Basement Remodeling: Part 1

The first completed project in our basement was actually completed by a professional! After two years of renovating our century old foursquare, and doing all of the work ourselves, it was nice to have a pro come in to take care of a job.

The previous owners had elected to cover up two of the four windows that let light into the basement. Of the two windows we uncovered, one was glass block already, score! The second, however, was just single pane glass, and broken, at that. Because of its large size (nearly 40 inches wide) we decided that it would be best to put in a glass block window, for security reasons. We also figured it would be nice to have the new window match the other three.

When the previous owners decided to cover up the window (instead of fix it), they chose to put paneling right over it on the inside, and a weird slat/frame over it on the outside. Apparently they weren't fans of natural light. :-(

Our work on this project consisted of removing the paneling from the inside, so the window was accessible, and then calling for quotes. We chose a small business owner who had years of experience and was also the best rate. Here's a tip when calling for quotes, be prepared to call as many contractors as you can, and be sure to mention that you are calling around for estimates. They are much more likely to work with you on price. In the end, the contractor we chose gave us a quote that was only $15 more expensive than the actual materials would have cost us at Lowe's. It was obviously a no brainer.

The window was installed and functional in two hours on a Wednesday morning. Not only did the contractor remove the old slats, glass and metal frame (and haul it away for us) but he did such a good job with the new window that it made our old ones look shoddy by comparison. At some point we'll have to have him out to replace the old glass block ones too!

We opted to include a vent in the window, as none of the others have one. We figure it will be nice to be able to air out the basement every once in a while.

So there you have it. A quick and easy renovation job where we didn't even have to lift a finger! (Well, except to write the check, of course. :-)

P.S. Don't forget to check back this week for some fun blog news!

Linked to Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Make Your Monday @ Twice Remembered

Make It For Monday @ Cottage Instincts