Big reno starting up on Tuesday!

[eds1275]

Whoop.

   I bought my place about 6 years ago. Since that time, I've been renovating it inside and converting the moss field into a proper grass lawn. I paid for a sweet gazebo that was destroyed and removed when I moved in. I fell 15 feet down a well that had plywood laid over the hole and grass planted on top <--- yes, true story. I converted the basement into a recording studio with a jam room, vocal booth, control room, bathroom and lounge area. I am happy with how it turned out but am sick of renovating. This will be the first reno where I pay someone else to do it.

   My house was a nasty looking peach and white stucco. All the windows are single pane, except for the bay and bedroom windows, which are dual with the seals broken and are so badly frosted inside that you can barely see through them. The windows need replacing, and to do it the stucco around them needed to be removed, so I figured I'd get all new siding as well at the same time instead of trying to patch it and have it look good. Plus the stucco was broken in some places.

   I got a quote for new windows, siding, and stucco removal plus a tyvek house wrap. The windows and siding were not too bad - about $20, 000. Stucco removal was quoted at $8500 because it contains asbestos - $4200 for removal and the rest for proper disposal. That put me out of my budget so I decided to remove the stucco myself. My wife said she would help, and boy did she try. I bet she put in 3x the effort I did, but she just doesn't have the muscle to do it. I got her cleaning up instead, and even then I ended up doing the majority of it. Our house took me about 20 hours to do solo - 16 for the stucco, and then there was another layer of siding underneath that I ripped off. I figured I would get right down to the sheathing to make sure there was nothing wrong. There was a little rot that I fixed and now I am done, waiting for them to start with the windows and siding on Tuesday.

   I also picked up 20 trees to plant for a hedge across the back of my property next week when the sun comes out, with the help of my neighbor. By the end of next week there will be a major transformation and I am really excited. That leaves me with very few projects to finish up... of course I'll be playing catch up for a few months on this reno so at least 2 of them are going to have to wait for summer 2015.

Pour the concrete for my mini golf along the back of my property.
Install a sweet patio with 16x16" stones. Some of which are slightly darker and form a space invader.
Build a 10x13 workshop/shed to house my tools and kayaks.
Pour a slab and build a gazebo that covers my future hot tub and has a bar on one side that faces out into the yard.

Any suggestions or tips for concrete work? I have done all sorts of everything else but never with concrete aside from installing fence posts. I've done lots of research and it seems like very straight forward yet labour intensive.

[pbj]

I fell 15 feet down a well that had plywood laid over the hole and grass planted on top <--- yes, true story.

Are you Baby Jessica....?

I'd like an apology for interrupting The Real Ghostbusters with your damned TV coverage.

[ark_ader]

Whoop.

   I bought my place about 6 years ago. Since that time, I've been renovating it inside and converting the moss field into a proper grass lawn. I paid for a sweet gazebo that was destroyed and removed when I moved in. I fell 15 feet down a well that had plywood laid over the hole and grass planted on top <--- yes, true story. I converted the basement into a recording studio with a jam room, vocal booth, control room, bathroom and lounge area. I am happy with how it turned out but am sick of renovating. This will be the first reno where I pay someone else to do it.

   My house was a nasty looking peach and white stucco. All the windows are single pane, except for the bay and bedroom windows, which are dual with the seals broken and are so badly frosted inside that you can barely see through them. The windows need replacing, and to do it the stucco around them needed to be removed, so I figured I'd get all new siding as well at the same time instead of trying to patch it and have it look good. Plus the stucco was broken in some places.

   I got a quote for new windows, siding, and stucco removal plus a tyvek house wrap. The windows and siding were not too bad - about $20, 000. Stucco removal was quoted at $8500 because it contains asbestos - $4200 for removal and the rest for proper disposal. That put me out of my budget so I decided to remove the stucco myself. My wife said she would help, and boy did she try. I bet she put in 3x the effort I did, but she just doesn't have the muscle to do it. I got her cleaning up instead, and even then I ended up doing the majority of it. Our house took me about 20 hours to do solo - 16 for the stucco, and then there was another layer of siding underneath that I ripped off. I figured I would get right down to the sheathing to make sure there was nothing wrong. There was a little rot that I fixed and now I am done, waiting for them to start with the windows and siding on Tuesday.

   I also picked up 20 trees to plant for a hedge across the back of my property next week when the sun comes out, with the help of my neighbor. By the end of next week there will be a major transformation and I am really excited. That leaves me with very few projects to finish up... of course I'll be playing catch up for a few months on this reno so at least 2 of them are going to have to wait for summer 2015.

Pour the concrete for my mini golf along the back of my property.
Install a sweet patio with 16x16" stones. Some of which are slightly darker and form a space invader.
Build a 10x13 workshop/shed to house my tools and kayaks.
Pour a slab and build a gazebo that covers my future hot tub and has a bar on one side that faces out into the yard.

Any suggestions or tips for concrete work? I have done all sorts of everything else but never with concrete aside from installing fence posts. I've done lots of research and it seems like very straight forward yet labour intensive.

Just make sure you do not do anything that might depreciate your property value.  Otherwise have fun! 

[Howard_Casto]

Heh....  I thought this was some kind of event from the title.  As in big "Reno" on Tuesday. 

I thought there would be arcade machines at a casino or something. 

[ark_ader]

Heh....  I thought this was some kind of event from the title.  As in big "Reno" on Tuesday. 

I thought there would be arcade machines at a casino or something. 

Actually they have a quite an interesting assortment of classic games at the casinos in Reno when I was there a couple of years ago.  Circus Circus in particular had a few.  My guess is that the management still believes if the kids are occupied the adults will be too at the slots.  Next time I am up there I will do a recon, as I am sure there are games there that could be for sale. Usually you find the redemption machines like in the second floor of Circus Circus in Las Vegas, which is a sharp contrast to the heyday of the 80s and 90s.

[eds1275]

Just make sure you do not do anything that might depreciate your property value.  Otherwise have fun! 

I suppose that all depends on who values what, but nothing I am doing can't be undone. I plan on living here for a long time though.