Basement Renovation

[dioscorides]

Does anyone have a suggestion for a good contractor, or two, to do a basement renovation.  It will probably be a pretty big job.  The basement is unfinished.  We want to finish it, but while doing that, we want to move our laundry to the basement (it is currently by our back door and we want to turn that into a mud room) and add a toilet/shower.  The previous owners had to move the sewer line.  Instead of running it under the basement, they put it through the basement wall to the street.  We want to fix that, as well.  We don't know how much of this we are going to be able to afford, but would like to get some estimates so that we know what is doable.  Thanks in advance!

[heironymouspasparagus]

Does anyone have a suggestion for a good contractor, or two, to do a basement renovation.  It will probably be a pretty big job.  The basement is unfinished.  We want to finish it, but while doing that, we want to move our laundry to the basement (it is currently by our back door and we want to turn that into a mud room) and add a toilet/shower.  The previous owners had to move the sewer line.  Instead of running it under the basement, they put it through the basement wall to the street.  We want to fix that, as well.  We don't know how much of this we are going to be able to afford, but would like to get some estimates so that we know what is doable.  Thanks in advance!

Just one comment about the sewer line through basement rather than under the basement - the city line in your neighborhood is very likely to be such that you can't move your line lower - basement wall may be the lowest place it can go....   Strongly recommend an engineer and/or architect to look it over.  You don't want any of it messed up, but you REALLY don't want that part messed up....

[Conan71]

Just one comment about the sewer line through basement rather than under the basement - the city line in your neighborhood is very likely to be such that you can't move your line lower - basement wall may be the lowest place it can go....   Strongly recommend an engineer and/or architect to look it over.  You don't want any of it messed up, but you REALLY don't want that part messed up....

Either that or install a booster pump, but one really doesn't want a miniature sewage lift station in their basement!

[Red Arrow]

but one really doesn't want a miniature sewage lift station in their basement!

Especially during a power failure.   

[Conan71]

Especially during a power failure.   

Yipe!

[Breadburner]

Make sure its water tight and dry first......

[dioscorides]

Just one comment about the sewer line through basement rather than under the basement - the city line in your neighborhood is very likely to be such that you can't move your line lower - basement wall may be the lowest place it can go....   Strongly recommend an engineer and/or architect to look it over.  You don't want any of it messed up, but you REALLY don't want that part messed up....

Yeah, I am afraid that this might be the case.  I am holding out hope that it isn't the case, though.

[nathanm]

Either that or install a booster pump, but one really doesn't want a miniature sewage lift station in their basement!

Can't say I've ever known anyone with a lift pump in their basement, but I have known a few with them out in the yard. When you live on the downhill side of the street on a steep hill and the city won't let you keep your septic tank any more, well, you do what you gotta do. I'm pretty sure I've seen some lift pumps that can run on DC as well, so you can set up a battery backup system to keep it going in case of a power outage for a relatively reasonable price.

[Conan71]

Can't say I've ever known anyone with a lift pump in their basement, but I have known a few with them out in the yard. When you live on the downhill side of the street on a steep hill and the city won't let you keep your septic tank any more, well, you do what you gotta do. I'm pretty sure I've seen some lift pumps that can run on DC as well, so you can set up a battery backup system to keep it going in case of a power outage for a relatively reasonable price.

The house I used to live in near you had a lift pump for grey water from the kitchen down in the basement.  Apparently, it was cheaper to have someone jack-hammer and dig out a well than it was to replace a collapsed line at some point.  It had a submersible pump with an automatic float valve.  To keep it somewhat clean, we never used the disposal to prevent as much odor as possible in the basement.  It was never really a problem until the great ice storm of '07 when I had no power for seven days.  That's when I discovered snow melt and heavy rain run off would come into the basement.  I ended up with 2-3 inches of water down there.  That was the first order of business when I finally got a generator: to pump out the basement. 

For that, amongst other reasons, I decided not to buy the house when it was offered to me by the landlord a couple of years later.

[nathanm]

That's when I discovered snow melt and heavy rain run off would come into the basement.  I ended up with 2-3 inches of water down there.  That was the first order of business when I finally got a generator: to pump out the basement. 

My sister found out the hard way when she was living in Columbus that no matter how dry a basement seems to be under normal circumstances, given enough rainfall, you'll get a bunch of water in your basement. If nothing else, because the bucking sewer overflows. I happened to be staying with her when a massive thunderstorm rolled through with enough rain to literally fill the street with water. The power blipped, and for whatever reason the sump pump couldn't overcome the head in the discharge pipe and restart. A couple of hours later I was wondering why it was getting so damn hot in the house, so I went down to the basement and discovered a good 2 and a half feet of water that I then got the pleasure of wading through to get the pump started.

Only later did I discover that I had been wading around in diluted smile water rather than the rain water I assumed it was.

The moral of the story is always install a check valve on your sewer line if you have a basement and it is allowed by the city you live in.

[heironymouspasparagus]

Smile runs downhill.  Don't tempt fate....