I knew you could 'handle' it. 
Are You Handy? 2
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^Would you quit bein' a knob? 
Bein' a knob is part o' the job. 
Until the 23rd Century when all the doors slide open automatically; then all the knobs will be out of jobs.
Until the 23rd Century when all the doors slide open automatically; then all the knobs will be out of jobs.
Here's a few update pics -
^ To prepare the window wells for tiling, I used backerboard all around. However, the exposed back walls in each window are very rough and uneven so I decided to frame in a facing surface to avoid having to tile it directly. The pink insulation lays directly on the foundation wall and in the next photo...
you see the frame sealed over with backerboard. This window is going to get a glass frame replacement and the frame will get a new coat of paint as well as new fixtures. Next spring those ugly out door window wells will get dug out so there will be a bit more sky to look at.
^ We managed to get a coat of paint around the room this weekend and I'll try and get two more coats on next week. It's an off-white, sandy color called Biloxi.
^ We got our first panel of ceiling up today!! No drop-ceiling in my basement, thanks
^ another view. It's nice to see the floor joists and electric wiring finally go away. This picture better shows the coat of Biloxi.
^ I am so glad these doors are finally done. They came out really well and I got the door knobs on yesterday.
^ On the bar end, we finally got the back shelf nailed in. It's premium pine and will get a clear stain. I put a few tiles up in the picture so you can see how the whole wall will eventually look.
^ To prepare the window wells for tiling, I used backerboard all around. However, the exposed back walls in each window are very rough and uneven so I decided to frame in a facing surface to avoid having to tile it directly. The pink insulation lays directly on the foundation wall and in the next photo...
you see the frame sealed over with backerboard. This window is going to get a glass frame replacement and the frame will get a new coat of paint as well as new fixtures. Next spring those ugly out door window wells will get dug out so there will be a bit more sky to look at.
^ We managed to get a coat of paint around the room this weekend and I'll try and get two more coats on next week. It's an off-white, sandy color called Biloxi.
^ We got our first panel of ceiling up today!! No drop-ceiling in my basement, thanks
^ another view. It's nice to see the floor joists and electric wiring finally go away. This picture better shows the coat of Biloxi.
^ I am so glad these doors are finally done. They came out really well and I got the door knobs on yesterday.
^ On the bar end, we finally got the back shelf nailed in. It's premium pine and will get a clear stain. I put a few tiles up in the picture so you can see how the whole wall will eventually look.
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^^ Freaking awesome. I'll be behind you, soon, with some updates to my projects.
I thought Biloxi was blue. 
Looks great. Everything is coming together.
Looks great. Everything is coming together.
cool
The ceiling panel was extremely difficult. We used clamps but they only helped somewhat. Near where the edges meet drywall I used flat head nails that will get covered, but a friend of mine suggest finishing all the rest with small phillips head screws in case we need to ever take a panel down. He also said to draw out where all the wiring and piping is before finishing it. Don't try this at home, kids - this is backbreakingLooks great. Everything is coming together.
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I will follow your advice and never try this at home. Or anywhere else. 
Not much progress recently on the basement project. I've had to put some weekends in at work which limits what time I can spend down there. There is a big transition going on at work as well, which is causing a lot of stress. Also, my ex-wife is costing me a small fortune in legal fees so I've had to basically stop spending for the basement and that sucks. Yesterday we got the second sheet of ceiling tile up. I had already cut the hole for the new track lights so we finished wiring it up and... voila !!
they work I think the former owner would have a heart attack if he saw what we we're doing to his bleak old dungeon/workshop
they work
I think the former owner would have a heart attack if he saw what we we're doing to his bleak old dungeon/workshop
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Loo-keeng good.
Nice. I love track lights like those.
We saved ourselves a lot of pain with the second ceiling panel by pre-drilling the screws and then once it was in place... zip, zip, zipping it in. Today I did a major clean and vacuum down there in order to get the flooring back into place since the dricore blocks have somewhat separated over the past few months while we've been working on it. Once I got all the tongue and grooves back into place, Great Stuff went all around the floor to finally hold it into place and also to seal out any moisture. Two identical unfinished book cases got sanded and clear stained today also for wall mounting in our bedroom - we've had a ton of books stacked on the bedroom floor for a week waiting for this to get done 
A few minor accomplishments over the weekend. Way back when the basement heating vent (sucking pellet stove heat from my living room) was all exposed, I really longed for the day it would all be paneled over and the cover installed. So with the third ceiling panel cut and installed that day finally arrived.
Here is a pic of the three full lengths all zipped in
and a close-up of the far end with the vent cover...
While I was as careful as could be to measure out these cuts, and pretty proud of the results, I failed to consider extending this third panel around and into the little mud room. I saved the cut piece, but it's going to mean adding a piece of strapping in there to seam it all in correctly. No biggie, but I should have thought it out a little better.
Those three ceiling panels got a light sanding and a clear stain to help prevent any mold. On Sunday, all the walls finally got their second and final coat of paint.
To help show how the laminate flooring (in a wood grain), wall color, and floor molding will all look side by side, I put these next few pics together. I don't have any floor molding yet so I laid down some door trim, which will be a similar look, just a little taller off the floor... you get the idea...
^ This floor tile is amazing. We were going to carpet down here, but reconsidered the mold issue, and the cutting, and the whole carpeting process and then just junked the idea. When we found this hard laminate we never looked back. It's going to go in so much faster and easier. Ultimately a much better idea
Here is a pic of the three full lengths all zipped in
and a close-up of the far end with the vent cover...
While I was as careful as could be to measure out these cuts, and pretty proud of the results, I failed to consider extending this third panel around and into the little mud room. I saved the cut piece, but it's going to mean adding a piece of strapping in there to seam it all in correctly. No biggie, but I should have thought it out a little better.
Those three ceiling panels got a light sanding and a clear stain to help prevent any mold. On Sunday, all the walls finally got their second and final coat of paint.
To help show how the laminate flooring (in a wood grain), wall color, and floor molding will all look side by side, I put these next few pics together. I don't have any floor molding yet so I laid down some door trim, which will be a similar look, just a little taller off the floor... you get the idea...
^ This floor tile is amazing. We were going to carpet down here, but reconsidered the mold issue, and the cutting, and the whole carpeting process and then just junked the idea. When we found this hard laminate we never looked back. It's going to go in so much faster and easier. Ultimately a much better idea
^ This floor tile is amazing. We were going to carpet down here, but reconsidered the mold issue, and the cutting, and the whole carpeting process and then just junked the idea. When we found this hard laminate we never looked back. It's going to go in so much faster and easier. Ultimately a much better idea
Yes, the laminate is great. I used the tile look for the laundry room I made.
I really like your wood ceiling. I bought the house with drop ceiling and while it's good for getting to pipes and such it doesn't look as classy.
At work I'm under a drop ceiling all day -- to me they are just the worst. This is far less work for only $20/sheet - and the ceiling will probably total 7 sheets. We won't be covering any piping with this ceiling at all either. My wife's step-dad has a gorgeous sun room off their kitchen with lots of unfinished wainscoting and when I saw it, I knew I wanted a similar ceiling for our basement.Yes, the laminate is great. I used the tile look for the laundry room I made.
I really like your wood ceiling. I bought the house with drop ceiling and while it's good for getting to pipes and such it doesn't look as classy.
Looking good. Did you have much moisture/water in your basement? I have no water at all but it gets damp down there at times when its humid. I looked into a basement system but they wanted like 10 grand for it.
Did you do anything special to treat/prep it? Or just seal it?
Did you do anything special to treat/prep it? Or just seal it?
When we bought it, the inspection revealed only a very minor mold/moisture issue. Remediated for mold myself which was a hellish experience
. To prevent moisture in our basement, we really attacked these 50 year old cinder block walls back in mid '08, exposing any inside cracks with cement and then using a moisture block paint. Then when all the new studs went up, we stapled on a nice vapor barrier that went right down to the floor. The dri-core (subfloor) has a plastic undercarriage with feet so its off the basement floor which allows for ventillation to channel beneath it. Until I can dig up the front wall outside, I still "expect" to see some water come in. In the spring I will attack any cracks from the outside with the proper cement. We just had a HUGE snow melt along that wall and I'm happy to report no water got through so I'm pretty happy. But shit happens -- water is a funny, relentless thing. I have a new de-humidifier that will also run down there in the summer once the whole room is sealed, as well.
When we bought it, the inspection revealed only a very minor mold/moisture issue. Remediated for mold myself which was a hellish experience
If you don't mind, could you PM me the brand/manufadcturers of the materials you used for this stuff? I'm giving serious thought again of finishing a portion of my basement off...
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