Reconfiguring the wiring and heat ducts

We are busily drawing diagrams for our contractor so he can give us a quote on the work we want done, to begin this fall. Part of the decision-making is figuring out where we want electrical outlets in the basement. We plan to "divide" the room into four quadrants: a sitting/living space with couch, tv, and wood stove; a dining and entertaining space; a bedroom; and a spare room that can be filled with cots (spilling into the living room area) for guests. These quadrants are not separated by walls, though--it's all open-concept like a studio apartment. But it helps to think of it in zones so we can figure out where electrical outlets might need to go. For example, we have the idea of putting outlets on the pillars that run down the centre of the room, so that we can have a buffet/serving table with food warming trays, floor lamps, whatever in the centre of the room, instead of lining all furniture up on the outside walls. 

One key thing is to have a two-way switch for the lights in the stairwells, so that we can turn them on from both the top and the bottom of the stairs. Right now there's only the possibility of turning them on from one location, so you end up stumbling around in the dark until you can get to a light switch. That's also true for the rec room--the only light switch is at one end, and you have to pat your way along in the dark to find it if you entered from the opposite end. Right now we have free-standing motion-sensor lights propped in strategic locations to help us, but those involve having to wave your arms around as you walk forward into the dark, hoping to trigger the light. So that will be reconfigured.

We've also come up with some clever things to do to the existing ductwork in the basement to bring the heat down to the floor, instead of leaving it all up against the high ceiling. We'd rather not have to run ceiling fans to circulate it, so bringing the vents from the ceiling down to the floor will help with that. We'll also pipe some of them up to the sanctuary to increase heat circulation there.

Meanwhile, I just got a sky-high electric bill for the two weeks we were up there, so we're going to have to rethink some more things... But all in good time. One problem at a time. If I try to look too far ahead, I hyperventilate.