A month of my life is missing because it was spent in the Basement

Its been pretty crazy around these parts over the past month.  There was no life that existed beyond the basement.  7 days a week and all free time (aka after work and each weekend) was devoted to working on the basement.

There is so much to catch up on.  Lets start from my last post on 1/20.  Sounds logical. (I'll forewarn you, they are all iPhone pics, which aren't the best, but when you are in the middle of painting whipping out the nice camera isn't that easy) ...

First, floor tile.  We ordered this fabulous montauck black slate tile in 12x24 pieces.  You won't see it here, but the grout color is charcoal.

Then, wall tile.  I had my heart set on subway tile, which luckily doesn't break the bank.  Except, that we decided to tile more than just the shower.  I went with a light gray grout, one because I think it looks cool and two it hides the dirt and grime.

Then there came the paint.  This was probably the one thing Hubs and I didn't initially agree one - I wanted more gray, he wanted more beige.  So I picked out every type of gray, tan, beige, greige color known to mankind.  Surprisingly though, we both narrowed it down in like 5 minutes and picked a color - BMs Annapolis Gray.  I already had my mind set on an accent color - BM's Hale Navy.

Our top three are on the left side, and in the pic below

Didn't get an action shot of the vinyl going in Hubs room, but it looks pretty awesome!

Occupancy sensors were a must in the Storage and Laundry Rooms

A Hale Navy ceiling in the bathroom ... a nice twist

We built some stairs,

And then, finally, finished up with some carpet! (don't mind the mess, we are still unpacking and organizing)

Lets Finish

Unfortunately, that doesn't mean that the basement is complete.  It does, however, mean that the finishers came this past weekend to tape, block, and skim the drywall!  Say what?  You hired someone else to do a little basement work?  Yes, we did.  Drywall finishing is quite an art.  Those that know how to do it can work some miracles!

So, Hubs lined up some great 'artists' (I believe they earn that distinction) ... and wa la.  Where did the miracle happen - well, they were able to completely hide to exposed copper lines, one in the bathroom and the other in the laundry room.

Since then, we have been busy every-single-night after work hanging doors (more to come).  We cut it short tonight so I could finally post an update here.  The guys are back on Saturday to sand the walls, and then we may just be ready for PAINT!  So much easier than hauling and holding 4x8 sheets of drywall over your head.

Stay posted for more ... hopefully in a couple of days, not a couple of weeks.

Basement Close-In

We are reaching that point ... close-in inspection is scheduled for Friday so, really, we are there!  Let me catch you up on progress in the basement.

1. Plumbing - We shifted the waste pipes for the shower and toilet.

That required chipping concrete, digging around the waste pipes, and adding/shifting the pipes.

Adding gravel back and pouring concrete.

Then pouring some leveling compound in the shower area to level our wonky concrete.  This will ensure our shower drains correctly.

Lets not stop there ... we had to modify the vanity waste pipes and hot and cold water supply.  We also added lines for a laundry sink (opposite the bathroom vanity)!

We bought our shower diverter and added hot and cold water supply off the lines to the washer machine.  I also was able to add a nice Grouper bath-time feature.  Basically an outdoor spigot that you can connect a hose too!

2. HVAC  - 

We finished insulating all the supply ductwork.  

Cutting in two registers for the family room.

And running ductwork for the bathroom (no picture ... oops).

3.  Carpentry - we added blocking in the laundry room and storage room.

And then ...

4. Drywall - we started one-siding interior walls.  The inspector needs to see all the rough-in, but he can still see all that jazz with one layer of drywall installed.  We got a little antsy for the next step, and also wanted to see if we had it in ourselves to install all that drywall.  Conclusion - Yes!

Family Room

Storage Room

Spare Room

Basement Bathroom Inspiration

It is time to start nailing down finishes (I wish literally, but until then I gather inspiration).  I am going for what I like to call a 'modern rustic' theme for the basement.  

Googling that theme surprisingly brought up a plethora of photos I like!  If you want to get an idea of where my head is at, I rated the inspiration photos below by making them different sizes:

Large=Super Like

Medium=Like

Small=That's an idea

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