# '59ish Brick Ranch: Updating... everything...



## natedro

**SORRY ALL THE PICTURES ARE OUT OF ORDER! I am just catching up here so it's easier in the future to post updates.**








Here is the shed that went bye-bye. It was built with hurricane nails. Anyone ever torn something down that was built with hurricane nails? Not fun. Takes all of your energy and motivation for weeks...









Above is the side of our house which borders a neighbor. It has the chainlink fence still... we are working on demo-ing that and putting up a small section of wood fence to connect to the neighbor's. Notice the lovely graffiti. How does this happen? It looks owner-inflicted. Oh well... we intend to paint the house a cream color one day anyway.









Here is the sad, sad kitchen as of the week we moved in. It hasn't changed much since then. It will be such a major project that I'm leaving it for later. We intend to replace all of the cabinets and appliances (and move the laundry appliances to a dedicated room off of the hallway that we'll be making).









Here's the gloomy hallway which has about a one foot dropped ceiling to create a void for airflow. I intend to knock this out, regain some headspace and run new ductwork to all of the rooms it currently supplies (bedrooms and bathrooms).









Here's the nice, pink bathroom. I am torn with this one. In one sense, it can be restored beautifully and toned down with a few techniques I've read about. On the other hand, I would NEVERRR want this bathroom, so I will have to work on giving myself the right solution. Budget is a big concern with this place, so chances are bringing it back to a version of its former glory will probably win here.

Notice the glorious burglar bars. These are still left in the bathrooms only. We had to remove them from EVERY SINGLE WINDOW IN THE ENTIRE HOUSE after moving in. They were in there pretty good... sawsall came in handy...









Lastly, here is a photo of one of the bedroom built-in dresser/cabinets. I really like these, but I want to take off the doors and make them open shelves and obviously paint everything and give it new hardware. This bedroom is the only one in the whole house that doesn't have quarter inch drywall. It has a strange textured paneling which I think will look awesome when it's painted, maybe even a two-tone look with a white and a cream paint... time will tell.


I can only post six photos at a time, so I hope that you'll keep checking in to see what else has been posted. I would love feedback. As a reminder, I'm big on contemporary/modern style, so I am hoping to incorporate that to this house while also keeping its roots as a traditional ranch. 


See ya soon,
Nate


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## Thadius856

*whistle*

That's quite the project you've got there! So much potential though. 

I really love the TnG paneling on the underside of the overhangs. It really adds quite a bit of character. I myself have been considering stained TnG paneling on mine, as well as brick vaneer to chair rail moulding part way up the exterior walls.

Can you elaborate more on the gap that appears in the hallway? It is just sticky vinyl tile that somebody didn't cut the last few tiles for?


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## natedro

Thadius856 said:


> *whistle*
> 
> That's quite the project you've got there! So much potential though.
> 
> I really love the TnG paneling on the underside of the overhangs. It really adds quite a bit of character. I myself have been considering stained TnG paneling on mine, as well as brick vaneer to chair rail moulding part way up the exterior walls.
> 
> Can you elaborate more on the gap that appears in the hallway? It is just sticky vinyl tile that somebody didn't cut the last few tiles for?


I wish that I could say we had real tongue and groove boards under the overhang... That's aluminum unfortunately. In the future, I will figure out its fate. 

In the hallway, the gap you're referring to is from an a/c drain overflow the second night we were here. The cheapo vinyl tiles came right off as the water flowed in that spot. Fortunately I found it as soon as I got home for lunch that day and was able to get it fixed immediately. I guess it doesn't matter much as in the end (like most everything else), the floors are all being replaced. There will likely be a floating wood laminate floor over most of the house.

I am going to try to post some more pictures tonight also. I will be checking your thread too. Hey also, I was reading your thread and I'm also 25 and just bought this house when I was 24. Ironic, eh?


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## natedro

Here is the master bedroom as of the month we moved in. Notice the fancy (I know, classy...) trashbag curtains. I debated whether or not this was an improvement from total lack of privacy or the blankets the trashy renters had in all the windows before over the burglar bars. This room, like most others, had some form of cheapo floor tile. This is peel and stick vinyl tile from the dollar store probably. It isn't even laid well. There are gaps and the lines curve if you keep following the edges. This room is about 90% complete now. It has carpet tiles laid, all new patched and painted walls, a new ceiling fan, all new electrical outlets, painted trim, new curtains and blinds. The closets have also been painted and given the carpet tiles, but I am trying to build a custom closet in the walk-in, but am failing as I keep getting distracted by the other 1849723814936218749372 things I could be doing... more updates on this later, I guess!









This is the bathroom off of the master bedroom. It's tiny, but all we needed. I haven't measured, but I'm guessing it's around 5x5 with a shower nook behind the door. The toilet is sort of in an odd spot, but we can't do much with that considering the plumbing is in a slab and the budget is of importance. 

The vanity and sink will be getting replaced, the gas heater will be getting removed, the walls need to be painted, recessed lights and a new H/L/V are going in at some point in the future. The tiles need some TLC in places (I found an online vendor that stocks these, surprisingly). There was a cabinet above the shower stall (more pics on that later) that I ripped out as it made the shower about 6'6" tall a.k.a. claustrophobic. I have yet to rip down the ceiling to the shower, even though there's nothing above it. I am trying to figure out a way to do this with the least damage to the rest of the shower. I really don't mind the tile colors in this bathroom at all. It's just the fixutres (and everything else?) that need to be updated.









This is the front of the house a few weeks after we moved in. At this point, we had trimmed the crepe myrtles, killed and removed all sorts of monstrous, overgrown azalea bushes and ripped out a brick planter built along the carport that our inspector told us could breed termites. It was poorly built anyway, so no problem ripping it out. You might notice that in the yard there are dead patches. This would be from the trash who lived here previously parking IN THE YARD... Why? Maybe because 20 of them lived in a 3 bedroom home? Who knows...

The brick will eventually be painted a light creamy white color and we will be replacing the frilly patio supports with a solid wood beam and maybe some horizontal slats (like this). We also need to remove the burglar door over the front entrance, but for now, the locks aren't even all changed yet, so we're waiting on that. There are horrible terracotta tiles on the front patio that are going to be removed and then I will probably be repairing and painting the concrete and then landscaping the front yard (what is this... 5 years from now? :laughing









Just another picture of the side of the house bordering a neighbor. These gutters are halfway ripped down now. All they do is collect the tree branches and leaves from the neighbor's trees. I can't wait until they're all gone.









Here was the fence when we were building it. It's ~90% done now. The fence is built and the gate is in, but we never finished the top ledge, so we need to do that... someday... In this picture, the shed is gone from the side of the house and the satellite dish they left is still up. That's down now also (who leaves a satellite dish behind???).









Here's a progress picture taken when I was about halfway done with the master. I hadn't painted yet and I was filling in the million holes and bumps in the walls/ceilings... these people hadn't taken care of anything in YEARS.



All in all... it's going to take a very long time to get this place to my level of nice. I'm glad we've got pictures though. They are definitely a motivator to see all the little changes and progress we've made.


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## natedro

This is where a weird cabinet was above the shower stall in the master bathroom. I ripped that out and am currently in the process of demo-ing this little shower ceiling and opening it up. I have no idea how to do this without damaging more of the shower. Any advice anyone can offer me?









Here is the master bedroom (bed area... hence the lamps) about 50% complete. We hadn't yet put in the new carpet tiles, electrical outlets or ceiling fan at this point. Bedlamps were $40 a piece at Lowe's. We love them.









And here are the new carpet tiles in place. I wanted more than just a regular carpet tile floor, so I opted for a black border around the room. It's 4" wide. I think the total cost of the floor was ~$400 and I have a little left. They were from HD (had to order online... not sold in store). I hadn't yet finished cutting in yet in this picture. That's all done now and we are back living in this room (we had moved to another bedroom while renovating).









This is the den off of the carport and living room. It is currently the main focus. We ripped down those ugly square fluffy ceiling tiles (only stapled in fortunately) and put up sheetrock. I also ripped down a giant built-in along the wall to the right that was falling apart and was very neglected. 

The ceiling isn't finished yet, but we're working on it (see below). We also ripped up some parquet flooring that was in pretty bad shape. I'm about 99% sure that's asbestos glue on the floor in this room, so we're eagerly looking forward to covering it with a new floor. I bought some rosin paper to lay over the floor this weekend in the mean time. Next picture shows more progress.









Opposite view of den. That doorway with the green plastic is becoming a wall and will eventually be the new pantry off of the dining room.









So the drywall is up in this picture (not that it's screwed in very well... we are not pros and only did this ceiling because we knew it was the only place in the whole house that needed all new drywall or else we would've paid the pros to do it). You'll notice the 4x9 wall panels in this picture are all patched up. I bought a vinyl wallpaper liner that has a painted texture to it to cover these panels. Like everything else, the panels were beat up. The panels are pretty odd... just like the cheap 80's stuff but without the vertical lines. This is the ultimate goal for the look of the walls in this room. We are replacing all of the moulding around doors and windows and even replacing the door just like that link. We put deglosser on all the panels a few days ago, then I have to sand the joint compound, prime the walls, put up the vinyl wallpaper liner, paint, then put on the wood to make the new look. Quite a process, eh? 

I also would like to put 4 recessed lights in here and a modern ceiling fan. I can dream, can't I?


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## natedro

This is why I'm ripping down the gutters... 'Nuff said. I have a few pieces down now in this area and it looks 1000000% better without them. I hope the water doesn't affect the house from runoff. The minimalist gravel landscape (at some point in the future?) around the house will probably help with erosion where the rain hits.









A picture of the overhand. At 2'8", I feel like we can get away with no gutters. Anyone disagree? I guess time will tell...









The beautiful "graffiti" on the back of the house. Of course, there's also a little on the front. Maybe it's a symbol? Spray paint overspray? Who knows...









Here's the inside view of the entrance door to the den from the carport/side patio area. Very sad, right? It's a solid door, but the frame around it was built by Joe the plumber so it needs to be either replaced or rehung badly. I think I'm calling a pro for this.









Here is the current layout. Most of the yard is in front and driveway is on side (corner lot, remember). Neighbors north and east in picture. South and west are the roads around us.









Here is my (current) future layout plan. I need a strucutral engineer in here before I go ripping out the loadbearing wall and putting in an opening, but I'm pretty sure we will be doing that between the kitchen/dining and living rooms. Notice the new laundry nook off of the hallway and the changed kitchen layout.

One day...


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## natedro

Streetview picture currently on Google. I'd say the exterior has already come a long way. What the  is all this?! Hoarders???









Here is a picture taken by the appraiser from just before we moved in. Notice the broken down car that was parked there until (literally) the day of closing. Also, enjoy the weeds and aluminum fencing, giant shed and satellite dish.









Here is our water heater. It was made in the early 50s. Everyone think happy thoughts that this thing will last us long enough to fix many other things (floors? roof? kitchen?) before it dies. Aside from the fact that it's giant (I think 60 gallons), I'm sure it's super inefficient and probably is filled up with 90% sediment. Needless to say, I can't wait for this thing to go.









Here's another Google Streetview picture showing the original shed, bushes, gutter and fence. All are now gone.


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## Thadius856

A couple thoughts...

The bumblebee bathroom is a bit overpowering to me. A few pints of a more pastel yellow on the upper half of the wall would help break it up a little bit, if you're going to stick with the yellow. And I can't see the ceiling, but I sure hope it's a mattee white.

The master bedroom is coming along nicely. The den as well. I really do like the ceiling that you covered up, even if it was unfinished. 

The gutters scare me. I think you made the right decision here. With 2'8" of overhang, your brick will never get wet except in severe driving rain. I'd be more concerned with grading from the house than anything else. Ideally, we'd want to see a 1" drop per 1' for the first 6' for this reason. Do the best you can with what you have and be sure to try to keep as much water away from sitting against the side of the house as you can.

I wouldn't call a pro for restarting on the door rough-in. This is a valuable learning experience, and not nearly as hard as it seems.

As for the layout... what gets me the most is the HUGE amount of doors you have. The guest bedroom alone has no less than 6 doors in it. This is the biggest chances I can see for opening up a bunch of the spaces. You're also losing a ton of wall space that could hold shelving, pictures, bookcases, etc. How about... this?









The master bed loses some closet space. This could open up space for a walk-through or walk-in expansion of the existing closet if you feel you need the storage space. The guest bed gains a lot of extra space.


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## Thadius856

Oddly enough, I can't see my own image. 

I *really* like the slat idea for the patio. In the image you provided, it works so well because of the matching railing/fence.

Are you planning anything to match the columns?


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## cdnNick

natedro said:


> Here is our water heater. It was made in the early 50s. Everyone think happy thoughts that this thing will last us long enough to fix many other things (floors? roof? kitchen?) before it dies. Aside from the fact that it's giant (I think 60 gallons), I'm sure it's super inefficient and probably is filled up with 90% sediment. Needless to say, I can't wait for this thing to go.


Yikes! I'd get that thing replaced soon, hate for it to break and then you'll have to deal with a flood. We just replaced ours and the water is so nice and hot and I have no more rust stain on my shower head, I'm pretty sure it was coming from the tank.



natedro said:


> Here was the fence when we were building it. It's ~90% done now. The fence is built and the gate is in, but we never finished the top ledge, so we need to do that... someday... In this picture, the shed is gone from the side of the house and the satellite dish they left is still up. That's down now also (who leaves a satellite dish behind???).


The previous owner of the house we moved into left the dish and 4 cables running into the theater room which wraps all the way around the side of the house. I'm still trying to figure out what they were connected to because the cable outlets terminate on the other side of the house. lol They didn't have a wall of TVs so I don't know why they need 4 cables in that room, it's one of those mysteries...


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## Thadius856

Just realized that I don't remember a bath tub in the master bath.

It's a 3/4 bath with tiled showed stall only, right?


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## natedro

Thadius856 said:


> Just realized that I don't remember a bath tub in the master bath.
> 
> It's a 3/4 bath with tiled showed stall only, right?


Yes 3/4 master bath. Tiled stall shower with a very odd 6 foot something tile ceiling even though there's an 8 foot something real finished ceiling above that... (tried to kill it again last night... No luck).


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## Thadius856

Hrm. Well, best of luck!

I'd probably just got at it with a fine-toothed blade on a reciprocating saw on the 2x4 running horizontally above that piece. I imagine there's one in the back the same way. I can imagine the piece with tile will probably lift right out after that, but you do need to do some sawing.

Be sure to keep the tile you remove, if nothing else. They may come in handy in the future!


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## CoconutPete

Looking good!

You've got me beat w/ the water heater, Mine is manufactured in 69'.


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## amuffly

Looks like a lot of work but once done it is yours and you can enjoy it or move on.


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## Dinggus

It's looking good! Can I ask why you went with carpet tiles and not just regular carpet?


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## natedro

Dinggus said:


> It's looking good! Can I ask why you went with carpet tiles and not just regular carpet?


Well to be perfectly honest, I think I wanted to both save money and have something a bit fancier than beige, cheap carpet. At ~$400, i'd like to think i did ok?


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## Dinggus

I've read that tiles are expensive than roll-out carpet. I was just wondering though, wife and I want to replace all the carpet in the house, plus we plan on renting the house out, so carpet tile might be the best way to go to replace stains and what not. How does the carpet feel? How's the padding?


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## cdnNick

Dinggus said:


> I've read that tiles are expensive than roll-out carpet. I was just wondering though, wife and I want to replace all the carpet in the house, plus we plan on renting the house out, so carpet tile might be the best way to go to replace stains and what not. How does the carpet feel? How's the padding?


I could see how that would make sense for a rental property as you could replace sections instead of the whole room. As long as the cost is around the same.


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## Dinggus

Lowes just gave me an estimate of my living room which is 225sq ft, and 12 squares/box is only 32sq ft, would cost me $800 to do the living room. Maybe I just did my calculations wrong.


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## natedro

Dinggus said:


> Lowes just gave me an estimate of my living room which is 225sq ft, and 12 squares/box is only 32sq ft, would cost me $800 to do the living room. Maybe I just did my calculations wrong.


I used the ones from home depot online.


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## natedro

Dinggus said:


> I've read that tiles are expensive than roll-out carpet. I was just wondering though, wife and I want to replace all the carpet in the house, plus we plan on renting the house out, so carpet tile might be the best way to go to replace stains and what not. How does the carpet feel? How's the padding?


I would say it depends on the tiles. If you order Flor brand, they are very pricey, but the cheaper ones I got are fine for me just as well. Soft on the feet but virtually no pad. Great for pet homes like ours. Not very cushy like regular carpet, but a good compromise for what we were looking for.


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## Dinggus

Hmm, I'm sure renters want padded carpet.


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## natedro

Dinggus said:


> Lowes just gave me an estimate of my living room which is 225sq ft, and 12 squares/box is only 32sq ft, would cost me $800 to do the living room. Maybe I just did my calculations wrong.


Also I would definitely recommend the 18" tiles for the higher end look and the same price if anyone decides to go with them.


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## natedro

CabinetGirl said:


> natedro,
> I notice you've got a major fixer upper and already have several projects started. You mentioned the kitchen was a future project. Was wondering how far into the future and if you have any ideas of what you're going to do with it. Especially in regards to cabinets.


Hey, we sure are fixing upping.  

Probably a year or more before we really get to tackle the bones of the kitchen. Cabinets are mostly going. I will reuse them in other places in the house. I want to replace them with new IKEA cabinetry which I'll get delivered from Houston. I wish I could keep them but they have seen better days like so many other parts of the house.


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## Thadius856

I really dislike IKEA for two reasons: the quality is usually sub-par, especially for the price, and you run the risk of death by dowel avalanche when opening the box.

:laughing:


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## natedro

CabinetGirl said:


> Thadius856,
> I can offer you RTA alternatives that are a lot better quality than IKEA. 100% plywood construction with a lot more options than IKEA can offer.


thank you but what are you selling? Is that against the forum rules???


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## natedro

CabinetGirl said:


> Thadius856,
> I can offer you RTA alternatives that are a lot better quality than IKEA. 100% plywood construction with a lot more options than IKEA can offer.


And I really am not trying to be rude. I'm all about other ideas and alternatives - it just seems like you are trying to sell me cabinets and I don't even need any yet. Just clarifying your intentions is all. Thanks for visiting.


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## Thadius856

I have plans for cabinets, but they're on hold at the moment. I don't expect to be doing any cabinetry for the next year, and will probably build my own custom set when the time comes.

Thank you though.

(...and now back to your regularly scheduled thread!)

Edit: *hi-5* nate


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## Thadius856

nate, I see you're up early. Any news on projects?


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## natedro

Thadius856 said:


> nate, I see you're up early. Any news on projects?


Always early at work! Lol... 

Sort of scatterbrained at the moment. My mom is having health problems so I lost focus on the house. I also do a few sidejobs on the side, so it's been a hectic week so far. I'll post some updates soon though, probably this weekend. What about you thad?


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## Thadius856

Ah, work. Lol. I'm work graveyards, so I completely understand! I try to sneak in a post or two from work when I can 

Progress? Well... uhhh... we'll see! Just loaded up 16 pictures from my camera, scrubbed the exif data, etc. I should have a few more posts up in an hour or so. Definitely have a long, all-day project ahead of me that _should_ be done by evening. I'm probably in over my head, but SO EXCITED! lol


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## natedro

*Wall Liner... or not.*

Well... that didn't work... at all.

I sanded the walls in the den with coarse grade sandpaper really rough and figured that was enough since I was thinking it would just need to be relatively smooth... wrong.

The whole point of my theory where I put up thick (supposedly???) wallpaper liner in the den and then paint over it was that it would be *easier* than patching and sanding repeatedly in the den. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

I put up one vertical strip of wallpaper and it, to say the least, looked like crap. The sad part is I put it up just about perfectly... these walls are just not meant for wallpaper, which is so very disappointing. I will not be opening the other 7 rolls of wallpaper liner. 

Instead, I will be repatching and resanding a few times down to fine sandpaper and then I'll be painting the walls and doing the grid board technique I mentioned here. I figure if it isn't any easier and doesn't provide any benefit at all, why put up the wall liner? It's supposed to make the walls look better, not worse. So, below are pictures of the current progress in the den. What a disappointment with the liner idea! Oh well... no time to waste feeling bad about it... gotta get back in there and get to more patching and sanding... 

































At least the walls are primed! :thumbup: We deglossed the wood paneling last weekend, so it should adhere pretty good. Guess time will tell!


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## Thadius856

Wow! What a difference!

I'm in the same damn boat as you right now: original plans didn't quite work out, screwed up about $25 worth of materials, and am nowhere near done in the time frame I expected.

Hang in there. We'll get through this and love the difference, but our projects just look hacked at the moment. Try to visualize the finished look every once in a while.

I'll put up some pictures and a brief update shortly.


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## natedro

*Updates*

Well, I've had quite a busy week, but finally had some time on Sunday to do some work on the den. I was able to get the seams taped and first layer of mud up on the ceiling and to patch over the screw heads. After just the first coat, I am really starting to get a sense of how improved the room will be. 

I also picked up the (splurge.... $200) new ceiling fan for the room. I wanted to go with one without lights at all since I'll be adding recessed soon, but I decided to use the better part of my brain and get one with lights. Problem is... I am very particular with details so I was in the fan section at Lowes for about 2 hours... I finally found one that wasn't displayed, but looked incredible. I wish it were cheaper, but it'll do just fine and I've saved money in enough other places that I could splurge on this and not feel too guilty. The one I got is not found online, so I'll have to post a picture of it later I guess. I'll be putting it up after the ceiling is complete, so maybe within the next week or two. 

I still have to do another 2 coats of mud, sand, touchup mud, prime and paint. I also have to hang the appropriate fan mount. The previous fan was hanging from a roof beam with an eye bolt type of system... it is famous in this house... they're all hung this way. I will also be getting an electrician over here to move some of these stray light switches around that won't make much sense anymore. 

Pictures below!

































Gotta run and get ready for a weekend work function. Catch up with everyone later!


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## Thadius856

Looking great!

What program are you using to mark up the photos?


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## natedro

Thadius856 said:


> Looking great!
> 
> What program are you using to mark up the photos?


I use Photoshop. I am a web/graphic designer in my free time so I've been using it for 10 or so years now.


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## Dinggus

I like that grid board technique alot! Keep up the good work, looking awesome.


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## Thadius856

Ah, I see. I think I could get the same effect, but it'd probably take me 20x longer. For some reason I always found it easier to draw with CAD programs being a number guy, than it was for me to draw in graphics programs. And that's not saying much, considering I've been using them since Photoshop 6, AutoCAD 2000 and Paint Shop Pro at whatever version it was in about '97.


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## natedro

Thadius856 said:


> Ah, I see. I think I could get the same effect, but it'd probably take me 20x longer. For some reason I always found it easier to draw with CAD programs being a number guy, than it was for me to draw in graphics programs. And that's not saying much, considering I've been using them since Photoshop 6, AutoCAD 2000 and Paint Shop Pro at whatever version it was in about '97.


Hahah.. I have an interesting history. I have a B.S. in Construction Management so I was taught AutoCAD in school and I also happened to like web design so I sort of thrive with all these computer programs. I'd love to get better at Google SketchUp. I really like it, but I haven't yet really taken the time to become a pro.


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## natedro

Well, I've been patching all week and trying to stay motivated. That stuff takes forever will all the coats when you're working alone. I'm trying not to complain since I know I'm the only one who will be finishing this. Hopefully by the end of the weekend, I'll have a good progress update on the joint compound stuff. 

I am about 75% through with the ceiling. I still need to do about half of the last coat of mud before sanding, then I will prime and paint.

With the walls, I need to go back and use plenty more joint compound all over the place. I will also need to get more joint compound since I'm sure the 5 containers I bought aren't going to finish the job for me. 



In other news, I intend on doing some outside work over the next week or two, since the weather is getting beautiful. I've been moving around a lot of dirt trying to level the yard a bit better and I've also been pulling down a lot of the gutters. I'm even debating on ripping off all of the aluminum and vinyl siding off of the house and just painting the pink boards under everything. I really don't like the cheap look that aluminum or vinyl give to a brick home like ours. 

Any recommendations on whether or not to take the aluminun and vinyl siding down? Any reasons not to?

I'll post some pics after I get a little more progress made.


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## Thadius856

As little as you probably want to hear this said, it's something that I would probably need (but not want) to be told myself:

Finish your other project first, or you never will.


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## natedro

Thadius856 said:


> As little as you probably want to hear this said, it's something that I would probably need (but not want) to be told myself:
> 
> Finish your other project first, or you never will.


 
Certainly wise advice. I will stick with the den as the main focus. I definitely won't be doing the vinyl/aluminum removal stuff any time soon. I would love to get the last 3 or 4 pieces of failing gutter down though. They are horrible and I'm pretty sure the culprit of any potential foundation issues, so putting them in high priority seems essential.


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## Dinggus

Thadius856 said:


> As little as you probably want to hear this said, it's something that I would probably need (but not want) to be told myself:
> 
> Finish your other project first, or you never will.


Wife told me that before I deployed and I tried tackling the living room and kitchen all at once. Living room got done, kitchen will probably take a week when I get back.


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## natedro

Dinggus said:


> Wife told me that before I deployed and I tried tackling the living room and kitchen all at once. Living room got done, kitchen will probably take a week when I get back.


Haha story of my life, minus the deployment. Instead of working on the house Saturday, I bought a new couch on Craiglist. By the time I did all the checking it out, getting friends together to move it and finally putting it in the house, a whole day had gone by. It's a great couch though... too bad the den had to be put on hold again for it though.


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## Thadius856

Same here. I have no idea when my bucket comes up, but I'm hoping for at least another 12 months before deploying.

I'm trying to stretch it out to coincide with my SRB (2.0x), but the chances of that are... dismally small.

Forecast calls for 3 days of rain starting this evening. This will be the first rain of more under this roof. *cross fingers*


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## Dinggus

Talking about buying couches, I accidently pushed the cat liter box to close to the wall, so our skinny cat was able to fit between the wall and cat liter box, but our fat cat couldn't, so she insisted that she'd piss on the couch and now it's her new spot. Wife believes that she only keeps pissing there because we haven't been able to get rid of the smell, so we're looking at buying another couch.. Third one in 2 years and this one is pretty badass. So if I get it, we'll get Stanley Steamer to try and get rid of the smell, if not guess it'll be a free couch.


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## Thadius856

Ouch!

I bought my black leather theater seating for $1000 from a guy who paid $5500 retail two years before. He didn't fall victim to a cat, but rather the wife wanting something more... contemporary than utilitarian.

If I had to choose between the wife or the couch, she'd probably win, but if I had to choose between my couch or a cat... lets just say I don't like cats.


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## Dinggus

Buying the couch, but enough thread jacking.

How many sq ft is that room with carpet tile? I'm trying to see how much I need to spend, everyone room is around 144-200sq ft, I'm assuming.

Debating to buy laminate from Lumber Liquidators for the whole house which would be around $2000-$2600, or get carpet tile and put it in the living room, and 3 bedrooms.


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## natedro

Dinggus said:


> Buying the couch, but enough thread jacking.
> 
> How many sq ft is that room with carpet tile? I'm trying to see how much I need to spend, everyone room is around 144-200sq ft, I'm assuming.
> 
> Debating to buy laminate from Lumber Liquidators for the whole house which would be around $2000-$2600, or get carpet tile and put it in the living room, and 3 bedrooms.


yeah that's about right. Closer to 200+ sf with the closets (one is a walk-in). I think it was approximately $2/sf. Maybe $2.50. I like it but I can imagine that would be subjective. Order a box and see after you lay a few if you like it or not. Good luck with whatever you go with.


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## Dinggus

Wife went to Home Depot and they said they didn't have carpet tile there, so, we'll try Lowes.

So you cost you around $500 for that 200sq room?


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## natedro

Dinggus said:


> Wife went to Home Depot and they said they didn't have carpet tile there, so, we'll try Lowes.
> 
> So you cost you around $500 for that 200sq room?


it's online only. I think it was initially $300 with shipping, but I was a box short so it went to closer to $400 with the extra box and shipping.


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## Dinggus

That's not bad at all. I was figuring that it would be around the same, but then I used a carpet tile calculator and it said I need 84 tiles, so it didn't seem right figured I'd just ask you. Did you buy from Home Depot or Lowes?


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## natedro

Dinggus said:


> That's not bad at all. I was figuring that it would be around the same, but then I used a carpet tile calculator and it said I need 84 tiles, so it didn't seem right figured I'd just ask you. Did you buy from Home Depot or Lowes?



Home Depot:

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...splay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

^^Those are the ones I bought (the border were the black hobnail ones).

I just looked at the receipts and with two separate orders and 8 total boxes (288SF total I bought and I have extra), the total was ~$370. It would have been at least $50 less without the border I did.

Another newer option I just happened upon here looks like a thicker version of the same stuff. Might try that one for a little more padding, but it's about 17% more expensive. This one is .4" thick vs the .25" the other one is. I assume that's a little more padding and carpet thickness. Let me know what you end up doing. I think the stuff is pretty cool.


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## Dinggus

Well Lowes won't let us buy online the carpet we like which is a light grey. So we're going with this:

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs...talogId=10053&productId=202510460&R=202510460


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## natedro

No real progress to update with at the moment.

We have been planning a vacation to North Carolina in the mountains and that has taken the den funding away for now. Should be able to do some more by the end of the year I hope. If only money grew on trees...

In any case, we have been looking into the idea of doing something with the concrete floors next. I really like *this* and I'm hoping we can do it with the existing concrete floors we have. 

We will be using bean-e-doo on the floors to remove all of the glue and mastic from the previous parquet and peel-and-stick vinyl and then we will be doing whatever we have to in order to get the floors to look like the ones in the pictures. Anyone have experience with painting concrete floors?

Here's a good image of what I'm aiming for:







Not too shiny, not too dull, looks interesting and super durable.


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## natedro

Thadius856 said:


> A couple thoughts...
> 
> The bumblebee bathroom is a bit overpowering to me. A few pints of a more pastel yellow on the upper half of the wall would help break it up a little bit, if you're going to stick with the yellow. And I can't see the ceiling, but I sure hope it's a mattee white.
> 
> The master bedroom is coming along nicely. The den as well. I really do like the ceiling that you covered up, even if it was unfinished.
> 
> The gutters scare me. I think you made the right decision here. With 2'8" of overhang, your brick will never get wet except in severe driving rain. I'd be more concerned with grading from the house than anything else. Ideally, we'd want to see a 1" drop per 1' for the first 6' for this reason. Do the best you can with what you have and be sure to try to keep as much water away from sitting against the side of the house as you can.
> 
> I wouldn't call a pro for restarting on the door rough-in. This is a valuable learning experience, and not nearly as hard as it seems.
> 
> As for the layout... what gets me the most is the HUGE amount of doors you have. The guest bedroom alone has no less than 6 doors in it. This is the biggest chances I can see for opening up a bunch of the spaces. You're also losing a ton of wall space that could hold shelving, pictures, bookcases, etc. How about... this?
> 
> View attachment 37904
> 
> 
> The master bed loses some closet space. This could open up space for a walk-through or walk-in expansion of the existing closet if you feel you need the storage space. The guest bed gains a lot of extra space.


Didn't mean to never respond to this. I guess I was pretty busy putting up all the original posts and editing pictures I forgot about it!

*Re: Layout*

Well, while I would certainly like the master to be larger and to gain the space in the hall as well, I don't think that will work. Unfortunately between the home office and the guest bedroom, the spot you have the doors is precisely where the '50s built-in dressers and cabinets are and I'd hate to take away that character from the house. 

With the master bedroom, there are two very valuable closets there that we'd also like to keep either facing the hall or some bedroom (certainly could relocate one of the doors down the road at least). I'd be willing to part with one, but not both, so I don't think that (at least for now) the gain is large enough to change that layout up down there.

*Re: Yellow Bathroom*

I find both bathroom color pallettes to be quite overpowering, but in order to keep within a decent budget for the house in its entirety, we'll probably be working with the existing floors and tiles at least for a few years. 

For the yellow bathroom, I'll probably paint the walls a darker grey and go bold with it to neutralize the bright yellow. In addition, yes, willd definitely be going matte white with the ceiling. Right now it's yellow also... I also plan in to put a nice modern vanity and mirror taking up the entire vanity wall to 'increase' the size of the space. It feels very cramped for now.

*Re: Den Ceiling*

We both liked the unfinished den ceiling as well, but it doesn't fit the rest of the house and I was worried that would be an issue for resale in 10+ years. Knowing I won't want to redo that room later in any capacity, I figured the better solution was to go ahead and cover it up with new drywall.

*Re: Gutters and Grading*

Working on the grading slowly over the weekends. Gutters are all gone except one little 10 foot section now near the overhead power lines... may have to wait a while for those to come down.

*Re: Door Rough-in*

You're right - definitely going to be doing that myself or at least with the help of someone who's done it before. I think I'm capable.

*Re: Huge Amount of Doors*

I totally agree. Too many in the hall. Unfortunately, probably something we'll have to mostly live with. Might end up doing away with the two closets near the end of the hall at some point though. That would less doors and also might make the guest bedroom door a pocket door. Still debating that one for practicality. It would definitely fit the character of the house though.


I think that covers everything! Phew.


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## natedro

Thadius856 said:


> Oddly enough, I can't see my own image.
> 
> I *really* like the slat idea for the patio. In the image you provided, it works so well because of the matching railing/fence.
> 
> Are you planning anything to match the columns?


Probably going to be matching some horizontal wood slat cladding on the house. I really like modern design so I can imagine at some point when the outside is ready for changing, I will go crazy with some modern touches that will really make the house stand out.

Note: In the picture, that's just a porch thing they added the wood slats around. I would actually attach some to the brick itself if I end up doing this.


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## Thadius856

natedro said:


> Probably going to be matching some horizontal wood slat cladding on the house. I really like modern design so I can imagine at some point when the outside is ready for changing, I will go crazy with some modern touches that will really make the house stand out.
> 
> Note: In the picture, that's just a porch thing they added the wood slats around. I would actually attach some to the brick itself if I end up doing this.


Ooooh, that's nice too.


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## Thadius856

It's been a week, and I'm dying for an update.

What's the haps?


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## natedro

Well it's been quite a while. All sorts of things happening. So many things have broken since I last posted! Just had the a/c blower motor replaced (80's a/c central unit... not surprising..) but at least it blows better now. Recently, the main plumbing line had to be cleaned out by a plumber since my toilet was gurgling and everything seemed to start draining very slow. Lesson learned: no more draino and get your drain cleared every 4 or 5 years. 

Almost done with the den. New floors are down in converted dining (old living) and den. All sorts of new Craigslist retro furniture to post. I'll hold out until I'm actually done with the rooms though. Very close, but I want to finish the detail work as well. Currently awaiting electrical advice for converting a 3-way switch to a 2-way and the other to a GFCI for the wall-mounted TV. 

Soon, I want to install recessed lighting in the dining room and build a huge, simple table. 

Change of plans on laundry room. According to plumber, would be very easy and inexpensive to convert outside storage room attached to dining room into a laundry room. It's wide enough too for both washer and dryer, so seems like a no brainer. I'm going to get him back out here for a ballpark quote soon of the plumbing cost.


Next priority after finishing the den and dining rooms are ripping off old aluminum/vinyl eaves siding and putting up gutters. 

Then, we'll be adding a cased opening between dining and eat-in kitchen area as originally planned (load bearing wall, remember?). Then, boxing in pantry and prepping old storage room to become laundry room (plumbing, electrical, sheetrock, flooring, etc.).

*So... what happened to my updates? 
Life.*

My mom moved in right after my last post and really kind of turned my world upside down. Since then, lots of financial hurdles have come up (house, car, medical), relationship hurdles and career hurdles. I've really not been dedicated to the house. Hoping I'm getting back into the swing of things.

Mom helped me remove the mastic from the floors and it was a total PITA and the messiest thing I've ever done in my life. Tested my relationship, investment in this house and patience. I will never take on a project like that again! Ended up scraping and squeegeeing my life away for weekends for months with mom. Went with Trafficmaster Allure flooring in the two rooms because of the dogs. So far, so good. Looks very rustic and performing very well. Does seem to show claw marks, but no scrapes at all. Very resilient. 

*Then, life just started happening and throwing curveballs left and right.*

Switched insurance carriers for a discount to dedicate more money to projects and NATURALLY as soon as we start a project, I get a letter telling me that I have to fix 5 big things in 60 days or they'll cancel the policy... GREAT. So, that took 2 whole months. Had to redo the front porch (needed to be done, just wasn't the ideal project at the time). We removed all the existing teracotta tile since they were chipping off and had been caulked to death and were still not performing as intended. Had to rent a massive tile remover to accomplish this. The ones that weren't coming off were on there REALLY good. Then, framed around existing concrete porch and poured a sand/mix topping which to date is holding up OK. Not our best work, but we were rushed and short on funds. Wasn't enjoyable with the heat (would've preferred a summer installation), but at least it's done. While we did the front patio, we also put up 4x4 wood posts. I intend to trim these out later on with something nicer and paint them, but for now it still looks 1000% better than the spray painted frilly scrollwork supports. 

Also changed the front porch light and hung house numbers. Repainted existing mailbox and really like the outcome. 

Changed the entrance door to the den. Bought a new one from HD and DIY'd it (per insurance deadline given). Haven't painted the inside yet, but outside is a sunny yellow to brighten up the mood before you enter the construction house.  Thought that was a nice idea. 

So many projects still left, but it's nice to have a living room for the first time since we've moved in. Working now on finishing the touch-up paint and hanging art over the next 2 weeks.

Also had about 15 CY of rocks delivered to keep the dogs from bringing so much dirt into the house. We couldn't afford concrete and rocks seemed like the next best thing for a cool zen garden effect in the back yard. Turned out pretty nice, but dogs are proving to still bring lots of dirt in. Working on ultimate solution...

Installed a doggy door and also finished the side entrance wood fence conversion. We removed the remaining old chain link fence in the back yard and used 4 of the poles and the existing aluminum gate frame to build our wooden gate and wood fence. It looks really good from the outside. I'm proud of the outcome. 

Finally ordered the window covering for the whole south side of the house and all of the windows in the den. This was quite pricey, but the effect has been noticeable on our electric bill already. 

Had to remove the pocket doors between new dining room and the den because they were too heavy for the track and were not holding up no matter how much I tightened them. It was cheaper to make it a cased opening instead of replacing the doors so that's what I did. 

Also, for all the windows in the new dining room and den, got fine steel wool and polished the aluminum. They're looking great now. 

*
So, as you can see, so many projects have been going on. Life knows how to happen, whether you are ready for it or not!*

Pics to come soon hopefully.


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## natedro

Almost forgot. Also had termites in trim around front door. Was a great day finding that out. Retreated for free since it was within a year of the initial treatment.


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## natedro

Original Layout: 








Updated Layout: 








New layout plan -- changing location of laundry room (per plumber saying it wouldn't be difficult). Changing up the hallway to gain space in the master bedroom and bathroom. Those are going to be later projects, but this is an ultimate goals type of plan. 

Looking forward to getting some more money to get more of the plan into action.


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