Basement Boogie: Dusty Trail

Because of our fancy new R-4 insulation, the walls will be thicker than they used to be. This meant we had to rip down the perimeter of the ceiling to make room for 4 more inches of insulation, drywall and studs.

We measured 4 inches from the wall and chalked a cut line. Then, Hubs went around with a circular saw and I followed with the prybar.

We did have to work carefully around a bulkhead and the whole house got dusty from all that drywall cutting, but otherwise, it wasn't too bad.

We did generate another Bagster-worth of debris, but we can finally say that demo is done. For real this time.

With all the quality basement time we logged this weekend, we were brainstorming new layouts to make the space even more functional. Among the changes: a new laundry configuration and the ditching of the awkward bed we used to have sitting under the window next to the stairs. Instead, we think a sleeper sofa will do just fine and create a nice reading area to complement the new built-ins on the opposite wall. (We're shooting for something half as magnificent as Sara's women cave built-ins.)

During this whole remimagining-of-the-space time, we also cooked up ways to turn our galley kitchen (flanked by stairs and an exterior wall) into an open plan, the addition of three bedrooms and a bath to our unfinished walk-up attic, and potential gut jobs of the entire north half of the house to create a first-floor master and powder room. It was bigger, better, best-ing at it's best. Stay tuned, these projects just might all become real!

Next up? Vapor barriers and a custom sump-pump cover to prevent radon from sneaking its way inside. If all goes well, we might even be framing this weekend!