Category: Projects

August 19, 2020 – The final accounting

August 19, 2020 /

First off, I had a great retreat with my wife. We don’t get a lot of quality alone time these days. And it was nice to spend quiet time, just us. It has been a long haul through this project. When I present my final numbers, I think that you will see why.

Since I didn’t keep an exact time sheet, my time contribution is an estimate. What I do know are the days that I did not work at all. Off the top of my head they were Memorial Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Fourth of July and a couple days of camping in July and August. I also didn’t work a lot of extra hours or weekends in April. The switch turned on in May.

March16
April172
May260
June310
July240
August100
Total Hours est.1098

I gave my labor rate at $25/hour so I would say that was worth $27,450. The hours estimate does not include any help that I got. From April to June, my nephew periodically helped with demo and paint for 2-4 hours at a time up to three times a week. My kids did some painting in July and helped on the roof as well. At the very end in August, my wife helped with cleanup, trim paint, and fixture hanging.

There was some rework here and there but overall, very little. The bedroom doors were replaced after completion. I had to work on the pantry door twice, once to straighten it and once for the new floors. The living room trim was completed and then replaced. There was some re-roofing to accommodate for the new skylight in the bathroom. Those were very small in comparison to the overall project.

As to the material costs, I have receipts for $7030. I suspect that I am missing a few because I was keeping an eye out for some particular purchases that I did not see. Maybe I just missed it in haste to total the receipts, but I don’t think so since I summarized each purchase as well.

I want to be up front here as well. I don’t have the final bill for the bathroom. The original quote was $7000 for the total bathroom and flooring. Since I did the roof, siding and bought most of the fixtures, I hope that we are still in that ballpark because it certainly took more than the two week estimate.

Finally, I didn’t get the ‘complete’ photos, because the tenants were very anxious to move in being that the project was seven weeks late. However, I got enough to show the comparison. Move the slider to see either picture better.

There you have it, at least $40,000 complete remodel of the apartment. What happened to the slumlord?

August 4, 2020 – Progress Report

August 4, 2020 /

I will be signing off for another round of family time. I think that I will be back Friday, I would guess early afternoon. But with all of the stuff that will need to be done I suspect this is the last post of the week.

It pains me to put this aside when progress is rapidly happening. In addition, there is still a lot of punchlist items to do. There is nothing I can really do about it but be in the moment.

To summarize this weeks progress, floors are going in, the shower enclosure is up, the bathroom door is installed, new counter tops with a refurbished sink, all electrical is done, rough in plumbing is complete and waiting for fixtures and half of the remaining siding is up.

So what is left? Paint and install remaining siding, final exterior touch up, hang gutters, landscape grading, data wiring, finish the floors, paint and install all trim, install cabinets and fixtures in the bathroom and kitchen, add hot water heater, back splash in bathroom and kitchen. That is it you say? I know that it might seem like a daunting list, but each one of them is closing a phase with visible progress.

As much as I have enjoyed the process and the time, I am ready for completion. I have felt the pressure to finish since I started and now that we are six weeks past the planned finish date, this is the largest stressor for leaving for another three days. For the most part, my scope of work is complete – that is the exterior work. None of that prevents move in. But, I have taken up the torch to help wherever I can on the inside, because that will ultimately save money and time in the end.

July 21, 2020 – The road not taken

July 21, 2020 /

Remember that poem, “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost? If not, you can read it for yourself. I remember reading it several times throughout my youth. One time, I was a senior in high school in AP English and we were doing a third of a year on poetry. It was an early sign of my miswiring.

How can everything in literature have so much symbolism? We read work after work of supposed super deep and intertwined subtext. Be it ‘The Odyssey’ or ‘Oliver Twist’ or ‘Moby Dick’, we spent weeks on weeks of analysis chapter by chapter. Granted, I think that some did such as Dante’s ‘Inferno’ or some Shakespeare.

I feel like there is no way all those stories can be as deep as we try to make it out in a classroom setting. It could be that the only literature deemed classic from the 1600s was Shakepeare and that only survived because his writing was brilliant from a 3D political commentary standpoint. Or it could be because very little was written and this was the best of the period. Either way, it always felt to me that much of the justification for teaching in such a manner was validation of a chosen career field rather than the confirmation of extensive symbolism.

One of my classmates wrote a response to Oliver Twist and in it had a rather insightful line. I will paraphrase by saying taking a live rabbit and cutting it up into pieces does not make a whole rabbit in the end; Something is lost in the process. I started thinking about this topic last night when I was pondering what I was going to write quickly so I could get to work before the heat set in. That is when I thought I would post project progress to keep it easy. Then I thought about “The Road Not Taken”, then I went on to bash the English profession.

This started with plugging the hole for the downdraft vent and removing the drain plumbing from the old bathroom I found several problems, the waste plumbing from the kitchen sink was broken, siding behind the kitchen was rotten. That got me going deeper into the sheathing which had termite damage. Fortunately, the framing was still solid, so all that had to be replaced.

From the bathroom standpoint, the sheetrock and finishing has been completed, it will be paint next. By the way, if anyone has any real research to prove that Moby Dick was more than a story, I would be interested in it. I have never vested the time myself to look, but I am willing to be wrong on this.

July 8, 2020 – The highs and lows of life

July 8, 2020 /

I am feeling pretty down today. I found out yesterday that I was rejected from a job that I applied for. What, no big deal you say? True, in a sense. However, this is the fourth different job that I have made it through a series of interviews to be denied. It makes you feel like you have lost your touch and question yourself. I was sure that this was the one, the best fit in terms of company and job.

I have to say that before this year of journey and exploration, I never was rejected once I got passed the first interview. Even when I did not make the cut, I knew that I stumbled during the interview. I suppose that I am reaching far deeper and higher in the ranks of businesses than ever before and the consequences are far greater than some entry level position, but it is still hard on the ego.

Deep down, I know there is a plan for me. The plan may be to start over in life… I hope not but who knows. I know that this experience has lead me to question my decision making. Was the job that bad? Will I ever recover from this? Was it all an alternative reality where I was really the one in the wrong? I guess that I won’t really know the answer to those questions. The one thing that I can say is that this extended time has been good for my soul. I think that the Lord is teaching me something, I just don’t understand it yet.

Given how I am feeling at the moment, it is hard to celebrate that things are going well for me on my siding project. I am going to try and not be ‘glass half full’ as my wife says. It is slow and steady progress and that is looking really good. All the Weather Resistant Barrier (WRB) is up. Most of the trim is the up and I am filling in the siding.

I am painting before I hang the siding so as to minimize the ladder time for final painting. The idea is to touch up after it is installed. Plus it is a lot easier to to get many of the cracks and joints when they are all pieces before assembly.

I am still energized to get this thing done. It is not project at all costs, but close. The culture of hurry message is banging around in my head with the weight of the world in front of me.

July 1, 2020 – Don’t forget to sign your work

July 1, 2020 /

Back when I started this project in March, I was thinking of tagging the sheathing (or somewhere inconspicuous). I was thinking of using something like ‘Quarantine March 2020’. But time got away from me. Now that I am heading toward the finish line, I am using up some paint that I nicknamed ‘Pandemic Pink’.

Pandemic Pink started life as many colors that got mixed together. I have been using it to back paint siding and other things that aren’t seen. This was paint that no longer has a home. It was the wrong shade of yellow, former exterior paint, a former door paint that when mixed together turned into a Pepto-Bismol color.

I do this from time to time, I will mix old paint together to get enough to do some sort of project, as long as it no longer has a use. As long as you don’t particularly care about the final color, it can be quite helpful and cost saving. I learned this trick from my grandfather.

I was painting Pandemic Pink today and I am probably on the second to last panel of remaining paint. I thought that I wanted leave a note about the work that was done so that someone may find it in the future. So, I wrote it in Sharpie on the back of a T1-11 panel that I am going to install tomorrow. I thought that it might be cool to leave a story for someone to find in the future as well as solve the pink mystery.

There is no telling that it will ever be found, especially if this house gets torn down with some kind of machine. I liken it to when service personnel signed bombs before loading them on an aircraft, likely never seen. But you never know.

I encourage you to sign your work or leave a time capsule or some other fun or interesting clues to your work. I would enjoy finding something like that.

June 30, 2020 – Writer’s block today

June 30, 2020 /

Today is the last day of the month. Traditionally, this would be a transitionary month, the bridge between school and summer or the weather in spring and summer. Not this year… it has been nicer than usual since early March.

I don’t think anyone would doubt that July is definitely summer in the northern hemisphere. What has this got to do with anything? Nothing really. It is just something I am thinking about since we will be in July next week and I am still waxing about the lost experiences from graduation and the like. I am also just sort of rambling because I am not feeling passionate about any one thing in particular this morning.

I have lots of things that I want to talk about, but mostly I am anxious to get back out there and get to work. I can smell the end is near and I want to get there with my project. So, then I don’t want to take the time to develop a proper article.

A quick aside… I always thought that I would have quite a bit humor in my more creative work – such as this. That has not proven to be the case, which is a little strange. Maybe it is because context and inflection is difficult to discern through writing only? Or maybe I am just not as good as I thought I was or just too lazy?

I don’t know why I have not added more humor, it is part of my character. I like to add little ‘easter eggs’ to see if people are paying attention or not. But yet I have not done anything like that to date. I guess that I will settle for a photo grid of my project and call it a day. I have got some video editing to do when I get a chance. So, stay tuned for that.

June 24, 2020 – Think like a raindrop

June 25, 2020 /

It has been a long day. I usually post in the morning, but today I started work early because it is hot on the roof. So, I spent all day on the roof, making a lot of progress, but I had to stop because I am waiting for vent pipe to be run through the roof so that I can flash around them and finish this thing off. Rain is in the forecast for Sunday and Monday.

After looking inside the bathroom, my wife was concerned that it was too dark. Add a skylight to the list. And then when I was talking to the contractor, he was surprised that I didn’t vent the roof. Now, quick aside for a moment. I listen weekly to the Fine Homebuilding podcast and according to them, the science on vented roofs says that venting really does not actually extend the life of a roof, and therefore unnecessary.

Moisture management is really the key concern, not roof life. Even though the addition is open to the currently vented roof, I am a little concerned that moisture from the bathroom cannot adequately equilibrate efficiently, so I am going to add a roof vent as well.

Think like a raindrop was a phrase that my grandfather used. The older I get the more I understand. At seventeen, I didn’t really understand how water behaved. Now knowing some science I can understand water travels by gravity. It also adheres to surfaces with surface tension. You want to keep water away from the building and make paths for efficient flow.

I remember roofing a garage or some other outbuilding and he kept saying over and over that you need to ‘think like a raindrop’. He must have seen the puzzled look on my face, because he then said ‘if you want to keep the water out, you need to think like a raindrop’, he laughed and moved on. He was always saying some sort of colloquialism or bit of wisdom that was wrapped up in a cryptic message of sorts. It’s funny, but those are the things that stick the most to my memory.

I am cutting this a little short since I lost internet connection last night when I wrote most of this (and lost a bunch of additional work too). It seems like a fitting tribute to my grandfather that I can do all these things. I almost cant wait for the rain this weekend to prove the I can now think like a raindrop.

June 17, 2020 – A progress report

June 17, 2020 /

Last night, I started a test to see if I could get non-hosted videos on this blog. Unfortunately, I have to upgrade packages to do so and I know that this is not the final home of this blog, so I am not going to invest in that at the moment.

In lieu of doing something new, I will summarize where I am at on this current project. I am in the punchlist phase. That means that I am essentially done with my work in the apartment minus a few things here and there. I still need to

  • Hang a ceiling fan
  • Install some window film to obscure direct view – waiting for delivery
  • Build a face frame for the microwave cabinet
  • Oversee cabinet painting and final ceiling touch-up – waiting for paint
  • sub floor patching
  • Install the baseboard molding – waiting for floor
  • Move in and install the appliances – waiting for floor

As you can see, the bathroom is a long way from being done. I would estimate two weeks of solid work. I will be doing the roofing when the framing is done. And I am waiting for the framing to be done so I can finish the siding and painting.

June 12, 2020 – Still going… barely

June 12, 2020 /

On Wednesday, my wrist was exceptionally painful. It was to the point that I had to grit my teeth to use my right hand. After making my post, I spent the rest of the morning pacing around and trying to figure out how I was going to get anything done. I went parts shopping for a lot of the afternoon and settled to the reality that I was going to have to do my best with my left hand.

I am OK with my left hand. I can shave, brush my teeth, use a fork and kind-of write. Toe nailing a 16p sinker is not as easy. I know that it is a practice thing. It is the very reason I have spent some time shooting left handed, because you never know if you will always have use of your primary hand. The thing that I noticed is that my left hand is nowhere near as strong as my right, as well as being awkward.

After immobilization, ice, ibuprofen and CBD cream it seemed a little better yesterday. Last night I didn’t wake up from the pain. I don’t want to push my luck though. So, the carpet is in the bedrooms, the broken window has been replaced so those rooms are done.

We bough new appliances to replace the downdraft range so the vent is also a microwave. That required re-routing electrical, cutting a vent slot and sheetrock work. I also have to build a new cabinet for the above the microwave. I am hoping that will be complete before the weekend is over.

I must say that throughout this process, my fear of disturbing sheetrock has gone away. I am to the point now where I would rather spend time repairing the sheetrock than trying to guess or work with it in place. This building seems to have structure ‘at random’. This patch seen here is a 24 inch stud bay that also had blocking for the cabinets (which weren’t used).

This Friday playlist sort of describes how I feel about this week. It has been pretty dark, some hurt, anger and craziness. Have a good weekend, with hopefully better days to come.

May 26, 2020 – When to cope and when to miter

May 26, 2020 /

Most people, don’t install trim properly. I can say that even though I know how to do it, sometimes I have chosen to do it incorrectly, because it can be faster. I already had the saw setup, I didnt want to go fetch the coping saw and making nice fitting joints are difficult, especially when the profile is complicated.

Miter – Incorrect installation

A miter is a joint where two pieces, each cut with 45 degree bevel on the end of a molding profile are put together. When two pieces meet, they should be very close to 90 degrees. Miters should be used when making outside joints, like around the corners, not inside corners like around a room.

Miter – proper installation
Coping cut – the proper inside joint

A coping cut follows the profile of the molding and has a back bevel so the piece is pressed against the adjacent molding. It requires the same initial 45 degree cut as a miter, but then you use a coping saw to follow the molding profile as you cut all of the material away.

The reason to not use a miter is that walls are rarely square. If one corner is 92 degrees (wider than square) then the corresponding miter should be 46 degree cuts on each piece. In my case, my saw only goes to 45 degrees, so then you are trying to cut backward or shimming the piece to try and get more than the saw is capable of cutting (with some guess work too).

On my project, I already had mitered molding which I did not totally remove. So when putting the molding back up, I started with a mitered corner so I did not have to tear the room apart. It also appears that my molding profile is no longer readily available. I am using molding from other parts of the house so that I can make matches with existing trim. The bathroom will be new and we may redo all or some of the trim in the living space.

This room is nearly finished. I am down to the detail work. I am really happy with the results.