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Home remodel again!

3K views 41 replies 13 participants last post by  toomanytoys84 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Well my latest Home remodel project has started. With the newest addition to the family coming in September we don't have enough bedrooms to support our growing family. New houses were looked at, but to get what we want in a new home we would be spending 3 to 4 times as much as we paid for our current home. With the unsteady industry I am in, I do not want to take on more debt. Trying to shrink debt rather than get more!

We have 3 complaints with our current home. Living room is too small, we can only fit a couch, TV, and 2 end tables. Even at that, it is very cramped. We can not have anyone over to the house, as everyone has to stand around. The kitchen is cramped with the dining room table, and only seats 4, we will have 5 people in the house, and lastly not enough bed rooms. All those can be rectified with some moving around and the additional bedrooms.

The current plan.

Step 1) Convert 22x23 garage into a new master bedroom, and 3rd Child bedroom.

Step 2) Convert Existing master bedroom into the living room(removing all closets, new drywall walls and ceiling, and new carpet, plus additional electrical outlets and cable TV runs)

Step 3) Convert existing living room into the dining room.

Current Budget $5,000.00. I will work till I run out of money, as there will be no "financing" in accordance with our "no new debt" policy. I am right on track, as I have bought EVERYTHING needed to do the garage it wasn't nearly as much. The bedroom to living room and living room to dining room conversion will be cheap with only drywall and carpet cost.

This is one of the largest undertakings I have ever done in one of my own homes. I have assisted and worked on projects of this size before, but honestly, this is my first time taking it all on alone. I have done many remodels, but never moved everything around, planned it all out and went to this scale.
 
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#2 ·
With prices and so much shoddy workmanship you much better off doing it yourself. Nothing your taking on seems out of the realm of doable. One thing you might consider for your new living room - a floor outlet or two in the area of the end of the couch or favorite chair. They come in brass with tight fitting covers now and look good on any carpet.
 
#3 · (Edited by Moderator)
Here is the new layout for the house. I did not draw out the upstairs, basically its a rectangle, come up the stairs, bedroom on your right, bedroom on your left. They are more of "attic" bedrooms to me, as there is the roof is right above the ceiling, and there are dormers on top.

Rectangle Schematic Font Parallel Slope


I will post pictures I make progress. Currently the subfloor is 50% complete in the garage. The vapor barrier is in installed, all the frame work for the subfloor is down, nailed, screwed, glued, and shimmed level(floor drain slop created quite the challenge), today is the insulation install, and putting down the osb subfloor panels.

I have used 70 2x4x8s and 14 2x4x12s. 16 sheets of osb tongue and groove subflooring, 1 roll of plastic vapor barrier, several boxes of Styrofoam insulation. I probably over built the subfloor, but I read so many negative things above subfloors(sagging, cold, ect) over concrete that I built the thing strong enough that I could park my truck on it. I have also insulated it with the best materials I could find.

Current expense for the subfloor materials is $750 dollars(half that cost was insulation!)
 

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#5 ·
Sounds like a good plan. Avoiding debt is a very smart way to go. One thing that isn't clear, will you totally finish the garage remodel before staring anything else? Good Luck, Rick
The garage will be done complete before I start any of the rooms. The bedroom to living room switch will be next. The subfloor has taken far longer than I imagined. I have about 12 hours in building the subfloor thus far. But that is completely by myself. Cutting, measuring, cutting, carrying, moving, strings, levels, ect Doing this alone is a major pain in the rear! I bet you last night I walked 3 miles and crouched up and down 2,000 times.

My buddy who I helped build the garage lives 2 hours away(where my second office is) and my other buddy is building a deck on the back of his house, so my help is either far away or have their own spring projects going on.

I am going to either have to beg someone to help me hang drywall on the ceiling or hirer a helper for the day. My buddy's son(17) would probably drive up for a gas money, a steak dinner, and taking him out riding on our local trails!
 
#6 ·
Dug out my old "Town Engineer" Hat. Do your codes require enlarging your septic system with the addition of a bedroom? When I built my house I oversized the septic system so that I could add 2 bedrooms without having to touch the septic system. It only cost a few hundred dollars at that time. To add on now would be in excess of $5000. Make sure your electrical and heating systems are up to the the additonal loads too. I'm such an engineer that I missed the most important piece of info. Congratulations on the new baby. Good Luck, Rick
 
#7 · (Edited by Moderator)
Another thought, with an additional person, do you have enough bathrooms? I would look at putting atleast a 1/2 bath in the "computer room" or the laundry area . I've used the drywall lift machines with success. They often go for sale on CL around here for $150. It allows you to work at your own pace. When done, resell it. Good Luck, Rick
 
#8 · (Edited by Moderator)
Dug out my old "Town Engineer" Hat. Do your codes require enlarging your septic system with the addition of a bedroom? When I built my house I oversized the septic system so that I could add 2 bedrooms without having to touch the septic system. It only cost a few hundred dollars at that time. To add on now would be in excess of $5000. Make sure your electrical and heating systems are up to the the additonal loads too. I'm such an engineer that I missed the most important piece of info. Congratulations on the new baby. Good Luck, Rick
Currently the garage has a 220 feed and 12 receptacles scattered around the area, and 4 lights. So I should be good on power.

I already have a quote in hand for the installation of a dual zone mini split ductless heating system to use out there. Guy gave me a heck of a deal since it's new construction. I will be running the power and all the cabling, so all he has to do is sit the outside unit, and wire in the units that go in the rooms.

The bathroom/septic is a problem with the house. I am currently having it pumped out every 6 months. It gets full faster than it can naturally break down(tank is roughly 200 gallons). You'd have to see my current tank to understand. It's two crock pipes stood up on end set on concrete sealed at the bottom and buried. It's a heck of a system. Many of them inservice in my town. I have been gathering estimates to have a new much larger system installed. Also half the area labeled "play room" Is going to be turned into a half bath to give us that extra toilet(at some point, its not an issue with kids in diapers but it will be).

Also after I typed that I went to harbor freights website and seen a drywall lift onsale for 200 dollars. Add in a 20% coupon and I'll be in good shape. I may just swing in there and pick one up when I'm ready. I'll also check craigslist.
 
#10 ·
A 4 bedroom house should have a 1500 gallon septic tank. The cost of a leaching field installation is about the same as a full size tractor loader backhoe. That is how I justified getting mine. Doing it yourself should also get you a better price on the materials. Good Luck, Rick
I am exploring that. I have equipment I can borrow and a buddy who installs systems in West Virginia all the time. He would work for beer.
 
#13 · (Edited by Moderator)
If you make that playroom into a lavatory you'll end up with both facilities together and well away from the new bedrooms. I think you'd find any new bathroom much more useful if you can find a way to get it into that "computer room" space.

As you get older you're going to be making more trips to that bathroom.........
 
#14 ·
Progress has been made. I haven't really taken any pictures. The subfloor was a royal pain in the rear. The slab was so unlevel and I had to profile each board that I cut. Lowes great lumber was twisted and warped. Great stuff to work with. I have about 30 hours in building the sub floor insulating and nailing it down.

I have the dividing wall between the two bedrooms built. The childs bedroom completely framed new window installed and the garage door blocked. I did find out the garage on that side is 2.5" out of square!! Great times building in a nearly 100 year old house in a garage that was added in the 60s. Now I need to frame the closet in and work out the details of that.

Then onto the entry room to frame. Then onto the new master bedroom.

I have all the wiring items ready to go. I am going to do a subpanel out there.

It is too darn cold out there to work right now. I spent about an hour out there doing some stuff but I about froze.
 
#15 ·
Progress has been made. I haven't really taken any pictures. The subfloor was a royal pain in the rear. The slab was so unlevel and I had to profile each board that I cut.

It is too darn cold out there to work right now. I spent about an hour out there doing some stuff but I about froze.
Sounds like when I built mine. I wore a sweatshirt most of the time working out there and the floor had a slight slope and mine was just a little out of square, dad added it on so I know it would be close.
 
#16 ·
Sounds like when I built mine. I wore a sweatshirt most of the time working out there and the floor had a slight slope and mine was just a little out of square, dad added it on so I know it would be close.
The slab looked like it was poured about 6 different times. In a 20 year span. Some of it looked like bag mix pours.

I couldn't take it anymore yesterday and put a heater out there and worked for a few hours. Framed the entry room and closet in the kids room. Tonight I am going to start framing the master bed room. After its complete all my framing is done and all that's left is wiring insulation then drywall! Once the ceiling is hung I am golden for work. I love finishing drywall and it goes quick.
 
#17 · (Edited by Moderator)
All garage floors should slope to the opening. That helps get moisture from vehicles out. Be sure to check the attic for insulation, as most are not.
 
#19 ·
. I love finishing drywall and it goes quick.
Me thinks you have breathed in too much coal dust and it's affected your thinking :poke: :D

That's one of those things I'm pretty good at but hate doing it.
 
#21 ·
We just finished stripping 'popcorn' off a living & dining room ceiling! Went back to a smooth surface! Had all the drywall I care for!
 
#23 ·
Little more progress has been made. Remainder of the walls are framed minus the one garage door opening. Leaving it open until I get the drywall carted into the garage and staged in each room. Then I will frame up the walls put the window in and seal it off officially. I do not want to carry 55 sheets of drywall through the house and into the back of the house. I can count up what each room needs and then lay it out in there much easier. I'd rather carry it 10 feet then meander through the entire house.

Stopping at lowes tonight to pick up a new breaker panel for the sub panel. Figured out it was cheaper to buy the breaker panel kit, and do a sub panel instead of running cables all the way across the basement to the breaker box, and buying several breakers. There already is a subpanel in the garage, but it is just too large for what I want(and old and ugly)
 
#24 ·
I hate (b)Lowes sometimes. Was an annoying experience to say the least. But anyway. Got what I needed. After a failed visit to our lawyer and my extended trip to Lowes I didn't get to work at all.

Tomorrow the Easter Bunny visits the kids for pictures. Saturday is swim lessons, and ultrasound, so maybe a little work. Sunday is Easter and a day to be spent with family.
 
#25 ·
I haven't made as much progress as I'd like. I expected to be drywalling by now. But work has been busy, and I burnt myself out completely working on it non stop with every bit of my free time.

But

Wiring is completely done. Outlets, lights in the room, light in each closet, and some recessed lighting in the corners by the beds. Insulation is done in the walls. The items to do the attic insulation is laying up in the attic, I just need to install it. Drywall is stacked in each room and ready to go up but going to wait till the heating/ac unit is installed.

Waiting now for the guy to do my 14,000 BTU dual zone mini split. Might be a couple weeks. He is booked up with AC installs since spring is here.
 
#26 ·
I haven't made as much progress as I'd like. I expected to be drywalling by now. But work has been busy, and I burnt myself out completely working on it non stop with every bit of my free time.
I did that when we decided to move in with my mom in her ole farmhouse that needed renovated. I started the week before Christmas 2013 and was non stop until we moved in Dec 20 2014. After that I shut down for like 3 months before I could get back into the groove.
 
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