Creating a Kitchen in the Basement

Posted by cynthia on Jul 27, 2011 in Basement Design, Basement Finishing, Basement Finishing Contractors, Basement Finishing Permits, Finished Basement Ideas, Home Improvement, Uncategorized |

By Elizabeth Gormley

A kitchen, or kitchenette, in a finished basement has some great advantages.  Maybe you are housing guests, in-laws, a nanny, or you have a tenant living in your finished basement.

A kitchen downstairs allows privacy as well as extraordinary functionality in your home.

Also, a new modern kitchen is one of the most effective ways to add value to your home, and looking to the finished basement is a great way to go at a fraction of the cost an addition would be.

A new kitchen is a tall task for even the most accomplished do-it-yourself homeowner.  Much of the design and execution of the kitchen should be handled by a contractor.  This is particularly true when it comes to installing cabinetry, counters, and new appliances.

Because a kitchen of any sort poses some challenges such as plumbing, grease, smells, noise and cooking fumes, as well as some hazards concerning fire safety, consult your local building and fire codes to see what they recommend and what kind of permits you will need to build your basement kitchen safely and up to code.

One of the reasons homeowners are wary of a kitchen basement is the possibility of flooding.  The appliances are expensive, and the right amount of water can ruin your refrigerator, oven or dishwasher.  It is imperative to seal and waterproof your basement before getting started.  Also, consider that a kitchen is the most common place for a house fire.  There should be an easy escape route, aside from the main stairway.  If there is not, you will need to create one.

The proper ventilation is key in a basement kitchen.  Think about how cooking odors can linger in your upstairs kitchen, and realize the basement is below ground level.  It will be much more susceptible to trapping smells.  Plan on installing a ventilation hole in the side of the basement.  This will be effective against cooking scents and also condensation.  For ventilation and safety, the kitchen should not be tucked into an interior corner of the basement.  It should have at least one wall with open air behind it.

Even if you do not have a tenant or live-in downstairs, a kitchen basement is ultra-convenient in today’s modern home.  Particularly if you have a basement home theater, have friends over for movie night or Sunday football games.  You can fetch snacks and beverages in seconds, with the fridge and oven just a few steps away.

For help with your basement finishing project, enlist the help of one of our skilled Total Basement Finishing contractors! They offer free design consultation, offer full-service basement remodeling and will help you  obtain the necessary permits.

Water Filters: the perfect addition to any kitchen or bathroom

Posted by cynthia on Jul 26, 2011 in Home Improvement, Uncategorized |

By Francine Maglione

You’ve repainted, refinished and even hung up a few pictures, so what else can you do to make your kitchen or bathroom complete? Add a water filter! Go green in your kitchen by forgetting about bottled water and installing a water filter on your sink’s faucet. Your water will be healthy and tasty, and the filter will save you money because you won’t have to keep buying expensive bottled water.

More importantly, decreasing your use of water bottles will help the environment in a big way. Water bottles pile up in landfills and take up space, so if you need to take water with you, buy a reusable thermos. You can wash it when you need to and continuously use it for years!

The Refill Not Landfill organization reports that 80 percent of water bottles end up in the trash or a landfill. They also report that transporting bottled water long distances burns large amounts of fossil fuels, not to mention that it adds to air pollution. If everyone avoided bottled water for one week, it would save 24 million bottles!

New West Gypsum Recycling, Inc., reports that more than 1.5 million barrels of petroleum go into the production of the 38 billion plastic water bottles Americans throw away every year. And according to filterforgood.com, one Brita pitcher filter can replace about 300 plastic bottles that you and your family would have used and thrown away. Give this tip a try and get a step closer to “living green.” While you’re at it, add a filter to your bathroom sink for those middle-of-the-night trips for a glass of water.

Check out the rest of our website for more basement remodeling ideas.

10 Tips for Living Environmentally Friendly

Posted by cynthia on Jul 26, 2011 in Home Improvement, Uncategorized |

By Francine Maglione

1. Make the jump to fluorescent lighting; it uses about a quarter as much energy as incandescent lighting and can last many times longer.
2. Use phosphate-free detergents; they get clothes just as clean, but are gentle on the environment.
3. Paper or plastic? Neither! Bring reusable bags to the grocery store.
4. Pass on harsh drain cleaners for a more eco-friendly approach such as pouring baking soda mixed with a half cup of vinegar down the drain followed by boiling water.
5. Overloaded with free coffee mugs? Use one in your bathroom as a toothbrush holder or mouthwash mug.
6. Drink filtered water and take a thermos with you to minimize waste made by water bottles.
7. For small paint jobs, mix old paint colors together instead of buying more.
8. Dont fall asleep with the TV on.
9. Redecorating? Go vintage! Buying vintage furniture requires no additional resources and eases the load on landfills.
10. Eliminate drafts around windows, doors and garage doors to conserve heat and AC.

(Tips compiled from TreeHugger and Planet Green)

Tips on Paying Your Contractor

Posted by cynthia on Jul 26, 2011 in Basement Finishing, Basement Finishing Contractors, Basement Renovations, Home Improvement, Uncategorized |

By Francine Maglione

When it comes to coughing up payment to your basement contractor, things can go sour quickly. Is the contractor going to take your money and run? Are you stiffing an honest contractor out of hard-earned money? Too often, the problem lies with the contract and a vague description of payment terms and conditions.

Tim Carter of “Ask the Builder” believes that the best way to pay a contractor is to agree on periodic payments that are based on the amount of work completed. Carter advises against paying for work that has not been performed and recommends getting a breakdown of costs from the contractor before the job begins.

You must also remember to always have enough money to complete the unfinished tasks so you aren’t left with bills you can’t pay and an incomplete job. One suggestion Carter makes is to use a tiebreaker clause in your contract. This has the parties agree on an independent inspector who will give a ruling on the quality of the work done and settle any disputes between the contractor and homeowner.

To read more about Tim Carter’s tips for paying a contractor, check out these “Ask the Builder” columns:

Tips on Paying Contractors

The Other Side of the Fence – Be Fair to a Contractor

When to Pay a Contractor

Basement Contractors: Hiring Tips and Tricks

Posted by cynthia on Jul 26, 2011 in Basement Finishing, Basement Finishing Contractors, Basement Renovations, Home Improvement, TBF Dealers, Uncategorized |

By Francine Maglione

Imagine a contractor working on your basement. You hired him and gave him the down payment that he requested. The work takes weeks and you feel like nothing is really getting done. He keeps asking for more money and you keep shelling it out hoping it will motivate him to finish. Months later he stops showing up and your basement is either not finished or was hastily completed with shoddy workmanship and cut corners, leaving you helpless and broke. You’ve been had. How could you have prevented this in the first place?

One of the most difficult parts of any building or remodeling job might be hiring a contractor. With such a harsh stigma attached to them, finding a trustworthy basement contractor can be a frightening task. Follow these tips and maybe your search will get a little easier.

Basement Ceilings: How they affect your whole house

Posted by cynthia on Jul 26, 2011 in Basement Ceiling, Basement Design, Basement Finishing, Basement Finishing Contractors, Basement Renovations, Energy Efficient Basements, Green Basement Finishing, Home Improvement, Uncategorized |

By Francine Maglione

Though you may not realize it, your basement ceiling can affect your entire house. The type of basement ceiling you choose can affect how much noise travels from your basement to the rest of the house, how warm or cold the floor above your basement feels, and how well the ceiling repels moisture and mold keeping it from spreading up through your house.

Silence is Golden
Let’s say you decided to turn your basement into a media room. You’ve got a big-screen TV, surround-sound stereo system, and speakers almost as tall as you are. What’s the problem? Your wife can’t make a phone call without the person on the other line hearing an action movie blaring in the background.

It’s important to make sure your basement ceiling is an adequate sound buffer. Drop tile ceilings create a better sound barrier while allowing you to easily access things like plumbing and cables. Using high-quality material, rather than just drywall, will help block sound. Plus, drywall is an organic material, which isn’t the best material to have in a damp, moisture-ridden environment like a basement. It can attract mold, dust mites and other allergens that will make your basement an unpleasant place to be.

Don’t Get Cold Feet
The quality of your basement ceiling can have an effect on how warm the floor directly above it is. There’s nothing worse than waking up on a cold morning and making your way across a freezing kitchen floor to get some coffee. Many basement ceilings can be insulated to keep those feet of yours warm during those winter months. But to maintain a comfortable temperature in the rest of your house, it’s important to use sturdy, quality materials to finish your basement that will eliminate a cold and damp environment and prevent it from spreading up into the rest of your house.

Go With the Best!
Cold, damp and moldy air can make its way through your basement and up into the rest of your house. To keep this from happening, trust the Total Basement Finishing system for your basement remodeling. We offer two types of basement ceiling tiles, linen and prestige, that are firm and solid with a 30-year warranty against sagging. They also come with crown molding for a sophisticated look, and are compatible with 2×2-foot fluorescent lighting and downlighting.

With our basement finishing system of walls, ceiling tiles, floor tiles and windows, your basement will quickly become your favorite room in the house. Get a free quote today and learn how we can help you make your basement beautiful!