The Home Renovation Thread

Well, it was a productive day but also unfortunately missed an absolutely stunning golf weather day , but this is finally done
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Other than continuing to work on the lawn, the front of the house is done 😎

That came out looking great. (y)
 
Continuing to work on our outside lawn+landscape project. Since the goal for the back is to level and put stone (and hopefully an above ground pool), I took up all the larger river rock that was acting as a border to our patio (poorly executed, dirt just bogged it and then it grew grass and weeds).. I thought I would have enouhh for maybe half of one of the two tree bases but nope, not even a 5th of one

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In spring I'll have to decide between getting a couple tons of the same type, or going for the cheaper white versions and just having these mixed in .. the price is drastic as I think dark ones like thos at like .60/lb and the white is, unless I was misquoted, .04 per lb .. basically $2000 vs a few hundred

Get either white or black. Both look great!

I'm not trying to pile on or anything - that sucks - but did you have a home inspection prior to close? Did the buyer fail to disclose the leaking foundation issue? I'd be plenty angry at the agent and/or inspector if that were the case.

Yeah, that's the thing. When I was the executor of my Mom's estate, I knew that there were issues with the property. My Mom resisted with all her might going into assisted living, Why? "Because they want to take your house, and I want to leave it to you!" I told my Mom not to do me any favors! But, she did! Rainwater had backflowed against the house due to a housing development being built downslope from them that did not install piping large enough to account for both water loads! My Mom's foundation was compromised!

The man she was seeing at the time, following the deaths of my Dad and Step-Dad, was quite the amateur handyman. He devised a pump system to handle the extra groundwater under and around the house. However, the basement featured a wet bar, and he routed the output of that pump down the wet bar's drain! It worked, but there ain't no way that is going to pass code!
 
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Currently half way into a master bed/bath remodel. New tile, base and casing in the bedroom. Gutted the bathroom and currently prepping for floor tile, shower tile and tub surround tile.
While this used to be my business prior to retiring……I recall the work being much easier back then. 🤣
 
Roofing the Doc’s office building (home office, it’s 400 sq/ft) this coming week and I’m not excited as it’s been, oh, 20 years since I last laid shingles hahaha

Then it’s new doors and LP Smartside on it.

Im honestly pretty excited.
 
Currently half way into a master bed/bath remodel. New tile, base and casing in the bedroom. Gutted the bathroom and currently prepping for floor tile, shower tile and tub surround tile.
While this used to be my business prior to retiring……I recall the work being much easier back then. 🤣

We're in the home stretch of our bathroom remodel. Technically a master bath, it's 6x7 with a vanity, toilet and shower. Ripped everything out to the studs for the first time in 45 years the house has been around. The fiberglass enclosure was supporting the shower drain elbow, so when we pulled the nails for the enclosure, the drain elbow, which had a cleanout plug, fell down enough to poke a hole in the foyer ceiling. Plus the water supply line to the toilet was run through the hole in the U of the drain trap. We'll be taping the drywall this week and shortly after that the Onyx walls go up. We replaced the old tile with LVP, which is looking good, and we're upgrading with a vent fan, recessed medicine cabinet, and a shallower but longer vanity with a quartz top. The original Corian top still looked great. So better utilization of a tiny space.
 
Genuine question here and I know the answer is going to vary heavily but what are y’all paying for driveways in the Northeast? We’re planning on redoing ours in spring ‘24 but I have no idea what to expect for pricing. For reference we can fit about 4 cars before the apron.
 
Genuine question here and I know the answer is going to vary heavily but what are y’all paying for driveways in the Northeast? We’re planning on redoing ours in spring ‘24 but I have no idea what to expect for pricing. For reference we can fit about 4 cars before the apron.

I know around here in NEO I'm looking around $10-12K. 2 cars wide, 3 cars deep, so a bit bigger than yours.
 
I know around here in NEO I'm looking around $10-12K. 2 cars wide, 3 cars deep, so a bit bigger than yours.
That’s good to know. That’s kind of what I was expecting. We’ll also be adding steps to replace our deck which I figure would probably be another $2k
 
We're in the home stretch of our bathroom remodel. Technically a master bath, it's 6x7 with a vanity, toilet and shower. Ripped everything out to the studs for the first time in 45 years the house has been around. The fiberglass enclosure was supporting the shower drain elbow, so when we pulled the nails for the enclosure, the drain elbow, which had a cleanout plug, fell down enough to poke a hole in the foyer ceiling. Plus the water supply line to the toilet was run through the hole in the U of the drain trap. We'll be taping the drywall this week and shortly after that the Onyx walls go up. We replaced the old tile with LVP, which is looking good, and we're upgrading with a vent fan, recessed medicine cabinet, and a shallower but longer vanity with a quartz top. The original Corian top still looked great. So better utilization of a tiny space.
Glad it is coming together. Interesting use of the trap-gap for the toilet supply...

I am in the same boat but a few steps before; shower demo will start next week. My patch job held up for a decade but it is time to do it right now that I can afford better materials.
 
Our 32 y/o gas boiler that two years ago was recommended to be replaced by the repair guy is making teakettle-like noises and the utiility has temporarily sweetened its incentives. Anybody have anything to say about either of these boilers?

Weil/McClain GV/90+

Navien wall mount combi boiler/water heater
 
Roofing the Doc’s office building (home office, it’s 400 sq/ft) this coming week and I’m not excited as it’s been, oh, 20 years since I last laid shingles hahaha

Then it’s new doors and LP Smartside on it.

Im honestly pretty excited.

I wouldn't worry about it. I helped a buddy re-roof his house, and had never been on a roof before, had never removed slate shingles before, and had never put modern shingles down. Pretty steep learning curve, but, I learned it. In fact, We had stripped on side of the roof and wanted to start getting the new roofing on it, and my buddy had bought one of the early "3 dimensional" roofing systems! He and his buddies were at the picnic table trying to figure it out. I walked in, and just read the instructions that were on the wrapping of that bundle of shingles! I figured out how to lay them.

My main job was, once the guys understood how to put down the shingles, was to hike up and down a nearly vertical ladder, with two bundles of shingles over my shoulder, which I would hike up the roof with and gently lay down for them to install. How I wish I could experience that kind of strength at my age!
 
It's time to pull the trigger for a new tiled shower. The total was a bit pricey but I am comparing it to the fiberglass shower I put in myself a decade ago (apples to oranges) At least I get an extra month to save since they are booked until January. Still, I am excited to get a tile floor. Never had one before.
 
It's time to pull the trigger for a new tiled shower. The total was a bit pricey but I am comparing it to the fiberglass shower I put in myself a decade ago (apples to oranges) At least I get an extra month to save since they are booked until January. Still, I am excited to get a tile floor. Never had one before.

We are replacing a 45 y/o fiberglass enclosure with an Onyx composite panel system. Wife did not want tiles and I supported that. Will probably finish the install over the next five days but it has been quite impressive thus far. Pretty ingenious design, IYAM.
 
Here's one of the two split-air units I put in over the summer. I finally built the cover for it today. We're very happy with them so far. This one is in our bedroom but does a good job of cooling and heating most of the upstairs. The other is down in the LR and cools the entire middle level of our tri-level home.

The one benefit I didn't anticipate was how inexpensively these units heat the house in the cooler months before winter really hits.

Anyway, the project called for some electrical work which is normally outside my comfort zone. But I received a lot of advice from my brother as well as the electricians working at Home Depot and I was able to complete the entire project by myself.


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Here's one of the two split-air units I put in over the summer. I finally built the cover for it today. We're very happy with them so far. This one is in our bedroom but does a good job of cooling and heating most of the upstairs. The other is down in the LR and cools the entire middle level of our tri-level home.

The one benefit I didn't anticipate was how inexpensively these units heat the house in the cooler months before winter really hits.

Anyway, the project called for some electrical work which is normally outside my comfort zone. But I received a lot of advice from my brother as well as the electricians working at Home Depot and I was able to complete the entire project by myself.


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how many units do you have inside?
 
Not actually a home reno, but after Hurricane Ian, my son-in-law, myself and two of his employees ( he is a contractor) went down to Cape Coral and re-roofed my daughters home and replaced 4 windows some sheetrock, laminate floor in two rooms and I painted the rooms. We took all the materials with us. What a mess down there. She is lucky being 3 miles from Sanibel.
 
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how many units do you have inside?
2 indoor units, one for each outdoor unit.

These are smaller 12k units and only require 120v wiring. Had I gone with a larger outdoor unit and actually “split” it, that would have required 240v. Since the indoor units are on opposite sides of the house, I thought this would the logical choice???
 
2 indoor units, one for each outdoor unit.

These are smaller 12k units and only require 120v wiring. Had I gone with a larger outdoor unit and actually “split” it, that would have required 240v. Since the indoor units are on opposite sides of the house, I thought this would the logical choice???

tell me more. I'm toying with this idea for next year since my central AC crapped the bed and it was a crappy install(previous owner) to begin with.
 
tell me more. I'm toying with this idea for next year since my central AC crapped the bed and it was a crappy install(previous owner) to begin with.
My units are marketed as DIY models. The idea is that you don’t need any specialized tools to flare the fittings, check the pressure, etc. The fact that someone like like me can pull it off says something.

One downside from what I’ve read is that many HVAC contractors don’t like to service the DIYs for whatever reason.

I don’t know in what region of the country you live @ddec, but a central A/C unit is overkill here in Northern Michigan. And with kids moved out, this was a good alternative for my wife and I. These 2 smaller units probably cost me a total of $3200 (including electrical supplies) and they beat the heck out of putting noisy window units in and out twice a year.

I would recommend looking into the split units even if you hire the job out. I believe they are more economical than central units both with cooling and heating for much of the country. But by all means do not take my word for it.
 
Our 32 y/o gas boiler that two years ago was recommended to be replaced by the repair guy is making teakettle-like noises and the utiility has temporarily sweetened its incentives. Anybody have anything to say about either of these boilers?

Weil/McClain GV/90+

Navien wall mount combi boiler/water heater

So after further review with a calculator, it turns out those high efficiency units won’t even pay back their premium over the life of the unit. And that assumes an optimal installation, as many installs are improperly sized and/or poorly done. It’s like the equipment is equivalent to golf clubs and the install is equivalent to a player’s swing. The install/swing matters more.

So today we had a new boiler, controls, and water heater installed. Took three guys about six hours and the thing is nearly silent and the piping is gorgeous. Everything is either threaded or crimped - not a drop of solder. I’ve gone down to the basement just to stare.

We wound up with a Lennox boiler. I was initially leery but my research found it‘s basically a rebadged Utica ( a well-regarded brand) which Lennox backs with a better warranty. Plus we went with a larger family business that offers 24 hour service.

I learned a lot going through this one.
 
I've been MIA since the Spring because of this remodel.

Since March, I've worked with a contractor to remodel an empty nester catastrophe of a residence. A couple of heart attacks, surgeries, and rebuilding my attorney business kind of delayed the process. I bought this place as a rental but then decided due to unavailability of homes and its great location, to remodel this 1850 sq ft home. Started with foundation support, and then in August, they started demolishing the inside and taking the interior to stud except for the hall and bedroom walls.

I am divorced for 14 yrs, and do not need a big home. I want to travel and not have a big house payment. I do work from home most of the time, so I wanted a place that fed my interests: Work and Writing (a separate office), coffee and wine (espresso and coffee bar, bar, wine area, and golf.

I have a primary (master) bedroom with a sauna, and a private guest suite (their own separate hallway not connected to anything other than a bath). My office has a cabinet queen bed for extra guests. The living area space is wide open (living, bars, kitchen) from entry to exit. The garage is finished out with a split a/c heat pump setup. Half of it is devoted to working out, the other half for the hybrid car with level 2 charging.

I am not yet finished. Cabinetry and Cleanup are needed. The place is a dustbowl and I've spent the last two weekends just cleaning up the dust so it is not unbearable.

So here we go:

From a middle class neighborhood with an ideal location - 5 minutes from major highways, 15 minutes from major airport, 30 min from middle of Dallas, close to hospitals, groceries, 3 minutes from local golf course and range, park.

I am not living in the new remodel yet.

From this 1975 era tract home where I actually caught a squirrel coming down my chimney (and chased him out):

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To this:
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From this:

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To what you are really interested in:

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Still a Work in Progress ... Golf green will be finished this week, Still working on landscaping, will show inside pics later.

Good luck if you are doing this. It is work and will test your patience and wallet.
 
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WOW - love the lighting, and the putting green and sand trap! WOW - what an improvement! Look forward to seeing more photos.
 
To add a new post here. My wife wants floor to ceiling shelving in the smallish walk in pantry. It's presently got wire builder install crap shelving. that goes about 5+ feet. Ceiling is 9'.

I think I can pretty easily do it myself for cheap, but wanted some tips or ideas. I can run 1"x2" strips along the wall - nailed and/or screwed to studs, spaced for canned goods. wine bottles and a section for appliances. My only issue/concern is what do I do on the outer side (front) of the shelves? I would run a 1x2 (I guess, vertically about every 4 ft or so, and a similar 1x2 parallel to the ones on the wall then have the shelves rest on the horizontals. How/what do I use for the vertical 'posts' and how to anchor/install them?

I may just buy 8' shelving from Amazon or something - that is - adjustable. But it would run about $1k or so, where my DIY might look nicer and be about 2-300?

Seems all I need is a circular saw and a drill. As far as power tools go.

Thoughts or recommendations?
 
To add a new post here. My wife wants floor to ceiling shelving in the smallish walk in pantry. It's presently got wire builder install crap shelving. that goes about 5+ feet. Ceiling is 9'.

I think I can pretty easily do it myself for cheap, but wanted some tips or ideas. I can run 1"x2" strips along the wall - nailed and/or screwed to studs, spaced for canned goods. wine bottles and a section for appliances. My only issue/concern is what do I do on the outer side (front) of the shelves? I would run a 1x2 (I guess, vertically about every 4 ft or so, and a similar 1x2 parallel to the ones on the wall then have the shelves rest on the horizontals. How/what do I use for the vertical 'posts' and how to anchor/install them?

I may just buy 8' shelving from Amazon or something - that is - adjustable. But it would run about $1k or so, where my DIY might look nicer and be about 2-300?

Seems all I need is a circular saw and a drill. As far as power tools go.

Thoughts or recommendations?
How wide is the pantry?
 
How wide is the pantry?
I have not measured yet, but it's about 8-10ft deep and about 4-5ft wide. Presently shelves are across the back and on one side. They are 16-18" deep. I think we would do 16 to 18" deep on one side, 12 on the shorter side and maybe half a wall on the presently unused side (big maybe on that).
 
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