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Home-owners...What are your current projects? (6 Viewers)

belljr said:
I need to redo our front stoop walk - going to do stone

Every place I call never returns calls and Ive heard getting stone is a pain.  Ive also heard no one wants to take small stone jobs right now cause all the big ones pile up lol
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We ran into some similar problems trying to get our front paver walkway re-done...called like 5 folks recommended by neighbors and such, and only ever got 2 out for quotes...both of them required follow-up phone calls.  One quote wasn't even for the work we talked about, and the other was $$$.  Called one of the biggest places in town who felt overly commercialized, and low and behold...they were great.  Good price, quality work, good communication.  

Basically, everybody is 1) moving out of the city into the country, and/or 2) remodeling newly bought homes and fixing up their existing ones.  Since the start of COVID, we've repaved/expanded our driveway, had our garage floors resurfaced/finished, and redone our paver walkway...on top of me doing a bunch of projects.  Every single job had at least a month or two lead-time from the time I signed on till they could actually do the work.  My parents just bought a house on the Chesapeake - the first 3-4 contractors they called for some renovations said they were full till Q4 2021.  

Moral of the story - if you want work done now, work the atypical channels or look at companies designed to handle high-volume.  Demand is obscenely high.

 
Just got a quote for solar panels since there's a 26% tax credit for the next two years.   Figured I'd break even in about 7 years based on the costs of a neighbor that did it.   Nope.   Outrageous quote that wouldn't hit break-even for about 20 years.

 
Fat Nick said:
We ran into some similar problems trying to get our front paver walkway re-done...called like 5 folks recommended by neighbors and such, and only ever got 2 out for quotes...both of them required follow-up phone calls.  One quote wasn't even for the work we talked about, and the other was $$$.  Called one of the biggest places in town who felt overly commercialized, and low and behold...they were great.  Good price, quality work, good communication.  

Basically, everybody is 1) moving out of the city into the country, and/or 2) remodeling newly bought homes and fixing up their existing ones.  Since the start of COVID, we've repaved/expanded our driveway, had our garage floors resurfaced/finished, and redone our paver walkway...on top of me doing a bunch of projects.  Every single job had at least a month or two lead-time from the time I signed on till they could actually do the work.  My parents just bought a house on the Chesapeake - the first 3-4 contractors they called for some renovations said they were full till Q4 2021.  

Moral of the story - if you want work done now, work the atypical channels or look at companies designed to handle high-volume.  Demand is obscenely high.
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We are having some under decking put in and this was our experience too - everybody we talked to was booked out 6-8+ weeks.  Hoping we can get the guy out in the next month versus May but oh well.

 
AAABatteries said:
We are having some under decking put in and this was our experience too - everybody we talked to was booked out 6-8+ weeks.  Hoping we can get the guy out in the next month versus May but oh well.
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Ultimately, I think you just have to jump on the list and be patient.  I'm trying to think a few months ahead right now - i.e. calling now for sealcoating the driveway and mulching vs. when I'd usually call in a few months.

 
Fat Nick said:
Rock Hall MD.

Ironically, you're showing as being in Woodstock, VA...I grew up in Berryville, just east of Winchester.
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Love the Eastern Shore. I am from the western side of the Bay, place called Deale.

I know Berryville - have a good friend who moved there a few years ago. Most of my trips back to Maryland, I go that way, on up through Harpers Ferry instead of around DC.

 
Instinctive said:
Inbuilt dresser project for master closet update #1:

The day's work progression and tools

Any advice on this:

Trying to decide if I can build it into the wall from the start, or if I need to build the "crate" on the ground, and stand it up and put it into the studs then. Little bit worried because the boards for the side, and the shelves, are HEAVY. It's finished melamine board.

LHS is going to be a series of 15 inch shelves/cubbies. RHS is a 60 inch dresser for two columns of 5 drawers, then there's one shelf across the top of the drawers, and one shelf above that for storage to the ceiling.

Everything I see appears to say build a crate on the ground, then attach it to the wall, then add your drawers. I'm just a bit worried that it's too heavy to get up there as high as it's going once i build it on the ground.
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If you have room, I would build the frame on the ground and then stand it up. Then add the rest of the components if you are able to.

I would also take the baseboards off if you have already so the whole system can be flush to the back wall and side walls. Then trim back up to your finished piece.

 
rascal said:
Wood prices are ridiculous.  Putting a hold on all lumber projects until things stabilize.
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One contractor told me he expects prices on materials to increase about 25% over the next year due to super inflation.

 
Replacing cast iron soil pipe with PVC in 100 year old house stuffed into lath and plaster walls.  I don't recommend it.  

 
Alright: after four days of work, here's the near-finished product, a built-in dresser that is only lacking drawers. Drawers are beyond my ability, so we'll have them custom made.

The journey

Next up: building a full, floor to ceiling bookcase for our landing area. Plus a little paint and caulk for finishing touches on the dresser.

 
Anyone doing any projects related to lumber? I put off a deck redo last year when I saw reports of $ increase on lumber. Have costs returned to norms or still high?

 
Many years ago I built some concrete block stairs. I have more knowledge now and I hate the way they look so I have decided to replace them. I will still use the same design but this time I will paint and tile them for better aesthetics. I will be doing two sets on top of a concrete slab I poured 20 years ago. I also want to paint this concrete slab as I think it will look cool with the stairs. The slab does have some cracks in it so I am looking into fixing these cracks. I have you tubed that and it does not seem to hard. Long story short is I don't like the looks of my back stairs and this is causing a complete redo of the back patio. :lol:

I did end up hiring a contractor to replace back and front door. Also had him replace flooring in front of doors that had water damage. He charged me $1,000.00 and it may be some of the best money I have ever spent. I was watching and I would have been screwed if I tried to do it.

 
Stripped our 15 year old deck and need to fix some of the structure under it and re-deck with new composite. Had composite originally, but it was not a great product (it was 15 years ago when composite was kinda new).

But of course we are upgrading it too. While the structure is exposed I am going to build a pavilion over part of it. We usually have a screen tent we set up and really enjoy. It fit perfect over this ones section of the deck, but we've had to replace it 2x and were having a hard time finding it again. So we figure we would go permanent now. Will be putting some nice lights in, a TV up in the corner and some heaters to extend it's use into the fall/early spring. 

Also going to build a small covered structure for the BBQ (prob about 3 x 7).  Do those need a vent or anything to keep the smoke from collecting under the structure and staining the underside? It will mostly be open, just some posts and a small roof, but unsure. 

 
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=Smackdown= said:
Turning garage into pool house / man cave - getting quotes this week.

Might move in for weekends.
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This is moving along nicely - new roof & siding complete. Poured concrete to raise the garage floor making it level with pavers. Blew out entire side of garage facing the pool and ordered a glass paneled garage door.

Finding contractors NOT easy these days - had some of them give me the FU price cause they so busy. Materials also marked up - 2x4’s, plywood, etc - all 3-4X more expensive then they were a year ago.

 
=Smackdown= said:
This is moving along nicely - new roof & siding complete. Poured concrete to raise the garage floor making it level with pavers. Blew out entire side of garage facing the pool and ordered a glass paneled garage door.

Finding contractors NOT easy these days - had some of them give me the FU price cause they so busy. Materials also marked up - 2x4’s, plywood, etc - all 3-4X more expensive then they were a year ago.
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Yea I'm worried about that as I start my deck project. Thankfully most of the structure is in good shape

 
Getting ready to add a bathroom (to a room that is currently an office)

have it designed, ready to go. Will use my usually carpenter to do all carpentry / tile / finish work. 
 

need a plumber and a demo crew. 
 

demo crew wants $2100 to demo a 10x10 room to the studs and haul it away 😳😳 as best as I can figure they are paying their laborers $100/hr

got one plumbing quote. It’s a straight shot to the unfinished basement and an easy out to the roof for the vent. Rough only. He wants $11k. 
 

#### is insane. I really want to just do the whole thing myself but I lack the time and wife support. So will continue to work the streets, get more quotes 

 
wilked said:
Getting ready to add a bathroom (to a room that is currently an office)

have it designed, ready to go. Will use my usually carpenter to do all carpentry / tile / finish work. 
 

need a plumber and a demo crew. 
 

demo crew wants $2100 to demo a 10x10 room to the studs and haul it away 😳😳 as best as I can figure they are paying their laborers $100/hr

got one plumbing quote. It’s a straight shot to the unfinished basement and an easy out to the roof for the vent. Rough only. He wants $11k. 
 

#### is insane. I really want to just do the whole thing myself but I lack the time and wife support. So will continue to work the streets, get more quotes 
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That demo price is ridiculous.

 
Having a ####load of linear feet of curbing put around the front/back flower beds of the house along with the long side flower beds. I think it’s happening in middle to late May. So glad I already have the new lawn established. 

 
Dishwasher is slowly filling with water while its off. I ordered a new inlet valve to replace. That should keep it from filling up and leaking all over the floor.

 
Installed sprinkler system around 15'x26' plot for sod we are installing this weekend. Water pressure sucks for our outside because they used 1/2" heading to the exterior when the house has crazy pressure to spare. So now I need to dig a 200' trench to the front and bypass into the main. Our goal is six valves, three for the back. Also planted two 15' fire maples in the back and will put in tons of other plants soon. Our yards were complete dead white trash cliché when we bought the place 1.5 years ago.

Hired local tree company to remove two liquid ambers, a pine, and a cedar that were on our hill of a driveway or leaning over the neighbors house.

Picked up, leveled the pad at a very minor angle(was a U shape previously) with 6 bags of sand and lowering the sides, and reinstalled a 12'x8' patio. Then sealed the joints.

Finally finishing the hall bathroom and the tub and shower has new acrylic(nastiest chemical I have ever worked with) and has fresh hardware. Working on the new sink facet now. Previous owner did some questionable plumbing that made a simple 30-60 minute remove and drop in new one turn into a multi day project as I had to rebuild the underside of the vanity because they pulverized the wood/tile and it was crumbling through and they cemented? in the washer and nut(was not plumbers putty). 

Need to install another four hanging shelves we made. Already have put in eight of them as we had literally no shelves in this house. Also need to put up a monitor mount for me in my office as I already have for the Wifey.

We were wanting to redo our master bed/bath(if it can be considered that, worst area of the house) before we have our baby, but we have decided to wait a few months for when I am on leave. This will be more of a cosmetic update (bringing it up to what we did with the rest of the house) with smooth wall and new paint, as it currently features 4 textures, 6 paint colors, and 3 sheens. 

Electrician is coming by today to scope out a outlet we want fixed and to see what hottub plug we need to get installed for that patio.

 
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So on a different patio we have the corrugated aluminum sheeting that leaks from all the nail holes not fastened correctly or from age. Do people usually patch this or is it a roofing company tear off and redo type of thing? The structure is over engineered but the sheeting looks rough and needs love.

 
looks great aaa how does that move water that gets through the decking above i am simply curious how those systems work thanks in advance take that to the bank brohan 

 
SWC said:
looks great aaa how does that move water that gets through the decking above i am simply curious how those systems work thanks in advance take that to the bank brohan 
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My understanding is it is at a slight angle and then there is a gutter on the back side and a downspout.   You can see in the one pic that shows the unpainted 2x10 (maybe 12??) that the ceiling is angled toward the yard and then in the last pic you can see the gutter and downspout.

 
  • Thanks
Reactions: SWC
brun said:
Thanks for sharing everyone. Great examples,  info and inspiration.

1st attempt to share an Amazon album. If it doesn't work or somehow allows you to buy stuff in my account. Please let me know.

Bathroom for master bedroom. Notable: Enlarging the room, shower, vanity. Adding linen cabinet, radiant floor heat. Upgrading to comfort height toilet with bidet seat.

About $10k for contractor & his materials. $1800 at cabinet place. $925 for quartz top. About $1650 for floor and shower tile. Toilet, sink, fixtrues etc., for shower/sink, about $1200. Total about $15-16k.

Status as of this morning;  framed. 

https://www.amazon.com/photos/shared/MQzdeK6EQbW16qUM2wThvA.tOPJP6Gy11m_HFe8rxDxOR
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Shower door just put in. So, pretty much done now. Total will end up more like around $20k.

Wasn't crazy about the wall paint once it was applied but it's growing on me.

Still need window treatment.

Over the door towell hook (StillHaus, best price I could find was from The Bath Outlet) on the way. Didn't want to commit to a permanent through the door or in the tile location and didn't want suction cup mount. Might consider a niche instead of the quarter round corner shelves if I could go back in time.

The handles for the tall cabinet doors contact the wall and prevent a full opening of the cabinet doors and subsequently the slide out shelves won't slide out all the way. So I took the handles off for now. Was looking for lower profile pulls but now I'm thinking I can get what I want by counter boring the existing mounting holes. Have 2 sliding shelves in the tall cabinet that came from the cabinet place but going to add 2 more. Thinking of Shelves-that-Slide brand.

Bidet seat works well but not always 100% for removing everything. Air drier isn't 100% either. Tried Vortex/ Turbo mode and it did help move things. Remote isn't backlit which seems dumb. Heated seat can make you sweat if turned up enough. Maybe not perfect but a million times better than the regular toilet setup.

Electric heated floor works well. Just need to optimize the schedule for comfort and cost.

Teak stool and bench are sturdy, look decent, were easy to assemble.

Lighted mirror works for me and was a reasonable cost compared to some of the others I saw. This was about $310 from Amazon.

Really love the shower tiles. Floor tiles are decent but not special. Quartz vanity top is a little plain but I was searching through remnants which presented limited options.

Link to photos in quote above from previous post.

 
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Nice work. 
 

I’m gearing up for a bathroom. Some questions

-which pocket door? I am planning on Johnson hardware

-which undertile heat? I am planning on Ditra

-I assume you didn’t move any plumbing? 
-you used schluter system all around? Or just parts? Did you suggest that or your contractor?

 
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wilked said:
Nice work. 
 

I’m gearing up for a bathroom. Some questions

-which pocket door? I am planning on Johnson hardware

-which undertile heat? I am planning on Ditra

-I assume you didn’t move any plumbing? 
-you used schluter system all around? Or just parts? Did you suggest that or your contractor?
Click to expand...
Basically the stuff you're asking about was the contractor's choice (I don't know enough to make intelligent choices). Looked through my paperwork and discarded packaging but couldn't find that info. So, can't say for sure what door or heat cabling.

Drain wasn't moved. The shower and sink were each only moved about a foot or 2.

Schluter was used for the shower enclosure only.

Since you're in the Boston area I figured I'd mention that I used Norfolk for the cabinets and Ripano for the quartz.

 
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Yesterday had about 10 stumps ground down. Have a landscaper coming in a couple weeks to do spring cleanup and a couple other things.

 
Starting the process of remodeling 2 bathrooms. Both are very “70’s” (think blue tub in one, faded yellow shower tile in another). These are the final 2 rooms in the house to be remodeled. Have our first contractor coming to meet us on Tuesday, have 2 more contractors that I’m trying to schedule before we move ahead. I’m not looking forward to this process, but can’t wait to finally have the whole house remodeled to our liking.

eta- Not moving any plumbing. Want everything gutted. New drywall, tile, fixtures, vanities, tub/shower, and exhaust fans. Have already priced out much of the tile, vanities, mirrors, fixtures etc. 

 
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My current project is trying to get my pool water cleared up. I put a tarp over it for what passes for winter here in Florida, but it didn’t stay in place all that well, and in the interim, my pool water turned a dark green. I’ve spent the past week or so circulating water, vacuuming, brushing, backwashing, shocking, and adding most of the chemicals I have found to get the water cleared, and it’s definitely better, but it’s a very light color, and it’s cloudy, like I can’t see more than a foot down. I’m trying to not have to drain it, but that’s now on the table. 

 
glvsav37 said:
Stripped our 15 year old deck and need to fix some of the structure under it and re-deck with new composite. Had composite originally, but it was not a great product (it was 15 years ago when composite was kinda new).

But of course we are upgrading it too. While the structure is exposed I am going to build a pavilion over part of it. We usually have a screen tent we set up and really enjoy. It fit perfect over this ones section of the deck, but we've had to replace it 2x and were having a hard time finding it again. So we figure we would go permanent now. Will be putting some nice lights in, a TV up in the corner and some heaters to extend it's use into the fall/early spring. 

Also going to build a small covered structure for the BBQ (prob about 3 x 7).  Do those need a vent or anything to keep the smoke from collecting under the structure and staining the underside? It will mostly be open, just some posts and a small roof, but unsure. 
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Did something similar about 6-7 years ago. Structure is open on 3 sides. Ceiling is about 5 feet above the grill. After a couple years I've seen staining as well as warping. Part of this is due to me losing focus and allowing excessive heat from flare ups.

FWIW - hard plumbed natural gas to the grill. One of the best features of the project. 

 
Siding question for you all.

Vinyl siding put up a couple years ago. I've noticed a couple places where the foam inserts for the corner post trim is sliding down.

Anyone have an easy, reliable way to permanently address this?

 
Kal El said:
My current project is trying to get my pool water cleared up. I put a tarp over it for what passes for winter here in Florida, but it didn’t stay in place all that well, and in the interim, my pool water turned a dark green. I’ve spent the past week or so circulating water, vacuuming, brushing, backwashing, shocking, and adding most of the chemicals I have found to get the water cleared, and it’s definitely better, but it’s a very light color, and it’s cloudy, like I can’t see more than a foot down. I’m trying to not have to drain it, but that’s now on the table. 
Click to expand...
Go get a ton of bleach from PAP or your local hardware store and add way more than you would ever think you could need. Troublefreepool.com is your best resource fro non-BS pool chemistry solutions.

 
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