant space in the home.  The cabinetry style typically falls into one of the following three categories: traditional, contemporary, or transitional family friendly.

            Traditional cabinet styles and finishes are often used to create a pub style bar.  Typically a designer would suggest a door style with lots of detail and applied moldings in a darker wood species and stain for this style.  One way a homeowner can add their personal touch to this style is by ordering the cabinets with distressing or in a rustic wood species.  These options give the cabinetry an older more authentic appearance with use of sand through, worm holes, and dents.  Decorative wood overlays are another way the homeowner can add their personality to the bar.  The overlays make cabinetry appear handcrafted; their intricacy makes the cabinets appear that they are custom built by an artisan.  Homeowners should also consider the type of storage they will need in their basement bar.  Typically in a traditional bar you will find stemware holders displaying wine glasses and lighted cabinets with glass doors displaying liquor bottles. 

            A basement bar found in a contemporary home is typically thought of as very simple; design flair and personality are not added necessarily by the intricacy of the cabinets, like in the traditional bar.  These qualities are added by the accessories and cabinet finishes.  Vertical lift door cabinets are being offered by most mid-level and up cabinet companies.  This type of cabinet hinging is considered a more contemporary alternative to the typical hinging.  Integrated appliances fitted with matching cabinet panels, creates a seamless and simplistic design—the bar may house a clear ice maker and the appliance would appear to be just another cabinet.  Putting a dramatic finish on a contemporary door style will also create style and personality—cabinet manufacturers are offering bolder and a larger selection of paints and finishes.  Although, a homeowner may fall in love with Washington Red Cherry paint, she may feel apprehensive about using it in her kitchen, but in a basement bar she can use the color that she loves.

            A family friendly basement bar is possible with some of the options that cabinet manufacturers have.  Typically family friendly cabinetry serves a dual purpose: storage for adult items as well as children’s items.  The cabinets will often have roll trays and other interior accessories for games and children’s snack items.  The adult cabinet storage available consists of locked liquor cabinets, as well as a safe out of reach cabinets for glass stemware.  The most popular cabinet styles in family basement bars are simple in style so they are low maintenance and require little cleaning.

There is a great kitchen design book that can help you to design your space. Its Design Ideas for Kitchens (2nd edition) This book talks about layouts, cabinet types & styles, energy efficient appliances, hot new countertop ideas, and more. There is plenty of useful information that you can apply to the design of your new wetbar.

For more information or purchasing cabinets visit www.thecabshop.com

For more basement remodeling tips visit BasementSource

For basement remodeling in Ohio we normally use a R-13 insulation with vapor barrier. You can buy it at any or your local home improvement stores. Its also a good idea to check the local building codes before you get started on your basement remodel or purchasing any of the insualtion materials. Codes usually vary from city to city.

**Before installing the insulation you need to make sure you have completed the framing, rough electric & low voltage, rough plumbing, and HVAC work, and fire stopping.

When installing the insulation you will need the following.

• Dust mask  ( You’ll need these for drywall too )
• Razor knife
• Stapler or Smack Stapler
• Tape measure
• Rubber Gloves

We normally wear long pants and long sleeve shirts because it will irritate the skin. If it gets on your skin rinse and soap with cold water. This will help to avoid opening the pores on your skin.

You install the insulation in between all of the joist spaces on the framed walls. Sometimes you need to cut both the length and width to get them to fit. You never want to make the insulation packed into the space or touching the concrete wall. If it’s too tight you will lose the insulation R-value and if it touches the concrete wall it could pick up moisture and create a mold issue.

If you want to install insulation in the ceiling it will help to control noise transfer to the upstairs. This is always a good idea if your installing a home theater or media room. You will need to remove the paper vapor barrier from the insulation or buy it unfaced. That keeps from having any extra combustible materials inside the ceiling cavities.

Normally after we finish the rolled insulation we go back and fill all the corner joints on the wall framing and around windows or doors with spray foam insulation. Just make sure to buy the spray foam for doors and windows. Otherwise it can expand too much and cause you doors or windows to not open or close properly.

Once your insulation is done your ready for drywall.