CASE STUDY

A Basement Development Journey

Bringing Copper & Turquoise to Life

We’ve put together 34 relevant steps taken in this basement renovation to show you what’s really involved. There’s a lot to cover but we’ll do our best to keep it short!

1. The Design

We recommended hiring an interior designer for projects such as a kitchen remodel, main floor renovation, large bathroom renovation, or basement renovation. An interior designer is professionally trained and will typically have fresh and current ideas, know all the right “needs vs. wants” questions to ask, and have connections that your contractor may not have. A general contractor does not necessarily have the knowledge, or the time it takes to run around getting samples. They often do not have the software for floor plans and/or cabinet layouts either. An interior designer is a full-time job and well worth the investment.

In the case of this basement renovation project, we worked with the client and created most of the design before the project began. For example, one feature we decided on was to build every wall, every bulkhead, and every detail possible with a 45-degree angle. It was a lot more work to plan and build, but the finished space had substantially more flow this way as opposed to sharp 90-degree corners. There were also a lot of changes along the way, and we added a lot of interesting design features as the project progressed.

2. The Purge

Once the initial design was finalized, a contract signed, and a start date scheduled, it was time to purge the contents of the existing basement. We had a bin dropped off onsite for this client and we helped her fill it right to the top! A basement can often become a dumping ground of things you no longer use, and this was no exception.

Developing the basement kick started a Marie Kondo vibe, inspiring the client to organize, store, donate, sell, recycle and throw away a lot of stuff. When this was done, it was time to get the party started!

3. Asbestos Abatement

As mentioned in previous blogs, when hiring a general contractor for a home renovation, any house built pre-1990 needs to have certain things tested for asbestos. Things like existing drywall mud, ceiling texture, vinyl flooring, and attic insulation should always be sampled and brought to a lab for analysis if they are to be included in the demolition scope. In this case, the samples tested positive in the ceiling texture and drywall compound, so an abatement company was brought in to remove the ceilings and drywall. These professionals are very specialized and must adhere to strict government regulations. DO NOT remove any asbestos containing material if you are not a trained professional. Asbestos, if undisturbed, is harmless, but once it becomes airborne during the demolition process, the glass-like, microscopic fibres can remain airborne indefinitely and eventually cause major health problems.

4. Containment & Floor Protection

Like every project, once the first three considerations are managed, we believe it’s important to protect any floor surface we may walk during the project from damage. The second thing is to install temporary dust containment curtains. The last thing the client wants during an already disruptive situation is to have dust spread throughout their home, and we don’t want a big cleaning bill either! Then we set up negative air equipment, aka air scrubbers, to help keep the dust down. These are like big fans. On the intake side there are three filters, one being a HEPA filter. On the exhaust side, they get ducted outside. These machines draw all the airborne dust into the filters, keeping the air clean. This not only keeps the home clean, but it also keeps everyone’s lungs clear. These machines are typically used for mould remediation and asbestos abatement but since we are not certified to conduct those specific demolition tasks, we strictly use them for dust control.

5. Interior Wall & Bathroom Demo

There weren’t many interior walls in this basement, but they all came out except the main structural wall. Since we had changed most of the floor plan in the new design, they all had to go. The bathroom was also a full gut, and we made some interesting discoveries in there once demo was completed – continue reading for a chuckle…or perhaps a shock!

6. False Floor & Frost Wall Demo

With respect to residential applications, a false floor is typically used for air circulation between the finished floor or slab in a basement that is prone to water infiltration via cracked foundations. It is also often installed over an unlevel concrete slab to achieve a level sub-floor prior to a flooring surface being installed. Usually, it’s just 2×2 or 2×4 framing with plywood nailed down.

Frost walls are the wood framing around the perimeter of the concrete basement foundation. This is where the insulation goes.

In this Edmonton basement, the false floor must have been put in first during the original development because the walls were framed on top of the sub-floor. Typically, the walls are fastened to the concrete floor and then years later a false floor is built once water starts entering the foundation. To get the false floor out here, the frost walls had to go too.

7. Unfortunate Discoveries

Once all the demolition was completed, we were down to bare concrete. This enabled us to do a full assessment of all the newly discovered problems we were about to solve. Previous contractors or DIY’ers, dated building codes, and even relaxed building inspectors in the past probably all played a part in the mayhem we uncovered.

Here are some of the issues we discovered:

• Inconsistent slab elevation/finishing – we measured variations up to 4”
• Three foundation cracks letting water in
• HVAC ducts with tinfoil strapped on the ends
• Two 2” x 10” floor joists cut off from a previous main floor bathroom remodel
• One 2” x 10” floor joist with a 5” square hole cut in it
• Shower drain piped between the slab and the false floor – into a floor drain
• 90% plugged 4” main – with 60 years of grease and coffee grinds down the kitchen sink (it was BAD!)

BUT WAIT! THERE’S MORE!

• Five junction boxes buried in the ceiling and a taped splice in the wall
• A hole in the crawl space wall letting in winter, mice, spiders and squirrels
• No vapour barrier on the crawl space floor
• Rotten and crushed top plate in the crawl space creating problems on the main floor – cold draft and sticky patio door
• Drywall screws in plumbing drain lines
• Humidifier drain line run through the joists across the basement to the washer drain
• Disconnected heat duct to upstairs ensuite bathroom

Was there more? Unfortunately, yes!! This was one of those projects that had it all.

8. Window Enlargements