basement, basement and more basement work

Today, Lisa and I took the day off and finished the priming of the basement walls and ceilings.  It took what seemed like forever.  This evening Todd stopped by to help me finish up the ceiling while Jill and Lisa monkeyed around with paint samples and headed to Lowe's to pick up paint and tile samples.  Everyone gives the impression we are going to make it too dark in the basement but I think everything will come together nicely.  You want a media room and bar area to be a bit darker anyways don't  you?

We placed our order for cabinets and counter tops today as well.  We ended going with a local kitchen and bath distributor that also supplied the cabinets in the kitchen.  The bonus is that we were able to afford granite counters since the distributor was $8 less than any solid surface product I could find anywhere else.  Here are a few pictures of the basement as it is now.  Nothing really exciting for most people but every little step gets me a little closer to the "promised land".

Cool light fixture in the bathroom

Concept drawing of the bar cabinets

Drywall complete!

The drywall portion of our project is complete. Now we paint.....more fun!

And just for you Brad.......

Sir Elton

Lisa and I went to the Elton John concert last night. I was kicking and scratching the entire way to the arena but I actually enjoyed the concert (don't tell anyone). Here are a couple of very short clips from the concert.

Drywall day two

So today we came home and just about all the drywall was hung.  Tomorrow they have a little section left and then the fun part begins; taping in mudding.  I am really excited to get this part over, it is extremely dirty.....

After day one of drywall

More pictures....the ceiling is done and most of the largest wall in the basement.

Drywall Delivery Day

Just a quick picture update.....

The day before the drywall

Just a few pictures of the basement project.  Tomorrow is day one of drywall.....

Television area

The Bar Area

Bar area on right, television area on left and back bathroom next to stairs and in wall stereo rack in corner

I hope to post more pictures this week as the drywall project progresses.  Unfortunately, a whole sheet of drywall won't fit down the staircase so there will be cutting in the garage and then the sheets will be caried down one by one.  This afternoon, I will mark the floor to indicate where the studs are to make it easier to nail the baseboard in later.  

With all the plastic and insulation up, the room looks a lot smaller but by estimates it is an additional 700 square feet or so.  

Work weekend and Opening Day Update

Well last weekend, Lisa and the kids headed down to Columbus with Lisa's Mom to meet up with some family members while I stayed back and hit the basement hard.  On Friday Lisa and I actually headed up to the Detroit area to take a look at a stereo rack she found on Craigslist that looked perfect for my basement project.  The rack was a little rough but for my purpose, it looks like it would do just fine.  Once the family left for Columbus on Saturday morning, I headed down to cut and add a few studs to frame in the area where the stereo components will be built into the wall.  Everything was going fine until it came time to re-attach the glass doors on the rack.  Yep, you guessed it...a 4 foot by 20 inch piece of tempered glass shattered in my hands.  I didn't even bump it.  It just shattered into a thousand tiny pieces.  If I weren't so damn manly, I would have cried.  Now I am in search of a place that will cut glass for me to repair the now worthless rack.

I also moved a smoke detector, re-ran wiring to the same smoke detector and ran 52 lengths of insulation.  I am now officially ready for drywall.  I've been urged by a few people to hang the drywall myself but I definitely have reservations.  I think Lisa has them as well.  So I met with a drywall guy this afternoon to get a quote.  The main issue we're going to have is that we need to take out some existing drywall in the hallway leading down to the basement to make a turn in the stairwell.  The clearances in the hallway will not allow for a 4X8 sheet of drywall to fit down the stairs.  Hopefully the quote comes in where I think it should and I can begin the process.  I really do think this will be a hired out part of the project. What will take 7 days to complete for the professionals will end up taking me 4 weeks.  I really hope I will be painting by the end of the month!

Opening day was pretty much as it has been for the past 14 or so years.  Nothing exciting to report except to say we had a very drunk, sick person with us this year.  I will not mention names other than to say it wasn't me or my brother.  Or anyone I've known for more than 20 years or less than 5.  That pretty much narrows it down.

At the new Student Union at OSU

Easter 2010

Well it has been awhile since my last post.  The basement project is coming along pretty well; the electrical and the stub out of the plumbing is complete and I don't have any leaks in the plumbing which in itself is amazing to me.  Tomorrow, Lisa and the kids are heading down to Columbus with Lisa's Mom to meet up with one of Lisa's cousins for a visit.  Lisa's cousin lives in Texas and hasn't seen her in about 10 years or so.  I opted to stay in town to start and hopefully finish up the insulation in the basement and to install the built in stereo rack system Lisa and I are picking up after work tonight.  Hopefully with everyone out of the house for the better part of two days (other than the dog) I can get the joint ready for drywall.  I can't wait for the drywall to be hung!

Monday is my annual trip with the guys to Opening Day.  I think this will be our 14th opening day with only one year missed (the year Shawn was born).  This year there are 6 of us.  Mike (my brother), Todd, Lance (friends from Toledo), Jeff and Brian (Friends I've know since junior high school).  It's always an adventure when these guys, beer and baseball are involved.  The weather looks to be shaping up pretty well too.  The last two years have been awful; the snow out of 2008 and the cold rain delay of last year.  Even if it's a bit cooler than it has been the past week or so I won't care as long as the precipitation stays away.

Last week was Easter of course and we did something different this year.  We actually got up and went to church.  We made a special effort to attend church this Lenten season and to tell you the truth, it wasn't as painful as we remembered.  Shawn is a bit of a theologian.   He really enjoys the stories and recently even cracked open a children's bible and read a bit from it.  The kid reads more than any 9 year old I've ever known.  He read the first and seventh (I think) books of the Harry Potter series (I would have looked for the Cliff's notes.

After church, I stressed myself out and made breakfast for Lisa, the kids and Bev and Ted.  Eggs Benedict always is a chore but everyone seems to enjoy them.  We then headed over to Jill and Todd's house for the day.

By the way, the Easter Bunny also made his annual appearance at work again this year.  The kids have been seeing the Bunny every year at work but for some reason, I never get it.  I always seem to have something else I have to do....crazy how that works!

Katie and the gigantic rabbit

Is that a carrot in your pocket?  

Dressed in their Sunday finest

 

"Why is Daddy's head so enormous?  It looks like Jupiter."

 Katie holding a Chick

Katie messing around with Shawn's glasses again