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drummer13_gw

Any comments on Owens Corning Basement Systems?

drummer13
18 years ago

My father-in-law is thinking of having his basement remodeled, and a guy from Owens Corning came over and did a very impressive presentation. The product itself looks very good, and the price is, well, not great, but not bad.

I was looking for some feedback if anyone else has had this system installed, and how do you like it?

Comments (83)

  • worthy
    17 years ago

    Misguided Building Codes insisting on tight poly vapour barriers--and even worse, double vapour barriers--have led to wall system failures in as little as a year.

    No doubt helping contractors sell the OC system, which evidently works well as long as the basement is heated and mechanically dehumidified.

    But does that justify a $168,000 basement?

  • iamnodiy
    17 years ago

    I am in the process of having 400sqft of my basement finished for $10,000. The price includes wood framing, insulation, drywall, Tape and spackle, electical work (outlets, cable, light fixtures), leveling the floor, ceramic tile floor, Drop ceiling, baseboard heating, 6ft of cabinets upper and base with formica countertop, two large closets with shelves. and a slop sink. The only thing I have to do is paint.

  • Granite_Man
    17 years ago

    Owens Corning is an ugly, overpriced basement option.

    Did I mention it's ugly?

    I have never heard of anyone having anything positive to say about the sales people or the cheesy looking fabric panels.

  • am_i_stuck
    17 years ago

    We are in the process of getting an OC basement and after reading all of these posts, I'm scared to death. We are getting a little over 900 sq ft finished for $38,000. The salesman told me not to separate the space, but to leave it open. I really wanted my home theater to be separate from my workout room, so when the installer came for a pre-installation inspection, I asked him if he could put in another wall with a French door in it. He said he could.

    A couple of days later, the salesman came back to tell us how much this change would add to our previous price. For an eight-foot wall, he said it would cost an additional $3,800! The reason, he said, was because he had to count it as sixteen feet since both sides had to be finished. Now we aren't sure what to do. I really want the wall, but the salesman is pressuring me not to do it. I sure don't want to spend $3,800 for an eight-foot wall and French door. HELP!

  • iamnodiy
    17 years ago

    Am I Stuck

    I hope your not. I don't know where you live but I am from Long Island New York where everything is expensive. $40,000 dollars for walls is ridicules even for here. I don't buy the whole thing about being able to remove the walls in the event of water damage. Think about it. Are you really going to take down the walls and replace or air them out yourself, or will you have to hire someone from OC? How much would that cost? Will the color, fabric, or the company still be around in 10yrs for replacement parts? Even if you can get the same replacement walls the new ones probably will be slightly off due to fading. It would probably be cheaper and easier to replace dry wall. I don't know if you signed a contract or gave a deposit but I would find out how much it would cost to have a general contractor finish your basement. As I stated above It only cost me $10,000 for 400 sqft.

  • hokiechip
    17 years ago

    We had a presentation this week and I felt like it was a use car salesman from the slimest dealer in town.

    Our project is very simple - four walls in a cement basement, approximately 350 square foot. Nothing special or fancy.

    First estimate $29,500. However if we agree to an open house, the price went to $21,500. Offer good today and today only because they are talking to other homeowners with the same offer. First come, first serve, etc.

    When I said I wasn't going to commit to that kind of investment on the spot, the saleman needed to call his manager. Amazingly, there was another discount that had just became available today. Unfortunately, I can't tell you what that was because I made it clear we weren't interested.

    I think this is a good system, but I think it may be overpriced and the sales tactics are questionable.

    BUYER BEWARE!!!!

  • am_i_stuck
    17 years ago

    Well, I was sort of stuck. I was able to negotiate the additional wall down to $2800. I also got the salesman to throw in an extra door and bring our interest rate down by one point. It was a bit of a fight, but it finally worked out. The construction was finished yesterday and it does look great! It only took 2 weeks.

    They installed two phone jacks, two cable jacks and 12 electrical outlets. They installed 18 can lights with 2 dimmer switches throughout. We got a total of 3 regular 6 panel doors and a 6 panel French door. The grand total came to about $41,000.

    The guys who did our construction were great! Very polite and friendly. They were very willing to adjust things for us when we asked. I had no problem with them. Just the salesman, the general manager, and their finance person.

    Anyway, it's all done and we can just get used to paying for it for the next 30 years.

  • columbusgardener
    17 years ago

    it still looks like the walls of my office cubical

  • georgiapoollover
    17 years ago

    any pics for us to see?

  • amck2
    17 years ago

    We had the system installed 2 years ago. For the size of our basement and for the purposes we use it for, it turned out fine. It was a whole lot more expensive than what it would have cost had my husband and I had done it ourselves. But his work and travel schedule was crazy and I just dreaded the idea of dealing with contractors coming and going for weeks while I was home alone. The whole thing was done in 2 weeks.

    We have 2 dogs and we had a separate room and door leading to an outside fenced-in area installed when we did the basement. This was the best part for me. The floor is a skid-resistant rubberized tile that cleans like a dream, yet it's not hard and cold for the dogs to lay on when they're in their room.(We haven't seen any flooring material like it available anywhere else since our installation.)

    One other good aspect is that the ceiling tiles, and I'm guessing the padded walls as well, make it very good at muffling sound. I know my pups must be barking when the doorbell rings when company arrives (which is when they're relegated to the dog room) but you cannot hear them. If a family is considering this system for a rec room for teens playing music or watching videos with the volume turned up, this would be a big plus.

    The experience with the salesperson was just as described above. I thought the man would never leave!

    I'm pleased with my basement - but would I do it again. We're building a new home now, and my answer is NO! The price was exorbitant and I cringe at the thought of going through the hassle of that creepy "at home" sales pitch again.

  • van356
    17 years ago

    "They installed 18 can lights with 2 dimmer switches throughout."

    Am I Stuck,

    Did the OC contractor get a permit for the work? Eighteen recessed cans on two dimmers is a lot. Electricians generally use 6 cans per dimmer. The dimmer is most likely rated for only 600 watts.

  • terrillbean
    16 years ago

    I've done a lot of research on Moisture-free installations. I've looked at Owen's Corning, but find it not affordable. I just literally spent a month and a half ripping down all of the old wallboard my father had done years before. Moldy due to the floods in NH last Mother's Day.

    I've found a possible solution for DIYers..
    Georgia Pacific Paper-free wallboard

    www.stopfeedingmold.com

  • macavity_1
    16 years ago

    We just concluded our dealings with this company--thanks in large part to the many helpful comments on this page and the clear consensus here--so I'll add my own comments also although our experience doesen't get beyond the overblown take it or leave it sales pitch.

    Salesman cam out last week and took 2.5 hours of our time to do drawings and plans. Price for a 6-800 square foot design was >$50k. We changed the design a bit and used less of their walls and got it down to $24k. It was still too much for us so we said goodbye and then the discounts and incentives started rolling out. Then (at 8:30pm) he called his manager on his cell phone and offered us a special discount if we agreed to host an open house to help them get more business--new price $18k. Ok, we'll consider it.

    Then we get a cold call from the manager--turns out the original salesman was only with the company 3-4 months (as he had told us) and the more experiences manager could come out to make sure we'd gotten the best plans and the best deal--and she had more flexibility on price, and it would be quicker since he already did the drawings and all. So out she comes--but she's never seen his drawings. Seems it's better for her to do it herself since she's been doing it so long. . .

    So we start over--another 2.5 hours, starting with a little survey to check whether the original guy had done the job right (this to benefit the company, not us--we should bill for our services). So we do it over, come up with a different approach--new price $22k or $16k for the original approach.

    But I sat and read this site while she sat and did her math and everything started to make sense. So when I came back in to hear the final pitch we said we appreciated it and would seek other estimates and would be in touch. Nope--it's accept orreject right now. Explained that "due diligence" means I need 2 estimates for any major job. She got pretty pissed--after all we'd had them out twice. As if I had called them to invite them back. She strongly suggested we'd never get a good price (or peraps even any price) from them in the future, so we said goodbye.

    I have no regrets. Looks like a good product but more money than one needs to spend on a basement by far and the sales tactic is nonsense. Maybe if I call them in 2 weeks and say we'e interested and they haven't found their open house yet they'll say no, we'd rather have no one than you but somehow I doubt it. I have no regrets--the price is out of sight, the sales tactic is too pressured and I don't do business that way.

  • wanttofinishbasement
    16 years ago

    Would anyone have an estimate for the Total basement Solution referenced here http://www.totalbasementsolutions.com ? I have about 1000 sq ft to finish.

    Thanks..

  • pgveteran
    16 years ago

    Am_I_stuck? Who is the contractor you are using? Did you already sign the contract?

    Mobile: I'm considering using OC/CKH to do my sun suite. Similar sales tactics here. What's going on and why did you and your husband retract your free opinion?

  • mamichula21
    16 years ago

    I visited OC website to read about their basement finishing product that gets installed in two weeks. I'm just sorry I did not read these comments before I placed my email for a call about their product. I'm scared about what is to come. The sleazy sales tactics and the pressure. I can't wait for the call to come so I can inform them I did my research and am not interested. I know they will try to get me to change my mind, but I'll be ready for a come back line. Thanks so much for your true expereinces, which have enlightened me and made me look at this for what it is. TRUE CAPITALISM AT IT"S BEST.
    YVONNE

  • moegaff
    16 years ago

    I wish I had read these posts before I agreed to have a "free estimate"----I just spent 2.5 hrs. listening to a sales pitch that ultimately was outrageously priced. For about 500 sq. ft it was 40K which dropped to 32 K if we hosted an open house. Talk about feeling like dealing with a used car salesman!

  • westsidewade
    16 years ago

    West Michigan Basements Is now the dealer for Impressive Basements on the west side of the state. After looking into OC, Impressive and a couple of others, we're going with Impressive. The biggest issue I had with each going in were the seams, Impressive had the best results. The West Michigan/Impressive rep was in and out in no time with no pressure to sign today and on top of that they beat the others buy 10k and 12k. It was nice after the beating I took from the others. The other big thing is the lifetime manufacturers warranty.
    Definately do your homework and dig in for a battle when you have some of these companies come for an estimate.
    Here's the website for West Michigan for those interested www.westmichiganbasements.com
    Happy hunting

  • eesu42
    16 years ago

    I am so glad I read these comments. I liked what I saw at our local "Home Show", but got an uneasy feeling when the sales persons last comment before I left their booth was..... "Your wife has to be home to for us to come out and give an estimate". That is a sure sign of high preasure. Also, they gave me a 2K discount for making an appointment at the show. I should have know better. So, I looked for comments about this product and was not suprised by what I read here. I called the company and canceled the appointment. My time and $$$ are to valuable for me to spend them on high preasure and over pricing. I like to be given a price that is honest and let me decide if it is reasonable. "Open House", give me a break...... Over priced.....YES! Thanks to all who have posted here..... Time well spent reading these posts.

  • beatcop
    16 years ago

    Based on first hand experience I can say Owens Corning Basement System is a good product. However their selling practice's and pricing are not so good.
    To start with all "give aways" are added to the price of the sale. Nothing is free.
    Secondly the list price is inflated to allow salespeople to make large commissions. Discounts of 30% are allowed by the independent salesperson.
    Finally don't pay attention to all the hype of their expertly written presentation which works on fear of mold, mildew and independent contractors.
    The people that install their product are all independent contractors.

  • ts60611_yahoo_com
    15 years ago

    The OC sales system is *obnoxious* and I would not buy the product because their entire presentation is based on the assumption that customers are incapable of thinking for themselves or doing any independent research. It's flat-out insulting. When I asked the salesperson what the cost per square foot would be, he said $40 to $60. Then, AN HOUR LATER, he handed me an estimate of $29,000 for a 260 square foot space. That's over $110/sq ft! Do they think we can't do math?

  • mike_kaiser_gw
    15 years ago

    Remember that Owens Corning just manufactures/distributes the product. Independent contractors sell/install it (albeit, Owens Corning approved contractors). My gut reaction is that the product would require a bit of a hard sell because it tends to be somewhat more expensive than traditional finishing methods and people tend to be somewhat more frugal when it comes to finishing basements.

    With that said, any competent installer should be able to give you a fairly accurate quote. Price per square foot is really only useful when comparing apples to apples. So if I told you I could finish your basement for $35 per sq. ft. with traditional materials it's not a meaningful number because the O-C product is so much different.

    You should expect to pay more per square foot, regardless of finishing system, than someone with a larger basement. Just as an example, my supplier charges a delivery fee for orders below a certain size. I'd guess your order is going to be below the minimum, so you're going to pay that fee while you're neighbor with a 1,000 sq. ft. basement would not.

  • ourcave_optonline_com
    15 years ago

    I like. the sound quality for my recording studio I hated the price and have one problem. I have cats. The material will separate from the backing leaving you with a horrible problem. Getting OC to replace a panel is such a daunting task that I have had this sagging panel for almost a year. I went through the pain one time after the first panel came apart and just can't find the time or energy to go through it again.
    If the OC (not the installer who could go out of business at anytime) would back their product and help the consumer out, I would highly recommend spending the money....

  • a2rwade_gmail_com
    15 years ago

    I was a subcontractor for Basement Experts / Owens Corning for years. Worked my but off for them.
    Just a warning for those subs out there considering working for them, in the beginning they pull money from your checks as an insurance policy to make sure you guarantee your work for a year. I can understand that. But once the year passes with no call backs they are to return the money.
    Its been 2 years and I still haven't seen my $700.00. Beware subs, they'll screw you the same way they do everyone else.

  • derotts3
    15 years ago

    I had the system installed in 06 and the problems I encountered was the sales man Larry Otte tried to get me to cancel the contract and eat a $7500.00 restocking fee only to go with his new company. The orginal electrican they sent out, installed 13 oulets on 1 circuit which wasn't the way it should have been. This issue has taken 3 years to get corrected, I have screamed to enough VP's and finelly my voice has been heard. This morning OC rep and an electrican was at my home and the issue should be resolved within a week. This should not have happened - and If I had found this forum in 05 I most likely would not have had their basement system put in. But overall I am very satisfied with my basement - it turned out very nice, we added our own special touches with ceramic entry way and cedar closets.

  • armentim
    14 years ago

    My wife and I went to an OC basement finishing open house and were stunned by the price. We were quoted a price of $30-$60 per square foot. I am a DIY guy so this seems really expensive. I have about a 1100 square foot basement to finish and I believe I can easily refinish it for $15k, including floors, plumbing, fixtures--none of which the OC finish system provides.

    For those concerned about mold problems in basements, I have done some research on that issue. I have found that the primary cause apart from obvious foundation issues is that often with traditional construction the wall materials do not allow the basement to 'dry inwards'--meaning any moisture is trapped in the wall. This comes typically as a result of applying a impermeable vapor barrier against the concrete wall or immediately under the finish surface. The recommendation to avoid this is to create a thermal break at the cold concrete wall (typically using an extruded polystyrene "XPS") and then use materials that allow any moisture to dry into the finish space. Additionally, if traditional 2x4 framing is to be used, it should not contact the concrete wall, but instead be installed flush against the XPS. Un-faced fiberglass batting can be installed in the stud cavities if additional insulation is desired. Please see the attached link and download the .pdf file provided by Building Science to read about all of their findings. This is the most straight forward and valuable documentation I have been able to find about basement finishing techniques.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Basement Insulation Systems

  • mike_kaiser_gw
    14 years ago

    The biggest (and perhaps only) advantage to the Owens Corning system is speed of installation. It's cleaner too because there's no drywall to deal with.

    I am a DIY guy so this seems really expensive.

    Your price per square foot doesn't include labor, overhead, or profit. Certainly businesses have to pay their employees and are entitled to make a profit. It's not really comparing apples to apples.

  • kmer2
    13 years ago

    I have read all the comments here.

    We too had the OC people to our home.

    Contrary to what has been said here, there was no high pressure tactics at all. We were given a price that was guaranteed not to change for a year, and while we were hesitant, we were able to get them to commit to a lower figure, using their "Showcase" program. While we wouldn't let them use our home for an "Open House", we let them take pictures, wrote a letter, etc.

    Their product is much more expensive than drywall, and wood studs, but the whole point was to get a basement that didn't accept mold, and this product was designed to do exactly that.

    We brought out our laptop while he was there, because I was shocked at the initial estimate, and researched numbers in front of him. While he seemed unnerved at this, I was actually (Unfortunately) able to substantiate what he was telling us.

    Finished basements can cost as much as $75.00 a square foot, and you still have to live with the moisture issues, even if you have an intricate curtain drain system eliminating any flooding concerns.

    Our decision was based upon health, and the absolute elimination of ANY mold or mildew issues.

    As for re-sale?? This is our home. I will worry about that in another twenty years or so, but as we have teenagers, there has been spills, and this system is as easy to clean as they say.

    And the post about hanging pictures being difficult?

    Our entertainment system has nine speakers, with most of them hung directly into, and onto their wall coverings. We haven't had any issues.

    I understand why a "Do it yourselfer" may be shocked at the figures, but then why would you even have them over in the first place?

    You each have to make your own decisions, but ours wasn't made from high pressure.

    We had many water issues in our first five years here, and after tearing out the drywall just to find the source of the leak, simply removing these wall panels and snapping them back in was a pleasure.

    We love ours.

    Marian

  • linlily
    13 years ago

    What I'm surprised about is the fact that there seems to be no equivlent system such as this for DIYers. We've been looking for some time, and haven't been able to find anything.

    Has anyone else tried something other than greenboard - drywall - and finishing and painting it?

    Linda

  • countryboymo
    13 years ago

    To the ones with a good sales experience consider yourself lucky. I have to say ours was horrible after 2 hours of telling them NO I had to threaten to call the police which still did nothing until I started dialing. I agree the product is really good but overpriced and the sales tactics are horrible.

  • goalkik753_yahoo_com
    12 years ago

    No high pressure sales from our meeting. Know what you can afford before going into ANY negotiation and those "high pressure sales tatics" don't seem so high pressure. NEVER FINANCE this system. If you can't pay cash, don't enter into a binding contract.

  • jm_positivebroadcastsupport_com
    12 years ago

    Can the basement system be painted? I moved in to a house where that was done.

  • jvazeos_aol_com
    12 years ago

    I've seen those fabric panels and if they got painted it reduced the acoustic effectiveness of the panels. OC has a lifetime warranty on them but don't know if painting voids it...A friend had that system put in and he loves it. The fabric picks up different colors differently and goes with anything. It's a rec room/TV room. OC has been around awhile and I'm sure that any negatives are because of stupid salesmen...happens in all types of businesses. If you had a bad experience, let the company know...

  • countryboymo
    12 years ago

    Glad you have a friend who loves it. It is a damn good product with a horrible sales crew and the pricing is stupid high. If you question over 70 other peoples experiences make a phone call and see what you witness. Be prepared to threaten someone with their life or to call the authorities to get them to leave. I thought I was going to have to claim my sales people as dependents... they would NOT leave. I threatened to call the authorities which irritated them. I finally had to give the option of walking out or meet the owens corning body bagging system before they left.

    Oh yeah I called Owens Corning and left them a email and was totally blown off with a lame 'we are so sorry' excuse that they are not in control of the sales people as they are not 'owens corning' employees.

  • DrummerDude
    12 years ago

    I just had the "proposal" done tonight.

    Wow. 3hrs and 15 mins of complete BS. I read these reviews and knew it would probably be like buying a used car and I'd get hit with a huge estimate, but damn!

    First off, I had to convince him and his boss that I call the shots on the basement. He insisted that he return when my fiancee was there. I'm like no way, it's now or never.

    He asked me some questions, then ran his numbers in my 19x20 basement for over an hour. I checked on him once in a while, it was very strange.

    when he finally came back up, he showed me a stupid powerpoint with interviews and how the company is so great, and they invented all this crap. c'mon, really?

    so i'm thinking he'll come back @ 15k, but not much higher. I almost floored when he quoted 36k !!! and the list of crap he gave me was unbelievable.

    but the biggest shocker was the sales tactics - he would knock of 6k if i let them have a home presentation; basically they use my house for the day to show off my new basement to the neighbors, is this guy for real? BUT! this offer expires 2nite, talk about pressure! a real contractor comes back with an estimate, no jerking around or whatever. so unprofessional its absurd.

    so yada yada yada i pretty much made up my mind, but i played along. he was a nice enough guy, but he was such a used car salesman it was rediculous.

    the whole experience was downright comical, and i'm surprised this company hasn't gotten hit with a ton of complaints (or maybe they have).

    i'm looking forward to the follow up call tomorrow to speak my mind....

  • Rogerdoger
    12 years ago

    FYI - many of them do a hard credit pull when you accept their offer to have someone come to your house

  • billbowman.123
    12 years ago

    comeplete rip off , had water come in thru widow wells and basement was flooded about 4inches deep and totaly stained panels , called owens corning 8-12-2011 and evey other day till 9-14-2011 and she left me a message that "I'M ON THERE RADAR" no call back number was left and on the caller id was PRIVATE .today is 10-13-2011 and still no call back, THE ONLY WAY I GOT A RESPONCE WAS TO FILL OUT A FREE EST. ON THERE WEB SITE AND LOW AND BEHOLD GUY FROM DA home improvement called the next day. that was/is the only way to get ahold of them. WTF is with that ? its been 5 years since install and it is falling apart , this owens corning basement is total CRAP !!!!!. TRY CALLING THEM YOUR SELF. WHAT A S@#% HOLE COMPANY AND PRODUCT. the sales man made all these promises about cleaning it and how durable it is, what a joke! man from DA home improvement came buy and very nice guy but said nothing was covered, he said WHY DIDN'T YOU CALL OWENS CORNING BEFORE REMOVING THE PANELS TO DRY OUT? they need to dry out in the mounted position or the fall apart. 2 month's and still no call back . STAY AWAY..... blew 27 grand on total JUNK. better to spend 6 grand on stick and dry wall , cheaper to replace. THE END.

  • billbowman.123
    12 years ago

    follow up to the post above , origanaly done by J & E basement sys.LLC. been out of business for years. wonder why ? . was on owens corning basement systems web site and read that the panels are stain and dent resistant , that is total BS. mine are stained and falling apart, when guy from DA HOME IMPROVEMENT came buy he said the will SELL me cleaning products for $600 . WHAT A DEAL !!!! Only $600 for something that is stain resistant. wish i could post pictures of the basement system that is total CRAP. DO NOT THROW YOUR MONEY AWAY ON THIS JUNK. HOPEFULLY i CAN SAVE SOMEBODY FROM THE SAME MISTAKE I DID .

  • sammysamm
    12 years ago

    Trust me, if you are refinishing your basement use this system. No mold, no mildew, no smell, no echo. Hands down the best product on the market.

  • DIY_GUY_419
    11 years ago

    LOL,

    This reminds of EverDry waterproofing, when I had some water leaks in my basement. they came out and did the Same BS. stayed for like 1.5 hours, gave me a quote for 25k to do a basement water proofing system.

    After that they would continue to call at like 8 and 9 pm. Finally scared them off.

  • pshaw1003
    11 years ago

    Just got a quote yesterday. Talked the guy down about 11k between what I really needed and what he wanted to give me..etc. scheduled for a July install. Will keep you posted on my progress

  • danieljardim
    10 years ago

    Had a salesman for the company last night on my house. the whole presentation took from 7:30 to midnight. It was really good and we loved the product.
    When came the price I didn't like that much, and than suddenly the phone calls and the open house BS came into place. They gave me a 10k discount if I signed that day. If you have that much room to give people 10k discount I feel sorry for people that sign the contract right away. They getting really ripped off. I'm more like a DITrier than a DIYer, but I think If I do it my self I will save at least 15k on my basement.

    The worst thing is that the guy was super friendly, but when we declined the "super ultra mega deal" his attitude changed and he got really rude. That p*** me off a little bit.

    Looking for other options now.

  • Bostonguy01844
    10 years ago

    I just met with OC last week and was shocked at the price. We are looking to have our 700 sq. ft. basement done and started calling around for estimates. We had two visits from OC the first they took measurements gave a soft pitch. I was looking for the whole basement however OC told us that they whole basement would be âÂÂtoo muchâ space for us, and we needed space for storage. I explained that we have a 2 car garage with a loft for storage and asked for pricing for the half and the whole.
    When OC returned it was an hour of pictures and sale pitch before we got to the price. When we did get there I was shocked (even after reading online posts) for 400 sq. ft. it was 40 K and for 590 sq. ft. 62 K. I told them that the pricing was way out of whack for what we were looking for ( Drywall, carpet, drop ceiling, lighting, and outlets), we went back and forth the final 72 hr price, special discount, etc. was $30 for half. I told him I was getting other offers and would get back to him but that was still much higher.

    Another note was that the 590 was the whole basement. They only gave pricing for half and then three quarters, when I asked why OC still insisted that I needed storage so if I had done the whole thing it would be like 80K.

  • David Comora
    5 years ago

    I had the classic system installed in my basement about 10 years ago. I have to say it was one of the better investments I made in my house. The job was done within about 2 weeks, there was very little mess or upheaval. I have had a couple of floods, where the sump pump died, and had to replace the carpet, but 10 years later, the walls look as good as they did when installed. The acoustic ceiling tiles have held up well, the electrical job was first rate. I am very happy that I didn't follow my initial instinct to go with drywall. That would have been a disaster with my water issues. I had been quoted about $20K for drywall and wood studs and wound up paying about $28K for the Owens Corning system...I would say I have about 800 square feet that was finished.

  • Cassandra Morgan
    3 years ago

    I had the system installed in 2006 for 14,000 in my basement. I need one replacement panel and they want to charge $550 which is crazy. The panel probably cost less than $100 to make.

  • HU-684665303
    2 years ago

    I decided on the Owens corning systems not so much on the price per square foot but more or less what the system is specifically designed for= which is extremely humid and or wet basements; which I have. My home is a 110 year old Queen Ann Victorian with a 7 foot basement ceiling. The walls of the basement have constant effervescence= (water seeping through) and yes I have 5" gutters and the foundation is graded. So, the floor has occassional pooling water during Major sustained downpours even after I had a new concrete floor poured throughout the entire basement. This system has paid fo itself many times in the last 13yrs. For example the water main coming into my house broke at the foundation 3 inches of water filled my entire basement floor soaking all the walls and everything else in the basement at the time. I removed the fiberglass panels (1200 sq ft of them) let them dry in the sun then put them back; done! --> If that were drywall the bottom 18 inches or so would have to be cut off and re-installed, retaped, and spackeled and repainted!! This clearly was an anomaly and a worst case scenario one in which many homeowners would've had to use homeowners insurance to mitigate. So it depends a lot on what you want to do with your basement if it is a recreational area that you are going to watch movies and entertain and play games, home office etc? Also the ability you want to have color choices for painting etc.(AND!!!!) humidity and moisture are NOT that much of a concern; then drywall is the way to go. if you have an old basement that has tons of moisture issues and you want it to be clean and look way better than a root cellar this is the best way to go. All I had to do to help out what was here was instal a Humidex system= (dehumidifier of sorts) which you could make yourself with pancake fans and a humidistat. --->Moist air is heavier and sits closer to the floor so the humidex system sucks this moist air sitting low to the ground out and exhausts it out of your house like a dryer vent. + you leave the door open or cut a vent in the floor to create an warm airflow from above I have two of them and they rarely ever go off. The reason for this versus your classic dehumidifier is pure cost I live on the island in the Northeast with a kilowatt per hour is the highest in the country I bought a humidex system ($1K) and then after examining it built my own for $100 (not kidding->my hand to god) this is why the expression knowledge is power exists I knew running a standardized humidifier I would need two or three of them for the sizeof my basement + constantly emptying buckets so after doing the math made that unaffordable. So that is all of the GOOD news or the positive things to say NOW the UGLY the one major negative I have is the vinyl floor (which after several years) I now have a constant issue with glue coming up through the seams?? This is driving me crazy constantly trying to clean it and be rid of it but it is constantly coming back so I am now contemplating putting carpet over it? The cheapest this will be at my square footage is about $1000 installed by me!!... For the record ALLURE here on Long Island which is one of the companies the TV show EXTREME MAKEOVER; HOME EDITION uses.

  • Rosemary Johnson
    2 years ago

    Put in an Owens Corning system in part of my basement about 14 years ago. Cost a lot but we loved the look of the room and were happy. Last fall, for the first time ever (the house was built in 1958) we got water. We weren't overly concerned since the OC system is supposed to be easily popped out to dry and then put back in. NOT. Since we are older we looked for a contractor to help - couldn't find one so contacted OC to guide us to a contractor that could help - for a fee - didn't want to jeopardize the warranty . OC corporate referred us to one who it turned out was in another state and wouldn't cross over. Called again same thing, this time to one in yet a different state - same result. Seems they no longer have a franchisee that serves NJ. Called again referred to the internet as it "is so easy to do it yourself." NOT the directions are so easy - their implementation is not. Got help from a friend had to remove screws before we could even budge the walls. The baseboard, following their so easy instructions resulted in snapped baseboards, thus garbage. Getting the panels out resulted in frayed bottoms. Spent a lot of money for no support. OC DOES NOT PROVIDE ANY SUPPORT THEIR CUSTOMERS. Totally sorry now that spent that money.


  • PRO
    Grand Rapids Carpet Pros
    2 years ago

    It is better to seek help from professionals. The basement is the foundation of any home, and it's important to keep that in mind when designing a wine room or cellar. Some key elements you'll want to consider are temperature & humidity controls, sunlight exposure, insulation, and airtight doors. The benefits of a dedicated wine room are many, and creating one in the basement can be a great way to get more use out of this space. Check this out!

  • presencecreative
    last year

    I bought my house with 1,200 sq ft Ownes Corning basement system installed. Previous owner paid about $80,000 due to stairs, numerous doors and alcoves. This OC basement system made me buy this house - and at a premium price! Its beautiful, warm and quiet. i have a composing & recording studio down there (the OC system is used in $ million dollar studios around the world - it’s the standard), plus my office and TV / couches etc. It’s the best space you can imagine. Everyone loves it. One thing to note: we’ve had people visit and sleep in the room, and not wake up until after noon. Its so quiet and comfortable they just sleep like a rock.


    Yes - its expensive. But for me and my family, it’s been perfect. A drywalled basement feels like a box to me. Our basement feels so custom and comfortable. Bottom line, I’ll die in this house or make sure I have the OC system in any new house or studio i get.

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