Homeowner unhappy with Finnish basement

Sitting in a leather recliner below ground level can heighten one's senses to the sound of billiard balls colliding, that hollow ping pong ball nipping the end of the table or a relative repeatedly twisting the cue stick into the cube of chalk. These are not only sounds of enjoyment, but enjoyment in a finished basement.

Nick and Julie Ramsey have dreamed of finishing their unwelcoming basement from the day they purchased a three bedroom home in Sycamore Mills, PA five years ago. The couple pictured hours of fun for their three children, as well as entertaining friends and relatives, perhaps, with foosball, billiards, ping pong or wii.

The two opened a savings account for the sole purpose of funding a game and bar room complete with large screen TV, couch and reclining chairs (with mini fridges) in their "subterranean paradise."

"I've wanted a finished basement since I was a little kid," said Nick, an HVAC technician in Chester County. "Our neighbors had one and because of it I became quite the pool player. I still compete in leagues in Media on Tuesday nights, but the tables are all real small."

Finnish Basements, Inc. has been finishing basements for 15 years in southeastern Pennsylvania and south New Jersey. The Paulsboro, NJ company recently appeared in Philadelphia Magazine's Best of Philly for Best Basement Finishing and Crown Molding category.

Every Finnish Basements, Inc. contract, which are written in Finnish, states that the company will Finnish your basement to meet your specifications. Every contract also states, in small Finnish print, that "our specifications will also be your specifications."

"To be honest, the Ramsey's were our very first customer neither to have Finnish ancestry or to be born in Finland," said Jake Selanne, founder of the company. "We wanted to expand our customer base and so we took a huge risk."

Most finishing companies usually take on the task of transforming a dark, damp and leaky cave into an extension of the home with drywall, soothing paint colors, carpet and crown molding. Finnish Basements, however, attempts to accomplish this with a taste of Finland...and no building materials or tools.

Pictures, posters and occasionally small statues are imported from Finland to give the new Finnish basement authenticity. All products installed in a Finnish basement are guaranteed to be from Finland—including the fjord picture made from Finnish beer bottle caps.

"Sure, when the truck pulled up to the house I saw 'Finnish Basements' in big letters on the side, but I thought the owners were Finnish or they were somehow affiliated with Ikea," said Julie, who was being consoled by her sister.

"I spent $15,000 on posters of ice hockey, Finnish flags and Helsinki street scenes," said Nick, sitting down from uncontrollable shaking. "Fjord you!"

Selanne countered:"I asked [Nick] over and over if he really wanted a Finnish basement and he kept saying yes that it was a dream of his."