Years Of Nothing Done To My Older Home

Discussion in 'Home Improvement' started by Sandy Wood, Feb 19, 2016.

  1. Sandy Wood

    Sandy Wood Veteran Member
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    @Von Jones , sounds like an interesting idea. We don't have Habitat for Humanity, in our area. But we do have medal workers and collectors so maybe I can have something made that will work. It would be nice to have a handle to hold on to while stepping in and out of the tub. Hum....I will think on that idea. I told my older brother about the change of plumbing for the tub to add a shower and he liked the idea as he has the same type of tub in his house.

    Spent yesterday at the insurance office redoing the policy. Had to tell them of the few improvements and some of the plans I have for the house. My brother's said if I bought some rolled insulation that they would finish the attic for me so as to save on heating bills. And I have some air flow problems to fix. One is my mom had a stained glass window installed on the side of house. But it is ill fitting and cold air comes in around it and the wall underneath was never finished. I am thinking about putting the old window back in if the air can not be stopped. I put plastic over the window and a foam backed currant but can still feel the cold air which is cold on my back and feet as I type on my computer.

    O' well at least I won't run out of things to do this summer.
     
    #16
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  2. Krissttina Isobe

    Krissttina Isobe Veteran Member
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    Well, congratulations is first at hand! If you can wait for sales it can help with the finances for your fixer upper new home. Now it's spring so you can safely check the roof soon for any repairs before the weather gets rough. A house owner acquaintance of mine says to check your roof and structure for fixing before the weather gets too rough, so you'll be safe all winter long. Ask relatives for trusted friends for list of trusted workers for your big projects or ask Home Depot or Lowes for references of good companies. Be sure to check your BBB.org for your companies too that you may hire. Good luck in your home renovation.
     
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  3. Sandy Wood

    Sandy Wood Veteran Member
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    UPDATE:
    I have been working hard all week and managed to get all the carpet tore out of the living room and one up stairs bedroom. I used a box cutter to cut the old carpet into smaller sections to remove it. There was so much black dust from the rubber backing on the old living area carpet I could have filled a sand box. lol
    The up stairs carpet was wall-to-wall and with carpet and padding out I now have to remove the wooden nail strips along edges of wall. The floor underneath was a sub floor so I am going to use floor paint (med light brown or tan) on the edges of room, 8 X 14, and then buy a 8 X 10, aqua or tan rug. The walls are papered in a light green and white stripe w/ tiny tan stripe. I am going to make curtains for the two windows.
    Downstairs, the wood floor is stained dark in some areas and bare splintery wood in the middle and painted gray on one side. So I am trying to decide if I want to fix the stained part or just clean it up and paint the edges a medium brown color and then buy a rug to cover the middle. This floor is 12 X 14. A rug is cheaper then re-sanding the whole floor or laying down vinyl or wood strips to cover the floor. I want to get a sand/brown textured rug for living room. The walls are wallpapered a light cream with flecks of green and blue. I am trying to decide what curtain color I want as in a blue or teal color or burgundy. I want a feeling of warmth in winter and comfort in summer. I am going to get a futon to use for extra seating and a bed for company that can't climb stairs. Also thinking of adding pull down shades.
    So this is my excuse for missing several days on site. I was plum wore out.
     
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  4. K E Gordon

    K E Gordon Veteran Member
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    I think you got some really good advice on here. I think you can get loans to fix up old homes. Especially if you plan to flip this I know there are lenders available. Also, you may be able to get a church or civic group to take it on as a project. These might be some ways to get some of the repairs down at low cost. If that all falls through, I would just work piece by piece and do what you can afford to do, to get the home up and meeting standards again.
     
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  5. Von Jones

    Von Jones Supreme Member
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    We found the same when we removed the carpet in our living and dining rooms being two stained. Haven't been able to afford to refinish it professionally so area rugs have been used. The problem though is that the stain is so awkward in length it still shows. You would have to either refinish it or have the floors carpeted again. I have never been able to understand why someone would partially stain hardwood floors.
     
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  6. Bobby Cole

    Bobby Cole Supreme Member
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    Hey there. It's been a while.
    If you like the stained glass window you can install a thin sheet of plexiglass over it to weather proof the area but still enjoy the piece of art work.

    For the underneath portion of the wall, it is amazing what some wainscoting will do for a wall. There is some easy to install stuff at Lowes that I have used and it looks marvelous.
     
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  7. Sandy Wood

    Sandy Wood Veteran Member
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    Thanks for all your super ideas. And Bobby Cole, I will check out your wainscoting idea as well. I think the floors were repaired or painted in a way to get the job done fast. In my mother's case it was her trying to redo the floors and dad just wanting to move into the house, with that old we will do it later which never works after your house is crowded with heavy furniture.
    I am going to take the time to do it right one room at a time. I need to fix the holes and nail dents and then put on a primer coat of paint then the final coat of floor paint doing the entire bedroom floor. The living room might get sanded a bit and then varnished or painted, when I get bedroom done and see how that goes. Might be easier to cover the whole thing in carpet.
    Had to replace kitchen faucet this week as it was leaking.
     
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  8. Diane Lane

    Diane Lane Veteran Member
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    I love shades. We had them in our house growing up, so they remind me of home, coziness, and good times. I haven't replaced the blinds in this place, except for in my bedroom. That blind was falling apart, and I got a good deal on a nice roman shade on eBay. Next on my list is replacing the ones here in the office, where I spend much of my indoor time, but I haven't decided quite what I want to do, so it'll be a while before I get around to doing that. I'm enjoying reading about your experience, and I hope you'll post some pictures of your progress, good luck!
     
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  9. Sandy Wood

    Sandy Wood Veteran Member
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    I plan to add some pictures of the upstairs bedroom and the floor. I think I have decided to put some carpet back down but not wall to wall. My camera is an old one that uses floppy disks. So I take pictures and put the disk in my old computer and transfer the pictures to a new disk, then put the disk in my new computer to add pictures to this site. So I hope to get busy and snap a few tomorrow.
    I got to thinking about painting the floor and with this colder weather I can not open the windows for ventilation, so that is why I thought I would get a piece of carpet and not nail it down so I could paint around edges later this summer. I want to get into my bedroom soon as possible and am tired waiting.
    The living area is my next big project and I know the carpet will cost me more for a nice one. The living room is 14 X 14, so I will get a 12 X 12 rug.
    Has anyone here ever bought a futon? Any brands that are more comfortable for tall people with long legs? A friend had one years ago and it seemed to be so comfortable but I have been reading lots of mixed reviews on the subject.
     
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