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Archive through August 27, 2004

The TVClubHouse: General Discussions ARCHIVES: 2005 Mar. ~ 2005 May: Home and Garden (ARCHIVES): Home Improvements: Archive through August 27, 2004 users admin

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Wargod
Member

07-16-2001

Thursday, March 18, 2004 - 11:11 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
This time of year always finds me ready to tackle a bunch of different home improvement projects. It's not even officially spring yet and we have three projects on our list! And one, or part of it, looks like it may be done this weekend.

When we bought the house, we had four floor to ceiling windows. Two in the living room, one in our bedroom and one in (at the time) spare bedroom, which is now Kota's room. One of the projects we've been wanting to do is replace all four of those windows. We got one done a couple years ago and had planned to do the other three last summer, but Mow ended up spending the summer working for Costco and didn't have the time to devote to big projects. He's talking now, though, about doing Kota's this weekend. I want it done, but it is the biggest pain! They have to cut around the window (about six inches all the way around it!) and then rebuild the bottom part of the wall. Then it has to sit and dry overnight, while I have a big, gaping hole in the front of the house, lol. The next day they can install the new window. Then it's another day or two of waiting for the rest of the mud stuff to dry before they can go in and sand it down and re-paint that part of the wall. I'd love to have them do all three of the ones we have left at the same time, but I'm not sure I could handle the trauma of three big, gaping holes in the house, lol.

The second project on my home improvement list this spring is mine alone. I'm finally going to paint Caleb's bedroom, probably around the end of April or begining of May. At one point, I knew exactly what I wanted to do in there, but now I'm not too sure. He's a little older than Kota and wants more of a say in how it turns out, and I think that he should have some say. But, the last time we talked about it, he wanted a dragon painted on the wall, which is just a bit out of my artistic range, lol!

The last thing on my list is the one that pops up year after year. Landscaping! I've already got one flower bed looking good, now it's time to work on the second one. Other plans our to plant one new shrub, install some kind of patio lighting, and trying to get the grass greener and softer than it has been the last couple years.

So, does anyone else have home improvement projects for this spring and summer lined up? I'm always interested in seeing what others have planned and if they might encourage me to try something else that I haven't thought of doing.

Conejo
Member

08-23-2002

Thursday, March 18, 2004 - 12:32 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Wargod, why do you have to cut 6 inches all around the window to replace it?

I'm having new french doors installed in my kitchen this Saturday to replace the sliding patio doors - can't wait.

I also just picked out and ordered tumbled limestone tile for my kitchen counter backsplash and will hopefully have that completed in the next couple of weeks.
Am going to pick out granite for the bar area next week.

Just had a new dishwasher, garbage disposal, range and refrigerator installed recently. As soon as the kitchen is finished, its on to the master bath - although I can't decide whether to have a marble shower base and walls installed or ceramic tile. Any suggestions?

Wargod
Member

07-16-2001

Thursday, March 18, 2004 - 1:48 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Something about the width of windows and frames now compared to what they were when the house was built in the mid 50's. Plus the fact that my bil is the construction expert and won't let us get away with doing things halfway, lol. Even though he can be picky and a perfectionist, I have to admit that anything he has had a hand in comes out great.

Wow Conejo, you have had a lot done! Isn't it fun? In the space of about two months we had carpet laid, the tile in the den, kitchen, and bathroom replaced, repainted about 75% of the house, replaced the backyard fence, replaced the first floor to ceiling window, and did some major landscaping. Most of it (all of it actually except for the carpet) we did ourselves. I had a blast!

I personally like marble better, but thats just because I think it's prettier, lol. No other reason than that though.

Lumbele
Member

07-12-2002

Thursday, March 18, 2004 - 2:04 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
War, there are floor layers in my house as we speak. We are replacing the carpet and lino in the main house area with that laminated wood stuff. Tomorrow they'll do the kitchen and halls and lay some carpet downt the basement stairs.
At 7 a.m. this morning we finished painting the staircase after doing living/dining room halls and kitchen.
The carpenter installed one wall of cabinets. Can't fill them though because there was a snow storm down east and the hinges and handles to match the other side of the kitchen haven't arrived yet.
Next week, he will replace the countertop over there and put slide in stove.
The electrician is finished, the plumber has done the pipes and hook-up for the buil-tin dishwasher and replaced the sink and tabs in the bathroom. (countertop was replaced too)
He'll follow the carpenter to put in new sink and tab in kitchen next week.
Then we'll have to tile the backsplash (dreading that one) and do the "finetuning" of what's been done so far.
The new windows will be installed after Easter. Don't know if we'll get to the deck before fall or next spring.
Bathroom and bedrooms still need to be painted, but not before the rest of humpty-dumpty has been put back together again.
We must be nuts. Should have done it like you, a bit every year.

Wargod
Member

07-16-2001

Sunday, March 21, 2004 - 2:42 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Little by little has been the only way for us to get anything done, lol. We do most of it ourselves, so work around whatever Mow and my bil can fit into their schedules. Right now my bil is in the middle of completely redoing my aunts kitchen. He's done everything from rewiring to ripping out the cabinets, and is almost done with that. But, then he'll move on to other areas of the house. Aunt is getting older, and has recently started to use a walker, so they have been renovating to accomodate her needs. They need to widen doorways and build ramps for her, since the porch steps in the front and back are a bit much for her. Since bil is the primary helper for Mow on big projects, we have to wait to do alot til he has the time. No big rush though, we plan on being here for quite awhile so we have plenty of time.

Mow did not take off work today since Kota didn't have a game. He hates to miss either of their games, but won't take off unless both of them have one that he can go to. So, her window didn't get done today. He does plan to take next weekend off, so we'll see what happens. He's got the window and all the supplies he needs, just needs to get the time for it.

Conejo, how did the french doors turn out? Our you happy with them? We have an interesting problem that has sparked a lot of debate since buying the house, and french doors have come up alot. When the house was built, there was no den. The living room had a sliding glass door that led to the backyard patio. When they built the den, they took out the sliding glass door (leaving the tracks) and added the den where part of the patio was. Now there is no barrier between the living room and den. It'd be easy as heck to put a sliding glass door there since the track is already there, but I grew up in a house that had the same thing (sliding glass door between the kitchen and den) and it was a pain in the neck. I remember how hard it was to keep it clean with young kids in the house, and one of the doors was forever falling off the track. French doors would fit, but I don't think they'd go well with the rest of the house. I like being able to be in one room and see what the kids are doing in the other, but I also like the idea of being able to close off one room. We haven't done anything about it for six and a half years because we just can't decide what to do, lol.

Eventually we plan to turn the den into a master bedroom. We even have the plumbing (hidden under the tile floor!) for a second bathroom in here. When we do, we will need something to seperate the two rooms, but since that won't happen for a while yet, I'm not really rushing it.

Lum, I'd love to get it all done at once, but with the time Mow has to put in, there is no way.


Riviere
Member

09-09-2000

Wednesday, March 31, 2004 - 5:29 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Oh yeah, big time projects here too.. All new modern vinyl windows, estimate $4k.. The main bath needs a floor and tub tile job, following our recent new plumbing (copper) last fall! I don't want to think of the patio needing a dam built around it since rain slopes into the patio door from soggy yard. And the 1973 kitchen, oh where to start! We retiled the foyer and will tile the sunroom / deck, the rest we will mostly leave to the pros. We did our own ceiling fans and paint ourselves..
Tip for computer geeks like us: there are never enough outlets, go ahead and install a 4 ganger in place of a 2 ganger standard plug when wiring is already in the wall. My desk for example.. I use a 4 ganger outlet and my USP and SP bar take 2 plugs. My desk lamp takes 1 plug. My portable radio often uses the 4th plug.. Same is true for tv dvd vcr electronics, the more outlets merrier and helps zone your house's breakers. This house had 10 breaker switches when we moved in, none of the lower level plugs accepted 3 prong grounded plug ins. No vacuum, iron, nothing modern.. We switched up to 18 breaker switches and properly divided usage by rooms, still have open slots to expand and it took (gasp) $144.. A 4 ganger is great when you know, that will be a media center for many components and wires bunched up. No more extension cords! Same disclaimer as seen on HGTV: do not attempt playing with electricity at home, unless ALL power is shut down first, when in doubt, call the pro, it's worth your life!!!
:-)


Wargod
Member

07-16-2001

Wednesday, March 31, 2004 - 11:15 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
That's funny, Riviere. Spy is building her home and one of the things I mentioned to her was "more outlets!" Hubby went through about two years ago and changed all the outlets in our house to grounded outlets. Before he did it, there were two in the entire house, one where the stove was, and one where the fridge was and that was it.

Mow is working yet again this weekend, so Kota's window probably won't be done even though we have all the supplies for it. That's three weeks now, lol. He keeps saying he wants to make sure it won't turn cold in the middle of the project.

Last weekend we went and bought fertilizer and grass seed to reseed the front yard. Came home, he started to replace some of the sprinkler heads and realized he had a problem with the pipes, so spent all day Sunday digging up the front yard sprinkler lines and replacing them, so never got around to the rest of it. That is what's going to happen this weekend.

Lumbele
Member

07-12-2002

Wednesday, March 31, 2004 - 2:30 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Riviere, sounds like you are in for it, too.
4k for all new windows? Wish we had shopped at your store.
War, let us know how things are progressing. Did the window make it into the appropriate hole?
Progress Report: Main part of the house is painted. Except for the garden doors, tiling, lighting and curtains the kitchen is complete. Not before a few hiccups, though. First the carpenter who usually doesn't work with hinges as we needed, forgot that that made a diff. with the doors. Luckyly he erred on the side of oversize and could shave the excess off. He made the inside of the microwave cabinet just right, but added a trim which wouldn't let our oven in. Guess who went buying a new microwave? Yep, and the carpenter paid for it, too.
The first plumber laid the pipes for the built-in dishwasher, but too far forward, so his colleague couldn't fit the dishwasher in. That one was trying to tell me the dishwasher sticking out from the cabinets by about an inch wouldn't look toooooo bad. When he saw my killer look he decided he better change the pipes a tad and make everything fit right.
The floor is laid and the carpet on the stairs. I am still trying to make friends with the new appliances. The stove looks like it has a pilot's control panel and everything beeps and beeps and beeps. Kitchen jobs are done with reading glasses on the nose, cooking utensil in one hand and owner's manual in the other.
We will be taking it easy for a while (minor decorating and repair jobs only), then come the windows.

Riviere
Member

09-09-2000

Friday, April 02, 2004 - 1:31 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Can say a dishwasher is beyond this house, would lose precious little drawer space.. Unless.. Do you think a smaller sink (we have a big stainless double sink) and a smallish dishwasher would help as a selling point? It's an eat in kitchen with the stuff on 2 walls, not much counter space.
This house has 7 windows to replace. One being a patio slider, I want the new one reversed entry! Had fair estimate on the rest for $4k, we'll see what the total is.. It's a local icon builder so good rep and refs, many yrs in business. They did next door last yr and neighbor already brags his energy savings.. My new range (2003) is an alien gas beeper model, too! I'm studying the manuel on how to clean it...


Lumbele
Member

07-12-2002

Friday, April 02, 2004 - 9:35 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Riviere, in my search for the perfect dishwasher (thought I found it, turns out not) I saw some 18" ones. Does it have to go by the sink? There was no room on that side for ours either, so we had a hot water line laid under the floor on the opposite wall.
Once I checked into smaller kitchen sinks I realised we wouldn't gain that much counter space. The sink and a half would have gained us just a couple of inches. So we got a new double sink with a 2/3 fitting cutting board. Turns out that thing isn't great for cutting stuff, but ideal to rest stuff on (our stove is right next to it).
We are replacing 2 bedroom, one dining room, a big living room window, as well as a set of garden doors out to the patio, opening outwards, too. Final bill will be close to $10,000, Canadian though.

Riviere
Member

09-09-2000

Friday, April 09, 2004 - 2:21 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Ouch! Looked into it, not feasible here for the $ either. I can live with washing dishes by hand and cabinet space.. I wonder, though, in future with all the non cooks using microwave dinners, not cooking from scratch, few cooking items, what the heck will anyone need in 10 years? Scary!

Sunrvrose
Member

08-13-2001

Friday, April 09, 2004 - 2:53 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Riviere, I predict that what ppl will need or use in 10 years will depend on where they live. I think that conveniences like a dishwasher will still be very desirable.

I also think that the wave of interest in cooking and getting back to basic and safe foods will continue. I also predict that anything that enhances recycling capabilities, such as "recycle chutes" that allow you to drop items from the inside directly into containers on the outside will grow in desirability.

I also see things like an instant hot water system in the kitchen, or the whole house as a big future interest. No matter what the cost to install, the conservation of water (not running all that cold water down the drain) and the savings on fuel to heat a 40 gal hot water heater, will pay for the system pretty quickly. Not to mention the resource savings.

Tho I don't think you really expected such a detailed answer, I loved your question. It's really important to figure out what people will want in 10 years. Ask The Donald, he's been doing it for about 40 years now.

Lumbele
Member

07-12-2002

Friday, April 16, 2004 - 10:48 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Well, they came to install the garden doors yesterday. We ordered maintenance-free white doors. Problem is, because of the colour of the bug screen the right door looks dark grey and the left one white. Apparently there is no white screening available here in Canada. I was hoping some of you Yanks might know where I could find some south of the border. There is no way I will be happy with 2 different colour doors in my kitchen. HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!

Draheid
Moderator

09-09-2001

Saturday, April 17, 2004 - 9:59 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Lumbele: There is a company in Seattle, WA that manufactures screen netting material. They offer several types of material in a 'Pure White' color for window screens. I have no idea if they offer shipping to your area or what the pricing might be. They do have an online inquiry form you could submit to ask those questions.

DPCWiremesh.com is their main site. Click on 'Products - Window Screen' then look at the last 3 types they offer for the white color.

Hope that helps. Please let me know.

Lumbele
Member

07-12-2002

Saturday, April 17, 2004 - 11:34 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Leave it to Drah to google better. Thanks, Drah! We'll contact them to ask for a retail supplier. 50' is a bit much for a one-house-owner even when ordering enough for future replacements.LOL

Riviere
Member

09-09-2000

Monday, April 19, 2004 - 4:16 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
After viewing some TV regarding house buyers, and reviewing our lifestyle the past 20 yrs, and then a recent 2 day visit from inlaws, wow.. We've had dishwashers and none, seems most folks prefer having one (as I would)! Whenever we can remodel kitchen it cannot be expanded, must do our best in a tiny 12x13 space..
Interesting points, Sunrvrose! I would give up a cabinet & drawer for a full size dishwasher, must be more creative about storage. Recent study: the average oven is used just 5% meaning those microwaves get much more use! Does anyone own every countertop gadget under the sun? We have a basic toaster, coffeemaker, blender, crockpot and deep fryer. The latter 2 seldom get use. Seems practical to install a dishwasher and get the old dish drainer off the counter! Plus, a new trend is cabinets all the way to ceiling. Our kitchen looks worse cluttered as we must throw the bags of chips and stuff atop our cabinets. Full set of ceiling height cabinets makes more shelves, thus one lost cabinet wouldn't be as painful.
How about the new trend toward industrial grade major appliances? It seems wasteful since folks don't cook that much, and ineffecient for energy used. Somehow upscale buyers expect the kitchen to morph into a restaurant any time they choose!
It will be a barrel of fun designing a kitchen this size. Maybe with quality materials and the convenience of a dishwasher future buyers could overlook how small the room is?
:-)



Draheid
Moderator

09-09-2001

Wednesday, April 21, 2004 - 8:04 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Listen carefully to the sales pitch:

"Last year I replaced all the windows in my house with those expensive double-pane energy efficient kind. But this week I got a call from the contractor complaining that his work had been completed a whole year ago and I had yet to pay for them.

Boy oh boy, did we go around! Just because I'm blonde doesn't mean that I am automatically stupid. So, I proceeded to tell him just what his fast talking sales guy had told me last year... that in one year the windows would pay for themselves. There was silence on the other end of the line so I just hung up and I haven't heard back."

Froggiegirl621
Member

02-14-2003

Wednesday, April 21, 2004 - 8:45 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
LOL!!!

Lumbele
Member

07-12-2002

Wednesday, April 21, 2004 - 9:30 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Oooooooooooooh, I am blonde and I will definitely try that one next week, Drah.LOL

Draheid
Moderator

09-09-2001

Sunday, April 25, 2004 - 9:09 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Lumbele: Any luck on your white screen material? Do I need to find another source??

Lumbele
Member

07-12-2002

Monday, April 26, 2004 - 7:28 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Drah, we found a source for the white stuff, but now we got ambitious and are looking for clear.
My Mum just had a new screen door put in and from her description it sounds like a clear one (she is worried about walking into it.LOL), so we just might suffer through that grey door until we get to Germany and bring some back. We also talked to a buyer for RONA (Canadian equivalent of Home Depot) when we were in Winnipeg, and he is very interested in finding the clear kind.
The window guy informed us in 30 years we were the first customers to complain about the effects of the dark screen, but agreed it might take customers like us to get the ball rolling on a change. So, we'll continue to trailblaze.LOL
Thanks again for your efforts!

Riviere
Member

09-09-2000

Friday, May 28, 2004 - 4:10 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
New Windows Ordered!!! Going one step at a time with things, as usual.. These original corroded 30yo windows are aluminum single pane with very stupid storm window sliders. Half don't open all the way and may as well be painted shut.. Vinyl windows are the heavy duty doublepaned that open bottom or top, tilt for cleaning, and they come in same standard sizes to replace the old ones.
Plus a matching patio slider door, the whole job will be between $4-$5k and well worth it! Think instant curb appeal and good investment selling when the rest of house is updated? Yeah, I will try to be around in 2014 out of curiosity!!!
:-)


Jenniferlove
Member

07-05-2004

Tuesday, July 06, 2004 - 2:52 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Here is what I have been doing lately!! http://door_number_three.blogspot.com

I hope to have more photos on my blog soon...as soon as I figure out this whole digital camera thing! LOL

Riviere
Member

09-09-2000

Tuesday, August 03, 2004 - 2:51 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
A Progress Report :
Our backyard rain flood patio days are over!!! I hired a landscaper who specializes in laying brick / stone / paver patios, walkways, retaining walls and had him tear out the ugly and cracked concrete patio. Now we have a quaint courtyard of cobblestone pattern pavers surrounded 2 sides by a low (9") stone wall. It's a great footrest and keeps pooled up rainwater from flooding in during heavy rains! The cool thing, to me, since I love traditional old world design, is the new patio & walkway look like they were here 200 yrs before this 1973 house was built. What a major improvement for the better!
Landscaper wasn't too sure what I wanted at first but immediately saw our drainage troubles. Nasty old patio sat flush from door to lawn, and not a single step, just a near invisible useless wood beam half inch high was lower pato door framing. I'd seen rainwater 6" deep splashing against the glass door! And it seeped right on in if nobody was home to go out and sweep it back. It was like trying to turn back a tide!
The guy asked if I just wanted a dam wall around old patio? I said no, that's about as silly as building a fancy garage around a junker car! A concrete patio has 0 use in rain maintenance and they're just cheap looking, prone to cracking in our temperature fluxes. Aaah, he finally figured out I wanted the whole package done! They got 75% done and couldn't believe how great it looked either. He did warn, a buyer might not like the idea of any sort of wall around cobblestones. I said that's ok, I can show them a photo of me out here at 3am in a storm furiously sweeping back a flood, too, if they prefer that to my stone dam wall that protects the new courtyard and door? If they'd prefer using a broom let them get a sledgehammer and remove the safety wall.
The developer who built this house should just be flogged for having a sunken backyard compared to our neighbors. Anyone with a brain knows, you don't have the lawn slope toward the house! Not with neighbors' homes all on higher elevations! Gee, where does rainwater go? We do have French drains, too, just not enough when they converge 6' from patio corner. In heavy rains our ugly patio became a ceeement pond! If I need a pool, I wouldn't have it right outside my patio door..
That came out so nice, we had our upper sundeck covering the patio shored up a week later. That was a ham & egg job ex owner did, it showed! The left 2x4 wood support beam was leaning, so I had both beams replaced with 6x6 massive ones. They also look much better with the new 'old world' stone courtyard than the original beams. Those looked like flimsy stilts..
Total costs: new courtyard & walkway $1880 and new overhead sundeck supports $210.. I let the workers keep old materials they removed for the discounts.
Remember ~ build high, stay dry, have lots of the electrical outlets & breakers, and avoid plain old concrete if possible for your patios!
:-)





Riviere
Member

09-09-2000

Friday, August 27, 2004 - 3:12 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
New Windows and a Patio Door:
All installed and paid for now... My husband came home the evening the job was finished and stopped, couldn't believe he had the right address! This isn't the house we bought, it has changed so much just having new windows..