I wrap up the month by looking back on our basement posts. The first post set the stage and outlined the steps; the next seven went into more detail. Here they are (click the links to go to the post):
- Post 2:
- Post 3:
- demolish existing structures
- address things running under joists
- seal the walls
- install rigid foam insulation
- Post 4:
- Post 5:
- Post 6:
- Post 7:
- Post 8:
Rough timeline:
- February: the egress window was installed
- March: design
- April: demolition, ordering materials
- May: most of the work (sealing the walls through hanging drywall)
- June/July: mudding/sanding/repairing drywall
- July/August: painting through completion
Rough man-hours:
- Demolition: 32 hours
- Foamboard: 28 hours
- Main week: 198 hours
- Drywall mud/sand/repair: 79 hours
- Other work: 108 hours
- Paint: 16 hours
- Other (design, ordering, pickup, dump runs, hardware runs): 10 hours (est.)
- Total: 471 hours
Lessons:
- Have amazing, knowledgable, servant-minded friends. Of the above hours, we did 133 ourselves and paid for 84. That means our friends/family collectively donated 254 hours of their time. I'm in tears as I write this, realizing their gifts to us.
- Each stage matters. You need to keep the entire design/plan in mind. Shortcuts, sloppiness, or unaddressed problems in one stage can make life miserable in the next.
- None of this is rocket science, but it takes knowledge, tools, and a lot of sweat. Knowing the way forward, having the tools to implement it, the skill to create it, and the sweat to install it.
- Perfection is impossible.
Before Pics:
After Pics:
May this space be used to glorify the Lord.
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