When a home changes ownership from the multi-decade original owner to a new, young family with a small child, the time comes to rehab for another generation. Phase I started on the exterior, even before waterproofing the basement den/laundry room. Work done by the previous owner prior to selling the home, such as plumbing and roofing, was not adequate. And what was that smell? The adjacent crawl space consisted of a dirt floor, with miscellaneous trash scattered about. Clean-out with a proper vapor barrier helped significantly, but the smell remained.
Upgrading the gutters and lawn grading kept the water away from the foundation walls. Two water tight/thermal basement windows with screen vents were added to let fresh air circulate, making an immediate improvement. Even with these comprehensive steps, letting their one year old to play on the tile/carpet floor while they were doing laundry still didn’t seem advisable…and that smell.
Phase II was to move on with a new ’empty space’ at the lower level. Demolition of the walls, insulation, flooring and ceiling was long overdue after 45+ years. Surprisingly, the basement walls, unlike the raw stone crawl space walls, were in very good condition. So where was that nasty smell emanating from?
The drop ceiling was demolished in the den area and no issues were found. However when the paneled ceiling was removed, acorns came pouring down, revealing a squirrel’s “nut stash” for winter. Without a complete demo and clean out, as well as a thorough cleaning of the floor into the new French drain and sump pump, this odor wouldn’t have been discovered and would have prevented a successful basement remodel.
Getting the enthusiastic owners involved and emphasizing the importance of routine exterior maintenance helped in giving the homeowners confidence to get full use out of all three stories of their stone colonial. A multi-section, open space offered them a healthy, well lit area with multiple functions, the best of which was a safe play area for the baby. Happy family, plenty of smiles and equity growth too – accomplished!