This is the first installment of a very long overdue update on our now completed basement renovation. This is the forth round of renovation of our Old Town home that we moved into in 1994. When we moved in, we basically had a two story home with a second floor that was in rough shape, and a first floor that needed a lot of work. We also had an unfinished attic and a wet cellar with a six foot ceiling. After the latest renovation we have a four story home, with a beautiful finished attic, finished basement, and two extensively upgraded main living floors.
Each renovation has had its own challenges and high points, but to me the basement renovation resulted in the most dramatic 'before and after'. We started with a damp and smelly cellar that everyone in the family avoided, and we now have a family room that is one of the most popular rooms in the house, for people and cats alike.
Cellar Door Showing Old Floor Level
The first stage of the cellar renovation was digging down about four feet to create what would become an 8+ foot ceiling. The bottom of the door visible to the left of Lyra's head is at the original floor level. She is standing on what is to become the new floor, about 4 feet below the old floor level.
The sewage pipes in this photo were buried under the old slab and have been left suspended in air as the dirt around them was removed. Eventually they were rerouted, generally around the perimeter walls in a time consuming process that seemed to take forever.
Old Cellar Door, Converted to Window
While these two photos are not taken from exactly the same perspective, the window in our new laundry room was created from the old cellar door in the prior photo. We now have about four feet of additional depth below the old floor level.
We also have, fates willing, a much dryer basement. The new basement is essentially encapsulated, so that water that comes through the foundation hits a plastic barrier, runs down under the new floor, and is then pumped out. So far it has worked.
The following photos show the before and after in what has become our new family room. We also have a new laundry room and a couple of new closets, but the family room is the primary new living space.
Original Basement, Looking Northeast
New Basement Family Room, Looking Northeast
In the photos above, the two windows have not changed at all. They are the same windows in the same locations in each photo. In the bottom photo the ceiling is over 8' high, versus 6' in the original view, and obviously the furnace has moved. Lots and lots of effort went into rerouting electric, plumbing, gas and HVAC to make this possible. We also now have heat and AC in the basement, both previously lacking.
Old Basement, Looking West
New Basement Family Room, Looking Northwest
In the photos above, the window in the upper right corner is also a common reference. The same window is in same location in each photo. I think the original floor level is roughly at the height of the dark cabinet top in the 'after' photo.
The renovation created great space that we are enjoying, although of course it provides an even more comfortable and convenient opportunity for the kids to watch too much TV.
This project took close to nine months, versus an original plan closer to six. Future blog updates will provide photos of the major project phases, especially digging out the floor to create the higher ceiling.