"Adrian is wrapping an epic basement remodel for us. As part of this work, he completed the following:
* Demo'd previous basement (incl removing furnace, water heater, ducts, knob-and-tube electrical)
* Dug out slab and ~18" of dirt underneath (gaining ~8" of ceiling height in the end)
* Lay crushed rock, level with vibration plate
* Lay water barrier membrane and insulation
* Tie in rebar to the footing and lay rebar for the slab
* Install PEX for hydronic heating in floor
* New sewer line added, old sewer line terminated
* New concrete floor poured
* Walls furred out
* Insulation in outer walls
* Soy-based blow-in (?) insulation in upper half of outer walls
* Cut out stem wall in 2 places for new windows
* 4 new windows added total
* Storage under the stairs added w/custom door
* Stairwell trim
* New electrical throughout
* New plumbing throughout
* New PEX for hyrdonic heating in ceiling
* water supply lines for laundry and bathroom
* New LED-based lighting throughout
* In-wall speakers installed
* Media center, ethernet, and coax wiring
* New gas line and exhaust for the mechanical room
* new gas, water supply lines to the second floor for future project
* Custom L-shaped corner bench in main room
* 2 doors installed for bathroom and office
* Custom bookshelf/door to mechanical closet in office
* Custom hardwood trim, baseboards throughout
This has been a project of epic proportions. It all started out as a simple water-proofing endeavor, as our old, partially finished basement was allowing in rainwater in multiple locations. After interviewing several contractors, we chose Adrian because he recommended the best solution to our problem, not (just) the cheapest. We employed for two starter projects: installing a new external french drain and replacing our foundation (also reviewed on this site). Once these projects completed successfully, we immediately hired Adrian to do a full basement remodel, which is just now wrapping up.
We are extremely pleased with the end result. We're actually not quite finished with the project; we still need to install a couple thermostats, which may depend on a future project we have with Adrian. But minor touch-ups aside, the finished project is breathtaking to behold, especially considering what we started with.
To call this a remodel is a bit of an understatement. The entire basement was gutted, including removing the 2" slab and digging down ~12-18". We removed the water heater, the furnace, all the old knob-and-tube electrical, and the forced-air ducting. It was replaced with updated plumbing, brand new electrical, and a custom hyrdonic heating solution in the poured concrete floor and also in the basement ceiling, providing radiant heating to the main floor.
The basement itself was partitioned into 3 rooms: a main room, an office, and a new bathroom (the bathroom itself will be reviewed separately, but suffice it to say it turned out wonderfully). Beyond the "typical" furring out of the walls, new insulation, new windows, new lighting, etc, he built us a custom L-shaped bench in the corner that also doubles as a storage area, currently holding the kids' toys. I know, right?
The other half of the main room is the entertainment space, which now features in-wall speakers, jacks for the subwoofer and coax, and a custom-built shelf with built-in electrical outlets.
The office also doubles as a guest room, which includes a closet and a custom built book-shelf which is also a hidden door to the mechanical closet. It's truly a wonder to behold.
The trim work throughout is exquisite, and matches the style of our craftsman-style home to a T.
If you have an eye for detail, you'll see many ingenious little solutions throughout (e.g., specially-ordered hinges to keep the custom-made door flush to the wall). Adrian was a font of creativity from beginning to end, and the end product shows no small amount of his personality and class.
Suffice it to say, the final product is indeed water-proof. It's been ~18 months since Adrian began on the basement, and in that time not one drop of outside water has breached the new walls and floors."