CONTENTS for DAN'S PAPERS the week of April 20, 2007

Finish Your Basement

Hollywood thinks basements are interesting places. There are secrets lurking in a Wisteria Lane basement on "Desperate Housewives," and the basement is where Wayne and Garth partied on. Grandpa Munster had a laboratory down there, and who could forget The People Under the Stairs?

Building materials manufacturer Owens Corning thinks basements are interesting too. The company's Basement Finishing System experts recently surveyed homeowners about their basements and some unusual uses included a bowling alley and a gigantic aquarium. Would you believe your neighbor might have his basement decked out as a beach resort, complete with tiki torches, a grass hut bar, waves and sand painted on the floor? Quirkier uses aside, the survey found that the top five ways homeowners in the Northeast use their finished basements are as children's playrooms, game rooms, family rooms, exercise rooms and laundry rooms. Whatever the purpose, the results indicate that basement finishing is trending up, as 60 percent of homeowners with unfinished basements say they are likely to finish their basement in the next five years, with heads, hearts and wallets coming together as they weigh the alternatives.

Old constructed basement finishing was once considered to be a long and messy process. The Owens Corning Basement Finishing System can transform a basement in about two weeks. A previously unusable space can become a media room, office, play room or home gym with minimal disruption and virtually none of the dust or mess associated with traditional drywall construction.

Specifically designed for the basement, the Owens Corning Basement Finishing System not only offers quick and clean installation, but also tackles the challenges presented by the basement environment. With Owens Corning's history as a leader in home building products and experts in building science, the company had the resources and knowledge to create a better finishing solution for basements. A system approach has striking advantages over drywall construction. The process of installing the system of insulated, mold-resistant wall components and a drop ceiling takes about two weeks to complete, versus the typical multi-month process.

The primary reason homeowners say they would finish their basement rather than add on to the house or move to a new house is because they are content. The vast majority, about 72 percent, said they like their house, neighborhood, school districts and don't want to move or change their home's appearance with an addition.

Whether the primary motivator was enhancing their investment or improving their lifestyle, or a combination of both, more than half of homeowners reported they had received more value than they had expected from finishing their basement. More than 90 percent had received as much or more value than expected.

In the Northeast, where fluctuating seasonal temperatures demand contrasting thermostat settings, homeowners are more interested in a system approach because its insulation helps control energy costs. Located coast-to-coast, Owens Corning understands the value that a finished basement can bring to homeowners in any area of the country.

The Owens Corning Basement Finishing System has also been approved by Energy Star and qualifies for up to a $500 tax credit because of its insulation power and the impact it has on reducing energy costs.

Long Islands Alure Home Improvements is the area's authorized franchisee for the Owens Corning Basement Finishing System and has been finishing basements since 1997 in Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester and the surrounding areas.

Owens Corning utilized its expertise to design a product that addresses the many challenges presented by the basement environment. For example, the Basement Finishing System's insulated fiberglass walls won't trap moisture, meaning they're mold and mildew-resistant. The insulated walls also help to make cold basement rooms warm and quiet. Because they are designed to be quickly and easily removed, foundation and plumbing can be accessed at any time, and they offer a Class A fire rating.

What is even more impressive are the results from studies conducted by Owens Corning through phone and written surveys, which reported that 97% of respondents say they would do the project over exactly the same way. With that many satisfied homeowners, it is no surprise that the most common comment has been "it's the most favorite room in the house."

Owens Corning can be seen at the Hamptons Home and Garden Show May 4-6. For more information on The Owens Corning Basement Finishing System, visit www.newroom.com, or call 800-NEW-ROOM for a free in home design consultation.