My husband and I are considering finishing our basement and would like to hear from any of you who have done so. We want to find someone who can fix our water drainage problems and someone who can completely finish our unfinished basement. We live in an old bungalow and sewer water comes up through our drains on occasion. Has anyone finished their basement who also had water problems? Did you put in a subfloor? Is carpet completely out of the question? Any info. you may have would be appreciated.
I have very dear friends who own their own company called Moon House. Scott is a perfectionist and his wife Juliet is a designer, so she could be wonderful in helping you decide what to do. I have known these two for most of my life and have seen their work. As soon as I have a house of my own I hope to have their help:) Their number is ###-###-####.
p.s. They have gone through these same issues in their own home.
Hi M., my husband is a contractor and we live in Melrose Park. He can fix your basement at a reasonable cost. Give him a call for a free estimate: Danny ###-###-####
Hi, M..
If you haven't found anyone yet, my husband is a carpenter/contractor and could take a look at your basement for you. He is currently working on a basement for a client. He works for Oak Design and Construction, which is a high end remodeling company (WAY too expensive), but does work on the side, which would be more in your price range. You can contact him at ____@____.com or ###-###-#### to discuss it with him.
Good luck!
S.
We used STAM Builders, owner Mark Wojtowicz. ###-###-#### We used to have some water in our basement too. He fixed the water problem and finished the entire basement. His work was beautiful and his price was unbelievable. It's been 2 years and we haven't had any water since. We have done lots of other projects with other contractors and he is by far the most polite, professional, and considerate. During our basement project, we had two young children and one on the way. He kept everything safe and blocked off from the kids. And of course we are more than pleased with the final outcome. Good luck.
Our basement is finished and we love it. We live in Elmhurst. We had water in our basement once (not sewer water) but regardless we had a company put in drain tiles and haven't had any problems since. Then, we had a contractor called Inland Prairie finish our basement. I would definitely recommend them. Great guys, awesome work and reasonable prices. Their number is ###-###-####. Good luck!
Hi M.,
My best friend's husband is a plumber. He'll give you the straight up on what you can and can't do and won't try and make you do anything you don't need to - he's also a PERFECTIONIST - a good quality in a contractor - especially these days. Fiorenzo Plumbing. ###-###-####.
Hi M.,
I had flooding in my bugalow (finished) basement and had it waterproofed by Everdry. I would not recommend them but I would suggest you look into similar systems before you finish the basement. We had a sump pump installed and it kept the basement dry this past fall when everyone else was flooding. We had tile flooring and after the mess Everydry made we ended up carpeting. Luckily, we haven't had any significant water since we carpeted. Good luck!
We finished our basement last summer and used Descon Construction ###-###-####) out of Oak Park. We had four bids and theirs was the least expensive. Matt Draus, the owner, was great to work with. He's super nice and attentive. The basement turned out great. We also had a little issue with water, but ours was more seepage through the walls. They installed a drain tile around the perimeter and added another sump pump. So far so good! We have carpet and tile down there. They have a website - just Google Descon. I highly recommend them. Good Luck!
Hi M., my brother in law owns a constraction company and he does really awesome work and is reliable. JLS Construction, 1-###-###-####
This may or may not be helpful, but we live in an older house in Lemont and have a finished basement that we use as a weight room. Recently we've been having more problems with leaks due to flooding (and pipes freezing this past winter). We basically got fed up with always trying to save the carpet and worrying about mold and mildew.
After much thought, we decided to go with an epoxy floor. Although it is usually used in more industrial spaces, like garages, the floor turned out beautiful and looks great with a large area rug (we went with a very earthy colored flake that goes well with our exposed brick).
It is extremely durable and easy to clean. Plus, if we have water issues in the future, all we have to replace is the area rug..
I have a wonderful contractor! What town are you located in?
Barb R.
Hi we used James Thomas renovations.
We LOVED thier work. They are in the west suburbs (St. Charles)
We did not need any special work done for flooding etc.,
But they should be able to know what to do.
They are professional, and I have to say, we are so happy with our Basement! It is the most beautiful area in our house. (and the rest of our house is pretty, if I can say so myself:)
They were not the cheapest estimate we recived, but, they did include the MOST Value for our money. No surprises! We had gotten 4 different estimates, and like I said, we got the most realistic estimate. The only additional cost was the upgrades for cabinetry, and carpet. We decided to put in a wet bar and used Cherry cabinets, and went with a top of the line carpet so it would last a good long time. They included alot in the cost of the job. They included new windows, all the tile for the bathroom and nice fixtures. We were able to choose what we wanted! (and a sauna...my hubby really wanted one!). I have had friends get estimates for work, and it ends up costing a ton more because the estimate includes NO upgrades. They also are willing to work with you on ANYTHING! We ended up changing our minds about stuff and they had no problems!
They showed us sombody's basement that had this cool treatment done on thier floor instead of carpet, and it may be a nice option if you are worried about flooding. We will use them for any home remodeling in our future!
Ok enough said. Here is the # ###-###-####.
We do highly recommend them.
M. - I live in the Albany Park neighborhood and have a bungalow with the exact same problems. My husband and I recently finished our basement and left our laundry room unfinished. In the past, I have had small amounts of water come up from the floor drain, but nothng crazy....When we finished our basement, I did install a subfloor - it's called Dricore - you can buy it at Lowe's or Home Depot...thinking that if there was a small amount or trickle of water, my floor would remain undamaged. I should also mention that I do not have a sump pump or any type of drainage system. At the end of Dec, when we had that 60 degree day, I had 6-8 inches of water in my basement - all coming up from the drain - we were pumping out for 24 hours straight. Luckily the damage was pretty minimal considering, but I would definitely suggest a flood prevention system - access valve, check valve and sump pump....spend the money on it, and you will be happy that you did. We will be purchasing one soon - especially since I am due with our first child. As for carpeting - definite pros and cons - it's pretty cheap, keeps your floor warmer, and you can rip it up easily if damaged...but it's an allergy problem for some and can look icky quickly...Hope this helps a bit...definitely get a good plumber and flood prevention system **before** you begin construction!
