Did you finish your basement while living in the house?

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Forum -> Household Management

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amother

Tue, Nov 24 2020, 10:02 am

What was it like? Basically need to make two bedrooms, one bath, a playroom. Not sure what to expect. Also I work from home and have a toddler and newborn if that affects the answer...

amother

Periwinkle

Tue, Nov 24 2020, 10:13 am

We did construction on our main floor while we were living in the house. It's can be loud but if they working in your basement you won't be in their way.

amother

Tue, Nov 24 2020, 10:19 am

amother [ Periwinkle ] wrote:

We did construction on our main floor while we were living in the house. It's can be loud but if they working in your basement you won't be in their way.

Right but would they be in mine? And would the noise and mess drive me nuts?

amother

Pewter

Tue, Nov 24 2020, 10:26 am

Yes we are in the thick of it. Even though they are not actually in my way because they're working in the basement, the entire house is full of dust and dirt and the noise on certain days (depending on what they are doing that day) is terrible.
I have had to leave a few times to get work done.
My toddler is out of the house most of the day so that's not a problem. I have 2 kids in Zoom school who go to DH's office when the noise gets too bad.

shabbatiscoming

Tue, Nov 24 2020, 10:35 am

My parents finished thee basement and redid the kitchen while we were all living in the house.
Was it fun? No. Was it loud? Yes. Was it doable? Very much so.
If it is only the basement, lose the door and Im sure you will hear the noise but it wont be in your face. And it wont go on forever.

amother

Mauve

Tue, Nov 24 2020, 10:42 am

We did this and it was fine, but most of the time no one was home (I trust the contractor completely and had no problem with my husband or myself unlocking the door for them and not being home). A few things to keep in mind:

1. Is there a basement door that they can use to get in and out of the construction area or do they need to walk through your front door? Construction workers often have dirty shoes/boots, especially in the winter, and it also could be disruptive for you or the kids if people are walking in and out.

2. Is there a bathroom for the workers to use in the basement? If not, they may need to come up to the main floor to use your bathroom, unless the job is big enough for the contractor to bring an outdoor toilet.

3. There may be times when they need to shut off the water. Please make sure they give you advanced warning.

4. If there is any part of the basement not undergoing construction, cover EVERYTHING in plastic tablecloths. There will be a thick layer of dust and the plastic will help keep things clean until the job is done.

amother

Periwinkle

Tue, Nov 24 2020, 10:43 am

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Right but would they be in mine? And would the noise and mess drive me nuts?

Depends on your contractor who I use they were very understanding that I was living and they were working at the same time I can't guarantee that's for all we got lucky. Some noises are worse than others like the banging and things aren't terrible but sometimes I can cut tiles and some other things made me like cringe.

amother

Tue, Nov 24 2020, 10:45 am

How long does the project take realistically? The contractor can say a few weeks but I know that it’s always longer.

amother

Mauve

Tue, Nov 24 2020, 10:48 am

We waterproofed the whole basement, added a new bedroom and bathroom and redid the existing playroom (new lighting, flooring and paint). Took about 2 months from start to finish.

amother

Lemon

Tue, Nov 24 2020, 11:52 am

Yes I did it while living in the house. Dh does construction now on the side and is. Finishing off two. Basements for people now. They are both living there. Every contractor is different. Takes dh about 6 weeks altogether sometimes less but he's very on top. Of it.

amother

Sienna

Tue, Nov 24 2020, 11:58 am

We did this after Hurricane Sandy because we had to deal with the damage. The contractor put up heavy plastic sheeting at the entrance to our lower level to keep the dust contained as much as possible. They were able go in and out through the garage and/or side doors so they didn't disturb us with that all day. We just had to unlock the doors for them first thing in the morning. There was definitely noise and dirt but it wasn't terrible. Occasionally they needed to shut off power or water or heat, but they warned us in advance so we could plan accordingly.

The major difference for us was the lack of playspace so my kids took over the living room and it was a perpetual mess for the duration. That, plus the loss of my extra fridge/freezer and laundry facilities. I had to go to a laundromat once a week to get all our laundry done, but I was able to do that when my kids were in school. I can't imagine coping with a baby and toddler at the same time. If you're in a location where it's cold now I would strongly suggest holding off until spring so you can keep your kids out of the house as much as possible.

amother

Apricot

Tue, Nov 24 2020, 2:24 pm

I think it would be super hard to do with a baby and toddler home.
What if it wakes them up during a nap?

amother

Azure

Tue, Nov 24 2020, 2:49 pm

We did it. We have a door to our basement so was able to close that and drown out some of the noise but omg the dust!!! It gets everywhere no matter what. Just be prepared.

amother

Apricot

Tue, Nov 24 2020, 9:31 pm

To anyone who did it and mentions the dust:
Would it be tricky if you had a kid with asthma? Would you not recommend it in that situation?

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