The Last Contractor

We've gotten bids from several contractors in recent weeks on how to treat our basement, which was inundated with eight inches of water during the Halloween snowstorm and subsequent power failure.

The last one arrived today and gave us his ideas on what we should do down there. Now we have to decide. To say we are conflicted is putting it mildly.

We've lived here since 1963. The basement had knotty pine paneling when we moved in and it still does, although the paneling has been sawed off at the bottom twice for french drain installations.

When our kids were young, they used to store their toys down there (at least that's what my wife tells me. I don't remember.) But I don't recall them playing there.

We've always used the basement for clothes washing, drying and ironing (she does). I store stuff and occasionally empty the dehumidifier. We have what we euphemistically call a “work bench” but it's really a catch-all for old tools, paints and assorted odds and ends. Rarely is it used for work.

In fact, two of my oldest possessions are on or under the bench. One is a large scissors from my father's tailor shop in The Bronx and the other is my late older brother's Boy Scout hatchet. I've never used the hatchet and only once in a while used the scissors. But I'm keeping both. Sentimental value.

So, back to what to do with the basement. Do we replace the paneling? Don't want to. Do we put up some sort of dry wall? Maybe. Today's option was to remove the paneling and just paint the masonry walls white so any new owner will see a nice open room and do whatever they want with it. Sounds reasonable.

We haven't received any estimates yet from any of the contractors and that's probably what will help us decide. I'm leaning toward the “less is more” resolution.

We'll see.