Finishing the Basement - August

It is interesting because we have not really been that worried about finishing the basement and it was not on our radar for a long time. My parents gave us $500 to work on finishing the basement, for which we were so grateful. It was so kind of them to help us be able to get started and such a thoughtful thing. In addition, we really started feeling like we could use that extra play space. Finally we decided to get started. Our initial plan was to just work on the storage room first and completely finish that room, but as we got started framing, we changed our mind and figured- if we are doing it, let's just do the whole thing.

Before picture of the storage room. As you can tell- not much to see here.

Before pictures of the area under the family room.

Before picture of the far end of the basement- now filled up with the stuff from the storage room.

The first order of business was ordering lumber. This ended up being more of an ordeal than it should have. We ordered lumber from Lowe's to be delivered. Only then they don't tell you when it will come. We assumed it would be a few days, but after a week and no clue when it would come, we had to do something else because we were planning to start the next day. Fortunately, Home Depot came through. We put in a will call order and I went and picked it up in a Home Depot truck on Saturday morning. Then Shantel and I, with some help from the kids hauled it around the house and then in through the window in the back. Our first order was for 100 2X4's.

Next step was laying out our first wall.

I am so grateful for my Dad. He is so willing to come down and help us work on our basement and without him, we would have to hire the whole thing out. It has been such a joy to work with him. It was super nice because as we have worked on the basement, my mom has been able to come down with my dad. So she hangs out on the couch with the kids while we work.

Lydia and my Dad working on a Soduku during lunch one day.

Planning session with my Dad (and Bruce who has been awesome to come down and work every Saturday as well).

After a Saturday and a Wednesday, we had the storage room all framed.

The next Saturday we moved out to the main room. Also, this has been like Heaven for the kids because they have been taking the pieces of cut of 2X4's and making all sorts of things. Especially Austin has loved finding glue and then gluing together all the pieces to make his machine.

This is us working on the North wall. I am grateful for my Dad who is so good at teaching exactly what needs to be done and how to do it.

The kids even came down to help put up the wall once it was ready.

We are off to such a great start in the basement and I am so excited. It has been really nice to spend the time with my Dad.