Holmes on Homes

Window Well to Hell (4x2)

: 27, 2005

After moving to a new neighborhood, Olivia decided to turn her basement into a comfortable living space for her daughter and grandchildren. She was going to redesign the layout and have larger windows installed to allow more natural light into the room. She hired a contractor who started out well, but it wasn't long before Olivia started feeling uneasy. As the job went on, the contractor started showing up late, or not at all. One day, Olivia came home early from work to find him sleeping on the couch. After spending almost all of her renovation budget and feeling strongly that she was being taken advantage of, Olivia stopped the job and was left with a poorly finished basement and window wells that were filling with water. Upon inspection, Mike found that there were no proper lintels over the new windows to support the weight over them, and that there was no proper drainage system in place. Inside, he found some small telltale signs that suggested that the whole basement renovation was going to have to be demolished and built again. There was questionable plumbing and electrical that not up to code. Outside, a proper lintel was added over the window, along with the foundation protection under the window and a drainage system tied into the existing weeping tile. Inside, Mike and his crew took down all the drywall, and safely reinstalled all the plumbing and electrical. After installing new drywall and painting, Olivia was reintroduced to her beautiful finished and safe basement. She was very happy to finally be able to provide a comfortable living space for her family.