John LaMadeleine knew when he purchased his Cheshire, Conn. home 12 years ago that he needed a new basement door. This summer he finally replaced it, and it didn’t cost him a penny.
LaMadeleine won the “Ugly Basement Door” contest sponsored by BILCO, a New Haven, Conn. company that specializes in the manufacturing of specialty access products, including basement doors. It was the second year BILCO sponsored the event, and more than 1,200 people cast votes for LaMadeleine and his wife, Michele. They live in the house with their two young daughters. “When we bought the house, it looked like former owners tried to have it repaired,’’ LaMadeleine said. “It was in rough shape. We asked the people who sold us the home, who lived in the house for three years, and they didn’t know when it was last replaced. Every time I closed the door, a piece of wood fell out. The door was at least 15 years old, probably a lot older.”
LaMadeleine’s house was built in 1939, and the basement door was constructed of wood. LaMadeleine said the interior had rotted, and water seeped into the bulkhead during heavy rains. He shoveled snow off the door during winter for fear water would seep into the basement and hasten its deterioration, or even collapse.
Michele and John were discussing their summer home improvements when they stumbled upon BILCO’s Facebook page and saw the Ugly Basement Door contest. They filled out the form on Facebook with a photo and spread the word through social media. Friends and family voted every day for LaMadeleine’s dilapidated door.
“I just happened to look at BILCO’s Facebook page and the contest popped up,’’ LaMadeleine said. “I thought what could be the worst thing to happen? I didn’t think anyone ever won these Facebook contests. My daughters are more excited than anyone.”
LaMadeleine, who said he formerly installed BILCO basement doors, said the company’s customer service was exemplary. He also loves the new door, and doesn’t break into a cold sweat with every rainstorm.
“I love it, it looks great,’’ LaMadeleine said. “It really improves the home’s appearance. It’s nice and smooth opening and closing. We were kind of hoping to do it before this, but there was always some other project that was a higher priority. This was on the list of projects this year. It’s certainly great to get it done for free.”
BILCO’s Ugly Basement Door contest was open to homeowners in the Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts who have a basement door. BILCO basement doors are compatible with flat foundations or sloped masonry entryways, and come in steel and polyethylene, which will never rust, rot or fade in sunlight.
For more information on BILCO’s full line of basement doors or other products, call 1-800-366-6530 or visit www.bilco.com.