Tuesday, June 2, 2009

30 Feet of Wall

After completing the kitchen renovation last fall and seeing the transformation from 1980's to the 21st century, we got it into our heads to finish the basement. Currently, our basement is 1500 square feet of concrete. Mainly used as storage, the basement also houses my crafting area, workout area and a workbench for Justin. Because we didn't want the cost of an architect or contractor, the first step in finishing the basement was putting together a floor plan. (And after doing the kitchen by ourselves, we felt pretty confident in our remodeling capabilities.) Justin even put together a blog dedicated to tracking the basement progress. His blog hasn't been recently updated, so here's the latest news.

Wood has been delivered.
Nail gun has been purchased.
Thirty feet of framing has been erected along the longest wall.

Last night, we (meaning Justin) moved cables that were hanging down from the ceiling. Because we're planning to do a drywall ceiling on half of the basement, we need to make sure cable wiring won't get in the way.

The neatest part of the renovation is seeing it come together. Knowing that we are doing the hard work gives such a feeling of accomplishment. Obstacles are overcome. Problems are solved. And being our own contractors allow us to make changes as we go. Move a closet from one wall to another? No problem! A wet bar at the last minute? Sure!

We heard horror stories from family and friends about the duration of finishing a basement without contractors. Five years. Ten years. However, we have high hopes to get it done by Halloween, so we can hold another terrifyingly awesome party. That gives us five months to get everything done. Think we can do it? Stay tuned and find out!

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