We can’t complain too much, so far everything went roughly according to schedule and we hadn’t had any major bad luck yet, other than finding out some of the internal walls were a bit weak and needed some work to strengthen them (and that’s to be expected in an older home). We waited 9 months for the windows because there are still some supply issues for those, so with the rainy and stormy weather we’ve had, I’m glad they didn’t try and put them in anyway, only for a gush of wind to blow it out of their hands!! But it’s a shame that a 2 week delay for one thing quickly adds up, both in time and financially.
2 Likes
I am sorry that this delay is causing issues! Someone I know here has had to move into temporary quarters from their rental because of window shipping delays in their home! I can’t imagine moving twice like they have…and it has been over a year since their home was being built…I hope they are in their new home this summer. At least it will be done proper and the way you want, just like them!
1 Like
We are not making much progress atm, does anyone else have some nice updates?? I’d love to see some pictures!
1 Like
I have an update, but it’s kind of a bummer. They sanded the concrete and sealed it. The color wasn’t even and it looks weird in a couple places. So, they’re going to sand it down again and - hopefully - fix it.
(It’s also dusty.)
They primed for painting last week and should be wrapping that up soon.
4 Likes
Oh dear, that’s not right.
No, it’s not. But, they will fix it.
On a happier note, we’re going to try to go furniture shopping later this week. And, I just ordered two adjustable work benches for my crafting area!
6 Likes
We went and had a good look at our house today and made some plans about what to do next.
Our doors and doorframes are all from the 40s and there are layers and layers of paint on them. Some doors, you can see four or five different colours of paint. It remains to be seen if there are any “good” layers on the doors or only damaged ones.
I’ve been thinking about how to sand/paint them: do I strip them entirely of paint or just sand them enough so they can be painted? And when I paint them, do I paint them while they’re horizontal or while they’re in the doorframe? I’ve seen professionals paint doors while they’re hanging in the frame but I think most amateurs paint doors horizontally.
I have never painted a door horizontally. Definitely be sure that you aren’t going to be sanding into any lead based paint…here in the USA, unless you want professionals involved to remove the lead paint, it is best just to seal it up with more paint. I live in a rental…they paint after each tenant leaves…I know there have been at least six families here so those doors and frames have been painted a lot!
I have found that if you take the door off the hinges and remove the hardware, the door never seems to fit back in exactly the same…and that is very annoying. Another reason I don’t take them down…just tape over the hardware, clean well with TSP, lightly sand to get some tooth, then paint would be what I would do.
Are you looking to get them back to the original wood?
2 Likes
Well, right now they are already off the hinges, so that’s something that we can’t avoid. We put them in storage to prevent any damage. We will also be replacing the hardware since it’s old and damaged, and not authentic anyway (looks like 70s/80s).
I hadn’t thought of lead paint, yikes, that’s something to research a bit more! That’s really not something you want to use a heat gun on.
ETA: lead paint was banned in 1934 in my country, my house isn’t that old. Looks like we’re safe!
For the staircase and the railing we’d like to strip it down to the wood. The doors can be painted over if I find a layer of paint that’s still intact enough to paint over.
2 Likes
A gel-based stripper is just painted or then easily scrapes off layers of paint. No creating paint flakes or heating up fumes.
2 Likes
It’s painted! Also, the ledge around the bar is in.
They pulled up all the paper and plastic that was protecting the bar and cabinets…and the clear coat on the bar came up with it! Yikes! I guess they were going to have to redo it no matter what.
The new fridge will be here Saturday. Tomorrow is hardware and furniture shopping. They want to move all the big stuff down next week before installing the veneers on the steps.
7 Likes
Do you have any moisture issues in your basement or will you have a dehumidifier? We had a walk out basement, but still had to run a couple of dehumidifiers to keep things from warping and being tacky to touch.
It is looking so good! Everything goes together well…you are going to have so much fun making it a special place for you and your family!
1 Like
Our foundation has settled, and we were just waiting for spring to deal with those issues. It’s part of the plan… redoing the gutters, raising the concrete, adding earth and grading it away from the house… But, we run a big dehumidifier 24/7. We only have issues when we get a lot of rain, and only in one little spot, and it dries out rather quickly. The remodel took all that into consideration with materials and how they were installed.
3 Likes
I kind of always assumed that paint stripper is just as bad for your health as paint fumes or paint dust. If it’s significantly less toxic than the other options then that will probably be the go-to method. I’ll try it on the handrail first. All layers of paint on it are heavily damaged so it really has to be stripped down to the wood, and depending on what it will look like then, we may keep it like that, of course finished with some sort of transparant sealant. There are at least 5 different layers of paint on it and all layers are heavily damaged.
@tendstowardschaos That looks great!!!
2 Likes
Furniture shopping with two little boys was…not as productive as I had hoped. We ordered about half of the items we were in need of. We also picked up the hardware for the cabinets - well, half of it…the rest should be in next week. We’re going to try to go furniture shopping again next week to finish that up (hopefully, someone can watch the kids for a few hours).
They put the faux stone front on the bar and it looks amazing.
Next week… electrical, plumbing, and bar resurfacing.
9 Likes
That is faux stone? What is it made of? It looks really good…the texture really adds interest to the long structure.
Black hardware is a good choice for a much used area. It also looks like it has a matte finish and some texture. It is really coming together!
2 Likes
I thought it was a stone veneer…so great!
We had a real stone fireplace, and while it looked nice, real stone is dusty and does degrade over time no matter what you do. It had a lot of cracked rocks. The outside was done with a stone veneer over brick and will last forever and looks great and is way less expensive to purchase and install.
Good choice! Looks great!
3 Likes
Okay, update… We have electrical outlets and light switches and more lights! Gotta switch out some of the switches to dimmers, though.
They helped us move some of the big stuff downstairs… jukebox, fridge, work benches, furniture.
The old registers were stripped and powder coated and installed (the facings aren’t on yet). The step veneers are ready to go on when we’re closer to having more stuff moved down here.
And, the jukebox is up and running…still have to finish loading it up, but it works!
9 Likes
DANCE PARTY AT ERIN’S!!!
It’s looking so good and like such a fun place to hang out!
2 Likes