News – Page 4 – Kaks Basement Finishing & Remodeling

Aug 06 2016

Basement Flooring Options for Boston Area Basements

Waterproof flooring in the basement? It does sound like the perfect idea. When refinishing a basement, think twice about putting carpet in a new basement family room, it tends to get dirty so quickly from the basement humidity and traffic. Carpets in high humidity trap in dirt and musty odors, and can produce mold or mildew. Everything seems to stick to a slightly damp carpet, especially in the summer months. Ceramic tile floors in basements have been popular, but can be very slippery when damp or wet from humidity, and grout lines can stay wet looking for many months out of the year. Stained grout lines are very hard to clean.

Putting in a new, commercial grade 100% vinyl floor from a reputable basement finishing company is the best solution and now that the wood look is so popular, you can have it in your basement, and never have to worry about it buckling, rising up, staining or peeling from your cement foundation like real wood and laminates can. New wood-styled vinyl floors can come in individual planks, not sheets of vinyl like in the past, planks that are about 5” or 6” wide and a few feet long each. The individual pieces of vinyl make the finished product resemble a real wood floor to the point where you can’t tell that you’re not looking at wood, but at a durable, stain-resistant, scratch-resistant vinyl. They come in many colors, some noticeable favorites are Walnut brown, Birch blonde and Nantucket gray. Plank style flooring in vinyl clicks together, does not require adhesive to hold it down and is applied directly onto a smooth foundation. No sub-floor required with this application, and this will also save you money.

High quality vinyl flooring for the basement can handle water, it can pass around it, or be beneath it and as the water dissipates, the floor is unaffected. Basements with potential future water leaks would really benefit from this feature. To clean it up, all you would have to do is quickly remove any excess water directly on the floor with towels or a wet vac, place a fan at floor level to help circulate the air, and run a dehumidifier to help dry all of the floor and the air.

Remember, moisture in the foundation cement will always be present no matter what you do. The nature of your foundation is to breathe, and concrete can be like a sponge at certain times of the year, especially when humidity is very high. If you are trying to decide on what type of floor to put down for your basement refinishing project family room, think high quality vinyl floor planks in rich wood textures to give your new space a warm and inviting look, without all the trouble of real hard wood. A product that can handle the humidity and traffic should be priority. Not to mention how easy this new waterproof floor will be to take care of, and keep clean. After a family party, for example, a quick vacuum and light mop up is all it takes. When refinishing your basement, ask for vinyl wood-styled flooring planks.

Jun 17 2016

In Home Gym Creates Safe Space for Pembroke Teen to Work Out

“Maisie loves Zumba,” Linda said. “It is her life’s passion. She wants to certify as a Zumba instructor, and has been working very hard toward that goal.” For a moment, Linda beams with a parent’s pride. Then her expression became more serious. “If she had her way, she’d been at the gym 5 nights a week, working out. But I can’t devote that much time to going to the gym with her, and I don’t feel comfortable letting her go alone.” Maisie has Down’s Syndrome, and is, in her mother’s words, ‘extremely trusting’. “If someone said, “Come on, honey, let’s go, Maisie would go,” Linda explained. “I just can’t take that chance.”

To give Maisie the safe workout space she needs, Linda had her Pembroke basement converted into a home gym. “It was much simpler than I’d ever imagined,” Linda said. “I told the basement remodeling contractors what I was looking for, and they got right to work.”

Turning a basement into a home gym is one of the most popular basement renovations. Fitness is very important to many people, but the experience of going to the gym can be problematic. For some, it’s a safety issue, such as in Maisie’s case. Other people prefer to work out in private, where they don’t have to deal with people’s commentaries on their efforts or bodies. Scheduling is a concern for some people: if you love to work out at 4 am on a Sunday morning, your options are limited. Having a gym right in the basement of your home means 24/7 access, the ultimate in convenience.

“The best part of this renovation surprised me,” Linda said. “Maisie doesn’t just have a place to work out, she has a place to practice teaching a class. A few of her friends from school have come over and she’s had a great time teaching them the routine – they all work out together. It’s been such a positive experience. I would recommend it to anyone.”

Jun 10 2016

Basement Offices Promote Work/Life Balance

“I work in finance, and my work day is never really done,” Adam said. “I bring work home from the office all the time. But I also have a four year old daughter who deserves – and demands! – my attention.”

It was hard for Adam to focus on his family when he could see the piles of work waiting for him. “I’d always have the laptop open,” he said. “And I’d see that there was a new email, and so I’d read that – before you knew it, I was working through dinner and bedtime almost every night.”

This situation was not acceptable to his four year old, Casey. “I asked Daddy why he bothered coming home if all he was going to do was work all the time.”

A family conference led to the realization that Adam needed a place for his work that was separate from where the family did their day-to-day living. “The kitchen was out, and the living room wasn’t working either, and when I suggested our bedroom, my wife said absolutely not,” Adam said. “That left the basement.”

Building a home office in the basement is a very popular renovation in the Scituate region. Basement spaces tend to be underused, and basement remodels are much more cost-effective than adding another room to the home. “The way our home is on the lot,” Adam said, “we don’t really have the space needed for a first floor addition – and building up is very, very expensive.”

The family basement was on the small side, but it had more than enough room for what Adam needed. “Really, as long as I have wi-fi and room to sit and concentrate, I’m good,” he explained. “I’m really pleased that our Scituate basement renovation company built in some storage for our camping gear and my files – it makes the whole thing feel organized and put together. When I’m down here, I can concentrate on my work. And when I’m upstairs, I can be 100% a family man.”

Apr 29 2016

The Rise of the Super Basement

Basements were once known for being dark, dingy spaces that held the essentials of a home’s heating and plumbing systems and little more. Now, in Marshfield and in surrounding Western Massachusetts communities, we’re seeing the acceptance of basement renovations as a way to add living space to a home, create an area for a home office or private gym, or to serve as studio space for creative endeavors.

But apparently that is only the tip of the iceberg. According to this article in Insurance Age, high wealth families in Great Britain are taking basement remodels to a whole new level. Dubbed the Super Basement, these luxury renovations include astonishing amenities, such as bowling alleys, in ground pools, gun rooms, wine cellars, and our personal favorite, a two-story rock climbing wall! These are some truly super Super Basements.

Realistically, most Marshfield basement remodels are done on a budget that doesn’t have space to accommodate super-car storage. But the best of these ideas are scaleable, meaning that you can enjoy your own version of what the rich and famous enjoy. Wine cellars can be voluminous rooms – but they can also occupy approximately the same square footage of your college dorm refrigerator. Your basement renovation can certainly include built-in gun safes and other secure storage, single or double lane bowling alleys, and climbing features for your home gym. It’s just a matter of careful planning and working closely with your Marshfield basement renovation specialist.

Don’t discount an idea because you’ve only seen it done to its grandest, most expensive extent. The Super Basement features are often built to entertain large groups of people, far beyond what most of us will need in the course of our everyday life. A private basement theater that seats a dozen comfortably has far wider appeal than that built to seat 200! Dream big, build small – that’s the secret to being happy with your basement remodel.

Apr 13 2016

Impressive Basements on the South Shore

Hanover, Ma. contractor on A&E real estate reality show ‘Flipping Boston’

By Dana Barbuto

Steve Sweeney, owner of KAKS Home Improvement Services in Hanover, is on the real estate reality show “Flipping Boston.”
Hanover contractor Steve Sweeney of Kaks Home Improvement has signed on to do seven more episodes of the A&E real estate reality show “Flipping Boston,” airing in the fall. It follows the adventures of a pair of Massachusetts house flippers as they buy a home, renovate it and sell it (ideally) for a tidy profit.

Sweeney, who has run his family owned business for seven years, said the best way to increase a home’s value, is to increase its living space. That’s why co-stars Dave Seymour and Peter Souhleris brought him onboard to renovate basements. “A good basement is a slam dunk,” Sweeney said.

In the episode “War Next Door,” Sweeney dramatically transformed the basement of a three-bedroom Colonial in Lynn from a cold subterranean concrete cave into a warm 900-square foot living area with hard-wood floors, light coconut-colored walls with white trim.

“That Lynn basement was challenging. Most city homes are challenging. I had a lady in Quincy, she was like ‘I never step down here.’ Now she doesn’t want to go upstairs,” Sweeney said.

Sweeney uses an eco-friendly finishing setup called Impressive Basement System. He said it takes about a week (or two) for most build outs, which includes, floors, walls, ceilings, electrical and plumbing. “We can move pretty quick,” Sweeney said.

Filming is under way for season two. Sweeney has shot basement remodels in Rockport and Middleton. He’ll be on seven of the season’s 14 episodes. Sweeney said he was asked to do the whole season, but couldn’t because of the time commitment.

“It was a gamble going in. I wasn’t sure this will make good TV,” Sweeney said. “But, there is a lot of drama in home remodeling.” Mining that drama is something A&E and others of its ilk – HGTV, DIY and TLC – are already successfully doing. “Flipping Boston” joins the similarly themed shows “Flipped Off,” “Flip This House,” “Flip That House,” “Flip Men.” And so, while the real estate market remains shaky, the home television bubble continues to grow. Sweeney is grateful for the latter.

“‘Flipping Boston’ got great ratings and has catapulted us business-wise,” he said. Being on “Flipping Boston” was a stroke of luck. “I was at the Plaza with my daughter and a woman called to ask about doing the show. I thought my brother – who is a big jokester – put someone up to it. Turns out it was a referral from a past job. I still don’t know who it was.”

The four episodes from Season One are available via cable On Demand. You can also catch the repeats Friday, June 29, starting at 4 p.m.

KAKS Basement Finishing & Remodeling