St. Louis Basement Finishing Contractor – Marvelous Basements

No St. Louis basement finishing project would be complete without a home theater system added to the design.

For most of our customers a new basement means new opportunities to entertain and a home theater is usually the focal point for many of their events.

To truly utilize your space, your systems must be carefully planned in order to accommodate your vision for your theater.

There is more to basement theater design than simply bolting a flat screen to your wall and adding a few speakers.

Do you want speakers in your ceiling? Do you want speakers in your walls? Do you want your T.V. to not face any windows or doors looking outside? These are all important questions you need to be asking yourself when thinking about your home theater set-up.

Here are 5 tips to help you plan your home theater:

1. Seating Arrangement for Your Home Theater

There are many ways to design great home theater seating. Some will prefer individual recliners while others will prefer a curved sectional sofa.

No matter what you choose, first make sure it’s comfortable.

Nobody will watch a two and a half hour movie if they can’t relax in their seat. Second, make sure your choice fits within the design and dimensions of your project.

2. Component Selection for Your A/V Equipment

You’ll want to have all your theater components/electronics selected early on in the design process and certainly before you start construction. This ensures that you’ll be able to effectively hide any unwanted wires. Nobody wants dangling extension cords in their basement.

For example, if you decide to use a projector instead of a TV, you can design everything around that component to make sure the projector is housed properly and none of its wires are exposed.

The same goes for any media players like blu ray, dvd players, and video game systems. Even the type of TV you choose will influence the design.

Do you want your TV hanging or on a stand? Knowing what you want beforehand helps you design a place for everything to stay in and keeps your basement clean and manageable.

3. Lighting Design and Specifications for Home Theaters

Lighting can be a very important aspect to your basement home theater design.

Whether you have a walk out or not will essentially determine not only the type of lighting you will get, but the placement of it as well. Being aware of where your natural light is coming from in the basement can also influence where you will place your TV, as to avoid any unwanted glare during daytime viewing.

4. Food Prep and Convenience

If you are putting a home theater in your basement, chances are you are not going to want to run back and forth to your upstairs kitchen for refreshments. Having some sort of wetbar downstairs can help avoid these unwanted trips back and forth while you are in the middle of watching something in your home theater.

Even if you don’t have a ton of space in your basement you can still design an area with a small refrigerator, a couple of cabinets for food storage, and a microwave.

If you do have the space then you can start adding things like a stove, a popcorn machine, or even a whole bar area. The choices are endless.

5. Speaker System Design and Specifications

No basement theater would be complete without a surround sound system implemented into the design. These systems can start with only four speakers and move up to well over a dozen. Space will be a factor in your choice. Also whether you want all your speakers in the walls and ceiling, or if you want some of them free standing will influence your design.

Spending some time researching these areas on the front end will save you tons of headaches in the middle of construction and will also keep unforeseeable costs to a minimum.

The more prepared you are the better your finished product will be.

If you are interested in adding a theater to your basement remodeling project in the St. Louis metro area, then please contact us today and let us show you what Marvelous Basements can do.

No one is going to care about your basement remodeling project more than you.

It’s an important step in your home’s evolution. If you are like most homeowners, you are going to want a contractor who is responsive to your needs and helps create the vision you have been planning.

You don’t want to be left wondering why none of your phone calls are being returned and why very little work is going on with your project once it has started.

Having a contractor that is responsive to your project is key to creating the quality and unique basement design that you are envisioning.

We do not leave our customers waiting around because we are busy with other things.

This is evident in our very first interactions with you, all the way to project completion.

We turnaround designs, project specs, and pricing all within 48 hours. And we’re there to answer all your questions about the job. If you have a question about a bid or design drawing we’ll be more than happy to walk you through the details.

Communication with you is very important to us no matter what stage of the process you are in. Whether you just requested a bid or you are at the tail end of a basement remodeling project, we make sure to answer every question and concern in a quick and timely fashion. For that reason we make it a point from the very beginning to be responsive to every aspect of the job.

Just because the job is finished doesn’t mean we’re finished with you as a customer. We are always tentative to our client’s needs even after the job is finished. As one of our clients, you are always a top priority to Marvelous Basements.

With Marvelous Basements, you don’t have to worry about starting your project with the company owner and then having it passed down to somebody else.

Owner John Turner will personally supervise your project from beginning to end. So there is no having to explain yourself multiple times to different people within our company, and you are guaranteed to get the highest level of service and expertise throughout your project.

Other contractors may think that they can take it easy once you sign their bid, not Marvelous Basements. With Marvelous Basements there is no waiting to hear back from us, no being left behind. Our goal is to provide the best service possible from the time we meet until the job is complete.

Contact John at Marvelous Basements today to get the finished basement you have always wanted and the service you deserve.

A lot goes into to designing a quality finished basement space.

It’s not just about getting nice cabinets or pretty carpeting.

More times than not most of the effort goes into finding a way to get the most out of the space that has been allotted to the project.

Too many times basements are refinished with inefficient designs and lots of wasted space, making them nowhere near as functional as they should be. This is where the expertise of Marvelous Basements comes in.

We have been designing basements for over 25 years, helping customers not only get the quality that they want but also to create a basement that has the most usable space for your family.

We aim to design the basement that suits your needs perfectly. Because of this we are sometimes not the cheapest bid (although sometimes we are), but we’re also never the most expensive. That’s because our goal is to provide the customer with what they want for the best possible price.  We never turn in a cheap bid just so we can win the job, only to raise the price in the middle of the project. We’re honest up front about what it takes to design a good basement and finish the project on budget.

We keep all aspects of the design and drawings in house. We don’t hire an architect. Because of this we are able to pass real savings on to you.

Each project is unique unto itself and because of that Marvelous Basements provides unique, custom designs for each basement we work on.  We don’t offer cookie cutter design jobs.

There are many different ways to take a basement design to the next level. If you have a finished basement and are just looking for a few small tips on how to spruce up the area then check out DIY’s basement finishing section of their website.

If you need a makeover or you need your basement finished for the first time then call Marvelous Basements today. We are a premier basement finishing St. Louis contractor. We turnaround designs, project specs and pricing all within 48 hours.  Contact John to get started!

Marvelous Basements offers our clients many finance options for your basement finishing project that other contractors do not. For clients who want complete control, this means you decide who gets paid when, have the ability to negotiate with vendors, receive great discounts via our contractors pricing, and are never at risk of having somebody walk away with your money.

One of the ways this is done is by giving each client complete control over their project’s finances. Let’s take a look at exactly how this works, and the options that this gives you as the homeowner.

As the Client, YOU Control the Money

The first thing is that you have the ability to pay any subcontractors out of your own pocket if you desire to do so. You can have control over what subs you use and you can even negotiate with the subs till you get the price you want. This lets you see every aspect that goes into the pricing of your basement remodeling project and helps you control your costs and protect yourself against any liens. Marvelous Basements will still manage all of the subs and oversee their work, making sure that it is of the highest quality and completed on time.

If you would rather go the traditional route, of course we also offer payment arrangements where you pay us, and we in turn take care of paying all of the suppliers and subcontractors.  Still, even with the traditional route you will be able to control the flow of money for your basement remodel. That way you don’t feel pressured into letting one person hold all of your money throughout your project.

It’s Your Basement, It’s Your Design

You also have the option of choosing your own materials such as flooring, bathroom fixtures, cabinets, etc. Again, that way you control the costs. You don’t have to fear that anybody will mark up your materials which commonly happens in the home remodeling industry.

With Marvelous Basements everything is straightforward and every detail is displayed transparently for you to see. There are no surprises with your basement remodeling project when working with us.

We also offer a full five year warranty on all our labor and materials, something else that most contractors do not offer today, not to mention the 25 year limited warranty on our wall system.

Payment terms are a very important part of your project. Before selecting a contractor, be sure that you are comfortable with the terms you have negotiated.  With our flexible payment options, allowing you as much control over your project finances as you’d like, you’ll know that you are in good hands at all times.

Marvelous Basements is a pro St. Louis basement finishing contractor. We specialize in basement finishing in St. Louis, basement finishing in St. Charles, as well as Warren County and Jefferson County.

Please contact John to get started on your basement remodeling project today.

When planning your basement remodel, you certainly should consider return on investment.  One of the best ways to maximize this return is to include a bathroom in your finished basement.

Studies have shown that the number one return on investment in a home is kitchens and baths.  Adding an additional half or full bathroom to your home can significantly increase your home’s value.

Consider home prices in your neighborhood.  Other things being roughly equal, how much of a premium are homes with more bathrooms demanding?  How about a 3 bedroom, 2 bath home versus a 3 bedroom, 3 bath home?  Or a 4 bedroom, 2 bath versus a 4 bedroom, 3 bath home?

Including a Bathroom in Your Finished Basement Really Pays Off

The NAHB conducted a study that clearly demonstrates the value of additional bathrooms:

“When the number of bathrooms is approximately equal to the number of bedrooms, an additional half bath adds about 10 percent to the home’s value, and converting the half bath to a full bath adds another 9 percent, so one additional bath adds about 19 percent to the value. Below this (that is, when the home contains fewer bathrooms than bedrooms) the percentage gains associated with an added bathroom can be somewhat larger.

For example, starting with a home that has only one bathroom, an additional half bath will increase the value of a standard two-bedroom home by 11.5 percent, a  standard three-bedroom home by 12.0 percent, and a standard four-bedroom home by 12.5 percent. The greater the disparity between beds and baths, the more there is to gain (in percentage terms) by adding an additional bath. One way to interpret this is that, when there is an excess of bedrooms over bathrooms, an additional bathroom makes the bedroom more valuable.”

For more details on this study click here.

Big Returns on Basement Finishing Investments

Depending on your home, you’re looking at an average increase in the value of your home of between 10 and 20 percent.  On a $200,000 home, that’s an additional $20,000 to $40,000!  This could more than pay for your entire finished basement.

The numbers don’t lie.  Investing in a finished basement with either a half bath or full bathroom can provide a great return.

We are specialists in St. Charles basement finishing, Jefferson County basement remodeling, Warren County finished basements and St. Louis basement finishing.

Please contact John for a free consultation, custom design and estimate for you basement!
For more about Marvelous Basements, please watch our video on St. Louis Basement Finishing.

If you are considering finishing your basement, be sure to watch this video!  In it we explain why it’s so important to do it right the first time. By using the right materials in the first place, you can avoid a huge disaster down the road.

We are specialists in St. Charles basement finishing, Jefferson County basement remodeling, Warren County finished basements and St. Louis basement finishing.  Please contact John for a free consultation, custom design and estimate for you basement!

There are true, tangible differences between Marvelous Basements and other contractors. When you are deciding on a contractor for your basement finishing project, it’s important that you consider a number of factors. Below we have outlined a number of important criteria that you should consider in your selection.

As you can see, Marvelous Basements offers a tremendous value. Because of our flexibility and personal approach, we are still able to deliver this kind of value at or below the prices of our competitors. Whatever you do, if you’re interviewing multiple contractors you need to determine how they stack up against these various criteria.

We are specialists in St. Charles, Jefferson County, Warren County and St. Louis basement finishing.  Please contact John for a free consultation, custom design and estimate for you basement!

The biggest consideration when deciding whether to install a drywall ceiling or an acoustic drop ceiling is preference.

One of our major design goals is to make your lower level feel like the rest of your home.  You want a natural transition to the lower level so that it doesn’t feel like a different space.

Which is more expensive, drywall or acoustic ceiling tiles?

Drywall is a third of the price of acoustic drop ceilings, and approximately 95% of our customers select this less expensive option.  Why is an acoustic ceiling so much more expensive?  There are two main reasons:

• Material costs are higher.
• Labor costs are higher as it is more labor intensive.  Cutting holes for light fixtures and hanging the grid system take more time than people normally think.

How Can I Access Pipes and Wiring?

Often times, clients are concerned about accessing the floor joist area after their basement finishing project has been completed.  “But what if there’s something we have to get up in there for?” is a question we hear from time to time. These sentiments are well intentioned, but are usually not an issue for two main reasons.

For starters, local building codes require that we install access panels wherever there’s a water or gas valve (shutoff) or junction box. So these areas can always be accessed, regardless of whether you install drywall or acoustic ceiling tiles.

Second, consider your existing home.  If you have a 2 story house, what happens if your bathroom starts leaking on second floor?  You have to tear out drywall.  You have pipes and electricity running in your walls throughout your existing home, so it’s really the same thing as the pipes and electricity running through your basement walls and ceiling.

Cutting a hole, making the necessary repairs and then patching the drywall back to its original state is a minor expense and a quick fix.  You likely will never have to do this, but if you do it will be a very minor setback.  Certainly not one that should prohibit you from choosing the ceiling finish that is most to your liking.

How Difficult is it to Run Wires After My Basement Has Been Finished?

If you are concerned about running wires for future electronics or audio/video equipment, there is an easy way to address that as well.  We can work with you in the design stage to determine where these wires might need to be run at some point in the future.  Then we can run conduit in your walls, for future wiring of a/v, communications, etc.  that you will always have easy access to. Drywall is also more flexible aesthetically.  You can change colors, do different textures, etc.  It is also much easier to repaint, when you decide to freshen things up a few years down the road.

For all of these reasons, we recommend drywall in almost every situation.  At the end of the day, it boils down to cost and aesthetics.

We are specialists in St. Louis, Jefferson County, Warren County and St. Charles basement finishing.  Please contact John for a free consultation, custom design and estimate for you basement!

The short answer, yes.  There are really a couple different ways to look at it.

Historically, studies have shown that you will recoup 75% of your direct investment.  So if you invest $10,000 in a finished basement you might expect your home value to increase by $7,500.  Based on this formula, you could say that the remaining 25% is the opportunity cost of having that space to enjoy.

Yet there is a much more compelling reason why finishing your basement can actually yield far greater results than what these historical studies have shown.

Consider what circumstances you will be facing when selling your home.  It’s almost certain that similar homes in your neighborhood will be for sale at the same time.  How are you going to set yourself apart?

All other things being equal, the home with the finished basement will stand out.  Most homeowners don’t have finished basements in St. Louis.  So when potential buyers see your beautifully designed, finished basement, they will certainly hold your home in higher esteem than your neighbors whose basements are unfinished and unusable.

This could be the difference in your home selling quickly, or it sitting on the market for months and months.  It’s a difficult environment to sell your house in, and things don’t look to be getting a whole lot better any time soon.  You really have to use every tool at your disposal to increase the value and attractiveness of your home to potential buyers.

We are specialists in basement finishing in St. Louis and surrounding areas.  Please contact John for a free consultation, custom design and estimate for you basement!

One of the most important considerations in finishing your basement should be the construction and specifications of your wall system.  More specifically, you have to be sure to use the right kind of drywall and framing materials.  Not doing so can expose you to future issues with mold and mildew.

Why are St. Louis Basements So Susceptible to Mold and Mildew?

Basements are humid spaces, significantly more humid than the rest of your house. There is always a constant temperature in a basement between 65 and 72 degrees.  Because of this, and additional moisture, mold will grow much faster in a basement wall system.  You don’t have extreme hot and colds killing the mold, like happens in a 1st or 2nd floor wall. Basement walls (inside the walls) trap moisture, and are much more moisture susceptible than other floors because they don’t have the ventilation benefits of being above ground.

Now, the first thing you should do is make the investment in a basement waterproofing system if you don’t have one. Unless your basement has been dry for 30 years and never had a water problem, you should strongly consider this. In fact, building ordinances now require that new homes have a drain tile system and sump pump installed in the house.  The last thing you want is a leak in your foundation that causes you to spend a significant sum tearing out walls to repair a leak.

Our Approach to Keeping Your Basement Mold & Mildew Free

Mold and mildew needs air, food and water to survive.  Without one of these, they cannot sustain. Our wall system takes their food away.  The way this is done is by not using standard paper on the drywall or the insulation, which the mold eats. We use Gold Bond XP drywall on all perimeter walls.

This special, premium drywall is treated internally and externally with special chemicals that prevent it from being a food source for mildew.  Furthermore, we use galvanized steel studs which prevent the mold from having a food source (such as wood studs).  We also use unfaced (no paper) fiberglass insulation in all of our projects.

Mold can eat paper and wood.  Without paper or wood in our wall system, there is nothing for mold to eat.  Our wall system has a 25 year limited warranty against mold and mildew.  You can’t get better than that.

We are specialists in basement finishing in St. Louis and surrounding areas.  Please contact John for a free consultation, custom design and estimate for you basement!