Concrete Plant – Bedroom Retrofit

Project Scope

One of my first large scale projects I took on involved the complete renovation of a Concrete Plant basement. This building was originally built in the 1940s and for the most part remained intact with its original charm (and some surprise problems). Up until this point, the basement was used as a storage area for random equipment, office supplies, record-keeping paperwork, and a hodgepodge of other junk. I was tasked with cleaning out the mess (no before photos unfortunately) and renovating it to be a usable space to accompany a beautiful bar that was installed down there several years before. The main storage room was converted into a bedroom with an attached private bathroom.

Throughout this process I was hit with several issues ranging from 75-year-old ungrounded electrical to both friable and non-friable asbestos and termite damage. As you will see while browsing through the gallery below, this process was very in-depth and required a great deal of perseverance and time to complete.

Task List

Overall the project took about 1 month (working weekends) to complete and required the following milestones to be completed:

Clearing of debris and materials from room Removal of cabinetry Removal of termite damage Treating for termites and sealing points of ingress (contractor provided) Removal of old wire and installation of modern BX wiring and fixtures Removal of water damaged sections of ceiling and reinforcement of remaining ceiling Removal of asbestos tile flooring Installation of new framing to replace termite damage Repair condensate pan leak in adjacent room and install new condensate pump with HVAC interlock to prevent moisture damage Installation of fire and moisture rated wall board followed by a faux wood veneer (beadboard) Installation of new tile flooring Addition of an auxiliary 110v wall mount infrared forced-air heater Replacement of damaged wood-fiber ceiling with modern drop ceiling A rail mounted fixture replaced the 1940s ballast ceiling mounted fixture Staining, sealing and installation of matching trim Moving furniture into space and mounting customer provided decor.

Throughout this process contractors were present for other jobs and were able to provide permits and inspect the work when required. Occasionally it would be requested that they complete specific tasks due to manpower and time restraints. I will post the adjoining bathroom shortly. Be sure to view the other renovation photos below and take a look at the other photos of the finished product!

Project Gallery