Basement Underpin: Week 21 Wrap Up

This week I drew up a TO-DO list and the guys tackled it head on...at first it felt as if we were adding more work to the list than they were able to cross off...we are now SO CLOSE TO BEING FINISHED!

We have some electrical (install new outlet in upstairs hall, install timer for bathroom fan, connect telephone wires, and hook up movie screen), some general stuff (brick in mail box, parge under the exterior of the windows, install stainless steel, install hardware on utility room door, fill in forms for sump pump rebate, complete a bit of caulking around desk, and remove old marble transition and install a new one at top of stairs), and painting (bathroom, stairwell, bar area, foyer), staining and touch-ups.

Here are two of the biggest jobs that they completed this week (in addition to the plumbing)...

#1 The exterior door was clad in aluminum (bottom step), and caulked, with new hardware installed (they no longer have a key, we changed the locks!).  I think the door looks pretty.  I will paint it yellow/ochre to make it extra special pretty. The mailbox/milk box to the left will be bricked up (I doubt the bricks will match), and we will put a wall mounted mail box over the spot.  The light above the door needs to be replaced with a pretty motion detector (or one that isn't covered in crud).

#2 The IKEA Godmorgon sink cabinet was retrofitted (chopped up and re-assembled) in order for the drawers to close. A large section was carved out of the top drawer, and the back of the bottom drawer was notched.  The plumbing stuck out more than the Swedish designers intended because the plumber refused to use the white plastic trap that came with the sink (he used the white drain and overflow tubes). 

There will definitely be a Week 22 post, but hopefully that will be the last one. Then we will turn our focus toward decorating!  The problem is, I feel burnt out!  All my creative energy has been channeled into the basement.  Even now I have a bunch of plans in my head: I want a cork wall for children's art, 4 IKEA lack tables, floating shelves, poster (art) wall, 3 or 4 sturdy mdf boxes on casters to be used as a media console, coat hooks and peg board in the utility room, area rugs!....that's just for starters!  *sigh*