# Which order? Many things to re-model



## 6fthook (Dec 20, 2010)

Hello everyone!

We are closing on our first home mid next week! We are VERY excited and want to start the remodeling as soon as possible after closing.

I am very handy and can learn how to do things very fast, and am very good with tools and have/know how to use them. But the problem is, I have never remodeled a house or worked on a house before. I've been doing ALOT of researching, watching DIY network and HGTV, and watching hours of how-to videos on youtube and various other sites, and I believe I can tackle most of the things we want to do.

One of the questions that I have for you all is, in what order should I do the remodeling in? Several of the projects I will be contracting out because I know I do not have sufficient knowledge to do it myself. Here is a layout of the house, and under it a list of what we want to do:












1. Pull 200amp line to the house. Currently it is 100 amps. Also the breaker box needs to be replaced and organized. This will be contracted out.

2. Septic tank needs to be replaced. This will be contracted out.

3. Pipe gas line to the kitchen stove area. Gas line is already to the house, no meter and no piping into the house. This will be contracted out.

4. Take out load bearing wall (colored red in the picture above) between living room/kitchen/dining room and put a beam in to support the load. This will be contracted out.

5. Remove vinyl flooring in dining room and put in hardwood floors. The rest of the house is all hard wood except dining room/kitchen. This is DIY

6. Sand down the rest of the hard wood floors and stain in a lighter wood tone. This is DIY

7. Re-do kitchen. Cabinets, and new stove and other appliances. DIY

8. Remove vinyl flooring in kitchen and tile or hard wood. DIY

9. Re-tile both bathroom floors. This is DIY

10. Replace vanity, toilet, bathtub/shower in both bathrooms. This is DIY

11. The chimney in the living room currently has wood framing/trim. I want to demo the wood frame and have it be a traditional stone or brick fireplace chimney.

12. Re-paint ALL the walls.


In my mind here's the order I'm thinking: 1, 2, 3, 4 can go on simultaneously by the different contractors. After that then 6. Then 5. After those are done 11, 8, 7, 9, 10 in order. Last is 12.

Am I right in thinking to re-finish the existing hard wood floors before putting down new hard wood and tile, and also before painting? In my mind the sanding will be kicking up a lot of dust and particles, so no reason to put new flooring down and have the particles get all over the new stuff. Same thing with the dust getting all over newly painted walls. The only disadvantage I see with re-finishing the floors first is if I scratch the re-finished floors while doing the other stuff.

For the kitchen and bathrooms I'm planning to pull everything out, tile the floor including under the cabinets and vanity. Then install the new stuff.


I know this was a long winded post, but thank you for any help you may be able to provide!



EDIT: Forgot to add, it's a basic ranch layout with basement stairs going down to a walkout basement with two car garage underneath the bedrooms


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## Blondesense (Sep 23, 2008)

Welcome!

Sounds reasonable. I think I would put the flooring projects toward the end of the list. You never know what you may damage while dragging an appliance or bathtub across a room.

Also, when you get to the bathroom, demo it and install the tub first, it's a lot easier to maneuver when the room is gutted. Then tile, vanity, toilet. Of course, one bathroom at a time.


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## CplDevilDog (Mar 18, 2009)

Another person drinking the American Dream Kool-aid :wink:

Step 1: Buy a bottle or case of your favorite adult beverage. Introduce yourself to the store owner, you'll be seeing a lot of each other.

Step 2: Rent and watch "The Money Pit" starring Tom Hanks. Drink beverage.

Step 3: Cancel upcoming vacations and anything else you had your disposable income earmarked for.

Step 4: Take comfort in knowing that, barring World War III, you must have got in at the "Bottom", right?

In all seriousness, congratulations and welcome home.


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## 6fthook (Dec 20, 2010)

Thanks for the responses so far.

2 questions: 

1. Paint walls first or re-finish hardwood floors first? I see pros/cons with either. Or is it just preference?

2. The drum sanders rented from Home Depot, are they ok for sanding the floors? Can they ruin the floor if kept in a spot for too long? I've been trying to find a rental three orbiting pad sanders, but no luck finding one anywhere to rent.


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## vsheetz (Sep 28, 2008)

Do any flooring work last after all subs and other work are finished walking and dragging and spilling stuff.


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## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

Hardwood floors are last---almost.---install wood--Prime and paint one coat---sand and finish floors--
Then add new doors and casing and base. add final coat of paint.

To much chance of tracking grit onto the new finish to do that job before the house is almost done.


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## tweakedlogic (Jul 2, 2009)

Defiantly do the floors near the end. And don't trust those drum sanders. they are very aggressive and will ruin your floor in the blink of and eye. If you have to, buy a disk sander then sell it when you are finished. The depreciation will likely be less than renting the drum sander anyway. 

My first hardwood refinish I used the drum sander and left many low spots even when i switched to the finest grit sand paper. My second floor refinish, they didn't have a drum, only the tri-disk. It went much smoother, though it took a couple hours more time. It was worth that time for the results. 
Drum sanders are for contractors where time is money. there is no hurry if you are doing it yourself.


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