Way back in March, I woke up one morning to discover that our internet was disconnected. So I casually strolled to the basement to reset the router. When I stepped onto the basement floor, my foot dropped into about 2 inches of cold rainwater! This was all too reminiscent of The Great Basement Flood of 2008 when our sump pump failed during the once-in-a-lifetime flood in Johnson County. This time our sump pump failed again. And the battery in the backup quit too. Since we had been through this one time before, we knew what to do. Chris started the emergency pump right away. Then his dad came to help remove the water, replace the sump pump with a new one, and assess the damage.
First up was a remediation company that was quick, efficient, and so accommodating. They removed the flooring, the trim, and the damaged drywall and set up plenty of blowers to dry out everything else. In the process, we discovered some mold in one corner of the basement. Fabulous! Luckily it’s all fixable. After a few weeks of going back and forth with the insurance company, we finally received the funds for repairs. Chris and I determined that in case we have another sump pump failure in another 18 years, we don’t want to mess with replacing the flooring again. So this time we opted for epoxy floors throughout the entire basement.
At first I wasn’t too keen on this idea. Epoxy floors seem too industrial and not very homey. But I warmed up to the idea after we landed on a company to complete the work. They were very reassuring that epoxy floors will look great and be easy to take care of, especially in case of another flood. Plus we were pleased with their customer service. And the price was better than we expected. One great bonus with this company is that they delivered a small storage trailer to our driveway where we can store the basement items while the crew is working.
Last week we moved all of the basement belongings into the storage trailer. And today finally begins the work on the repairs. The epoxy floor goes in this week. Then next week is drywall, trim, paint, and new carpet for the stairs. Hopefully our family’s favorite living space will be available again the week of June 15. At least that is when we can move everything back in place and make plans to buy new furniture. We’ll have to do a little redecorating too. I think Chris wants to create a wall dedicated entirely to IU football!
So today is Day 1 (really Day 90) of our basement saga. For posterity, here are the before pictures. I know it will be worth it all in the end!
