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Renovation - where to start?

34K views 495 replies 24 participants last post by  peanut 
#1 ·
Can anyone help me? We have a lot of work to do on our property. We need:

~ a new garage (our sill is under water for a few months of the year and the shingles are non-existent. This is a 1950s wonder.)
~ a mature 50' tree 10' from our foundation removed.
~ a new fence
~ a new kitchen (will need to be gutted)
~ new entryway (will need to be gutted)
~ refinished hardwood throughout, with some baseboard replaced,
~ and a structural engineer in to check our basement, which appears to be moving (as most homes in the area are!)

What order would you do these in?

The structural engineer wants us to gut the basement before he comes to look at it. Unfortunately for him we have a boarder staying there. We could move her upstairs, but that would mean emptying out my sewing studio. I could bring some of it to the main floor, but the reality is the rest of the basement has to be stored somewhere on site so we can access hubby's tools for the reno (we will be doing some of it). That seems to push the garage to the forefront of projects to be done. What do you all think?
 
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#79 ·
Yes, SD. He still doesn't know what I have planned for this weekend, but I can move ahead fairly confidently, knowing what his tastes/desires are now.

We actually looked at landscape ties for raised beds at RONA today too. Talked to a sales associate who recommended not using them for vegetable beds. He told us to go to Peavey Mart! We were over there and they had nothing. Hubby and I are going to wait till next week and head to Co-op and see if they have any cedar for raised beds. The main thing holding back the yard plan, according to hubby, is the cost of the raised beds.

I think the fact it is spring has changed hubby's mood considerably. He's pretty depressed and grumpy in winter. But the sun has been shining 3 or 4 days in a row, except today (it rained). And the snow is melting, so he feels pretty good right now. The ideal time to talk to him about home renos.
 
#81 ·
Way to go on the progress you have been making :)
We used cinder blocks for raised beds...a low cost option to see if we even keep up with the gardening and what not. I also think you should see how the floor is under the laminate...you might be pleasantly surprised :)
 
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#83 ·
thanks Citrine. Hubby is adamant that it 'looks good'. We're in an upscale neighborhood and cinder blocks to not 'look good' by his definition! :rolleyes:

CookieLee: you crack me up! I'm just trying to take it one step at a time so I do not get overwhelmed. What will be will be. What I get done I get done. I may need a little help wiring lights methinks. Haven't done one wired right into the ceiling before. Though I've put together many, many lamps before. Haven't wired a switch before, though I think that's pretty straight forward.
 
#85 ·
Thanks Zakity, I think I'll watch some videos this afternoon.

Well, I got into the closet to try and take the shelf off the supports and out the door to put the veneer edging on and guess what? I think they put the shelf in first and then built the closet around it. I can't get it out any way, no how. It just won't come out. So I'm going to get my craft iron on an extension cord and get in and see what I can do. Means painting that closet is going to be fun this weekend. :sigh:
 
#86 ·
If you have no experience with wiring, I suggest finding someone who does. It's not difficult but it's important that it's done right, polarity isn't reversed, etc. Really old wiring can be especially dangerous and difficult to work with. Unpleasant surprises aren't uncommon with old wiring, either, once you get into it. You don't want to take a chance of burning down your house.
 
#88 ·
Filed down the veneer. It doesn't look too bad. But I'll wait till hubby comes home and get him to check it. he's the detail man at our place.

I've been watching YouTube videos on painting paneling. I watched 3 videos and all 3 said to prime with something different! One said oil only, topped with latex. As an artist that really grates on my nerves. We never put latex over oil. Another said oil all the way. Another said latex all the way. Hmm...this might have something to do with the type of paneling on the wall. We have real oak paneling. I'll talk to the guys at my favorite paint store.
 
#89 ·
It probably depends on the finish on the paneling more than the type of wood.

The thing I see recommended the most to prime over an existing finish is KILZ. Personally, I can't use that stuff as I'm highly allergic to the oil based version and slightly less allergic to the latex version. If you decide to use KILZ or anything like it, do NOT do it if you can't have you windows open for at least 24 hours.
 
#90 ·
Thanks SD. I was thinking of a coating of KILZ. But it depends how long things take to dry. I have 2 1/2 days to do this. Ideally I'd like to get more than the painting done. But we shall see.

I am sensitive to smelly stuff. Can't be around the Maximum Hide primer Canadian Tire sells. Gives me instant migraine. So that's out. In fact, I suspect all oil base primer is out too.
 
#91 ·
If you're sensitive to chemicals, do NOT use KILZ! I could only work with that stuff using a respirator and even then had to take Benedryl because my face swelled up to three times normal size. Even if I use the latex version, which is milder, outside in the open air, I react to it.

I'd say you need to sand the paneling before you paint it.
 
#92 ·
Thanks SD. I don't know what I'll do yet. Sanding sounds like a good plan though.

Hubby looked at my veneer job and declared it "not bad...at least where everyone can see it." :lol: Oh dear. Guess I better get in the closet tomorrow and work on the edges a bit more.
 
#94 ·
Okay, I bought everything I think I need BUT the baseboards, bifold doors, and anything to do with the floor.

I have the low baseboards in the garage, but the rest of the house has 1x10 fir baseboards throughout, and I know hubby wanted that look continued. We paint the baseboards though, so I'm thinking 1x10 finger jointed pine would work. Couldn't find any straight 1x10, finger jointed or otherwise, at either RONA or Home Depot. I must be looking in the wrong places... :shake:

The bifold doors are a problem. They come in standard 80" height or are special order. Our door opening size is 48x77". The men at RONA wanted me to buy a standard door and cut it to size on a table saw! Not sure how that would look for an entryway closet door I'm sure! I also am not that confident on the table saw. Wouldn't know what blade to have on there or how to put it on. I've used a table saw before, but someone else has always set it up for me. So I'm just not going there this time. The other option is to special order doors in. The doors can wait till hubby gets back.

I did pick up a tool to make lifting lino easier, but I did not pick up the wood strips to join the floor to the other wood floors or the door. I'm thinking that is another weekend project.
 
#95 ·
I have just been given the gift of half a day. :) Hubby is being picked up at 8:30 AM tomorrow morning. My student doesn't come till 10 and will only stay till 11:30 AM. That gives me an extra 1 1/2 hours to empty the closet and get started wiping everything down with TSP. :)
 
#96 · (Edited)
Question...

Do I have to cut off all electricity to the entry before unscrewing the switch plate and light to paint? Or can I keep it on and just 'be careful'. I'm concerned because it's supposed to be an overcast day tomorrow and I want to be able to see if my paint job is any good before applying the second layer, kwim?

ETA: Never mind. Found out what to do. :)
 
#98 ·
Demolition done EXCEPT lifting the lino. As the glue/backing removal machine is due to be picked up late this afternoon, I have some time to demo the flooring. I'd like to do it all before I wipe down the walls and prime them though. I'm on my break right now. I figure as I'm a 50+ yr. old AND I'm not used to any kind of labor, I better take frequent breaks. :)

My friend was by and dropped off a crowbar.

I am on a steep learning curve right now. Taking things apart really shows you how things are constructed.
 
#100 ·
Oh gosh, I wouldn't "lift the lino" of an old house. It is usually full of asbestos. It is better to 'encase' it with a new floor. They now make lino "tiles" that look like wood slats. I'd consider that for the entry considering your floor height issues and weather conditions.

Oh and Kilz comes in a water-based formula now. I use it without difficulty and I have tons of allergies. Kilz (and Zinsser) is actually just shellac with a color in it but it works really well in selling all sorts of problems.

No, you don't need to kill the power before removing a faceplate cover. Typically you need the power on to paint. Kill the power when switching out the light fixture, though.
 
#101 ·
I've used the water-based KILZ formula and it's almost as bad for me as the oil-based version. I guess the only way you can know is to try it, but since I'm sensitive to chemicals I would NEVER try a new chemical if I was home alone.
 
#102 ·
I didn't buy KILZ. I mentioned the smell problem and the paint store sold me a can of Fresh Start primer, which is supposedly no odor.

CookieLee...too late. The flooring is up. At least the first layer. One more layer, the backing, to go. It was disintegrating underfoot CookieLee, so was not safe as is. Plus it was not level to lay any flooring over, and I know why now. The hardwood beneath is not level. The other problem I had was the door sill was right level with the lino. So if I had to add flooring to it I would have had to buy a shorter door?! Or shaved my current one off, and put in new sill, etc. So the lino came out.

I've been wearing a filtering mask and gloves and have windows and doors open...just in case. I checked online and there is a site with photo ID of flooring that has asbestos in it. Mostly it's tiles. Mine is sheet flooring. Mine doesn't show up in the photo ID. It looks newer than the linos pictured too.

I did discover I need to remove the closet baseboards to get the lino out. The walls of the closet sit over the lino too. They apparently laid the entire area in lino and THEN built the closet...right over top the lino. :sigh: May need to wait for my friend to get here this afternoon to get the baseboards out. She has more upper body strength than I do.
 
#103 ·
If the baseboards are nailed on with finishing nails, take a punch and drive the nails all the way through rather than trying to pry them off. They will crack easily, and don't ask me how I know that. :(

You should also be using a pry bar, not a crowbar.
 
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