THE BEST BASEMENT SYSTEM OUT THERE PERIOD!!!

I spent almost two years improving upon others' system. At Beyond-Basements we have the absolute best drywall-free fabric wall system out there. And we have a $10,000 guarantee to prove it. See the Q&A in our website. www.beyond-basements.com.

And yes, that claim that we are the best goes for all the other systems mentioned here and advertised here besides Owens Corning. Some differences and some similarities.

1. We stud out all exterior walls. Why would anyone want a wall attached to your crooked foundation wall.
A. Provides air space
B. Enables a straight, square, plumb wall
C. Enables us to put R-13 insulation in the wall (for a total R value of over 17 with our insulation core material)
D. Keeps the insulation away from any wetness from the foundation wall

2. Our insulation core material is a true 6 pound board

3. Our patented track systems enable us to stretch the fabric over the core material
A. We can put our fabric over drywall, paneling, cement board, Dragon board, an iron board...anything you want
B. The insulation board just happens to be the best as it also absorbs about 95% of sound, is soft, and holds up better than drywall
C. Because we stretch the fabric you don't have to worry about any harmful glues holding the fabric to the panel, or worry about the panel coming loose
D. Because we stretch the fabric you can change your color or style later at a very affordable cost
E. We have hundred of colors and styles to choose from and can stretch virtually any covering over your walls (get that custom team logo, etc.)

4. Since we stretch the fabric there are no seams anywhere. We also have a special outside corner for rigidity but again it is unseen as the fabric goes over it.

5. We have a removable trim system with about 25 styles and 15 standard finishes
A. With our unique Universal Retaining Track system we can also attach virtually any trim (a custom one you want made) without fasteners or adhesives. And it is removable also.
B. Again, some of these other systems still nail their trim on.

6. We can put any drop ceiling in. We also do all the work if you want a bathroom, custom bar, entertainment system, fireplace, etc.

7. And yes, our system is recyclable (green), mold/mildew resistant, removable, fire rated, quiet, clean, installed in about two to three weeks, soft, and resistant to most dents.
A. With a glued panel a dent will show much more easily than with our system as the fabric isn't attached to the panel except at the top/bottom and corners of the wall...in other words it has give.



Unfortunately, we only started installing these last October so not many people know about us. We recently franchised in the Philadelphia area but again we are not well known.


If you want to really know about us and other systems in general go to our website and spend an hour of time. You will learn much. www.beyond-basements.com


One more thing. I am the owner and have spent 16 years doing high, high end remodeling. I will put my knowledge and workmanship up against anyone in the entire country. I have $20,000 that no one on this site can find any one of these basement remodelers who knows half as much about construction as us. We also have that $10,000 guarantee that you wouldn't hire any other drywall-free company besides us if you saw what we offered and what our finished product looks like.


Although we don't have dealers/franchisees available in most areas yet feel free to email me with any questions. Just go to the website.


With that said I will offer some statements which seem obvious to me.

1. Know your square footage. I won't give names but I know of several instances where the square footage was embellished by as much as 50%. What it does is make you believe you are paying $25 a s.f. when you are really paying $50 s.f.

2. Use steel studs even if you go drywall. There is no load bearing support and no reason to use something which is prone to fire, can rot, and if not crooked now will be in time. PUT UP STRAIGHT WALLS.

3. Put a drop ceiling in regardless. If you ever wanted to add wires or update your kitchen, you'll need access to that ceiling. Plus, in most basements it would be against code to cover up plumbing clean-outs or electrical junction boxes. Do you really want all those access panels.

4. Ask yourself this. If a company can drop its price 50% in ten minutes doesn't that tell you they either were trying to rape you on price or are doing it at such a low cost that the quality will suffer.

5. Ask yourself this also. Why is the salesman so eager to sign you up now. Because he knows if you had time to think about it you wouldn't go with them. Don't get me wrong, with my knowledge about construction I would never put drywall in a basement again. But at Beyond-Basements we aren't afraid to let the customer think after our visit. In fact, we don't even give a quote on the first visit. Typically our jobs come from three visits and some have even had more. WE ARE NOT HIGH PRESSURE. When you have the most experience, the best product, and the most knowledge and skill an educated and smart shopper will come to you.

6. I always look at things a little differently than most. When I see one company advertising about how they have a transferable warranty and most others don't (we do too by the way) and that's all they state until one goes to their website and reads the fine print and sees "transferable upon $200 fee" it makes we wonder about the credibility of the company. I mean am I the only one who thinks that is deceptive...not in the legal sense but it's just B.S. Or another company which states that you can hang pictures on their wall without some picture hanging kit. You know what, our panels are as dense as anyone's. We can hang a picture without a special kit too. BUT the problem is the nail will show up in the majority of fabrics. See, we tell you the whole story. More on this in my Q&A at www.beyond-basements.com.

7. Who is doing the work. I always loved when the consumer hires a huge, multi-million dollar company and the people actually doing the work are college dropouts earning $15 an hour. Folks, if you were really good and knowledgeable about construction you wouldn't be making $15 an hour. Think about it. I'm the President of Beyond-Basements and I still install jobs. I would doubt if some of these owners ever picked up a hammer in their life.

Remember, don't assume but use common sense. I still can't believe people fall for the "let me make a call and see what I can do" or the "if you sign up today or are flexible with scheduling I can do this."

Take care.

David

dave whooo! cut back on the coffee you are a little over the top. Its hard to beleve that a guy who has only a 16 year background in construction would be more knowledgeable than anybody in the country. You probably think your smarter then the whole country combined. so why don't you tell the real reason you like the fabric wall systems. you know the one you left out. you can make a killing selling these overpriced systems because it takes less skill and time to install. you sound like you invented the hammer and nail, and the use of the word rape may turn off a few potential customers. you sound like someone who thinks he knows it all and if someone disagrees with you they must be wrong , there are a lot of people who have many more years on the job then you, and they think you and all the other wall systems are mostly marketing scams. you know what smart guy, steel studs rust, a real tradesman can choose straight material and even straighten a bowed stud, you sound like a guy with lots of quick answers and opinions that are based on your limited experience. the fact that you wont to put fabric on walls is enough to make people with common sense stop and rethink this whole nonsense system. by the way many successful people choose not to finish college, and why would a big deal like you still work on the job, maybe you should hire college grads and pay them 18 an hour

to run your buissness for ya. think about it. you gotta be exhausted caring all that knowlege around in your big head ,so you tell the whole story huh,howbout you show your material invoces hours of labor subs etc and then well see who is getting the real deal for two weeks work. well its like the old saying thers one born every second. if these systems were so good it would be self evident like all works and items of quality.and it would not require the old hard sell, they will most likely be making a movie about the dim-witted customers and the slick salesman selling this snakeoil of a product . 

masterbuilder,

perhaps you should get the facts straight before you post comments.  First off, my 18 years now, seeing what I can do and what others do, has pretty much given me the sound belief that I am very good at what I do.  But I'll tell you what.  I'll put up $100,000 against you and anyone in the country that I know more about all the different facets of residential construction and can do better work in these areas also.  Simply  contest:  50% knowledge based.  50% actual performance based.  We answer questions on plumbing, then we actually do plumbing, the same for painting, trim carpentry, rough framing, making cabinets, fabricating concrete countertops, stamping concrete, masonry work, wood floors, tile floors, laminate floors, wood shake, shingle, and metal roofs, electrical, fireplaces, outdoor kitchens, EIFS, real stucco, and everything else.  I've done all those.  Have you?  We hire an independent panel (loser pays the costs) and they tally all the previous tasks and declare a winner.  Put your money up or shut up.  

As for working on the job I still do that because customers that don't want drywall but want custom bars and fireplaces, etc. choose us because the other drywall-free companies can't or won't do those things, and I do those things.  I and do great work.  I also want to keep an eye on the job because I really do care about my reputation.  Most contractors don't.  I am not saying I am the best tile setter in the world, but what I am saying is I have never seen any tile work better than what I can do.  I have also never seen a better outdoor kitchen execution than what I have done.  I've also seen my crown molding look as good as any I've ever seen.  And what I am saying is I don't think there is anyone who I'll ever meet or anyone who will ever read this or any homeowner who will ever contact me and and other contractor who can do all those things as well as me.  But like I said, I don't just make claims.  I back them up.  So either you or one of the contractors you have met in your 20 or so years of construction call me up and take me up on my challenge.    

Anyway, our basements are built the same way as regular drywall constructed basements except our drywall is an insulated core material and our paint or wallpaper is fabric.  That's it.  Actually our basements don't take 3 weeks.  They can take much longer.  They are faster only in the sense that we don't have to tape or paint.  Sometimes they are done in 3 weeks but that would be if a drywall basement took 4 or 5. 

I have seen drywall quotes that are close to our quotes.  We don't overcharge our customers.  But you wouldn't know that because you are speaking out of ignorance.  The real scam is a contractor who charges and then subs all the work out.  We don't sub anything out.  When someone hires us, they are also hiring me.  When they hire you, are they paying you to call someone else up to do the work?  Now who is the one overcharging?

You have so many stupid comments that I am not going to waste much more time replying to them as they have no merit.  But I will finish with this.  As far as I know I am the only one offering a system like this who DOESN'T give a price when we first come out to a job. In fact, we even offer to mail the quote to someone.  I also am the only contractor in any field that I know of who actually gives the homeowner the names of my competitors and actually encourages them to call them up for a quote.  Do you?  Do you have a 100% complaint free business for your entire pro career like I do?

I don't pay college grads because they are not professional.  They are waiting for a better job.  That's a great attitude. Charging a customer money and having someone who is not making a career out of it doing the work.

I did 50 drywall basements before developing this system and on everyone I used steel studs.  You are a fool for using wood studs.  You know what "smart guy" the steel studs don't rust because we don't trap moisture like you do with wood studs and drywall.  You put up a vapor barrier, correct?  The whole idea is that drywall and wood contains cellulose and that is a food source for mold and mildew. Concrete is porous by nature so moisture comes in.  You are trapping the moisture behind the wall, you have a food source, and you have a dark environment.  Recipe for mold.  Our system breathes and we don't trap the moisture with a barrier.  The moisture flows into the room and dissipates.  Furthermore, we apply a bead of polyurethane glue under the studs (not the $3 tube of cheap glue you probably use, if at all). Your contention that the wood studs can be crowned, etc. is moot.  Of course you can do that but a basement has more climatic changes in the environment than anywhere else in your home. They may be nice now but they will change.  Your doors become tight in the summer and loose in the winter in your upstairs.  Your trim gets gaps because of the humidity and temperature changes in your house. And you think it won't happen to a wood stud?  Especially in the area most prone to those changes..the basement!  Ever hear of a dehumidifier?  Ever put one in your bedroom?  Or is it just the basement.  Come on masterbuilder, who do you work for?  Did you get suckered into one of these other franchises and are finding out that you have a bad reputation now?  

It's funny.  I get people like you know talk out of your rear but don't back up your statements. When I go to home shows, I offer people $100 if we give them a quote on our first visit or pressure them in any way.  I offer anyone $100 if after actually seeing a basement of ours if they can honestly tell me it doesn't look better than any drywall basement they've seen.  My website now posts a challenge that if you can get any other competitor to complete half your basement and you like theirs better than mine, I'll pay for the basement install.  I have paid out $0 so far.

You're probably the type of guy who tells homeowners blown-in insulation is good, when expanded foam insulation is the best.  You probably put treated wood on a deck when composite wood is so much better.  Speaking of decks, do you nail or do you realize that shear strength is not important and that screwing is better.  But actually, even if using the stupid idea of wood decking (unless you are a purist and want cedar) you shouldn't even be using screws.  There are fasteners that mount underneath the boards for concealment.  I don't know of any deck designs where the fasteners enhance the look.

Let's continue since you know so much and I know so little.  You've done room additions before or built houses, right.  Did you use ICF's? If no, why not?  They are the best.  Oh I know.  You simply haven't heard about them or you are not familiar with them and are much more comfortable with conventional forms, much like the wood studs.

One final point.  When you do your drywall basements, do you mention to the customers that there are paperless drywall products out there and mold resistant drywall tape?  I didn't make these up. The drywall manufacturers themselves have said their regular drywall shouldn't be in a moist environment.  Do you mention this to the customers or not?

Truth be told, most, if not all, of those other companies do have a snake oil presentations.  We don't.  I don't put drywall up because I do know more than you and I know it is bad for a basement.  Maybe not so much for the mold but for the fact that you can't remove it, the acoustics are horrible, and it is very plain looking.

For you homeowners reading this, I encourage you to call me up and ask me questions.  If we come to your house and are deceptive in any way or after getting a basement you feel the price wasn't worth the work, then please, please post negative comments about me. But don't be a jerk like masterbuilder and write garbage and lump us in with all those other companies.  

And masterbuilder, another reason I do work on the jobs is that I must because I can't afford to pay another worker and sit in my office because I don't charge that much for the basement.

Please take me up on my $100,000 challenge.  I do need the money.

 

David

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not The Average Mommy,

Unfortunately I didn't have a dealer in that area when you got your basement done.  Now I do.  We stretch our fabric, not glue it to the panel.  Much better.  We also have trim that snaps into place--15 standard finishes in 25 profiles and it is better looking than what any painter could achieve. Of course we could put any trim on and remove it without fasteners.

We offer over 700 standard colors and styles and can stretch virtually anything on your wall. And we have no seams.

I'll close with this.  We have never lost a basement job to any other competitor in the country once a homeowner has seen our system.  That says it all.

You have a fine system but ours is in a different league.

 

www.beyond-basements.com

 

David