OP
The devil's in the utilities.
Renovating my house in the suburbs
- Thread starter Muhammad
- Start date
- Views: 20923
OP
Remember that staircase?
I don't really know if there is a "right" way to do this but I knew I wanted to bend some thin plywood to form the curve. So what I did was draw the curve zi wanted on the wall under the stairs, then cut out the sheetrock. From there I just built like an inverse staircase with no particular rules other than make each row straight and strong enough to hang from. It wasn't pretty but should look good once it's all covered up.
I don't really know if there is a "right" way to do this but I knew I wanted to bend some thin plywood to form the curve. So what I did was draw the curve zi wanted on the wall under the stairs, then cut out the sheetrock. From there I just built like an inverse staircase with no particular rules other than make each row straight and strong enough to hang from. It wasn't pretty but should look good once it's all covered up.
OP
Always a good feeling when you draw the line and start closing things back up.
Also running a line in the kitchen for power to the center island.
Also running a line in the kitchen for power to the center island.
OP
Doing all the sheetrock and mud myself... often at 10 or 11pm. Scrambling to get this place livable. We're suppose to move in on the 29th. At this point we're at July 16. Making my calculations on how to get this all done in a week...
OP
Not far at all from Westfield UTC... my wife used to live in La Jolla and to be honest if we had the money we'd probably live down there. They're doing tons of work at UTC. I think $400 million already went into it and now another phase. That's not counting all of the massive apartment complexes, medical, research, university, and biotechnology being built.
As for my building skills I tinkered as a teenager and then learned by watching people I hired the last time I renovated a place. I usually found things to be simple and felt I could do just as good of a job myself and save all the labor cost.
OP
Well... July 18... baby came early. Wound up in the hospital for three days.
I think I should have saved this suit for painting.
Healthy baby girl 7lbs 4ozs...
I think I should have saved this suit for painting.
Healthy baby girl 7lbs 4ozs...
OP
Back in the house... topping mud. Love working with this and a 12" blade. I barely need to sand after the last coat. 
thclimer
Veteran Member
Wow, you certainly have taken on a big job at a busy time in your life but it looks like you have a pretty good handle on it, I'm impressed. Keep going you are going to have a nicely updated house when your done, can't wait to see the final pictures.
OP
Got myself into a bit of a mess here. I started prying away at this gas fireplace trying to get some of the trim pieces off, in hopes of disconnecting the insert from the chimney so I could put a new insert in. But that led to basically destroying the entire insert unit. I really dislike these because they don't look very good and only serve one function... this one looks like it was not used much.
Anyway, in the process of two hours of prying and tugging and disassembling this thing I finally lost patience and busted out the sawzall when all the screws I found still didn't loosen the insert from the chimney. If you know much about these, you know where this is headed.
Once I literally cut the chimney off of this (I was at the point of no return), I tugged the insert out... then the entire chimney sleeve just came crashing down into the space where the insert was. Mission failure, total failure.
I spent the better part of a day almost depressed about this fireplace situation as we have a two day old baby at home and I'm trying to figure out if I can get a new insert, or build a masonry fireplace... but we don't even plan on using this, just wanted to do something decorative.
My wife suggested a fake fireplace and I got to digging on Amazon and found an electric fireplace. Eureka! It'll look like a fireplace and even have fake flames but none of the other trouble.View attachment 670321
Anyway, in the process of two hours of prying and tugging and disassembling this thing I finally lost patience and busted out the sawzall when all the screws I found still didn't loosen the insert from the chimney. If you know much about these, you know where this is headed.
Once I literally cut the chimney off of this (I was at the point of no return), I tugged the insert out... then the entire chimney sleeve just came crashing down into the space where the insert was. Mission failure, total failure.
I spent the better part of a day almost depressed about this fireplace situation as we have a two day old baby at home and I'm trying to figure out if I can get a new insert, or build a masonry fireplace... but we don't even plan on using this, just wanted to do something decorative.
My wife suggested a fake fireplace and I got to digging on Amazon and found an electric fireplace. Eureka! It'll look like a fireplace and even have fake flames but none of the other trouble.View attachment 670321
OP
Framed out both fireplace surrounds. At this point I'm only planning to finish them with drywall, and the one with the curve will get a small wood mantle. That one will also get a tile interior as it's a masonry fireplace and actually functional. We're not big on fireplaces here in San Diego so I'm just looking for anesthetics at this point. 
OP
We've accepted that the kitchen won't be done for a while as we aren't going to install cabinets until the flooring is down.
Speaking of flooring, 2100sq ft of engineered hardwood has been ordered and I've got our installers spending three days scarifing the entire floor. It was a proper mess of overspray, glue, high spots, low spots, cracks, seams, you name it. I think i got a great deal on the entire floor prep from the point of it being scraped clean to ready for glue firm flooring, for $750. Like i said it was three days of work. But of course the actual flooring install came in at $5250 plus glue so this is a big expense from a labor perspective.
I could do the entire flooring job myself but it would probably take me 10 days if you factor in rest breaks.
Photos here show some of the 15 bags of self leveling mix we needed. Entire concrete floor needed leveling to make it flat.
Speaking of flooring, 2100sq ft of engineered hardwood has been ordered and I've got our installers spending three days scarifing the entire floor. It was a proper mess of overspray, glue, high spots, low spots, cracks, seams, you name it. I think i got a great deal on the entire floor prep from the point of it being scraped clean to ready for glue firm flooring, for $750. Like i said it was three days of work. But of course the actual flooring install came in at $5250 plus glue so this is a big expense from a labor perspective.
I could do the entire flooring job myself but it would probably take me 10 days if you factor in rest breaks.
Photos here show some of the 15 bags of self leveling mix we needed. Entire concrete floor needed leveling to make it flat.
mmancuso13
Silver Member
- Joined
- Jan 8, 2017
- Messages
- 213
- Location
- Sykesville, MD
- Tractor
- Bobcat Toolcat 5600, Kubota RTV-X1100C
Looks like a lot of work but you are really making progress!
Keep at it and keep us posted...
Keep at it and keep us posted...
OP
Big milestone here as flooring goes firm. Only problem is it's July 27th and the floors aren't going to be done until July 28th, which is move in day. Other place has to be empty by the 29th. So this means we'll be moving in with:
- No baseboards
- No kitchen
- No stair railing
- Unfinished fireplaces
- Old outlets and switches
- Missing light fixtures
- A garage full of renovation stuff
Oh and a 10 day old baby. My wife is a Saint.
- No baseboards
- No kitchen
- No stair railing
- Unfinished fireplaces
- Old outlets and switches
- Missing light fixtures
- A garage full of renovation stuff
Oh and a 10 day old baby. My wife is a Saint.
OP
We had to stay at my parents house for two nights while we waited for the flooring to get finished... hectic isn't the right word.
I rented a box truck to go pick up cabinets and a big fridge that I got for $500 off a guy who lives in a big expensive house. It's 10 years old but he says it works...
I could have gotten away with a smaller truck but it's all they had. I am not a fan of these freightliners, they ride like battle wagons on the freeway.
I rented a box truck to go pick up cabinets and a big fridge that I got for $500 off a guy who lives in a big expensive house. It's 10 years old but he says it works...
I could have gotten away with a smaller truck but it's all they had. I am not a fan of these freightliners, they ride like battle wagons on the freeway.
OP
Got the fridge home, plugged it in and am hour later it started beeping. It's a big viking so I have no clue where to start... but it's not cooling at all. Checked some YouTube videos but so far none of those are fixes for this issue. I'll call a repair guy.
Just started on kitchen cabinets. We can't order countertops until cabinets are in so I want to get this moving ahead. I'm doing it myself like almost everything else. Levels. Shims, and straight edges are my friends.
This kitchen has angled corners which makes for some wasted space and necessitates some extra spacers. Also since no wall is perfectly plumb, it's tricky to line everything up and cut spacers at the correct angles.
Just started on kitchen cabinets. We can't order countertops until cabinets are in so I want to get this moving ahead. I'm doing it myself like almost everything else. Levels. Shims, and straight edges are my friends.
This kitchen has angled corners which makes for some wasted space and necessitates some extra spacers. Also since no wall is perfectly plumb, it's tricky to line everything up and cut spacers at the correct angles.
OP
Got the spacers in on the wall cabinets. A couple of them were driving me nuts. I had to choose either an even space or a plumb cabinet. In retrospect I would be even more obsessive about checking every single edge for plumb as if you're off a little on every cabinet you're off a lot after five cabinets. 
OP
Well the fridge is a write off. Repair guy came and did it has a leak in the sealed system and is basically beyond repair.
I called the guy who sold it to me and he agreed to give me my money back. Wow didn't expect that kind of honesty. Now ib just have to dispose of this 400lb fridge.
I called the guy who sold it to me and he agreed to give me my money back. Wow didn't expect that kind of honesty. Now ib just have to dispose of this 400lb fridge.
OP
I went appliance shopping and managed to blow my budget because apparently covid 19 has killed the refrigerator supply for 2020. I went to American freight and got everything for about 50% off of retail which is nice when dealing with these large designer appliances that our layout called for. 42" fridge, 36" range.
Kitchen is taking shape but I'm a few extra days in on the cabinet install. The main reason is I had no idea how totally exhausted I would be from waking up 3-4x every night to feed the baby!
Here's the built in 42" fridge. I'll build it in when the cabinets are all finished.
Kitchen is taking shape but I'm a few extra days in on the cabinet install. The main reason is I had no idea how totally exhausted I would be from waking up 3-4x every night to feed the baby!
Here's the built in 42" fridge. I'll build it in when the cabinets are all finished.
OP
Center island install today. It'll be wood and stained to contrast the white cabinets on the walls.
Also got the plywood on top of the cabinets to prep for countertops.
Also got the plywood on top of the cabinets to prep for countertops.
OP
Installed the sink perfectly centered under the window and above the base cabinet. Routed the plywood out about 1/16" so this will sandwich between the plywood and stone countertop.
Here are some similar links:
