Do I Want a General Contractor or Basement Expert?

Basement Finishing Experience

A basement is filled with unique challenges that do not exist anywhere else in the home. A general contractor who usually works in the wide open spaces upstairs will now have to deal with low ceilings, heating ducts, pipes, water heaters, furnaces, water storage tanks, and a variety of other obstacles that are unique to the basement.

An experienced basement remodeler will have years of creatively working with these challenges to help you make the basement look exactly the way you want it to. They'll also be familiar with New York building codes and standards, and they'll be familiar with the best practices in the industry.

A finished basement is going to look different than the rest of the home. Basements have more obstacles, fewer windows, and usually a lower ceiling than the rest of the home.

Any contractor will want the design to be consistent with the upper levels, but an experienced basement finisher will know how to take advantage of lighting and basement windows to make the most of your space.

Proper Materials for a Basement Renovation

The environment of a basement requires different building materials than the rest of the home. Unfortunately, general contractors will often still insist on installing drywall for the walls and ceilings while placing a carpet on the floor- just like they do in the rest of the home. This leads to a problem that Quality 1st Basement Systems has seen by the dozens- moldy drywall, sagging ceilings, musty smells, and ruined remodeling jobs installed by well-intentioned general contractors that just don't see the long-term effects of installing with these options.

For example, general contractors will often install carpeting on top of a wood subfloor on the concrete basement floor. This installation will take 3-4" of head room from the homeowner's area. Additionally, when wood boards are laid on a basement floor, they will collect moisture and humidity that seeps upwards from the porous concrete below. This moisture will cause the wood to rot, swell, buckle, grow mold, and emit foul odors. The damage will eventually spread to the carpet, ruining the finished floor. And drywall, even mold-resistant drywall (which has no lasting warranty against mold) will also grow mold and be easily damaged by any moisture or leaking.

Experienced basement contractors such as Quality 1st Basement Systems will be able to provide you with the lasting solution you're looking for. Using well-insulated, completely organic materials that include a long-lasting written warranty, the basements they install will stay beautiful for many decades, without needing to be refinished.

Reliability in General Contractors

General contractors do not make a living finishing basements. Simply put, any estimates on materials needed, price, or time needed to install your finished basement are going to be rough. Expect at least a 10% cost overrun by the end of the installation.

Additionally, general contractors will tightly schedule their work. If they've underestimated the time they need, they may have to return at a later date to complete the job. This leaves the homeowner with a house fill of displaced belongings while they wait for the contractor to return.

Lastly, the Small Business Administration reports that 50% of contractors fail within the first year and 96% within the first five years. If you hire a contractor who is not well-established in the industry, there's a solid chance that they won't be in business anymore when you need them. And a warranty can't last if the company is no longer there, right?