The great basement re-do! (pics)

[HatCityIAFF]

Well men, Thursday is finally the day the Napoleon 1402 insert arrives. Too bad I'm leaving Friday for Buffalo so the install will have to wait until next week...The wife and I live in a 1700sq ft raised ranch, and for the past 3 yrs the lower level has been just an open room with nothing in it, never used it. Partially because the oil furnace heats it like sh*t with one vent so it never gets above 55 down there. Attached are some before/after pics. Maybe the furnace intake which is directly across the room might, if i'm lucky, take some of that hot air upstairs. And a neat little table I picked up which i thought goes with the theme of the room. Made out of old railroad ties. When I install the insert, will get some more pics up as well! Stay tuned!

 

[HatCityIAFF]

A shot showing the stairs, and a fan in the family room that will hopefully push some cold air down!

 

[shawneyboy]

Add an insert and that room may be the favorite in the house.

 

[Wood Duck]

Up above the front door is the main living area, right? I think you'll get a fair bit of heat up into that area through the stairwell. Your pics look like my split-entry house and we can heat the living room upstairs fairly well with a fire in the stove downstairs. of course downstairs is always warmer. I think you'll get a lot more use from the downstairs room once the insert is burning.

 

[brogsie]

Looks great.
I like the panel detail.
Can't wait to see the stove.

 

[Hogwildz]

You might want to move those stockings before you fire anything up.
Looks great!

 

[pyper]

Looks nice. How did you do the wainscot?

 

[billb3]

Looks nice. How did you do the wainscot?

Fairly good rep in IMG 3582 - near the fireplace.


really brightens up that room.

 

[bogydave]

Gonna be nice to have the heat from the insert.
How much dry wood do you have ready to go?

 

[Jim Buckhorn]

Smart upgrade on the panels. It makes the room larger. But the couch, it doesn't face the fire? What does it face? Latin for hearth = focus.

 

[HatCityIAFF]

Thanks guys. Yup, if you walk in the front door, you have that room, which is 6 stairs to the downstairs, or 6 stairs up to kitchen/living area. The wainscot was actually pretty easy. Its just 1/4" cheap plywood as the back, and then the "squares" are just pieces of crown nailed up. The top is just 1"x8" pine, with crown underneith to give it a finished look.

Yes the couch isn't facing the hearth. That was a fight I lost before I even brought it up. I wanted that tv that you see in the corner of one of the pics to go where the mantel is, or even in one of the corners, so the couch would be facing the hearth and would be the center focal point. The wife wants the tv to go in between the windows, so be it. It is a sectional though, so half the couch faces the fire.

Hopefully, I'll get some good heat out the Napoleon upstairs. My neighbor has the same setup as me, but a smaller free standing stove in the fireplace, with no blower, and he heats his whole house with it. I've been hearing mixed reviews about getting the heat upstairs, but we'll see

Wood saved up for this year? Maybe about a 1/2 a cord. I know, I know..I wasn't planning on getting the insert this year. But with a seasoned cord going for about $180-$200 delivered, I'm not too worried. I'm figuring maybe 4 cords this year, and that's about the cost to fill my oil tank once, (which usually gets filled 4 times) so i'm still happily saving money. Started about a month ago splitting wood for next year.

 

[jjs777_fzr]

Looks real nice - nice wainscot - I'm betting it will be warmer once the stove is fired up

I agree - may become the best room in the house

sincerely
cellar dweller

 

[Hass]

looks nice!

Whatcha up to in Buffalo? Coming in town just to try out REAL chicken wings I assume?

I'm a few minutes outside of buffalo... I still work there though.

 

[HatCityIAFF]

can't wait to enjoy down there. Has been 350sq ft of wasted space for the past 3 yrs. Now i'll be sitting down there in a bathing suit it'll be so hot. Hopefully i'll eat some REAL wings!! and good beer Sister is graduating from nurse anesthetist school. Hopefully i'll find some time to make it across the border too.

 

[certified106]

Looks awesome! I'm sure you will enjoy it!