After 2 sump pumps failed and flooded this basement, the owners called One Sound Choice to fix it. Ryan Herd’s team rebuilt it with mold-resistant walls and turned part of it into a home theater in just 1 month.
After the owners’ two sump pumps failed, a heavy rainfall deposited several inches of standing water throughout their finished basement. Both the carpeting and the Sheetrock were ruined, according to One Sound Choice, a custom electronics design and installation firm in Pompton Plains, N.J. The owners had contacted One Sound Choice, originally, just to restore the room. It’s only one of the company’s specialties, which also includes the design and installation of audio and video system, outdoor entertainment systems and solar systems. After discovering that the company also did audio and video design, they decided to go a step further and turn a portion of the basement into a dedicated theater. “Since we were already gutting the place, it was the perfect opportunity to do something different, like put in a theater,” says One Sound Choice president Ryan Herd. The biggest obstacle would be the owners’ project deadline. They wanted the space ready in time for their daughter’s birthday, which meant the team had just one month to complete the extensive project. “Our first priority was getting rid of the mold that had grown behind the walls,” Herd says. That meant ripping out the walls and replacing them with new mold-resistant Sheetrock and insulation. The new walls were raised a couple of inches off the floor, so in the unlikely event that the room floods again, only the baseboards and carpeting will get wet. One Sound Choice also called in a plumber to replace the two faulty sump pumps and to place both on a battery backup. As a last measure of precaution, they installed a water sensor by both pumps. Tied to a Control4 home control system, the sensors can signal the system to deliver an email, phone call or text message to the owners whenever they detect water on the floor. (Click Here to view the rest of this article on ElectronicHouse.com)Want the family room ready for game day? See our family room game day page.
What One Sound Choice clients say
I want to emphasize…(Ryan) recommended what I should do in the house (and had) suggestions that were (on target). For example, in my basement I have all of these components (and) can access any of (them) from my office. Ryan said, “You should also put a BluRay in your office.” I said, “What would I need that for?” He says, “I‘m telling you, put one in your office. You don’t wanna be going up and down the stairs.” He was ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. Now, it’s the one I use most of the time. I’d be lost without it!
– Mr. & Mrs. Anderson (1 Sound Choice client testimonials)
I’d (tell others) that Ryan’s very professional and very easy to work with, in terms of budgeting and listening to what you want to have done. He never pushed us toward anything we couldn’t afford or didn’t want and he got the job done on time.
– Mr. & Mrs. DeSantis (1 Sound Choice client testimonials)
One Sound Choice was our second try at finding a contractor to repair our flood-damaged home after Irene blew through in August of 2011. Our Cape Cod house has a slab foundation and the entire first floor – living room, kitchen, dining room, two bedrooms, and a bathroom – got 5 feet of water. Ryan, the owner, was highly professional from start to finish. He worked closely with us to produce a contract that was within our insurance budget, and he came in on time and on budget. In some cases, he went over and above the call of duty; for example, surprising me with some crown molding in the bathroom and dining room that I had really wanted but just didn’t have the money for. We actually had enough left to hire him to do our home theater and bedroom media center! We were so pleased to have discovered the truly good people at One Sound Choice, and hope to work with them again when we are ready to remodel our upstairs rooms.
– bethbarnhill (Houzz review)
Flood to theater questions
What caused the flood?
2 sump pumps failed during heavy rain, leaving inches of water in the basement.
How long did the project take?
1 month, in time for the daughter’s birthday.
What did the team do first?
Removed the mold. They replaced the walls with mold-resistant Sheetrock and new insulation.
How is the room protected now?
The new walls sit a couple of inches off the floor, so a future flood would only reach the baseboards.
One Sound Choice, 8 Tilley Ave, Pompton Plains, NJ 07444. Call or text (973) 945-5275. We work in homes across Morris, Passaic, Bergen, Essex, Somerset, and Hunterdon counties. Written by Ryan Herd, founder of One Sound Choice.