During this holiday season, with family and friends celebrating the festivities, you might be wishing you had a beautifully finished basement in your Massillon, Ohio home. The dark, musty, and unused square footage you have can be turned into a beautiful floor in your home. A beautifully finished basement can give you the needed space you crave, and a personal office or family room for your family.
- Where Can You Start?
First and foremost you need to start by cleaning and emptying the basement of the home. Discard everything you haven’t used, or don’t even remember storing. What do you have in the basement that can be thrown away? Here are five possible options:
- Baby clothing and toys-If you are still storing clothing and toys from when your children were little in the basement of the home, now it is time to say goodbye; especially if your children have a place of their own or show no interest in claiming their belongings.
- Paint Cans-If you have old paint cans in the basement, get rid of them. You probably won’t be able to use them anyway. They are also allowing the air to become harmful to breathe if the cans are not closed properly.
- Old Furniture-first of all, you should not have any furniture that is made of natural wood in the basement, or any furniture you think is valuable. Humidity will warp or destroy the integrity of the piece of furniture. But, we tend to store cheap furniture in the basement when we do not want them anymore because we do not want to throw them away. Get rid of those big pieces of furniture to clear the basement.
- Board Games-How many board games do you really have? How many have you played in the last 6 months? Even though those board games might bring nice memories of your children, it is safe to say they won’t be used by them or by your grandchildren any time soon.
- School papers from Kindergarten through college-If you have kept your children’s school papers from the beginning of their formal education till graduate school, it is safe to say you can throw them away now. You can take pictures of their art, letters, or school report cards, and keep them in an electronic format instead. You can even share your files with them to reminisce.
You do not need to throw everything in the trash if you think some items are in good condition. Carefully separate trash from serviceable items to donate. Call your city office to find out where you can dispose of paints and other items that can be harmful to the planet.
2. Do a Thorough Inspection of Your Massillon, Ohio Home
Now that the basement is empty, you have to look carefully at the state of the foundation, walls, and basement floor. Can you see water damage? Can you see bowed or cracked walls?
Are the walls damped? How about the place where the wall meets the floor? Is there water sitting on the basement floor?
Water damage is a serious issue with older homes in the Northeast Ohio area. So, if you own an older home and are not sure whether you have water damage or not, you need to contact a basement waterproofing company for a full inspection. The homeowner can possibly find water damage in their home but is not a professional inspection. And they do not know where the water is coming from, or whether the foundation has been damaged. You need to call a professional company to assess the damage and the possible solutions to the problem.
3. Who to Hire in Massillon Ohio?
There are many basement waterproofing companies in the Northeast Ohio area; there are some brand new companies, and there are those companies with a long history in the community. How can you choose? Before making any decision about a company, you need to call at least three different companies and obtain three different quotes. You need to compare quotes before signing any contract with anyone. Ask questions about the work they do, time frame, and ask for testimonials from other clients they have helped.
It is recommended you hire a company with a long history in the community, and great customer service reviews. You need to check their Better Business Bureau rating and make an informed decision before hiring them to fix the basement of your home.
4. Basement Finishing the Right Way
Before starting any work with the refinishing of your Massillon, Ohio basement you need to make sure the basement is dry and the foundation has no other issues. If you hired the right basement waterproofing company, they will fix any seepage, water damage, and foundation problems the basement has. They will make sure the basement is ready for you to finish.
For the Northeast Ohio area, there is no better basement waterproofing and finishing company than Pioneer Basement Solutions. Funded in 1979, Pioneer Basement Solutions has over 40 years of experience delivering dry basements, fixing the foundation of many homes, and refinishing your basement with excellent craftsmanship. If you need basement refinishing for your Massillon, Ohio home, Pioneer Basement Solutions will conduct a thorough inspection of the basement to make sure there are no water problems or foundation damage. They will check the basement walls for moisture accumulation, and the walls for cracks or wall bowing. They will inspect the basement for water seepage from weak mortar joints or subfloor. In other words, before they start work inside, they will inspect the exterior thoroughly to deliver a basement you will be proud to own.
5. How Much Will It Cost Me?
In Massillon, Ohio, calculating the cost of refinishing the basement can be tricky. There are many variables to consider before coming with an exact price. The cost depends on the location of your home, the square footage, the materials you choose, and the company you hire. If you Google the price to refinish the basement of your home, the price can be between $25-$50 per square foot, or as high as $90 per square foot, depending on your location.
It also depends on the company you hire. Many new companies’ quotes can be inexact because they do not have the experience to account for everything involved. Other companies will overcharge you because they believe they can. It is up to you to find out why quotes from different companies are widely different, and here are some possible reasons:
- They charge different prices for labor costs
- Inexperienced contractors may guess at the total cost of the project
- The quality of materials can alter the price from company to company
- A company or contractor might not include all costs in their quote
The cost of refinishing the basement of your home can vary due to the materials you choose as well.
Ceiling options, lighting, and flooring can all become very costly. If you want a bathroom or many rooms in the basement installed, the price will be higher. If you want to install an egress window, for safety and to maximize the natural light coming from the outside, it will cost you more to refinish the basement.
It is important to keep in mind the price to refinish the basement of your home is up to you. There is a basic price you will have to pay to refinish it, but many other things are in your control.
6. Financing the Project
If you have foundation or basement waterproofing problems, or want to refinish the basement of your home but don’t know how to pay for it, contact us today. We will work to find a solution to your problem. Protecting your home and your investment should not be postponed. Our long history in the Northeast Ohio area has made us the only company to call to fix your basement waterproofing and foundation repair issues to protect your investment.
The bottom line is that you cannot procrastinate any longer about fixing or refinishing the basement of your home. Contact us today to get a free, no-obligation quote to waterproof or finish the basement of your home.
