OT (but definitely DIY) - summer project

[Paul Carmody]

Well, it's been a long, exhausting road, but my wife and I finally bought a house. Since we started looking back in November, we have looked at over 60 houses--so why on earth did we choose this dump? Well, it had a lot of great things going for it; and since it was a foreclosure, it was priced very well. But there's no such things as a free lunch. It's very dirty, and needs quite a bit of work. I started taking a bunch of pictures, and was going to just make a photobucket page or something, but decided to try out google sites, and made things a little more organized. This way I can add photos and text as things get upgraded; and if all goes well, we'll actually have a nice house in a few months.

http://sites.google.com/site/fixmyforeclosure/

This will definitely slow me down, speaker-wise for a while, though I still have some projects I have to finish, due to people waiting for them.

[Mark65]

Hey, Paul, congratulations!:)

Yes, it looks like a lot of work, but trust me, as a cable tech I've been in MANY places that make that look like a palatial estate...as is:eek:(including the saggy deck:eek::eek::eek:)

If it's the place that you and your wife decided was best for you, then I have no doubt that it will be a showplace in very short order!

Again, congrats!

Mark

[Wolf]

Well, it's been a long, exhausting road, but my wife and I finally bought a house. Since we started looking back in November, we have looked at over 60 houses--so why on earth did we choose this dump? Well, it had a lot of great things going for it; and since it was a foreclosure, it was priced very well. But there's no such things as a free lunch. It's very dirty, and needs quite a bit of work. I started taking a bunch of pictures, and was going to just make a photobucket page or something, but decided to try out google sites, and made things a little more organized. This way I can add photos and text as things get upgraded; and if all goes well, we'll actually have a nice house in a few months.

http://sites.google.com/site/fixmyforeclosure/

This will definitely slow me down, speaker-wise for a while, though I still have some projects I have to finish, due to people waiting for them.

I can see the stupendous potential! I can imagine how Carmodizing will have an affect on this premises.
Good luck!
Wolf

[WayneN]

Congratulations Paul,

It looks like lots of work but in the end it will be well worth it:)

I recommend you set up a business account at your HD or Lowes or wherever it is that you will be buying your Reno goods this way you can save about 15-20%.

I guess now you will be getting some of those desired tools to help along the way;)


WayneN

[DougP]

As long as the foundation is solid you are good to go. Anything else can be fixed or replaced. Make sure you find out which interior walls are load bearing so you know what can be demoed and what can't.
Good Luck
Doug

[philiparcario]

Some other suggestions are If you have an ebay account and know how to get the bing dot com discounts it is 8 percent today. Buy some lowes or HD gift cards. 500 dollar gift cards from either company go on sale a lot for about 480 and you get an 8% bing dot com discount on them if they are buy it now with a paypal account.

Net price for 500 dollar gift cards are about 440. As long as you buy from a good seller you are insured you max loss is 15 dollars. I have purchased 2500 in cards in 18 months at a cost of 2150. here is a link to a trusted seller for a 500 dollar lowes card. It would net cost you 450. You would get a 10 percent off coupon above and beyond the gift card. so a 550 item at lowes would cost you 450 a savings of 100.. All legal and you are insured so if it f's up you are only risking 15 dollars.


http://cgi.ebay.com/500-LOWES-GIFT-CARD-for-449-87-10-OFF-Lowes-COUPON_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trkparmsZ65Q3a16Q7c66Q3a 2Q7c39Q3a1Q7c240Q3a1318Q7c301Q3a1Q7c293Q3a1Q7c294Q 3a50QQ_trksidZp3286Q2ec0Q2em14QQhashZitem45ecdc32c 6QQitemZ300326597318QQptZUSQ5fGiftQ5fCertificatesQ Qsalenotsupported

[DougP]

Congratulations Paul,

It looks like lots of work but in the end it will be well worth it:)

I recommend you set up a business account at your HD or Lowes or wherever it is that you will be buying your Reno goods this way you can save about 15-20%.

I guess now you will be getting some of those desired tools to help along the way;)


WayneN

Great way to go. I would also add that you need to make a list of items that you will need and watch craigslist for them. If you shop carefully you can save a lot of money this way.
Doug

[fgelinas]

Nice! Did you want another hobby? Because now you have one!

Good luck with the smell. It took me 2 years to get rid of it... and when it's very humid, I still get some cigarette smell in the basement.

[philiparcario]

another hint when throwing out an old rug say 12 by 12 make 4 rolls of 3ft by 12ft not 1 12ft by 12ft roll. Your back will like you. duct tape is a friend when doing dumping.

best price for bags to dump construction waste.

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=169489-282-CCB750MMP&lpage=none

Ps I am sure there is a better deal on these bags. But if you buy the discounted lowes gift card and get the ten percent coupon 10 of these boxes will be less then 160 dollars.. You could come close to gutting your house and fitting it all in these bags.

[philiparcario]

you are in chicago area this product will save you money. see thumbnails. it will save heat a/c bills stop wind coming in your new home.

the product

before shot just spackled the holes before painting

after shot painted

The master bedroom is warm and that is a Northwest corner.
winter wind is a card hard bbiittcchh in New Jersey. I lived in Chicago for a while so I know it is worse by you. That corner took 25 cans well worth it. just put in 1/4 inch holes and fill with the foam.. No need to tear out the old sheetrock. So in some rooms of some homes this is really good.

[philiparcario]

found links for the job.

http://techtalk.parts-express.com/showthread.php?t=203036

[depthsounder]

I bought a pre-foreclosure 2 years ago in similar condition. We still aren't completely rid of the cigarette (and weed?) smell. The best part was the master bathroom, the niece of the PO informed me that the large hole in the wall was where someone's head was pushed through it.

There was a doorway cut out of the master closet into the garage (I kind of wanted to keep it, but the wife said no.

There was a stinker (not a sticker) still in the master bathroom toilet (which wouldn't flush apparently).

Everything in the house was blue or pink. Everything.

Mere hours after we closed we ripped out all the carpet, cutting it into 3 or 4 foot wide strips worked great, we tossed the small rolls right out the windows.

Now that I own every tool required to remodel a whole house I find myself never wanting to do it again! But I probably will; it is rewarding to see the fruit of your labor.

The best of luck to you with your new house, I hope it is a rewarding experience for you.

-David

[LouC]

Congrats on the first house! You'll get ton's of advice on the DIY end. Living in an ongoing construction project is little fun though. Start looking for hungry subcontractor's for multi-guy jobs. (Like new drywall).

Look at the bright side, if you're going to pull out the carpet, you can paint first and no need for drop cloths!

[moosespeaker]

Paul - About 80% of my job at the environmental consulting firm relates to water damage/mold. Have been involved with IAQ (indoor air quality for residential, commercial & industrial since 1988). If I can provide "distant" consulting for you, please ask.:):):)

Your comments regarding the family room exterior wall raised an eyebrow as soon as I read it. High probability of mold growth with possible wood rot in the studs and sill plate. :eek:

Have question :confused: will answer :).

George

PS - This applies to any other forum members with mold/water intrusion issues. PM me so as to not clutter the forum unless you feel it is so general that it is applicable to other home owners.

[Paul Carmody]

I bought a pre-foreclosure 2 years ago in similar condition. We still aren't completely rid of the cigarette (and weed?) smell. The best part was the master bathroom, the niece of the PO informed me that the large hole in the wall was where someone's head was pushed through it.

There was a doorway cut out of the master closet into the garage (I kind of wanted to keep it, but the wife said no.

There was a stinker (not a sticker) still in the master bathroom toilet (which wouldn't flush apparently).

Everything in the house was blue or pink. Everything.

Mere hours after we closed we ripped out all the carpet, cutting it into 3 or 4 foot wide strips worked great, we tossed the small rolls right out the windows.

Wow, sounds like a pretty familiar scenario.

Likewise, the carpet is all out of the house. I cut it into 4-foot wide strips (per village garbage req't). Actually, after tearing up the carpet, and leaving the windows open for several days, the smell is basically gone. We will also be washing the walls, priming and painting. But yeah, I expect the residue of the smell will pop up from time to time when the house is all sealed-up in the cold winter, and the super-hot days in summer.

[depthsounder]

Some advice, do the ceilings first. They absorb so much smell that if you don't seal them you will regret it, especially on hot days.

Buy an airless paint sprayer (I use the wagner paint-crew plus, best $200 I've ever spent).

Spray on a sealing primer first, then spray on the ceiling paint. Since you will be painting the walls anyways don't worry about over spray.

Rolling ceilings is a pain in the rear, and I will never do it again.

The paint sprayer will save you hours of time, and will spray as fast as you can move.

-David

[DougP]

Some advice, do the ceilings first. They absorb so much smell that if you don't seal them you will regret it, especially on hot days.

Buy an airless paint sprayer (I use the wagner paint-crew plus, best $200 I've ever spent).

Spray on a sealing primer first, then spray on the ceiling paint. Since you will be painting the walls anyways don't worry about over spray.

Rolling ceilings is a pain in the rear, and I will never do it again.

The paint sprayer will save you hours of time, and will spray as fast as you can move.

-David

I agree 100%. I have a Wagner sprayer and I love using it for bigger areas. I have also found that the oil based KILZ is much better than the latex based. Sure it smells a lot more and it takes longer to dry but the performance is well worth it.
Doug

[Jason]

This feels very familiar. We bought a 40 year old house, that while maintained well, hadn't really been updated over the course of its life. The day after we took posession, all of the carpet on the 2nd floor came out. Almost every room in the house had wallpaper that had to be removed. It had old dark trim that all got painted white. Every bathroom got redone. All of the flooring in the house got redone. It's a ton of work, and at times you'll ask yourself what the heck you were thinking. Then you'll look back at the old pictures and REALLY wonder why you ever bought the house! At least that's how it's worked out for us. But then you'll look at how far you've come and you'll have a lot of pride in your accomplishments. But make no mistake, owning a home is a never ending job :)

We had some odor problems - mostly just that "old" smell. Getting rid of carpet, old curtains, wall paper, etc. helped a lot. You'll probably also want to get ahold of an HVAC company and have them clean the duct work.

[st_one]

Paul,
Some great suggestions from this great community, congrats on the new home! I have to echo the oil based Kilz suggestions, but only after a good scrub down with TSP or similar. Our first home the PO's were both smokers and it was amazing, you mean the ceilings weren't realy paper bag brown? That great room looks large enough to host a DIY gathering. :D

[Mayhem13]

Great Place with lot's of potential Paul. Congrats. Now all those speaker building skills can go towards refacing the kitchen cabinets.

[WayneN]

Paul,

We have had 4 or 5 fires caused by vandals in our schools this past year a couple real bad ones somewhere around the Million Dollar range and talk about smoke! The school board maintenance staff brought in these commercial Air Ionizers that they rented from rental places and boy do they do a good job on getting rid of smoke smell, something to consider?

WayneN

[blue934]

looks good Paul,and thanks for answering my numerious emails of late. i know you've been busy closing this deal. Waynen beat me to the punch about the air ionizer. very useful tool when working with smoke damage or odours. rent it from most rental outfits and follow instructions! when in use, close doors and windows and DO NOT ENTER. it kills bacteria, all bacteria and it really takes care of smoke smells.
that family room looks like it has great potential, have fun with it. as a contractor, i will give one tip about renovating an older house- whatever you expect to pay for diy or even a contractor quote- double it when opening walls and ceilings. it is easy to open a can of worms but if you are prepared it's at least not a shock. many contractors don't quote for this even tho they know it because once the house is torn apart, they know you will want to finish the project even with the 'unexpected cost overruns'.
there have been many good tips post so far by the guys and if you want to ask any questions, feel free to email me.

david
________
Depakote class action (http://www.classactionsettlements.org/lawsuit/depakote/)

[Paul Carmody]

Waynen beat me to the punch about the air ionizer. very useful tool when working with smoke damage or odours. rent it from most rental outfits and follow instructions! when in use, close doors and windows and DO NOT ENTER. it kills bacteria, all bacteria and it really takes care of smoke smells.
Oh you have to see this!!

My wife's dad owns a HVAC company, and is a pretty industrious person. He built us this ... "thing" for our current house to clean the air. He took the air cleaner off a furnace, bolted it to a box fan (and I added casters, because it weighs a ton). It works well, but it creates ozone, so we only run it for a half hour at a time.

[philiparcario]

http://www.filters-now.com/products/ffo2.html#products

use a 20 inch box fan a bungee cord and one of these carbon filers 20 by 20 by 2 inches 2 filters for 34 bucks. carbon filters are deodorizing . This does not make ozone.

[WayneN]

you are in chicago area this product will save you money. see thumbnails. it will save heat a/c bills stop wind coming in your new home.

the product

before shot just spackled the holes before painting

after shot painted

The master bedroom is warm and that is a Northwest corner.
winter wind is a card hard bbiittcchh in New Jersey. I lived in Chicago for a while so I know it is worse by you. That corner took 25 cans well worth it. just put in 1/4 inch holes and fill with the foam.. No need to tear out the old sheetrock. So in some rooms of some homes this is really good.

The Great Stuff Spray Foam is awesome stuff, they have 2 kinds make sure you get the low expansion one, I’ve seen the regular spray foam version bow window jams:eek:


WayneN