Home Improvement - The DIY Thread

Fisher's Mom

Fisher's Mom

Mother Superior
I thought it might be fun and helpful to have a DIY thread. I know I always have at least one repair, update or renovation project going at any one time. Occasionally, things go perfectly - exactly as planned. Usually, it ends up being a domino thing and the time and costs increase exponentially.

I'm still working on renovating my guest house for my mom, who will eventually move here. Today involved replacing broken sash cords on 5 old, double hung windows. Thankfully, the sash weights were still in the wall. Also, grouting the ceramic tile floor I laid in the bathroom. I did that a few weeks ago but had put off grouting it in hopes of having a sink installed so I would have running water out there for the process. I finally gave up hope of that and just got started. I'm telling you, I'm getting real tired of spending hours on my knees.

What's up at your house?
 
Fisher's Mom said:
I'm telling you, I'm getting real tired of spending hours on my knees.

What's up at your house?
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Now the thought of you on your knees might be pleasant but fantasies aside. :whistle:

I'm fortunate in that I don't mess with these things at all any more. I have a contractor that I simply call, get a price and do the work now. I used to love doing them myself but as I've gotten older the fun has left these little projects. We did the front bathroom this year and removed the tile and replaced it with a plastic insert from Lowe's. It even has a seat built into it so my 16 year old grand daughter can sit to shave her legs or so she said. We replaced all the windows last year, roof and dry wall down one wall and removed a door we never used giving me more room in the living room. Later this year we will be replacing everything in the kitchen too. I keep a plumber, contractor, electrician and door company (storage doors) on call all the time. We also have a gate company to maintain our electronic gate so no need for any heavy lifting on our part at all for the first time in our lives. We are flat loving it too.
 
i use to like fixing my house but now.... i will pay someone to do it, if its done right the first time by someone who knows exactly what to do then there is usually no need to do it again for years to come.
 
Great idea, FM. I was hoping to see this here, even though it's a food forum. ForumForums has a chat, but I would rather stick to one place.
I know some about home reno.I grew up in a 200+ yr old house.
It was always something, and grandpa spent every saturday helping the folks with everything. Us kids were the goffers. He was a master carpenter from Germany.
I also had a paint contracting bus. in NJ til I moved to NY in 92'
and did alittle of everything.
I still refinish furniture, and love it.
As a single person with little disposable income, seems like forever, and a homeowner, you learn to do things and do them right the first time.
Cudos & karma for opening this thread.
 
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We have done a lot
Wrecked the bathroom out to the studs, replaced all the fixtures
Tiled walls and build a dropped ceiling th the tub ares.
Replaced the front door.
Took up the entire kitchen flooe down to the studs, cut pie shaped
wedges to level the floor. Put down new decking and tiled.
Build a new kitchen cabinet.
Wrecked the basement out to the concrete, studded, insulated, rocked
and redid all the electric. High hats in the ceiling for light.
Excavated a small fish pond and built a stone falls to go with it.

We have a lot to go, but, we have fun at it.

Andy C

FM, If I can help, let me know.
 
I own & operate a residential Handyman business for the past 4 years, but I have been involved in construction & maintenance of residential, commercial & industrial buildings since 1978, and have managed construction of structures up to 300,000 sq.ft. in the US, Germany (Cologne & Dusseldorf) & England (Milton Keynes). Licensed General Contractor & licensed Electrical Contractor. The most interesting part of this work is all the people I get to deal with.

Recent projects.

Small kitchen renovation with granite counters. Max out small space using 42" tall cabinets. Just finished the tile work 2 days ago:

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Basement kitchenette with wine bar & wine coolers:

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Condo kitchen with granite composite sink:

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Granite counter top installation with $1,400.00 Franke sink system. Total job cost $8,700.00:

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Bring on the questions. I don't have all the answers, but I've made more mistakes than the average bear. :mrgreen:
 
Hey Joe,
How come the whole friggin house is sloped down towards that big guy? Couldn't you plumb that schit up?
:yum:
 

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LMAO Fred!! Great pics, especially love that last kitchen very nice.

My house?? Bought for $90,000 ten years ago as a fixer upper. So far we are 8 years (took 2 years out cause of sickness and surgeries) and $30,000 into it and only maybe half way there.
Course, the house is appraised at $185,000 and that is adjusted down for this economy so I guess we are not in that bad of a place.
 
Man I just can't relate to those prices for a fixer up house. My first house purchased in 66 was a two bedroom 1 bath, Florida room and car port on 140' x 120' lot for 10K. I sold it 2 years later for Calder Race Track for 22K to turn into their parking lot. I then paid 32K for a 4 bedroom, 2 bath with a pool, fire place, 5 horse stable on 5 acres of land. I sold it when I left Florida to move to Texas in 1970 for a small profit after paying it off. I've rented since then or lived on a sail boat I owned for a few years. The 60' at the water line ketch rigged sail boat was cheaper than your house 90K house.
 
Don't get me started on the house we are currently renting.

-All the windows are single-pane glass with aluminum frames! Can we say energy waste?!?!?!?!
-The roof really ought to be redone soon.
-The garage needs to be stripped/gutted down to the frame, electrical re-wired in the garage, new walls/siding/garage door.
-One toilet leaks from the tank onto the floor. Luckily we don't use it at all.
-Second toilet leaks from the toilet into the bowl. Can we say water waste? I've got to get off my butt and fix it!
-Third toilet either has something small and hard stuck in it, or something else that partially clogs it. Don't poo in that toilet.
-I seriously doubt that the original owner of the place insulated the walls of the garage or the addition when he did the remodels.
-No backflow valve (?) for the water spigot on the back of the house. Connect a hose, turn it on, and yes, you get water out the hose, but also get water flowing out from underneath the wall and soaking the flooring.
-ALL ELECTRIC! Ice Storm '07, we were out of power for NINE FRAKKING DAYS!

I could go on. We're renting, with on option to buy. While I like living out here, the landlord wants $120,00 USD for the place. It's valued at $87,000, I believe. The landlord encourages us to do home improvements. I don't mind doing small projects (small repair, painting, replacing switches and outlets, etc.), but I am NOT forking over thousands in home improvements for a place I don't even own.
 
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Some helpful info to keep on hand.
Here's some past info:How Do I...
Plan Kitchen Cabinets? - TOH general contractor Tom Silva's 9 essential tips
Remove a Tub Drain? - Learn how without wasting money on a plumber
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Know When to Plant Grass? - We tell you the best time so grass doesn't dry out
Remove Tiles? - Tips for plywood, cement backerboard, or mortar underlayment
Repair Sash Window? - It only takes $70 and two days
Work With a Flood Pro? - Prevent mold, stop future floods, and more
Replace a Leaky Shower Diverter? - It depends how the spout is attached
Get Moss Off My Roof? - Bleach, water, and zinc strips do the trick
Cut Crown Molding for Corners? - Make a coped cut in 5 to 10 minutes per joint
PLUS 10 More Repair Questions - Solutions to problems from mildew to peeling paint

Enter to Win - We're offering $10,000 in CASH Prizes to the best Reader Remodels
40 Amazing Whole House Renos - From a Queen Anne to a farmhouse addition
100 Kitchen Before-and-Afters - From painting cabinets to knocking down walls
30 Bath Upgrades - A striped beauty, an Art Deco stunner, and more
20 Smart Landscaping Projects - A a pretty pergola and more outdoor structures
7 Restful Bedrooms - A tropical oasis, a spa room redo, and other ideas
10 Great Rooms to Gather In - Decorating schemes from Tuscan to rustic
20 Beautiful Interior-Detail Projects - An ornate staircase, a restored mantle, and more ideas
20 Ideas for Curb Appeal - A rock retaining wall, a new roof, and more
4 Functional Workspaces - A work shed made with recycled materials and more
Home Center Projects - Tell us how you've repurposed home center items

Best Ways to Boost Home Value - Real estate pros' top 10 savvy upgrades
Time-Tested Energy Savers - Eaves, porches, and more smart traditional features
Dependable Insurance Advice - How to underwrite your home systems upkeep
Find a Reliable Contractor Online - How to use online referral systems effectively
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My first floor is pretty much done. The second floor is still a work in progress. Right now I'm finishing up a bedroom after sistering the floor joists, installing new subfloor, repair sheetrock, new trim, doors, carpet, outlets and paint. This weekend I should have it done, I just need to do the base moulding and another coat od polyurethane on the doors.

Here's some construction pics:

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Leveling the floor joists

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This was a 1/2 bath Pandoras Box! What was SUPPOSED to be tile, fixtures and paint turned into a complete gut. All the plumbing had to be relocated to accomodate the new fixtures.

Oh, I learned how to solder copper pipes pretty darn quick after I clipped a water line with my sawzall. :unsure:

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Boy, those sistered 2 x 8 s look like the old floor was extremely off in second pic.
Nic pics of the finished job.
Thanks.
 
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Calicolady said:
Boy, those sistered 2 x 8 s look like the old floor was extremely off in second pic.
Nic pics of the finished job.
Thanks.
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Heck yeah it was!

My 1910 house leans a tad to the back and side. The house was remodeled and had additions put on in around 1990. The builders never addressed the leaning issue so EVERYTHING has to be shimmed or some crap to be level/plumb. So upstairs you would step up into one room, then step down into another room (next project) and so forth. I'm trying to fix all that crapola now. You can see an attempt to level the floor with shims in the bottom pic.

Thanks Mav.

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Great Thread..

Heres some Pictures of the re-vamp i done on my daughters Bedroom recently...everything new carpet,lighting,re-lined ceiling ect...
 

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Atta boy/girl, Galvetron. I HATE to wallpaper. But that's typical of a painter and visa versa.
And textured ceilings are "the pits"!
 
Calicolady said:
Atta boy/girl, Galvetron. I HATE to wallpaper. But that's typical of a painter and visa versa.
And textured ceilings are "the pits"!
Click to expand...

I must confess im the painter ect and my wife done the Wallpaper...she is pretty damn good at it so i leave her to it.
 
Calicolady said:
Atta boy/girl, Galvetron. I HATE to wallpaper. But that's typical of a painter and visa versa.
And textured ceilings are "the pits"!
Click to expand...

Wallpapering has to be the leading cause of divorce. :twak:

Hard to believe so many of us have projects like this. My house is currently on the market so the little fix ups never end but need to be accomplished ASAP. I just had three rusting steel doors replaced, two of them are eight footers. Bye bye $$.
 
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