Owens-Corning Basement Finishing System- anybody?

[pooh4evr]

We have been tossing around the idea af finishing part of the basement (half bath, area for computer/homework desks, and rec room for kids toys) We had a rep from owens corning (spell?) come out the other night to show us their basement finishing system- it looks pretty cool- but is very pricey - has anybody ever used them or know anyone who has- what is youe experience with the product - is it worth the $$


Thanks

 

[Tigger&Belle]

I've never heard of it. What exactly is it? How is it different than other finished basements?

 

[Lisa L from MI]

I don't know anyone who has used them...but DH is really interested and wants to do that too...

 

[Towncrier]

Our friends had it done to their basement just before they sold their house. I may be prejudiced, but I thought that it looked kinda cheap. Several years ago I finished half of our basement using traditional 2x4 framing and drywall, so I might be prejudiced. I have no idea how much the Owens-Corning system cost our friends, so I cannot comment on that part of your question.

I suggest you ask around and see if you can find someone you know who has had this done and invite yourself over to see it in person.

 

[sgtdisney]

I am interested in this as well. I have seen it advertised a lot in our area, but I hear it is somewhat more expensive that a traditional finished basement. I like that it can finished in about 2 weeks with a lot less dust and mess than a drywall and frame basement and also that you can take the panels down rather easily if you need to get to a crack in the foundation. It always worries me that you would need to tear out drywall if you needed to repair the foundation. I would like to see one in person though, because I would think the drywall on frame would look more like the rest of the house.

 

[#1Mouse]

We seen it at one of the home shows we went to. We thought about it, but I couldn't get past the strips that connect the panels side to side. They just seem to be so noticeable. We have decided on using drywall, actually dh is at Home Depot now, buying the first load of 2x4's.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

I looked at their website and it looks a little cheesy to me, but it's hard to tell without actually seeing it in person.

When we had our basement finished I think it took about a month to finish. Yes, it was noisy and somewhat of a mess (mess didn't really get to the rest of our house, though), but it really didn't take long. That included making a rec room with a kitchenette, an interior office, a large playroom (5th bedroom really), and a full bathroom.

Our basement was not cheap, but we wanted it finished to the standards of the rest of our house. It's actually is nicer than the rest of the house in some ways.

In some parts of the country moisture could be a bigger problem than what it is here (it's somewhat of an issue here) and the drywall could be a problem.

 

[pooh4evr]

From what the rep said-

7-10 days to install
benefits over drywall
- panels easily remove so you can get to your foundation/pipes, take off the trim pop out panel
- the panels don't hold water so they don't create molds, get water damage, or discolor in any way if you have a leak
- come with baseboards and crown molding that snaps on (you can fit electrical cords behind the trim to hide)
- does not burn or melt
- insulated

I guess it seems better than dry wall to us because it is almost indestructable (sp) the put in new outlets and lines for computers and satellite/cable tv and phone, the ceiling looks nice with lots of lights on dimmer swithces and it is all under warranty for life covering really anything that could happen.

Down side is they don't do bathrooms which we have the plumming for a half bath nor do they do the flooring.

our price was about 25,000
We are just teasing the waters at this point but it would be nice to have that space be more organized and usable right now it is just COLD

 

[sgtdisney]

Thanks for the update. Interesting about the materials they use. So your estimate was 25K without a bathroom or flooring? Is it a big basement? We have a 2500 square foot basement and the plumbing is roughed in. We want to add a bath down there and a couple of rooms eventually. Sounds expensive. But then again I haven't priced out basement finishing at all yet.

 

[EthansMom]

Honestly, I would get a couple quotes from local contractors about having the space finished in the traditional manner, also. On our last house, we had a partially finished basement. There were two rooms that weren't finished, just framed in. We had a contractor come in and finish two bedrooms and one bathroom in the space -- included a bit more framing (closets), a/c ducts, electrical, and all of the finish work. Our cost was roughly $20,000 and we got most of that out of the house when we sold it. I think it took about 3 weeks for all of the work to be done.

 

[mallcat]

We had our basement finished two years ago. We had traditional drywall, electrical and flooring installed (recessed lights w/dimmers, 2 ceiling fans, computer hookups and extra receptacles, and laminate flooring throughout). They also installed a full brick hearth, a large shelf lined pantry closet, a coat closet, interior french doors between two of the rooms, and a solid oak full sized stairway with oak trim. We left one room unfinished as a utility/furnace room. Ours cost $19,000 total. It looks just as nice as our upstairs. Square footage was probably about 900.