House repairs...

[BrianG]

lol, "young blood"? 36 is not young! I figure I have 24 years left if I'm lucky, all of my family members on my mom's side never made it much past 60, and I take after them. Even my uncle, who was "healthy as an ox" didn't hit that goal.

Anyway, it's not showing off when there's no one in the house (g/f and kids in SoCal visiting family) but a cat and dog... oh yeah, and a couple of goldfish...which reminds me; I have to feed them...

[Maxx42]

....... so you were just flexing for the fish .......

It's good that you were able to take on and complete such a large home project. I hope it solves the water problems completely.

[BrianG]

Me too. I don't like having an impromptu swimming pool in the basement.

[bdebde]

Well, now you just need to hope that solves all you problems with water in the basement. I have a sump pump in my basement and still had a couple floods in the basement this winter. Power outages or pump failures kill ya.

[lincpimp]

Since I am from the south, we do not have basements. Something to do with being at or near sea level. I always figured that the basement would be properly sealed from water, guess I was wrong...

Thinking about it I guess sealing it off completely may not be a good idea. Down south we cannot drain a swimming pool copletely for fear the water in the ground will force it out, or crack it. I guess a basement could be viewed the same way. But at least the basement has a house sitting on it...

I hate half assed stuff, and a leaky basement sure sounds like a PITA.

[BrianG]

OK, update on my projects. Everything on the original list has been done except to completely remodel the bathroom. But that project has taken on a bit more urgency as there is a small leak now when the toilet flushes (ewwww!). I assume this is caused by the uneven/warped floor affecting the seal.

So now I'm back to getting a hold of someone to do the work. I contacted a "handyman" service a while and they estimated about $4k for labor only to rip out and dispose of the old and install the new (inluding plumbing). I would buy the new fixtures. And when I say "rip out", I mean RIP OUT; the walls, the floor, tub, sink, toilet.

That price was from one company, but I definitely want to get other estimates. So, should I try contacting a general contractor, or simply stick with other handyman companies? Obviously, I want to spend as little as possible, yet have it done right. Time is also of the essence; I only have one bathroom, so I'd like to get as least the john working as soon as possible.

And before anyone says I can do it myself and save a lot of cash, I want to mention that if I did it, I would end up paying more (and taking a LOT longer) in the long run because I have no idea what I'm doing.

[_paralyzed_]

Bah! Be glad you're not in the 50's with only one outhouse. You can take enough time to get the best deal. It's hard out there for handymen and contractors. Bids can vary by thousands.

Absolutely have both bid. Play the game. Tell the next guy that bids that the first bid was $3000. Tell the next guy you got a bid for $2500. Handymen and contractors are a plenty, keep going till something seems reasonable.

I was a framing carpenter for 5 yrs. before i was paralyzed. If I were picking someone I would go with the guy with the nicest truck and the most organized tools. Not the newest truck, the best maintained. Tools just thrown in the back are a bad sign. Tool boxes/organizers show pride in their work. Walk the guy out after a bid and take a peek.

My 2 cents....

[JERRY2KONE]

There are going to be good points and bad ones no matter which way you end up going. Handyman services are great if you want to save a few bucks, but beware that with that kind of service you also have little or no garuntees. This is your place of rest and relaxation, eating and sleeping. You want to get it done right and not have to do it all again in a year or two, because you chose poorly for what type of service you decided to go with. Get all of your materials in house first, then get the most reputable handyman you can find to do your dirty work for you. Ask to look at another job that is in progress so you can see how his crew works. I would watch every step of the plumming and electrical install for sure. If they short cut you there you will not know it until it is too late. All of the surface work can be seen easily once the job is completed, but the stuff inside the walls and floors will be invisible. Harold is right about organization skills. Don't fall for any slick talking smooth contractor who won't even be on site while the job is being done. His interest is purly in setting up the job, and collecting the $$$$$. He could care less whether or not the crew does the job to code or not. You want a good quality handyman who will be right there while the job is being done so you know who to go to for changes or issues that may arrise. Depending on what state you live in pulling a permit can be a very important matter while the job is being done and especially if you are ever planning to sell the place.

[magman]

For you all w/sump pumps...ever consider putting in a French drain system? My parents house was basically built on a swamp 40+ yrs. ago and we always had water in the basement until system was installed...since then no worries. All the water drains to one point were there are 2 pumps at different levels.

Just to give you and idea of the hydrostatic pressure under the floor...I measured the floor at 6 different points and the middle of the floor had been pushed up over 3 inches!

But that project has taken on a bit more urgency as there is a small leak now when the toilet flushes (ewwww!). I assume this is caused by the uneven/warped floor affecting the seal.

This is easily rectified with a thick wax ring. Then shimming the toilet so it will not move when you sit on it. Of course this is dependent on the toilet having a shutoff valve, that works, and your flange still being usable. Which will be the case most of the time. This would atleast allow you a little time to get the remodel planned correctly. Which is very important when down time is a factor.

Now, assuming that what you have is relatively simple. (Most houses with only 1 bathroom, are not mansions :D )
4k is quite high labor only. Unless your looking at some extensive tile work. But there are some things that will raise the price. What kind of plumbing do you currently have? Is it cast or pvc? Are your supply lines copper? Do you have tile? Is your current tub cast iron? Is access to the bathroom limited? ( I have had to remove siding and framing to replace tubs in the past) Are you going back with an insert? How much additional electrical are you adding ? Are you relocating your fixtures? Is your framing still in good shape? When was your house built? Are your current walls lathe and plaster?

If you have the worse case scenario, then perhaps it would get close to 4k. At best case, I would say I would bid at around half that.

BTW IMO A handyman should be used for just that, handyman stuff, replace a rotted board, fix your toilet, hang some shutters, ect . When your looking at gutting a bath you really need a Remodeler. I would look for someone who does it all themselves in-house, instead of subcontracting it out. This generally will save you serious money. Double check references, and ask to see pictures of previous work.

If I'm totally misjudging what you have, and it is a 10x 12 bath, with a whirlpool tub, seperate heated wall shower, with multible heads, double sinks, floor to ceiling marble, on a mud bed, with custom cabinets and trim. Well then the price would be much higher, but you could afford it :D

[JThiessen]

Originally Posted by asheck

This is easily rectified with a thick wax ring. Then shimming the toilet so it will not move when you sit on it.

BTW IMO A handyman should be used for just that, handyman stuff, replace a rotted board, fix your toilet, hang some shutters, ect .

Ditto on both of these. Get a couple qoutes from a GC, get one from Lowes or Home Depot. Then pick the one that feels most comfortable to you. A GC will sub out the Electrica, and plumbing to the "pro's" - sometimes this is good, sometimes not so good. Unfortunately from the Lowes or Home Depot, you dont actually get to meet the people doing the work. Do you have a mom and pop hardware store near you? If so, go ask them if they know of any good ones. And dont just go for the low qoute - in remodeling, you dont want to end up with what you paid for.......

I'm going to be putting down the grout in my master bath project today. Its been a long 8 year project - but the end is in sight now. It hasn't taken this long due to the difficulty, I just got burned out on the remodeling, and we had another bath that I'd already done.

[BrianG]

Thanks guys. For sure, I'm gonna do this as carefully as I can. Unortunately, it has gotten beyond simply replacing a wax ring, so if I'm gonna do that I might aw well get it all done. And due to the recent development, it has to be done very soon. As a matter of fact, I'm gonna be calling the bank tomorrow.

I have a small house (~850ft^2 ranch), and my bathroom is laughingly small. The tub spans three walls, and is just a fiberglass tub, so should be easy to remove. Everything else is close enough together that I can use the one-sink vanity unit as an arm rest when on the john (nice visual there, eh?).

My main question was really where to look. Asking Home Depot/Lowe's/etc is something I didn't think of (I though they just did carpet/tile installs), and asking a mom and pop place for references are good ideas. The handyman company I got the quote from (I found the estimate, it was actually $3800) wasn't just a guy working out of his car. It was more something between that and a contractor from what I could see.

The kitchen is the next remodel project, but that's been slowly underway for a few months. The linoleum is starting to peel and the paint is horrible. The fiancee wanted to sand down the cabinets and repaint, but when I tried that, the old paint was just "pilling" under the sander making a horrible mess. It seems the previous owners simply kept repainting with the result being at least 3 layers of paint already. So, despite the added work/expense involved, we opted to strip the old paint, and repaint them. All the cabinets are done now with the exception of the drawers. Also have the tile, just gotta lay them down once the walls are painted. While on the subject of paint stripping: if you plan on stripping paint in the winter (where doing it outside is temperature prohibitive), you shouldn't use regular stripper. The fumes can be dangerous. Reluctantly, we tried this pink "Citriustrip" stuff and to my surprise, it actually worked quite well. Apply, let sit ~20 min, and scrape off. Easy, but messy. As an added bonus, it emitted a pleasant not-overpowering orange scent. So, if stripping paint is in your future, I recommend it. If I can use this stuff successfully, then anyone can.

[BrianG]

Another update on the bathroom renovation project:

I got a few quotes and didn't really feel comfortable. They were kinda vague about exactly what was being done despite me asking specific questions. And the quotes were just for labor. I would have to figure out what tub/toilet/etc would fit. I also would have to know what/how much materials to get. And then find some way to get it all to the house.

Finally, I called Re-bath and am definitely gonna go with these guys. Everything is included:
- Replace the toilet, bathtub (re-bath style, not hard to clean tile or cheap fiberglass), vanity (including mirror/cabinet and lights), and water damaged walls and subfloor.
- Installing new flooring (vinyl).
- Install and paint moisture-resistant drywall on the upper half of the walls.
- Putting up new water proof walls on the lower half.
- Installing a waterproof glass block window where the current window is now (which is a PITA to keep dry).
- All the sink/tub hardware (faucets, tub spout, shower head, drain, etc) and corner shelves for shampoo/soap/etc.
- Treating the wall studs to prevent mold.
- Install a GFCI electrical outlet as there is nothing in there at the moment, much to the chagrin of my better half.
- Replace the plumbing "tree" going into the basement. The drain angles are all wrong and the venting is not right either.
- Includes all required permits, a real state "code" inspection upon completion, and waste removal of what is being torn out.

All this has a lifetime parts and labor warranty. Along with that, I get water-heater and furnace warranty (didn't get new ones from them, but it's some kind of added bonus).

And despite the amount of renovation being done, the toilet will only be unavailable for 1/2 a day! The whole project should take 5 days from start to finish.

All for the "bargain" price of $9,980. But it has to be done before the tub/toilet falls through the floor into the basement. I might have saved some cash by doing some stuff myself, but I really have no idea what I'm doing, and I would probably do something wrong (or not long-lasting) and end up spending twice as much to get it done right.

No more R/C stuff for a little while I guess.

[swiftneed]

The french drain is exceptional and you dont have to worry and can be plugged in somewhere else if power goes out but expensive I had one around my basement and never had a problem after consider it only if you plan on staying there

[swiftneed]

Nothing like some backbreaking work with a HILTI they make all sizes and go thru anything you throw at them even rebar with a sharp chisel