That's Just Life Archives - I Finished My Basement

The Best Basement Dehumidifier and 5 Things You Must Check Before Buying One.

November 5, 2016 by Jason 20 Comments

Awesomely, awesome! This basement dehumidifier keeps everything dry as a bone and I rarely have to touch it.

A basement dehumidifier is a key component to fighting that "moist" basement feeling and smell.

I'm not saying you'll 100% need to have one, but if you're like me, you want your basement to feel like the rest of your house and not a stanky high school gym locker.

Even if you've done all the other moisture fighting steps a basement, by design, is partially or completely underground, so it's going to have more moisture in the air compared to the rest of your house.

So yes, I recommend buying a dehumidifier for your basement.

And after several days of non-stop coffee, consulting with my physcic coach and a healthy dose of research and review I strongly recommend [Read more...]

Powerline Adapter questions answered by a Regular Guy

October 23, 2016 by Jason 2 Comments

If you forgot or just don’t feel like installing ethernet jacks in your basement then a powerline adapter may be just the thing for you. I needed one because my Tivo mini doesn't work with wireless, you must have wired internet access. Just be sure to get the right kind!

To install a powerline adapter - plug in one by your router and the other where you need wired internet. You're Done!

When I finished my basement I prewired most of my basement with ethernet jacks I just hadn't thought of [Read more...]

Air Filters and Home Depots Dirty Little Secret

February 1, 2016 by Jason 120 Comments

Do you buy air filters for your house? What am I saying… of course you do. Just about everyone does.

Are you over paying for air filters?

You probably are. I did. For 7 years I overpaid.

Then last year I discovered that if I buy them here online in bulk it's much cheaper. And this year when I went to do some research for this article I discovered that some companies within the air filter industry are trying to pull a fast one on YOU!

Look - I'm not a conspiracy nut or something like that. I'm just a Dad who has a family to support and a house to keep up. I take out the trash and I change the filters - these are some of my best contributions to the house. That… and my insane knowledge of how to hook up electronics.

I know this is my basement finishing website but I thought you guys would appreciate hearing my story and getting less expensive filters (of the same quality).

First, let's start with why I'm angry at Home Depot. [Read more...]

The best Christmas Tree Stand Ever, in the whole world.

November 14, 2015 by Jason 19 Comments

You know what sucks?

Christmas tree stands.

[unless you have the one I bought 4 years ago]

There seems to be about 100 different types and they all stink.

That kind with the screws? Seriously? I'm supposed to hold the tree up with 5 big screws - what is this, the dark ages?

Some tree stands are good at holding the tree but their base is to light. Hey, I've got little kids. Little kids like to grab onto branches. I can't have a tree falling on my kid's head! Do you know how much yelling I would hear from Jenn if a tree, that I put up, fell on Cameron's head! It ~~could~~ would ruin Christmas.

Then there's the whole "is the tree straight" debacle. It better be, because [Read more...]

My Best Ever Ninja Garage Trick

June 22, 2013 by Jason Leave a Comment

Sometimes Dad just has to lay down the law.

Or in this case, some blue Scotch painter's tape.

It's not like I'm driving a brand new Lexus or something, I don't turn into the Hulk just because a bike occasionally hits my car door.

But when I can't pull into the garage, and it's raining, and dark, and I've been slaving away at work for 10-11 hours... then... well... then you're going to see "mad Dad" when I walk into the house.

Yes children, run and hide. Your father is home and you left your bike in the spot where his car is supposed to go. There will be hell to pay!

Kids love rules. I know that sounds a bit off but in reality they crave structure and understanding. So I gave them some. I stuck this blue tape

[Read more...]

2 Snow Shoveling Hacks - My Entire Driveway and Sidewalk in 4 mins 47 secs (video)

February 12, 2013 by Jason 2 Comments

Look. This beast ain't cheap. But neither is my time. It's been through 4 Virginia winters and is still in perfect shape.

To finish your basement by yourself you need a lot of one thing. Time. I've got 2 hacks and a video below to help you create some more time.

Saving time on everyday household chores is hobby of mine. I'm constantly analyzing stuff that I have to do and figuring out ways to do it faster, better or less frequently. (yup, hand raised, I'm kinda lame like that)

Enter... snow shoveling.

You get exercise which is good. You get outside in the cold which is good, usually. (did you know you lose more weight working out in colder weather?) Plus, you get the satisfaction of having a nice clear driveway and sidewalk.

What isn't so fun is having to shovel for 30 minutes before going to work at 6 AM. [Read more...]

Plumber of the Year Awards

February 10, 2013 by Jason 3 Comments

Basement Plumbing

Don't make these hilarious plumbing mistakes. Or do, and then email me a picture.

Big thumbs up to Bill S, for emailing me with the "Plumber of the Year Awards"

Enjoy - Jason

How does this even get past the planning phase?

&%$@#

[Read more...]

Inflatable Mattress Nirvana - 7 Must Have Features in Your Next Air Bed

December 14, 2012 by Jason 4 Comments

A really good inflatable mattress means a good nights sleep. A bad one could mean you're waking up in the middle of the night, sweating profusely, grasping your father in law's leg.

7 Must Haves when Buying an Inflatable Mattress [Read more...]

3 Awesome Father's Day Gift Ideas - Yeah, you did almost forget, get on it.

June 4, 2012 by Jason 2 Comments

It's almost Father's Day. So it makes sense to write a Father's Day post. But unlike every other tired worn out father's day gift list. This one is awesome. I'm only picking 3 things. The three awesomest things I can think of. Two of which I own or have bought for my Dad and used. One, I've got my fingers crossed that I might get.

If the Dad in your life is special, then you want a gift that makes him say "wow" when he opens it. But more importantly, you want to give him something that makes him smile and say "wow" when he's still using it 10 years from now.

If your Dad is not special, maybe he's kind of a jerk, then buy yourself one of these and send him a picture of you with it. (ps my Dad IS special, I'm very lucky)

Here's my very, very select list of Father's Day gift ideas [Read more...]

2 Laundry Room Tips: One will Help you Sleep, The other could Save Your Life.

April 28, 2012 by Jason 5 Comments

Sometimes you get to ride "The Avalanche" together at Disney. Other times... you clean out crap from your laundry room together.

There are two things I love to do with my spare time. Work on the basement and work on this blog. Oh… and hang out with the kids, wife, family, friends… those guys too. And golf. And sports. And beer. I'm sliding off track here.

This past Saturday I couldn't do any of those things. My wife Jenn had reported that the washing machine was leaking. Nothing, and I mean nothing, gets my attention faster than something in the house that is leaking water.

I investigate and yes indeed there is water, albeit a small amount, in the washing machine tray, which also happens to have a bunch of cracks in the front of it.

So I soak up the water with some rags. We pull out the washing machine and start digging around behind the washing machine and the dryer.

Journey to the Land of Lost Socks:

If you've never been behind your washer and dryer before be sure to bring some form of GPS unit or guide dog because it's a whole different world [Read more...]

Raccoons in my Basement!

March 14, 2012 by Jason Leave a Comment

You don't want this staring back at you when you go down to the basement to get another Miller Lite.

Surprise, surprise. Mother nature challenges me again. This time on my home turf. Guess what MN, that’s a big no-no. I will protect this house!

Technically I don’t know if “Raccoons” breaking into my basement classify as an affront by Mother Nature but whatever, she is going to get the lion's share of the blame here.

Two Raccoons and Microphone

That’s right, two raccoons busted into the basement via my ultra-secure cat door. Okay, so security was not tops on the list when I installed the door. It’s basically just a “push open the flap” type of operation. A gust of wind could break in if it wanted to.

The door has been there more than a year and the only suckers to come in were quickly caught and eaten by [Read more...]