Official Home Improvement thread

[phenom5]

Well, I don't want to jinx things, but I think things are going to go through with our sale/ purchase. Thought it might be a cool to have a thread for home improvement stuff where people can ask questions, post suggestions (careful), and talk about costs/ prices.

For the new house, we are looking to split the cost of extending the wall with our new, soon to be neighbors. Maybe 50' @ 6' high. Any thoughts on the cost?

Also looking at doing 600 sqft or so of wood look tile, but not sure how much that'll run us to have someone lay the tile.

Then there is a pool, but that is a ways down the road.

[gumby]

Painting the house = $4k
New roof = $4k
New carpet = $5k
New boiler = $10k

Ah, home ownership ...

[Merkin]

What's a boiler? For steam heat?

For the new house, we are looking to split the cost of extending the wall with our new, soon to be neighbors. Maybe 50' @ 6' high. Any thoughts on the cost?

My dad had his done a few years back. He was driving around and found these guys building a block wall and he liked there work. He was talking to the only one who knew English, and they did his. Forgot the cost, but it was about half the cost of having Fence Factory do it.

Block walls are very expensive. Same with tile, material is cheap but the work is very labor intensive.

A month ago I took out the carpet in my front room and put in Saltillo myself since the family room and kitchen/dining room were already done. It's actually pretty easy to do, just takes a really long time.



Last summer my home improvement project was building a deck. I did almost all of it myself with a little help from my oldest son.



2 summers ago my project was taking this pool in my backyard:



and filling it in with dirt. Had to buy a jackhammer and take it to the cement around it and fill it in. Now that's work.

[phenom5]

My dad had his done a few years back. He was driving around and found these guys building a block wall and he liked there work. He was talking to the only one who knew English, and they did his. Forgot the cost, but it was about half the cost of having Fence Factory do it.

Block walls are very expensive. Same with tile, material is cheap but the work is very labor intensive.

A month ago I took out the carpet in my front room and put in Saltillo myself since the family room and kitchen/dining room were already done. It's actually pretty easy to do, just takes a really long time.

That's what our realtor suggested. Once we meet up with the new neighbors, go find the subs that are building the block walls around the development, and see if we can get them to do the work over a weekend or two for a discounted rate.

The tile is something I a probably going to just bite the bullet on. I don't think the tile work would be too difficult, but the speed that I could do vs the time someone hired to do it...

[Longhorned]

We have a subterranean lower level, where the floor is covered with a low-pile carpet over concrete.

We'll get a little moisture coming through the concrete blocks someday when there's a ridiculous rain storm, and the moisture will settle in a corner. I know because that very thing happened before we closed on the house, and the carpet in that area had to be treated and dried.

I want to rip out all the carpet. I'd like to finish and color stain the concrete beneath it, and throw some rugs over it. Either that or put down some kind of laminate.

But my wife wants to put down a cork tile floor. She insists that cork is naturally moisture-resistant. "Naturally moisture-resistant" doesn't impress me as an attribute. To me that means you're going to have problems, especially when you're out of town when that moisture appears.

She says I'm wrong. Am I wrong?

[phenom5]

I still think the cork would absorb some moisture. And I would think that once it did, it would expand, then contract/ warp when it dried. Much like laminate does. I can tell you from experience, laminate and moisture do not mix...even with the "moisture barrier" underlayment you use.

Staining concrete is pretty inexpensive if you don't have to lay any concrete down. The problem is that the concrete under the carpet may not look that great.

[Merkin]

I have seen some fabulous garage floors done with epoxy paint.

[wyo-cat]

The flecks of color help keep the surface from being super slick. It works well and is pretty inexpensive, as flooring goes.

[Bruins02]

We have a subterranean lower level, where the floor is covered with a low-pile carpet over concrete.

We'll get a little moisture coming through the concrete blocks someday when there's a ridiculous rain storm, and the moisture will settle in a corner. I know because that very thing happened before we closed on the house, and the carpet in that area had to be treated and dried.

I want to rip out all the carpet. I'd like to finish and color stain the concrete beneath it, and throw some rugs over it. Either that or put down some kind of laminate.

But my wife wants to put down a cork tile floor. She insists that cork is naturally moisture-resistant. "Naturally moisture-resistant" doesn't impress me as an attribute. To me that means you're going to have problems, especially when you're out of town when that moisture appears.

She says I'm wrong. Am I wrong?

Polished concrete looks great, but is murder on your feet.

[Merkin]

We have a subterranean lower level, where the floor is covered with a low-pile carpet over concrete.

We'll get a little moisture coming through the concrete blocks someday when there's a ridiculous rain storm, and the moisture will settle in a corner. I know because that very thing happened before we closed on the house, and the carpet in that area had to be treated and dried.

I want to rip out all the carpet. I'd like to finish and color stain the concrete beneath it, and throw some rugs over it. Either that or put down some kind of laminate.

But my wife wants to put down a cork tile floor. She insists that cork is naturally moisture-resistant. "Naturally moisture-resistant" doesn't impress me as an attribute. To me that means you're going to have problems, especially when you're out of town when that moisture appears.

She says I'm wrong. Am I wrong?

Not wrong.

These sites say you don't want cork for floors that could get wet:

https://www.floorstoyourhome.com/blog/2 ... -basement/

http://flooring.about.com/od/basement-f ... ations.htm

[Longhorned]

Okay, thanks. That's what I suspected.

Concrete may be murder on your feet, but I think that's what big, lavish floor rugs are for. Then when moisture gets in, I don't have anything to rip up off the floor.

I'm also looking to make a downward slope away from the house.

[PieceOfMeat]

Painting the house = $4k
New roof = $4k
New carpet = $5k
New boiler = $10k

Ah, home ownership ...

Seems like a low price for a new roof.

If you can get a new roof for 4K, go for it I'd say.

::::

As for the flooring, I've been wanting to go stained/polished concrete for years, but the significant other says no.

I don't mind colder/harder floors, and am a fan of rugs where you need them. I freaking hate carpeting.

[Merkin]

Painting the house = $4k
New roof = $4k
New carpet = $5k
New boiler = $10k

Ah, home ownership ...

Seems like a low price for a new roof.

I imagine the $4K is just putting new shingles on over the old ones. Most building codes say you can have 3 layers.

[gumby]

Painting the house = $4k
New roof = $4k
New carpet = $5k
New boiler = $10k

Ah, home ownership ...

Seems like a low price for a new roof.

If you can get a new roof for 4K, go for it I'd say.

::::

As for the flooring, I've been wanting to go stained/polished concrete for years, but the significant other says no.

I don't mind colder/harder floors, and am a fan of rugs where you need them. I freaking hate carpeting.

Roof was about 10 years ago. Have hardwood and tile floors downstairs, except for den (carpet). New carpeting on second floor coming soon. Have a lot of rooms in this house. No two rooms had flooring that matched when we moved in. Strange.

Need deck rebuilt. How much, Merk? About two-thirds the size of yours. Always something ...

[Longhorned]

Yeah, rebuilding the deck. I need to do that, too. Think I'll do that before painting the outside of the house so that can be part of the job.

[Jefe]

Client just had a pool filled since she couldnt keep up with it, 9 feet deep. Dirt and rocks brought in. She paid him $3500

[gumby]

Vowed never to have a pool after growing up with one. Constant work.

[phenom5]

how much extra tile do I need...I am looking at 605 sqft, 6"x24" wood look. 20% over? 25%?

[Merkin]

Client just had a pool filled since she couldnt keep up with it, 9 feet deep. Dirt and rocks brought in. She paid him $3500

My brother in law in Casa Grande filled in his pool. However, he found someone who was having a pool put in, and they brought the dirt over to his house for free and dumped it out front. He just rented a little Cat dozer and moved the dirt into his former pool. Don't know the cost, but it was in the hundreds, not thousands.

[PieceOfMeat]

Painting the house = $4k
New roof = $4k
New carpet = $5k
New boiler = $10k

Ah, home ownership ...

Seems like a low price for a new roof.

I imagine the $4K is just putting new shingles on over the old ones. Most building codes say you can have 3 layers.

Might have been, would certainly be more in line with that price point now-a-days.

Painting the house = $4k
New roof = $4k
New carpet = $5k
New boiler = $10k

Ah, home ownership ...

Seems like a low price for a new roof.

If you can get a new roof for 4K, go for it I'd say.

::::

As for the flooring, I've been wanting to go stained/polished concrete for years, but the significant other says no.

I don't mind colder/harder floors, and am a fan of rugs where you need them. I freaking hate carpeting.

Roof was about 10 years ago. Have hardwood and tile floors downstairs, except for den (carpet). New carpeting on second floor coming soon. Have a lot of rooms in this house. No two rooms had flooring that matched when we moved in. Strange.

ah, still, not a bad price even then.

Maybe they 'upgraded' the flooring in the home one room at a time? Tile is alright by me, but having cracked a few in my lifetime by dropping stuff on them makes me wish for the easy of just a nicely done concrete floor.

[phenom5]

Decided on a Walnut wood look 6"x24" tile. Now we have to find someone to do the work. Short term pain, long term gain. Can't wait.

[Alieberman]

If anyone needs any help or advise on how to fuck up a simple DIY home project, please don't hesitate to ask me.

[CalStateTempe]

Ok here the sitch....

Bay Area go hammered with Rain this year. Inlaws have ton of leaks in their old roof. They are planning on getting a new roof.

piece of ceiling sheetrock fell revealing some mold. I suspect its on other places where there were leaks. We have mold remediation coming out this week.

So question, can they proceed with the roof repair and then get the mold remediated, or do they have to get the mold remediated first before replacing the roof?

We are getting difference answers depending on what tradesmen we are asking.

[JMarkJohns]

The realization that after I put an offer in, thinking I’ve asked for too much, figuring it will be rejected, but next day I hear it’s accepted leading to the spectrum of “oh shits!” Which are quite the goddamn spectacle with me.

Nothing is signed yet, but if the inspections checks out, seller is on the hook to repair/replace all aspects requiring FHA approval, is redoing the pool deck and replacing the pump/filter, is paying for new exterior paint, is paying for first year of home warranty, and is paying for closing.

It’s a fixer upper as it was a rental it’s last use and has sat empty on the market for 6 months.

But the bones are great, and the neighbor Hood is just a street removed from the country club.

[RichardCranium]

Hmmm.

I didn't know this thread was here when I tried to start a "I built this" thread which noone else has so far been interested in adding to.

So I'll just show my floating BBQ Bench and seat again. Like I said in the other thread: FIGJAM.

[Merkin]

Pictures aren't showing up, just a message saying 3rd party hosting has been disabled.

Imgur.com works really well.

[84Cat]

I've been painting the exterior of my house all weekend. Wish I was doing something more fun. Pro tip, don't build with wood poles or fascia boards if you can avoid them.

[RichardCranium]

Pictures aren't showing up, just a message saying 3rd party hosting has been disabled.

Imgur.com works really well.

Hmmmmmmm. Ill figure it out when i get home.

[azgreg]

Photobucket sucks.

Another option: https://postimages.org/" target="_blank

[RichardCranium]

OK, lets try it again...





Is that better?

Edit: They show up smaller than I'd expected, but I hope you can get the idea.

[scumdevils86]

What is that, a picture for ants?

[RichardCranium]

What is that, a picture for ants?

Picky picky picky

[Merkin]

Appears you like to grill as much as I do.

[RichardCranium]

Appears you like to grill as much as I do.

3 or 4 times a week, regardless of weather. Rotiseried a chicken last week, then finish grilled some slow cooked ribs the other night. Could be salmon tonight, if SWMBO picks some up on her way home.

[CalStateTempe]

We have a three way switch low voltage that we what to swap out for a programmable three way with a timer. It controls outdoor lights, hall lights and living room.

Anyone have any ideas one what brand/type I should be looking at? Did such a thing even exist?

Edit: it is a three way switch, but what I meant to write is the single panel has three buttons to control three different lighting circuits. This is what I’m having trouble finding, one programmable switch cover that can accept and program three different circuits.

Thanks in advance!

[dovecanyoncat]

I bet if you smart-rewire the whole house there's a simple app that will solve your dilemma.

[CalStateTempe]

I bet if you smart-rewire the whole house there's a simple app that will solve your dilemma.

Yeah we’ve looked into that, but I’m trying to get a quick fix in advance of a three week trip we are taking in June, so our house doesn’t get broken into.

But that’s the route we’ll likely have to go.