Basement Finishing and Family Space Project

A Complete Basement Remodel Video

The new family room is all done and furnished and looks terrrific. Bob talks with Sarah Monzon, the homeowner who also acted as the general contractor on the project, about the remodeling work done on the room. The room was a "cave" according to Monzon before the project was started. A pitted soapstone sink was previously used as a laundry and had become an eyesore. The room was also cluttered with accumulated junk. Because of the shortage of space in the house, the family decided to finish the basement to add to the living space of the home. Monzon acted as the general contractor for the project because there wasn't money budgeted for the expense, which was not necessarily an experience she would choose to repeat. The local inspectional services department provided a large amount of information for the novice general contractor. It is imperative before homeowners do any work on their home that they obtain the necessary permits and find out what is safe and what is not. If homeowners do work on their homes without a permit and anything goes wrong, insurance will not cover the damage. Before any work was done on the house, the basement floors were concrete and heating ducts crisscrossed the ceiling. There was flooding damage in the basement during the past fall which needed to be corrected and prevented in the future. Basement Systems was called in to install a perimeter drain and drainage system. A lot of existing plumbing was then moved from the ceiling to make more headspace and a new HVAC system was installed to move the heating ducts. The new central air system complete with an air filter made the house much more livable. In one of the smaller spaces in the basement, a new bathroom was installed with the help of technology from Saniflo. Owens Corning Basement Finishing Systems was then called in to install new finished walls. Many of the mechanical devices in the basement are now hidden behind the walls but are still accessible as the walls can be easily removed. A new entertainment center was then installed in the finished basement featuring a S1 Digital Media Center. The media center allows the homeowner to browse digital pictures taken using the family's digital camera or to set the image as wallpaper for the screen. Television shows can be watched or recorded using a schedule guide. The media center also can store home videos, movies, and music. New reclining chairs from Bell'O were put in the entertainment room. When laying protection from flood damage in a basement, it is important to elevate wood from the concrete floor. Instead of using a plywood underlayment, a plastic tile system was used which interlocks and can be screwed down onto the concrete. Plastic webbing underneath the tiles diverts any water which may come up through the concrete or spill in the basement to the perimeter drain. Slide-Lok cabinets were put in the basement to increase storage space. The Slide-Lok wall system was put in place to hang tools in the workspace. The husband of the family is a musician and uses much of the storage space to hold his instruments. Because the room can double as rehearsal space, two and a half inches of fiberglass are in the walls to reduce sound transmission to the outside. The basement has a small office space for the husband as well. Accents throughout the space correlate with other things in the room. The lampshades on the desk have a design which relates to the flooring product. The floor does not have a wall-to-wall carpet although it looks as if it does. The floor is from Binvetec and features tiles of carpet which stick to the floor. The product has interlocking patterns which can easily be layed down. Bean bags from Sumo were put in the room for lounging in and the kids love to play on them. A stairwell fishtank from AquaVista is only four inches deep.

Featured Bob Vila Showrooms
• Owens Corning - Basement Finishing System™
• Slide-Lok - Garage Storage Cabinets
• Bellacor.com - The Online Leader for Quality Lighting and more.
• Rinnai - Endless hot water for your home or business by America's leading tankless water heating company
• Basement Systems Inc - Basement Waterproofing and Crawl Space Contractor Network
• NewGrass - Natural-looking, natural-feeling synthetic grass for artificial lawns

Basements
• Basement Systems Inc - SaniDry dehumidifier and basement air system and ThermalDry floor matting - View Bob Vila Showroom
• Owens Corning - Basement Finishing System™ - Create more room for living - View Bob Vila Showroom

Carpentry, Construction & Materials
• California Closets - Organizing home and life with design layouts and products

Carpets & Rugs
• Bell’O - Coaster Directors Collection brown leather theater seating
• Binvetec - Cocoon carpet squares with TractionBac™ built-in high-friction non-slip backing

Connected Home
• Bose - Whole-house audio controller
• S1Digital - Media Center Platinum Edition Home Theatre PC

Garages
• Slide-Lok - Garage and storage cabinet system - View Bob Vila Showroom

Heat, Ventilation & Cooling
• Trane - CleanEffects air-filtration system, XV80 oil furnace, XL16i 16-SEER Super Efficiency Condenser

Home Services
• 1-800-GOT-JUNK - A fixed-rate solution for recycling, donating, and dumping unwanted items and construction debris

Interior Design & Home Furnishings
• AquaVista - Flat-screen aquarium
• Levitz.com - Bunkbed, couches, and Renue mattress
• Sumo Lounge - Sumo Lounge “Omni” high tech beanbag furniture

Lawn & Garden
• NewGrass - Artificial rye grass turf for residential application - View Bob Vila Showroom

Lighting & Electrical
• Atlantic View Landscape Lighting - Exterior lighting plan and installation
• Bellacor.com -
- Powderroom: Gramercy Square 3-light bath fixture, Wall-Mounted Sink, Polygon Oiled Bronze Mirror
- Basement family room: San Gabriel Table Lamps and Swing Arm Lamp, Mica Diamond Double Desk Lamp
- Master bedroom: Serenity Wall Swinger
- Livingroom/Diningroom: Mica table lamps, Santa Fe Four-Light Chandelier, Serpentine Oblong Mirror
- Exterior: Berkeley Ext Wall Lights, Fishtail Path Lights, Wyoming Lantern Path Light, Antique Copper Mailbox, Columnar Metal Birdbath - View Bob Vila Showroom
• John Schiavone - Schiavone Electric - Exterior wiring for landscape lighting
• Lutron - RF lighting controls, dimmers, and pre-programmed lighting scenes
• Uniques - Electrical transformer for exterior and landscape lighting

Plumbing & Septic Systems
• Rinnai - Tankless Water Heater
• Saniflo - SaniPlus macerating toilet with pump and Sanivite gray water pump

Water Heaters
• Rinnai - Energy-efficient, tankless, whole-house hot-water heater - View Bob Vila Showroom

> View All Product Resources


	Other Video Clips from this Episode

	Installing Exterior Lighting Although the project in the Melrose home began as a basement expansion and remodel, it soon expanded to include portions of the home that either needed repair or offered opportunities ... Watch video and view full description
	Choosing Light Fixtures for the Home's Exterior There are many options for lighting fixtures when lighting the exterior of an old home. It is important to find something that is complementary to the age and style of ... Watch video and view full description
	Creating More Space in a Child's Bedroom The interior of this home, like most of the homes built in the 1920s, had very little storage space. Chloe Durant of California Closets reviews some of the changes made ... Watch video and view full description
	Installing Wireless Interior Lighting Controls This 1920s-era house had almost no exterior lighting and not even a place to plug in the Christmas lights. Electrician John Schiavone installed new lighting outlets for the exterior and ... Watch video and view full description
	Interior Decorating to Reflect a Room's Character The house has a lot of architectural character from the nice dark woodwork. The selection of new furniture for the house reflects this character. All of the new furnishings were ... Watch video and view full description
	NOW PLAYING A Complete Basement Remodel The new family room is all done and furnished and looks terrrific. Bob talks with Sarah Monzon, the homeowner who also acted as the general contractor on the project, about ...