# 526 Lincoln Victorian - AKA The New Money Pit



## coderguy

Hello everyone,

I was supposed to post this a week ago. We purchased this home in January after a low offer was accepted just before Christmas. We had some extra inspections done; but they didn't catch anything. The home hid everything well until after close. We still love the place and I have put countless hours into it already. This thread will cover everything possible; from small projects to large and calls for help. I hope everyone can enjoy this thread as much as I have enjoyed lurking for the last year. Let's get started with an intro to our new Victorian as it was purchased.

From the front:









Master Bedroom:









Living Room:









Dining Room:









We will see some more pictures later; and the next post will go into current projects. All of these pictures were while the home was still staged. I would post more and better but I'm trying to get a grip on putting images in the forum. Next post; first project.


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## coderguy

*Project 1, Part 1 - The Disaster Preview*

Well, the first project was supposed to be converting a bedroom to an office; as one of us would soon work from home and we were tired of the cramped double purpose office/guest bedroom at our condo. This was supposed to be the room I was allowed to do heavy work on; we had no intention of buying a fixer upper.

The room is this bedroom:




The plan:

Bamboo Floors
Robin's Egg Blue walls
Some kind of white trim (ivory?). Classic White
Built in closet (for converting back to bedroom later, and for storage now)
Nice ceiling fan

I would at some point receive help on this forum with the floors. But first; I had to take up the carpet; and this is when we found what the inspector and the realtor missed:








I will link to the blog post later for the 'long' story; for the DIY forums; I'll act as if I didn't freak out and run around for two hours mumbling about "she's gonna divorce me, omg". I got my tools and got right to making it a reliable; sturdy and flat floor! Oh, and the whole second floor was this way.

Here are some pics after step 1:




I ripped up all bad boards within reason. I wanted to replace the whole thing. I was told this was a bad idea (boards went under walls). I put new boards with spacers to match the height of the old wood; and I trimmed the boards with the circular set to the correct depth so they would fit width wise. I then went from joist to joist putting in long screws. I alternated between old joist and new (they are sistered). The floor came out pretty solid; but not perfect.

In order to get the floor 'flat'; I ended up putting down plywood, but we will get to that in the next post when I conclude project 1 and then return to the disaster...

note: I had to remove a lot of images :-(


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## no1hustler

Nice looking house. You mentioned a blog, can you post a link?


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## coderguy

no1hustler said:


> Nice looking house. You mentioned a blog, can you post a link?


http://georgefrick.blogspot.com


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## coderguy

*Trees gone*

Progress! Not of the DIY variety; but I will be posting about that very soon (misplaced memory card from the camera).

We had the trees in the back removed and it is a great relief!!

Before:









After:
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZCFGHkJfX08/TZ0StbZBMrI/AAAAAAAAAFU/IrUwD1p9inI/s1600/101_0486.JPG

This greatly pleased the neighbor!. More pictures here: http://georgefrick.blogspot.com/2011/04/yay-trees-are-gone.html


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## coderguy

*Replacing basement sink*

I got the old sink moved out of the basement; and I bought the new one. I have it all 'pre-piped' except for the connection to the drain. I did a one way air valve since there is nowhere to put a vent. Below is a picture of the current problem/stall in work. When I removed the cast iron sink; I had to cut the pvc pipe running to the drain. As soon as I started cutting it; the rusted pipe on the sink broke and the pvc fell away - it wasn't attached to anything at the drain.

I can't put the new sink in until this mystery is solved (how to connect it up); and I also have to wait until after the drain tile is done in the basement. I've moved on the planning the new basement stairs and working on the window wells outside.











In other news; I found another corpse (did I mention the squirrel in the attic?). There is a bird corpse in the wall/floor - how did it get in there!?!?! I finished all the closet built ins; a whole series is coming on that. I still need to post the rest of the office stuff; and the furnace stuff. Will be getting things on here whenever I have a chance.


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## Jim F

I find the full size pics on the site much easier to follow that trying to navigate to a photo site. If you are planning to make this thread an epic whole house project that is how I would go with the pics. Also look at Scott's thread http://www.diychatroom.com/f49/german-house-rebuild-23424/ for ideas on how to keep it interesting for your visitors.


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## coderguy

*Progress with Office.*

Wanted to make a post about the office being done; one of many posts I hadn't gotten around to. This is all DIY stuff that I did...

Got the built ins done in the closet:









Then got the ceiling fan in. I started by getting up into the attic and finding the spot where the outlet was. It was a black outlet box and it actually said on it that it could support weight. It was odd; and I didn't believe it (was nailed sideways into joist). I measured the depth etc and made a wide fat T bracket that fit down on top of the box that I could mount to both joists and then mount the box/ceiling fan to. Then I installed the ceiling fan.










I've gotten soooo much more done; will be posting everything asap. I really need help with more basement stuff... I hope to get my questions posted.

With the floor, paint, trim, closet and fan in; we consider the office complete! With the new HVAC and the ceiling fan, it is very easy to both heat and cool the office!

My next post will be the 'super post' about our HVAC disaster; I've been getting the pics/etc together for quite a while now.


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## Dinggus

House looks beautiful and I'm loving the office color walls.


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## coderguy

*HVAC Story...*

I finally got the HVAC story together with all the pictures. I don't want to create the post twice and there isn't much DIY; but it is an interesting part of the story of this house...

http://georgefrick.blogspot.com/2011/06/finally-telling-hvac-story.html

Hope you enjoy, and any advice on 'fixing up' the poor install is welcome. I plan to tape/seal sometime this summer; will post pictures of that here.

Worked on the front porch this weekend; getting the pictures together. So many questions...


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## coderguy

*Garage Gutters*

Well, Scott and I got the garage gutters up this weekend. It poured this morning and they were working great. One less source of water in the backyard; as they are both run to the alley. The alley has a great pitch and a sewer very close; so the water can drain well. 

Here are two before pictures:










Here are the completed gutters and post-install pictures:


















Measured the gutters and got 4 end caps on. Filled the end cap with the seam glue and hammered on with rubber mallet. Crimped. Drilled and did pop rivets dipped in the seam glue - two on back; two on bottom; 1 on front. For the ends we also did one in the 'nose'.

Cut two 2-foot-5-inch pieces to be the joiners. Spread seam glue on the entire joining piece / seamer. Folded it around and crimped real good. Let dry a bit then same pop rivet treatment.

Measured and marked for downspouts; cut out oval and spread seem glue all over downspout adapter. Four pop rivets on each as well.

Marked from top of drip plate on non-spout side to bottom of drip on other. Attached to roof using mounting brackets in every other stud.

Joined long downspout runs as shown - pop rivet on all four sides dipped in seam glue. Made sure all downspouts ran into lower piece instead of onto. Mounted to wall every 6 feet or so.

Working great; need to get up there with the white gutter paint and touchup over the seam glue that is showing.

Using aluminum screws on elbows to allow for maintenance.

Onto the next project...


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## Dinggus

Can I ask how much the gutters cost you? For some reason North Carolina residents don't believe in gutters or peep holes for the front doors. Plus when it rains, it pours here and I am thinking about adding gutters, and making a drainage pipe go to the street.


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## coderguy

Dinggus said:


> Can I ask how much the gutters cost you? For some reason North Carolina residents don't believe in gutters or peep holes for the front doors. Plus when it rains, it pours here and I am thinking about adding gutters, and making a drainage pipe go to the street.


We did 45 feet of gutter and about 30 feet of downspout. The total came to 154.74 not including the pop rivet gun and aluminum screws for putting together the elbows. Total cost came to about $175.00 I would estimate, since I may have missed some things below. Everything was purchased at HD.

Supply list:
4 x 10 foot gutter.
4 x 10 foot downsput
17 X hanger
5 x elbows
5 x bands
2 x seamer kit with sealant
4 x end caps
2 x plastic outlet
1 x rivet 100 packet (Aluminum)
1 x "dripper flipper" downspout extender
1 x 10oz gutter sealant (caulk gun size)
1 x tube gutter sealant (small tube)
1 x pack aluminum screws


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## Dinggus

Thanks, did you read a DIY article or did you already know how to hang gutters? Don't you have to hang them slightly bent so the water goes toward the downspout?


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## coderguy

Dinggus said:


> Thanks, did you read a DIY article or did you already know how to hang gutters? Don't you have to hang them slightly bent so the water goes toward the downspout?


We used a chalk line to mark so that the far side was about 1.5 inches higher than the side with the downspout. I can try to get a picture that shows that they are on a pretty good angle towards the spout.

I used a combination of research:
http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/how-to/intro/0,,442134,00.html

http://www.familyhandyman.com/DIY-Projects/Home-Exterior/Gutters/how-to-install-gutters

I also read any threads I could find on here. Finally I walked around the neighborhood scoping gutters; especially in the alleys so I could look at other garages - which were dry; which were failing, etc.

I also saw a Holmes on Homes episode where he mentions stuff like "Don't just mount the gutter into nothing; take the time and find the studs on the other side". I tried to do this; but if I missed any... oops. Went inside garage and found first stud; tried to match it on outside by measuring. Then just did the on-center measure for the rest.


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## Dinggus

Thank you for the help  I subscribed to your thread, because I'm enjoying the projects you're knocking out quickly.


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## jomama45

George,

We must have similar tastes, as we have almost the same exact color on the walls of our living room, as well as trim & flooring, as you do in your office............. :thumbsup:


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## coderguy

jomama45 said:


> George,
> 
> We must have similar tastes, as we have almost the same exact color on the walls of our living room, as well as trim & flooring, as you do in your office............. :thumbsup:


Yeah the dining room is "Merlot" or something like that. I won the office/living room battles though; so I'm happy. We love the white trim and my dad came in and did the ceilings antique white. We still need to do the trim in the dining room. I'll post pics when it is done; my wife is doing it.


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## coderguy

*House update.*

Well, I'm trying not to be overwhelmed; but more and more keeps coming up. I thought I should post an update and get some progress pictures here before I update the basement thread. I still have a lot of unanswered questions. I learned this week about the 3/4 wire house wiring (shared neutral vs separate).

One of the things I got done lately was to get back in the kneeling crawlspace and start getting it cleaned up/investigated. I previous removed a squirrel corpse and sealed a hole in the awning that was letting things in. I still haven't figured out a way to get the bird corpse out of where it is without breaking it apart. It's a skeleton at this point.

While cleaning; I discovered another body. I think it was either a squirrel or a chipmunk. Hopefully it wasn't a rat.

I scoured the room with the shop vac; removed bad insulation; etc. I just don't know what to do with the room (add a vent? Add insulation? ) There seems to also be remnants of the fire here - what do I do?!?!?! Old burnt insulation? Remove it? insulate over it? Oh, and yes that is a cold air return you see. It is no longer hooked up but isn't closed off; so it is a just a big air connector to the basement. Here are the pictures:


































I also did more investigation in the back yard. I got the slope of the yard measured and finished up my initial render in sketchup. I will now render what I'd like to do and see if it works. I also investigated the porch a bit and documented how bad the angles there are. I think it can just be jacked up; I'll post pictures.

I have also made a little progress on my home automation project. I can't wait to finish up my large post about that.


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## Dinggus

You use google sketchup as well? Also, if there was a previous fire, wouldn't it be noted when you bought the house?


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## coderguy

Dinggus said:


> You use google sketchup as well? Also, if there was a previous fire, wouldn't it be noted when you bought the house?


The inspector didn't notice anything. The real estate agent missed the permit; so we found out about 3 weeks after sale. The joists are all sistered/etc. The only problem from it was lack of cleaning up. A lot of debris was simply pushed into different places (duct work especially).


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## coderguy

So here are current and possible future renders of the backyard. We are thinking either a grass, poured patio slab; paving brick patio or very low deck?

What is really nice is seeing how removing the three seasons room opens up the backyard.


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## Dinggus

What program are you using?


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## coderguy

Dinggus said:


> What program are you using?


Google sketchup, the free version. Was really horrible at it in the beginning; starting to get better.


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## Dinggus

I have it, just never tried to play with it, looks difficult.


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## coderguy

Got started taking the room down. Didn't plan on the double roof! The base of the thing was already rotting; wouldn't have made it too many more years.

Didn't finish; the dump closed earlier than I thought so next weekend we'll do a few more trips and that will be everything. Will be cheaper than the dumpster; though a little time wasted. 

The room was literally caulked to the house (except the roof; which IS a big huge stubborn million nail roof).

Here is the fun stuff:

Walls that were caulked on to the house:

















Since the "foundation" was rotting, it was already sinking in the NW corner:









Leveling compound makes a great doorway:









One last look:

















We cut the roof off so we could demo the room quickly and carefully remove the pieces later:









Removed the front wall, then up the center so it would fall inward at that point









One wall didn't come all the way down with the rest, but we got her:

















A picture of the rotting "Foundation"









Will post more after the rest of the cleanup and then again when the wall is fully repaired.

Edit: That is my best friend in the pics; not me.


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## Dinggus

Going to look good! Already can see the amount of space it took up.


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## coderguy

*Room is gone*

Well, the room is gone. Before/After:










Still have a little rubble to haul away. The back of the house needs work/etc. But there are more serious problems now to work on. It's a little progress though and we like the backyard with an open feeling.


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## coderguy

*Basement Trouble continued*

The basement troubles continue. I have a thread up about it; but no answers 

I've been digging up bricks/etc and basically just digging out the foundation at the northwest corner of the house. The disaster is that there is nothing between the foundation cinder blocks and the rear beam of the house. There is a little mortar on the inside; so that it doesn't look like a problem from the basement. But now when you stand in the basement you can see the sunlight coming in under the beam and it appears to be rotting at the corner. :furious:

I also dug out a large stump today. There are two more. They will come out when the basement gets dug out though. It felt good to pull the stump out! 

Painting in the living room is almost finished. Just some trim left; then the upstairs hallway and we are done! I've begun replacing the cheap beige outlets with the correct amperage white ones. Looks much nicer.

Here are some pics to illustrate the basement problems. It appears our beams are rotting. I was troubled because I couldn't find where the dirt ended and the basement began. It's as if someone poured a bag of cement or something... (left pic). The white stuff in the right picture is self leveling compound. It was poured liberally between the rooms to make it seem like a level transition.










You can help me out here (for the love of god, somebody help!)
http://www.diychatroom.com/f19/huge...run-out-water-hasnt-107793/index3/#post701640


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## Anti-wingnut

coderguy said:


>


That is a very unsafe ladder set-up


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## coderguy

Anti-wingnut said:


> That is a very unsafe ladder set-up


We actually had a discussion about which unsafe way we wanted to do it. At that point the front of the room was already ripped off; so we didn't want to put the ladder there. We eventually decided to put it there and have me hold it while he went up. :whistling2:


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## coderguy

Well, much progress!

First; the basement stairs are dry. I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it myself. I don't know if I should be angry or happy. I think I'm just confused. I bought some more shelving for the basement to get tools organized/etc.

Joe walked the foundation with me, learned a lot and took a lot of good notes. When I have my plans finished I'll post them.

For now; I got the back wall of the house sided. Thought I'd share the pics. I re-papered the wall the best I could. The siding was on well in the first place and instead of trying to put it on well spaced and leveled; I ended up just trying to match what was there. One layer was barely under the layer above it. I went accross the wall removing nails and trying to push it up. I at least got it 1/8 inch under the board above it now. I ended up with one full board left over.

At the top of the first pic is a gap, I ended up removing all those boards and repairing that entire area. So I ended up siding the roof part too... I just couldn't let the gap stand.


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## dawg803

coderguy said:


> Wanted to make a post about the office being done; one of many posts I hadn't gotten around to. This is all DIY stuff that I did...
> 
> Got the built ins done in the closet:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Then got the ceiling fan in. I started by getting up into the attic and finding the spot where the outlet was. It was a black outlet box and it actually said on it that it could support weight. It was odd; and I didn't believe it (was nailed sideways into joist). I measured the depth etc and made a wide fat T bracket that fit down on top of the box that I could mount to both joists and then mount the box/ceiling fan to. Then I installed the ceiling fan.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I've gotten soooo much more done; will be posting everything asap. I really need help with more basement stuff... I hope to get my questions posted.
> 
> With the floor, paint, trim, closet and fan in; we consider the office complete! With the new HVAC and the ceiling fan, it is very easy to both heat and cool the office!
> 
> My next post will be the 'super post' about our HVAC disaster; I've been getting the pics/etc together for quite a while now.


I really like that color!!! Nice choice!


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## coderguy

Well, I did a test jack-up on the front porch. I should get some pics for context. Jacked it up about 1.5 inches before the front door started opening/closing normally. Due to how some of the porch is built; I will have to take it apart a bit before the real job. It was really nice being able to work the front door; but it is a real mess under the porch.

I'll get some before pics together when I am back under doing more measuring/cleaning.

I've been gone for about a month; real busy at work and then out of town for the weekends. Hope to get work done this weekend. (Paint back of house, clean under porch)


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## coderguy

Back in business with working on the house. Even got a dining room set. I'm writing to get some thoughts off my chest about the upcoming winter and the following year.

Things on my mind for the house:



I'm still not sure about the pipes in the basement; all of them. The ones under the floor and the ones that connect to the downspouts. It is tempting to break up the floor in order to remove some of them; instead of just doing a cap. Everyone here suggests those plugs; but why am I plugging something that should be removed? I'm especially not sure there is a one-way valve going out to the street. If not; one bad Milwaukee spring and the basement will fill with backup?
The duct work is a mess to me; I want to alleviate it this. I also don't know now based on reading the Building Science stuff. Since we have duct work in the attic; we don't vent it? (attic is now considered inside the envelope?). I'm really lost on this part.
There appears to be electric problems in the master bathroom; the lights will go out after being on too long. Not burnt out; and they'll even come back on. One of the lights above the sinks always burns out.
The basement walls are shedding paint/drylok/whatever it is at a fast rate. Two dehumidifiers aren't keeping up; and the lowest we've gotten humidity is 53%.
The electric outlet for the furnace (and the pump to move the water to the sink); keeps tripping. I don't know why. But when it does the mini-pump to move the water overflows and starts flooding the basement floor.
I would swear the floor is sagging in the dining room and kitchen. I have no idea about replacing the joists or jacking it up or what. How do you even go about hiring a structural engineer to look at this stuff?
The front porch has "sunk"; and it causes the front door to not close correctly. The porch is visibly sagging on its east side. I experimentally jacked it up and things seemed fine; I will have to try something permanent in the spring.
There is still the vast majority of work to be done with keeping water away from the house; we did so much this summer and it hasn't seemed to help much.
So; it's going to be a long winter of trying to handle inside projects; mostly the ductwork/etc. I'll also work on the basement walls. The single biggest problem seems to be an inability to get good information. It wasn't until Joe came out that a lot of the basement stuff became clear. It is one thing to want to do these things myself; it is another to be forced to because of consistent bad experiences. If Joe or someone would take the job of fixing up the basement and water issues; I think we would just do the loan at this point. I'd rather be working on the bathroom, kitchen, garage, etc. Things I'm confident and have experience with.

Signing out for now; I have some pictures to get uploaded. With the mud room gone; I got the inside pantry where the door was finished up; it's now a pantry instead of a hallway!


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## gma2rjc

Any new pics yet?


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## coderguy

gma2rjc said:


> Any new pics yet?


I lost my main camera memory card; there were a lot of pics on there. Tried to take it to work to post from there on lunch :-(

Anyways, here is a picture of the back of the house; the tear off and close is complete. In the spring I'll do another coat of paint over the entire back of the house. The paint was old; but it ended up ok. I'll tell the full story in the next post.










Other progress made..I tore out one of the old basement windows still left and boarded it up for the winter. We simply can't afford to deal with it until spring.

We found out the first floor bathroom leaks; which means when we purchased both tubs leaked into the basement. My wife took a bath downstairs and when she drained the tub a lot of water simply went straight to the basement floor.

The inside of the tear off is closed up and needs one last application of mud. I'm not sure how to replicate the popcorn look on the walls for such a large area.

In the good news area; humidity in the basement is below 50 finally. I did another 2 hour session of scrubbing the walls with the wire brush.

Not much else to report :-(
I hope to find the memory card and use it to fill in even more.


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## coderguy

Wow, been a long time. Took a bit of a break and saved up some money. Planning a lot for the spring/summer; so it will be a wild time as soon as the sun comes out!

For now; our gas/electric was $325.00 last month!!! During the wimpiest winter ever!

No more second water heater. We thought it was dumb when we purchased the house; and this weekend we made the decision to cut it out of the loop.

So, I've never done plumbing before... I went and bought a full kit. I've watched my dad do plumbing many times and assisted.

Got the gas turned off, water turned off; drained both heaters and opened one of the air valves so the water could flow out easily. (can be seen in pic).

Here is a picture. I think I did a pretty good job?


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## coderguy

Finished basic drawing of french drain and dry well system. Going to try and get it looked at on here.

After Joe's visit; we talked about how to deal with my basement water problems and he suggested a french drain running to multiple dry wells at the front of the house. Before I have a trench digging party; I have some questions that will need to be answered...

1) Will this really help with all the water in the basement/etc.
2) How close to the house can it be.
3) How deep should it be.
4) How wide should it be (rock width, etc. easydigging.com says 8, 10 or 12")
5) I assume I should do solid perforated pipe (holes down); sleeve, pea gravel, landscape fabric.

I still have to test too ... ex. - will a dry well work.
I'm also hoping to run to downspouts to it (actually would like to do them all).

Just logging my progress here; will also add a link to the post with my question. HERE-> http://www.diychatroom.com/f16/please-help-me-french-drain-system-136339/

Here's the rough sketch, it's huge.


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## jomama45

How's it going George? :thumbsup:




coderguy said:


> Finished basic drawing of french drain and dry well system. Going to try and get it looked at on here.
> 
> After Joe's visit; we talked about how to deal with my basement water problems and he suggested a french drain running to multiple dry wells at the front of the house. Before I have a trench digging party; I have some questions that will need to be answered...
> 
> These are only my opinions, other''s may have different thoughts......
> 
> 1) Will this really help with all the water in the basement/etc.
> 
> ALL? There's no guarantee's in life, other than it's proven to always end in death. It will undoubtedly alleviate most, if not all, water issues in the basement IMO. Not sure what other option you really have.
> 
> 2) How close to the house can it be.
> 
> Where you run solid pipe, it can be tight to the house.
> 
> 
> 3) How deep should it be.
> 
> The perforated collection pipes can run level, and the solid pipe transferring the water to the front yard should have minimal pitch (1/8" per foot min.) Make sure you have the pipes at least 8" below grade in the back yard, and the height will gradually get lower as yo get to the front.
> 
> 4) How wide should it be (rock width, etc. easydigging.com says 8, 10 or 12")
> 
> Just wide enough to get 2 pipes in where it's solid, 12" wide is good where using the perferated in the rear yard to collect water.
> 
> 5) I assume I should do solid perforated pipe (holes down); sleeve, pea gravel, landscape fabric.
> 
> Only perf. at the very rear where you want to collect water. the rest should be solid. DO NOT feed the downspouts into perf. pipe,it will only create more problems for you long term. I wouldn't bother with the sleeve either, but rather wrap the sides & top of the stone with good landscape fabric.
> 
> I still have to test too ... ex. - will a dry well work.
> 
> WHat you're sketch doesn't show is the fairly aggressive hill in the front yard where the drywells are. Generally, I'm not a big fan of drywells, but in your case where the water can leach out through the hillsid, I think it will work fine. Also, considering how "scarred up" the earth is where you're at in an older part of a dense neighborhood, the odds are better that the water may find some hidden underground aggregate that will help leach the water away faster.
> 
> I'm also hoping to run to downspouts to it (actually would like to do them all).
> 
> I wouldn't run any of those downspouts INTO the basement, or the draintile in any way.
> 
> Just logging my progress here; will also add a link to the post with my question. HERE->
> 
> Here's the rough sketch, it's huge.


I would also run two lines here George: One 4" solid strictly for the downspouts and another next to it for the french drain/patio drain. You don't need the downspouts backing up into the patio or back yard.


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## coderguy

jomama45 said:


> How's it going George? :thumbsup:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I would also run two lines here George: One 4" solid strictly for the downspouts and another next to it for the french drain/patio drain. You don't need the downspouts backing up into the patio or back yard.


Have you been following the thread in the landscaping section?

I'm at the point of getting yelled at for even considering this.


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## coderguy

*Test Dry Well*

So I did the test dry well this weekend;

Took a post hole digger and went 4 feet down. Poured in a 5 gallon bucket of water. It drained quickly at first; then drained at just under 3 minutes per inch. When it got low (and I had to leave); I poured another 5 gallons of water in. When I returned home the hole was empty.

I checked it again this morning, and the hole isn't "dry", but there is no standing water / etc.

Not sure if this is a good enough result? Here are some pics:


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## Blondesense

Coderguy, you have an interesting thread here, and I'd like to read it, but its driving me crazy having to scroll back and forth because your pics are too big.
Can you please resize them? 
It's possible this may keep others from participating on this thread too.


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## datawog

Blondesense said:


> Coderguy, you have an interesting thread here, and I'd like to read it, but its driving me crazy having to scroll back and forth because your pics are too big.
> Can you please resize them?
> It's possible this may keep others from participating on this thread too.


I have to second this. Whenever this happens on a thread, I don't read 90% of the content because it's just too freaking annoying to even bother trying.

The house is awesome, though, and the renos you've finished so far look great.


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## coderguy

Blondesense said:


> Coderguy, you have an interesting thread here, and I'd like to read it, but its driving me crazy having to scroll back and forth because your pics are too big.
> Can you please resize them?
> It's possible this may keep others from participating on this thread too.


Well, based on this feedback; I have set some time aside to go through this thread and rework the images.


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## coderguy

*Cleaning Up Back Yard, Part 1*

Had "Foundation Man" over to remove a bunch of cement from the back yard; remove the window wells, and repair the back wall of the foundation. I had started this work and realized I had no way to dispose of all the cement, nor a desire to buy equipment I would only use once.

This is part one; showing mostly up front stuff. I don't even know where to start on this chapter of the house... let us be; positive.

While they worked, I dug out more tree stumps and fence posts; as can be seen in the attached pics.

They set to work trying to avoid work. Apparently the original plan involved removing the top of the window wells and then burying them. Strike 1?!

I was glad I took off work to supervise. Anyways...

In one picture you can see the main beam cleaned at the corner. You can then see it filled in and being parged. The next shows the back walk after removal. The back yard looks pretty much like a dirt pit at this point.

I'll do a full explanation in the next post, things did not turn out well.

also; is this a better way to handle the pictures?!?!


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## coderguy

*Part 2..*

So, lots to explain. This is part 2 if you missed the previous post.

Foundation Man was supposed to remove the rear cement, repair the back foundation at the beam, and remove the window wells in the back and on the west side of the house.

They continuously fought with me to not remove the wells; we got that out of the way and I thought it was done.

Then they argued with me about flashing the back of the house. Who puts a 20 inch sheet of metal up as flashing? Over the siding?!?! I ended up asking them to simply explain it to me... I still don't understand.

They then tried not to haul half the debris away. I asked for some debris from previous work to be taken and they finally agreed before leaving. 

So it was time for them to go... time to settle up. They raised the price on me. On the spot. Said removing the window wells was extra work. I explained if I wrote them a check for that amount; they'd never work for me again. They didn't flinch. I lost my temper and it didn't go well from there. 

Attached are some more pictures. The dirt wasn't put back and I've been put in the position of having to do the next stage of work immediately. You can see the metal flashing and how they left the wells.

I NEED to figure out the french drain plan and get to it.

Enjoy the pictures; let me know if it is better to handle them differently.

I swore at one of the two guys and I feel bad about it. But I'm also still so angry I could put my fist through a wall. I paid them the money they wanted.


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## shumakerscott

coderguy said:


> So, lots to explain. This is part 2 if you missed the previous post.
> 
> Foundation Man was supposed to remove the rear cement, repair the back foundation at the beam, and remove the window wells in the back and on the west side of the house.
> 
> They continuously fought with me to not remove the wells; we got that out of the way and I thought it was done.
> 
> Then they argued with me about flashing the back of the house. Who puts a 20 inch sheet of metal up as flashing? Over the siding?!?! I ended up asking them to simply explain it to me... I still don't understand.
> 
> They then tried not to haul half the debris away. I asked for some debris from previous work to be taken and they finally agreed before leaving.
> 
> So it was time for them to go... time to settle up. They raised the price on me. On the spot. Said removing the window wells was extra work. I explained if I wrote them a check for that amount; they'd never work for me again. They didn't flinch. I lost my temper and it didn't go well from there.
> 
> Attached are some more pictures. The dirt wasn't put back and I've been put in the position of having to do the next stage of work immediately. You can see the metal flashing and how they left the wells.
> 
> I NEED to figure out the french drain plan and get to it.
> 
> Enjoy the pictures; let me know if it is better to handle them differently.
> 
> I swore at one of the two guys and I feel bad about it. But I'm also still so angry I could put my fist through a wall. I paid them the money they wanted.


That looks just terrible. Take that flashing down. I'm still trying to understand the whole scope of this project but nail metal to the siding is wrong. It needs to go behind. dorf dude...


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## jomama45

Where the hell did you find this guy??? 

It's blatantly clear in one of the pictures that he applied a ton of the mud with a baker's bag. That's not how a mason really works, unless they're paid by the hour.......

If you need a local mason again, I would recommend asking Nathan or one of the other folks at the Brickyard for a referrel. I'm sure they have plenty of names of good contractor's down there.


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## coderguy

*Strange Hole*

So, I was digging out the rear window well to proceed with repairs and a mysterious hole showed up. I don't know where it goes or how long it actually is, but my tape measure easily went 30 inches in. Thought I would do a quick post about it before getting back to work on planning. Here are the pics:


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## coderguy

So, update. You may or may not have been following the landscaping thread. But I haven't heard anything from anyone in there; so my final plan is coming into being. 

I've called The Brick Yard and gotten quotes on various things; allowing me to estimate costs pretty accurately. They also gave me some referrals as advised by Joe.

Here is the plan up to this point, based on Joe coming out and all feedback.

1) Repair back of foundation. I'm going to dig it out as far as I can in a weekend; repair cracks/etc. Add a layer of waterproofing (the black tar stuff from Menards unless someone suggests otherwise); and then back fill. I will put glass block windows in the remaining two back windows and add a new window well on the rear basement window. Finishing touch is a window well cover of course 

2) Level the back yard (actually 1 degree towards garage and 1 degree towards cement retaining wall); with a retaining wall in front of the garage.

The retaining wall will be 40" high (total). 6" base, 6" for base block (below grade); 4 blocks above grade (at 6" a piece) and a cap. This will bring it to 8 inches below the siding on the garage. It includes a stair up into the garden area. More on this later.

3) French Drain from the garden all way to the front of the house; with a solid drain running parallel. for the downspout

4) Grade side yard as best as possible.

I am looking for ideas for the side yard because growing grass there may not be a good idea. Just river rock the whole thing? (ugly?) Some type of water hungry plant or bush and then mulch around them? Something that isn't a tree, will drink a lot of water, etc.

5) Help my neighbor. The north-west corner of the house will still be under grade with this plan. Help my neighbor dig out his hill and work on his backyard; giving him a larger patio and eliminating the grading problem at the corner of the house. Possibly connect him to drainage.

6) Continue the current cement retaining wall out towards the alley. Back fill neighbors side with dirt; front fill our new garden  Of course; this will be done with versa-lok and at a later date.

I have attached a picture that shows the plan. Orange is french drain. Purple is solid. Green is the possible french drain behind my neighbors possible retaining wall. The orange french drain running along the garage is already there.

As for the retaining wall in front of the garage; here are the specs since people like to ask about pricing. Assume versa-lok from a midwest dealer.

Wall: 28' 3" wide 
Stairs: 32" wide

Estimates:
Versa-lok standard blocks: 148 x 5.08 = 751.84
Versa-lok standard caps: 37 x 5.69 = 210.53
Versa-lok pegs: 120 x .45 = 54.00
Total for versa-lok: 1,066.33
When you add sand, rock, rentals, delivery, cap adhesive, and tax you end up at $1,478.40

I am still working on estimating the entire project. 

I feel confident the wall won't be too tall; and so will be attractive. I feel confident grading is the single best water solution - it is the only part of any solution that everyone agrees on. Nobody ever posts about how proper grading is a horrible idea.

Maybe I'll get some feedback, suggestions and ideas that will improve the whole thing even more. At some point; I have to figure out how to dress up the ugly cement retaining wall that is there now... (parge with dyed cement and press to look like brick?)


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## coderguy

*MultiThreaded DIY*

I got one of the glass block windows in, after repairing the wall the best I could; picture attached. I will have to revisit this and pretty it up a bit; then paint white around it to match the other windows. Masonry isn't a strong point for me; but I feel good about the work.

Next; while I was working in the basement my wife took a shower and I realized that my temp job on the shower was no longer holding. Water coming to the basement from the second floor is NOT good. The drain is glued (purple stuff that fuses) in; but about 3/8 of an inch too high. I can't just keep filling it with caulk. Long story short; I declared the guest bathroom the temporary master bathroom. I've been planning the master bathroom redo for a while (finally; something I WANT to work on). I have a plan and a budget. Attached a few pics of getting started on the gutting.

So we'll continue work on the basement, yard and now master bathroom in parallel. Maybe I'll drop my bathroom plan into the scanner for some feedback. 

In the bad news department, my camera died. So these are cell phone pics. Also, my charger and/or batteries for my cordless tools died. Sigh.


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## jomama45

It looks like you made a wise choice & had the window pre-fabbed??

I see nothing wrong with the installation in the pic, but if you need to clean up some mortar smears, 000 fine steel wool works wonders in the first few days............:thumbsup:

I think your yard plan looks pretty good as well, I just want to mention one thing: The sidewalls of the stairwell you want to build are easist accomplished by buildign the walls straight vertical (no batter or 3/4" backset to the walls.) Although Versa-Lok manu's cast holes for straight vert. walls, they have to line up perfectly on half bond, as they only have holes in this position vs. the slot that is used for the more typical 3/4" batter. The front of the wall will still have the batter, so you'll have to cut 3/4" off of the corner or the adjacent block on every course so the pin holes line up perfectly. Not a big deal if you have the tools to saw the block, but if not, it can create issues.


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## coderguy

jomama45 said:


> It looks like you made a wise choice & had the window pre-fabbed??
> 
> I see nothing wrong with the installation in the pic, but if you need to clean up some mortar smears, 000 fine steel wool works wonders in the first few days............:thumbsup:
> 
> I think your yard plan looks pretty good as well, I just want to mention one thing: The sidewalls of the stairwell you want to build are easist accomplished by buildign the walls straight vertical (no batter or 3/4" backset to the walls.) Although Versa-Lok manu's cast holes for straight vert. walls, they have to line up perfectly on half bond, as they only have holes in this position vs. the slot that is used for the more typical 3/4" batter. The front of the wall will still have the batter, so you'll have to cut 3/4" off of the corner or the adjacent block on every course so the pin holes line up perfectly. Not a big deal if you have the tools to saw the block, but if not, it can create issues.


Yeah, I could use tips on cleaning up the mortar. While I feel great about getting the window in (yes, prefab), it could use to look a little 'cleaner'. I'm planning to make a batch of mortar and clean everything up a bit.

I put the second window in tonight; I'm waiting for it to set up enough to remove the wedges.

It is amazing how much light they bring in.


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## coderguy

*Some outside progress*

I wanted to post an update on the yard work.

I dug out the west side as needed and brushed/cleaned it in preparation for repair. I also continued some of the digging. All of the dirt that I thought would work as fill went to the front of the house as regrading material (see picture); the rest went towards the alley for removal (sandy stuff, overly rocky stuff).

I hosed it down good and let things dry a bit. I was concerned at how quickly the water was draining away; like it was running somewhere.

I also did more repair work on the outside of the rear window. The other window is also in and looking good (but no pics yet).

Finally, I got more work done digging out the corner of the house by the retaining wall. There was a large sheet of fiber glass material buried (wtf?);
and of course lots of tree root. This area is still a large question mark, what do I do here? I can't force my neighbor to put in a retaining wall...

See the pics!


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## coderguy

*More Progress, New information*

Progress updates on the dual projects.

Bathroom - everything is ripped out and hauled away; along with all scrap from previous projects that was building up next to the garage. I got the floor up in 5 or so chunks. Picture is of largest chunk I got up in one go. I'm very excited about the bathroom.
View attachment 49135

Outside - I finally got some 'after rain' pictures Sunday. I think the east side of the house may be a much bigger problem than I thought. I'm now thinking to go ahead and run solid pipe down both sides. This way I can disconnect both laterals; pump the sump pit to daylight and add a surface drain; even if temporary. I'm including two of the pics.

View attachment 49136
View attachment 49137


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## coderguy

No pictures today.

The bathroom is cleaned up and remeasured; in some places I have more room than planned due to weird shims/etc.

The window well is 100% complete in the back and looking nice; having trouble finding the right size cover; but I have one on there for now. Dissapointing that Menards sells separate brand covers than window wells.

Met with a guy suggested to me by the Brick Yard; he is getting me quotes for regrading the back yard in preparation for the retaining wall. Sounds like we will have him grade the front yard and sod. We'll get this water moving away from the house!

The guys I hired to do the hauling were the best contractors I've brought in so far (next to the carpet guys; they were awesome too!). I couldn't believe they swept my sidewalks. Very affordable; much better than a dumpster.

We had a break in; they got my cordless trimmer, skateboard, car jack, jack stands and possibly other items I haven't noticed. 

Lots of rain; so lots of water in the basement. Trying to stay positive and get the work done. As with previous weekends, if I can't start the french drain this weekend; I'll be in the bathroom framing. Pics either way!


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## coderguy

*Large Update!*

Ok, I've been out of the country; but it is time for an update! We will start with the yard!!!

First, the landscaper made some time to do the rear regrading. I really appreciate the discussions we had. We ended up going with changes he suggested in preparation for proper draining and the patio. Here is a picture of his handy work:
View attachment 51196


Quite a lot of dirt was removed. I know it looked wet; it was. But it hadn't rained! So; that done, he worked with me a bit on designing the patio, etc. Next would be my turn to build the retaining wall; add drainage on both sides of the house; and then call him back.

So, the east side of the house has drainage as of this weekend (freshly back from vacation and right to work!). I know that anyone who reads these forums probably was thinking I would never break ground on this. I asked for help, argued, planned, asked again, argued more, planned again and rehashed the whole thing about 100 times. Well, I broke ground. Phase 1 was regrading, phase 2 is east side drainage; since it will not receive most of the water from the back yard. Here was the grueling install:
View attachment 51198
View attachment 51199

View attachment 51200
View attachment 51201


There are no pictures here of the smallish french drain dividing the back yard from the side yard. This is designed so that the natural french drain (the rocks under the solid piping) will help drain light rains to the front. Moderate to heavy rains will bring water into the modern french drain which connects into this solid pipe (in a slight V). Later, the downspout and/or sump can connect to this solid drain as well. The really important part right now is the natural french drain; the back yard was pretty well 'disconnected' from the side yard before (draining wise); water would pool near the corner of the house because it was a bit of a low point; even though the side yard is graded towards the street really well. This now connects them. Basically, water can get past all the cement and clay.

Bathroom update in the next post I swear. It's going really well. Built-ins are framed; plumbing is done, etc.

Oh, the above project, about $250.00; which includes all the supplies to do the other side and hook up the down spouts.

Feedback, ideas, etc all very welcome!


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## coderguy

Oh, and as a special treat...

Some pictures from Tokyo, Japan!

View attachment 51202

View attachment 51203

View attachment 51204

View attachment 51205


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## twostuds

Love your new "Money Pit" it has loads of character. Looks like you have quite the rehab ahead of you.


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## 52Caddy

Hey, 
Nice looking place. Found your posts trying to get some information on landscaping my yard, I'm close by in New Berlin, actually drove right past KK and Lincoln on my way to Classic Slice today for lunch.
Anyway, looking forward to your home improvement posts and your blog.
Eric


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## coderguy

52Caddy said:


> Hey,
> Nice looking place. Found your posts trying to get some information on landscaping my yard, I'm close by in New Berlin, actually drove right past KK and Lincoln on my way to Classic Slice today for lunch.
> Anyway, looking forward to your home improvement posts and your blog.
> Eric


Thanks for reading, great to see other people in the area on the site!

I'll be posting more landscaping stuff later in the summer. I'm actually contracting some of it out (cement stuff).


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## coderguy

*Bathroom update*

Ok.. a quick bathroom update as promised....

subfloor... done.
framing... done.
drywall... done. (more on this later).
Schluter Kerdi waterproofing... failure. (See pics).

Anyways, the bathroom was moving along well. Plumbing done and tested; drywall up, etc. Went to put kerdi on and failed miserably at it. Didn't dampen the drywall with a sponge; didn't mix the thinset loose enough, and used cheap thinset (mapei keraset; couldn't find kerabond anywhere in Milwaukee).

Enjoy the picture of the pulled sheet of kerdi. I also found I missed a 2x4, so the shower drywall is coming down (after I spent 3 hours sanding the thinset off! oh well. lesson learned.).

I found a place that sells laticrete 317, only 11.00 a bag! Got the drywall; so will be cutting and putting up this weekend. Also did a training run with the rest of the old thinset. Put some kerdi on an extra sheet of drywall. The dry run/training went well so I am way more confident in my next effort.

Well, enjoy the photos. Also including the new installed attic hatch. It's a slim pull down ladder. Works well for our tiny hatch. Trying not to overdo the pics, so just the 4...

The shower, with the schluter tray and drain dry fitted...
View attachment 51797


New toilet flange and water supply.
View attachment 51798


Pulled kerdi... horrible job on my part.
View attachment 51799


New attic hatch (sub project, needed to get above bathroom)
View attachment 51800


Next post is the project I did to get myself encouraged again. Needed something I'm good at (hint: framing)


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## coderguy

*Catching The Thread Up*

I thought I'd catch this thread up, it's been a few years. I think I can size pictures correctly now.

We brought in an engineer who suggested additional supports. We had footing poured, supports added, and all floor joists sistered. This was during a hands off period, where I thought it best to leave everything to professionals. They managed to bring the central wall of the house up an inch or so with no cracking/etc. We're not happy with the sistering, and looking back I should have waited. When we replaced the kitchen I could have gone down to the joists and replaced them (Balloon frame).









Work continues to manage water, both sides of the house, all down spouts and the rear patio all drain to daylight in the front yard. This was before everything else. It works best during pouring rain, where you can stand out on the sidewalk and watch all the water flow.









When we had the new rear porch & side walk poured; they built their forms right into our drainage. Sigh. Had to redo it. It was another 'hands off' project, but we had discussed the drainage lines and that I would be tying into them (downspout, patio drain). I lost my temper a bit when I saw this situation. In the end, they came back and moved the forms; while connecting the patio drain for me.









In the end, we got it done.. new walks/porch, with drain patio:









Retaining walls, etc. The guy who did this was really nice, but never did the sealing; and won't return calls/etc. But it's holding up well.

















A cut-away view of the drainage:









Next post I'll catch up on the master bathroom and kitchen projects.


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## coderguy

I sat down to post the kitchen update last night and ended up spending 3 hours sorting pictures that we've been dumping into 'unsorted' for a few years. The good news is I found lots of pictures that I thought were missing. The kitchen post can now be more of a DIY post than just a showcase of the finished product.

This post is to review the current problems with the house:


 The house stinks right now, and I'm worried the sewer connection has collapsed.
 There is water everywhere in the basement: north, south, east and west. Humidity has skyrocketed. The external landscaping/drainage system appears to be a failure.
 Our gas/electric bill in the winter is $350+, with our attic perfectly warm. We know that its all heat because our last bill was $125. The ducts are wrong/leaky, and include a large run in the attic.
 The basement stairs are about as old as the house, and starting to fail. But they're only 31" wide and about 9' deep (for a 8 foot climb). I need 36" by ~10' to fit an up to code set of stairs in there. What the hell do I do, illegal stairs?

 The bilco entrance is soaking wet and continues to be a personal waterfall feature in the basement.

 There is a collection of old pipes and gutter drains running in the basement that need to be removed.
 The sump pump needs to pump outside, not into one of the gutter drains. (yep, that's how basement systems installed it)

 The windows are mostly installed wrong, the best window in the house being the new kitchen window. The plan is to slowly replace windows, but the living room windows unacceptably leak air in the winter/summer.

 One of the sills (balloon frame, so big 10' X 10' beam), is rotting; with wood starting to fall away from it.

 The cement by the garage is sinking, with an almost 2 inch gap now created.

 The front entry has a rotting beam that was just sitting on a cement block. The front door does not open/close.

I don't even know how to prioritize these, but my solution break downs are currently:

Foundation/Basement:

 Figure out how to get a decent set of basement stairs inside the house 
 Remove the bilco entracnce. 
 External excavate, tuck point, waterproofing and insulation on the foundation. 
 Remove basement systems drain tile, put the sump pit in the ground lower (it's sitting 2 inches out of the ground!), then I'll drain tile around the entire basement interior instead of just 'the north part'.
 While I'm ripping up basement floor, I'll remove all of the old piping/etc. This is one of those things that balloons on you and you end up replacing it all. I'm ok with that.
 Tuck point interior basement walls where necessary.

Landscaping:

 Have cement by garage removed, and pour a new pad that extends all the way to the alley, for garbage cans to sit on.
 Possibly pour a cement swale/gutter between my house and the neighbors, I'm out of ideas here.
 Fix grading

Exterior:

 Minimally, new front picture/bay/whatever they're called window. Properly installed/weather sealed.
 New gutters, with front down spouts connecting to drainage system. 
 fill in patio where bilco was 
 Redo front porch, it's rotting and all the screws are rusting. 

Heating:

 Spray foam attic (the ceiling of it), bringing it into the envelope.
 Sit down and do the hvac math, I'm not sure we have proper returns/etc.
 Replace windows slowly over time.

I'm very overwhelmed.


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## BigJim

Look at it like a puzzle, don't look at it over all, but one part at a time. Do what you know needs to be done first, finish that then move on to the next on your list and before you know it, you will be done. 

When building some of the huge houses a few years back, when I first got a set of plans it looked overwhelming, but when I went through each step to build that house, it was a piece of cake.


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## coderguy

*Kitchen Part 1*

Alright, let's build a kitchen! The old kitchen had some major problems. I think the #1 was how cold it was in the winter. But #2 was easily, "Where do you cook?" You didn't want to be in there. The windows had clear drafts, the floor was freezing, and there was no counter space at all. 

Oh, and the draw closest to the range didn't open; the range was in the way.










First, every window in our home starts at knee level. It drives me right up a wall. This isn't going to work for a kitchen. The approach was to frame the new window, then apply plywood on the exterior; followed by cutting out the hole for the window.

Once there was a whole cut out, the sill was weather stripped. The window was nailed in and then the rest of the sides weather stripped. I'm pretty proud of it.










Some trim, caulk, drywall and sanding later it was done. It was nice I got to use my new router to round off the interior sill myself. It's deep enough to sit plans on. The old window was installed... horribly. It almost fell out once the trim on both sides wasn't holding it in place.










Second, find an electrical contractor who will cooperate. I ended up finding one I was pretty happy with. He agreed we could remove the drywall below counter level and it would be enough for him to run everything. Before he started, I put 4 boxes of screws into the floor. I started by going over the original floor and screwing it into the joists. Then, I added 5/6" plywood on offsets, spaced; with specifically did not screw into joists.

In these pictures, the sub-floor is mostly complete and the wire has all been roughed in. This passed inspection.









With the rough in approved, it was time to insulate, patch the dry wall, and paint. This would leave the room ready for all the fun stuff. The pictured range is dual-fuel. My foodie wife wanted gas top, electric oven (for proper broiling apparently.)










That's a good stopping point. What will happen in the exciting conclusion? lol.


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## coderguy

*Grading the front yard*

So, a brief break from uploading kitchen images. 

The primary problem with the house, is still the foundation and water entry. Fixing anything else is simply avoiding the issue. I've had many posts on here and many contracts with contractors for various fixes.

I remember when I started this journey, you read an awful lot about fixing grading and downspouts. All the literature says "Don't ignore this, fix this first". It wasn't until recently that I took a good look at the front yard and realized that just like the back of the house, it was graded towards the home.

The side yard was worse, especially after my neighbor poured his new sidewalk over his old one. So, I set out to do some grading, including both the front and side yards. Here are some pictures.

Three yards of dirt.









Preparing to start:









The front:









The side, done as a swale:









I used a hand tamper after every few inches of dirt, and an old piece of 2x4 as a screed. This mini-project cost ~$200.00. We're planning to have the gutters redone, but that is a future post.

Are my pictures now too small?


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