Tuesday, August 29, 2023

Reflections on the Basement

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):
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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