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.

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.

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)

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

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.

Get it in Writing
Any expert in building, construction, law or any business will tell you that a safe way to handle any agreement is to get everything in writing. Ask the Builder columnist Tim Carter stresses the importance of this and even recommends using email as an easy way to get a written record. Try using email to communicate important points with your basement contractor, and then save the emails to your hard drive and to a disk and print them out.

Carter also suggests taking notes during a meeting with your basement contractor. Ask the contractor if he is able to complete the job in a certain amount of time. If he says no, ask what can be done to get the work finished sooner. Once you get the answer you want, pause and write down the notes. Carter says that the contractor will see you writing and make a mental note telling him that you will not forget what was said. A paper trail will also be helpful to you if you ever need to take legal action. Keep a collection of letters, photos, emails and other paperwork, and invest in a copy of the current building codes so you can spot any building code violations while the work is being done.

Pay Later
Tim Carter strongly suggests working out a fair, timely payment plan with your contractor. He also cautions against contractors that may be using your money to pay bills from jobs they finished months ago. Don’t end up a victim! Do your research and ask questions before hiring a contractor to ensure that he is knowledgeable and trustworthy. Don’t be afraid to give him an interview beforehand, as he is trying to get a job after all. Making sure that the company is licensed and insured and even members of trustworthy organizations, such as the Better Business Bureau, are ways to help ensure that you’re going to get what you pay for.

What They Can Do for You
A trustworthy, professional, financially stable basement contractor can be a huge help to you if you decide to remodel your basement. He will provide important and beneficial advice that can only come from an expert. Doityourself.com recommends using a basement contractor to get advice on amenities you would like to add to your basement such as a bathroom or kitchenette. Just keep in mind that the more features you decide to add to the room, the more expensive the project will become. Make sure you have enough money to cover everything you want to do. Many well-established contractors – the ones you want to do business with – offer financing plans to help with the payments.

A contractor can also help you with moisture control in your basement, or even if you have a wet basement to begin with. Before starting any basement remodeling project, it’s imperative that moisture is eliminated, and a contractor can ensure that your basement is properly insulated and vented. If you want the best for your basement, go with a Total Basement Finishing contractor. These contractors will provide you with a top-quality floor, ceiling and walls to make your basement dry, clean and safe. And with dealers all over the country, we’re bound to have just what you need right where you need it. Get your free quote today and let us help you make your basement beautiful!

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!

By Francine Maglione

Everyone’s feeling the strain in these stressful economic times, especially homeowners looking to do some affordable decorating or any home renovations. When your budget is tight, decorating may be the last thing on your mind. But there are ways to remodel and redesign areas of your home while not wasting all of your hard-earned cash. Make even your most frugal friends jealous with these penny-pinching plans for home decorating.

Like New
One thrifty home remodeling technique is to reuse and recycle materials. Reuse old fabric and material from clothing or blankets to make pillows or lamp shades. You can also take old furniture and redecorate it to make it more modern or to match the current theme or color scheme of your room. You can paint a new finish onto a wood chair, or reupholster an old sofa with new material to make it seem like it was just brought home from the store.

Keep it Simple
For even easier affordable decorating, iVillage has a number of speedy tips that anyone can do. First, if you’re tired with how a room looks, rearrange the furniture! Simply altering the room’s appearance can make it feel almost new. iVillage also recommends adding some paint, some plants (real or fake will do), and even new lamps to brighten up the room. Want to soften a room or add a burst of color and texture? Add an area rug in the center of the room under a coffee table or dining table.

Don’t Waste your Money
Once you’ve finished your home decorating, don’t let all that time and money go to waste due to a poor environment in your home. Air rises through your house, so the condition of your basement can affect your whole home. Moldy, musty air and dampness can wreck havoc on furniture and other parts of your home.

Give us a call or visit us online today and get your free basement remodeling estimate. We can help you get rid of any moisture and mold problems in your basement, and get you the attractive walls, ceiling and flooring you need to make your basement look as good as the rest of your house!

By Francine Maglione

There are many money saving tips out there that can help your bank account in small ways. How you manage your spending and how you make use of what you already have in your home can make all the difference in this fickle economy. Give these tips a try and stop being afraid of your bank statement.

Begin at Home
Money saving tips can be utilized all over your home. The Simple Dollar has a number of great tips to help you stick to your budget. Want to save money on weekends? Invite friends over rather than going out all the time. For the amount of money it would cost to get food and drinks at a restaurant or bar, you could serve a group of friends at your home for much less!

Do you collect something? If your collection has become something that is more out of habit than something that brings you joy, a good money saving tip might be to ease up on it. Maybe put this hobby on hold temporarily until your financial situation has more wiggle room, or even just limit yourself to how much you collect. However, the Simple Dollar warns against cutting out things that you feel strongly about and have a lot of meaning to you, as you’ll have a greater chance of relapsing.

Change Shopping Habits
Oftentimes, a trip to the mall can be viewed as a form of entertainment. However, if every time you leave the mall you’re carrying several shopping bags, it may be time to find some other way to pass the time.

There are few greater temptations then walking through a shopping mall with plastic in your wallet. To keep yourself from spending more than you should, Simple Dollar recommends leaving the credit cards at home and only bringing enough cash as you’ll need. When you’re going shopping, make a list and stick to it. You’ll be less likely to splurge on other items that way. Also, if you’re questioning whether you should make a purchase, use the 30-day rule. Typically, the urge to buy something passes after 30 days.

Make your home work for you and save you money. Keep your house insulated, especially your basement, which is where a lot of heat can escape and cold air can enter. Our Total Basement Finishing System is just what you need, with insulated walls, windows and flooring to keep cold basement air from rising up through your house. Get your free quote today!

To make matters worse, a slow economy is causing people to postpone bigger expenses, and the credit crunch made it harder for potential home buyers to qualify for mortgage loans. As a result, there are tons of homes for sale and not nearly enough qualified buyers.

Sellers trying to move the property quicker, and not willing to lose money on the deal, know that they need to make their property appeal to a home buyer. That means investing some money in improvements in order to make the home easier to sell.

However, not every home improvement actually pays off, as this article in the New Hampshire Magazine states:

Basement waterproofing and finishing, however, remains one of the best investments you can make in your home in this difficult market, especially if you are planning to sell. In a normal market, an unfinished and wet basement is a major deal breaker. In a market with so much competition, it renders your home virtually impossible to sell.

Lets face it: who wants buy a “fixer-upper” when there are so many affordable homes out there in much better condition?

The good news is that finishing your basement with our patented basement finishing system is affordable, and with our flexible payment options, you can do it in your own terms in a way that is comfortable for you. In addition, we offer a transferable warranty at no charge.

Don’t let your basement keep you from selling your home. Contact us for a free estimate.

Among all the necessary steps to take when hiring a basement contractor, asking for and checking a contractor’s references is most commonly overlooked by the homeowners.

Some are not comfortable with the idea of bothering a complete stranger, or calling someone on the phone to ask about the work performance of another. Others just don’t know how to do it, or what to ask.

In our experience, when our customers are really happy with the service, not only will they not feel bothered for having their contact information used as reference but they will be delighted to provide the information requested.

This is why our policy is to offer references right away before you ask for them, and even before your ever get to meet our representative in person. As for exactly what to ask a contractor’s reference, the NAHB (National Association of Home Builders) website has excellent tips:

Ask the homeowners:

• Would you hire this company again?

• Did the remodeler maintain a neat jobsite, provide regular broom clean-up, and haul away debris including personal trash?

• Did the remodeler keep labor and materials delays to a minimum so that your job could be started and completed on time and within budget?

• Did you find the remodeler easy to work with? Did the remodeler keep you informed as the job progressed?

• Did the remodeler supply you with paperwork in a timely fashion?

• How well did the remodeler deal with the problems that arose?

Although those questions were directed to remodeling contractors, we believe they apply to every contractor in the home improvement industry and we strongly encourage you to use them every time you plan on hiring a contractor.