House repairs...

[BrianG]

Since the parasite (ex-wife) and her brats vacated my house, my g/f and I have been doing some house renovations as funds allow. This is the progress/plan:

1. Install CAT5 and coax.
   Every room (except bathroom and kitchen) has at least one network connection and one cable TV connection. The hardest part was finding the proper location where there isn't a wall stud or wiring in the way, and drilling up though the floor from the basement so that the hole is inside the wall (not in the room or outside). The rest was just a matter of cutting holes in the drywall, installing the brackets/plates, and wiring it up. All the wiring is neatly tied up onto the floor joists in the basement.
   
   
2. Tear up the old carpet.
   I know carpet places will do this when installing new, but I wanted to save a few bucks by doing it myself. Well, that sucked! Whoever did the installation last time used some kind of glue along with 35 million staples. Man, old carpet is HEAVY! I had to cut the carpet in half for a couple of the rooms to be able to carry it out. Even then, it weighed close to 300 lbs, which is tough to carry by oneself, and I'm not small.
   
   
3. Paint all the rooms
   This is done and looks purty. And I found out that I hate painting.
   
   
4. Buy new carpeting ($3100 for ~800 ft^2 - ouch! ).
   Now comes my first issue. The new carpet/pad is about 1" thicker than the old stuff, so I had to cut the bottoms of the bedroom doors accordingly. Since these are hollow-frame doors, there is not much "meat" at the bottom after the cut (the previous owner had cut some already). Now, I'm lucky if there is 1/8" of wood left at the bottom. Is there a way to strengthen the bottoms without buying new doors or new pre-hung sets, or tearing them apart to add more wood? Something like expanding foam that solidifies? Currently, I have a ghetto setup consisting of curtains in place of doors - not purty at all.
   
   
5. Install sump pump.
   Since I get standing water in the basement just about every spring, I want to install a sump pump in the basement. I have the pump, hose, tub in which to put it all, and a stretch of clear basement floor free of underlying pipes to work in. However, I'm kind of at a loss as how to cut into the cement to dig the pit. The cement is around 30 years old, so is quite hard. I tried a hammer and chisel (yes, I did), but that didn't work so well - all I ended up doing was making a small dent, wearing out a chisel, and sending shards of cement all over the place. I was thinking of either renting a jackhammer or cement saw to cut through it, but don't know which would be easier, more effective, faster, and not as messy. Ideas?
   
   
6. Completely re-do the bathroom.
   The parasite and her brats were never very good about caring where the shower water went and now parts of the bathroom floor are rotting and need to be replaced. This will involve tearing out everything (tub, toilet, sink, etc) and cutting in new flooring. Even the walls will have to be replaced; they are some kind of crappy looking masonite stuff with a marble-like veneer. And since all the stuff I'm tearing out is a billion years old, I'm gonna replace them as well. But, I am NOT a good plumber! The last time I attempted fixing my plumbing, I crushed a pipe (with my bare hands - don't ask). So, I want this professionally done. Who would I call? A contractor? A "fix it guy"? I have about $5k set aside for this project (parts and labor). It's a small bathroom and I don't have expensive tastes, so hopefully this will be enough.

Sometimes, I think it would be easier to do a rain dance in front of the house and hope a tornado would come and demolish it for me so I can simply start over and design it the way I want.

[bdebde]

#5- Just had to replace my sump pump a couple weeks ago, I get water in the basement about 9months out of the year living by a river.

#6- I have a bathroom that needs redoing as well, at least I have 2. Got a leak around the edge of the tub that has damaged the wall behind it. Only problem I have is that the water shut off to the house broke. I have to wait for the water dept to replace the meter also with bad shut off (soon) so I can put in a new valve.

[JThiessen]

Doors - there is not really a way to solve the situation you have, other than to purchase some replacement doors. Are yours painted, or stained? If painted, it gives you a few more options. You can often find those hollow core doors on Craigslist really cheap. If you do buy some, make sure you know which way they open when you look at them (in swing, right hand or left hand...)
If you dont replace them, at least make certain you paint or seal the new cuts somehow to prevent swelling from moisture.

Concrete - Jackhammer....very fast, concrete saw, very nice cut. Is there rebar? If so, you'll have to cut that too. Concrete saws do NOT like metal....

Bathroom.....he, he, he.....! I'm knee deep into my last bathroom remodel. I actually relocated ALL of the fixtures, so I had to completely redo all of the plumbing, including the vent lines. If you hire a General Contractor, he will sub out the plumbing. Or you can act as the GC, and hire the construction guy, the plumber, electrician, flooring, etc.,. I think 5K is sporty given what you stated needs replacing. I have that just in materials for ours ($1K just on the two stinkin faucets...!), and I've done all of the work. I found a book at a local plumbing shop - it was akin to Plumbing for Dummies, but it helped me a lot to know what code's and such I had to meet. Other than that, it was a matter of figuring out where to run the lines to both meet the slope requirment, and avoid other structural items. Since it sounds like you are just "replacing" stuff, I'd say that is EASY......but, if your not comfortable, then sub it out.

[lincpimp]

I just redid the master bathroom at the house. I did not have to fool with the flooring, but i did have to cut one wall up to get the old bath out. With the new bat, full tile around it, new vanity and tpad for the bath and vanity, set me back about 1500 bucks. Did all the labor myself, way too cheap to pay someone for that. Also did the kitchen while I was at it. Only paid 5k with all new appliances, bloody fridge was 2k by itself.

[E-Revonut]

There is no real easy way to get through concrete! Anyway that you do it is going to involve lots of manual labor and a big mess! A saw will leave you with a square hole that is going to require you to mix up a few bags of concrete to fill in after the tub is in place. A saw will make the cleanest cut and create the least amount of mess initially, you'll still need a hammer drill of some sort to break up the piece and remove it.

http://www.milwaukeetool.com/webapp/..._192178_192137

One of these drills, rent or buy, will prolly be the best way. Your basement slab should only be about 4" thick. Mark out the whole, a little bigger than needed, and use a small 3/8-1/2" drill bit to drill a bunch of holes about 1"apart along the line, and some random holes in the center the more the better. Then switch the drill to hammer mode with a chissel bit and hammer away! Make sure you wear eye and ear protection!!! You will have a mess to clean up as well. These drills work great though and should require to much effort drilling.

I have never had to make such a hole in a basement floor but doing commercial HVAC I have cut many holes through brick and concrete walls, and drilled many holes for anchors.

[BrianG]

Doors: No matter what I get, they will have to be cut down somewhat, right? So, I'm back trying to find a way to strengthen the bottoms. And yes, they are (or will be) simply painted.

Concrete:
Not sure if there is rebar or not, but sounds like I should play it safe and get the jackhammer.

Bathroom:
It's a small bathroom with just basic tub/shower, toilet, sink, and a wall-mounted medicine cabinet. Pretty basic. The biggest thing will be to cut in a new floor section, but I can do that myself if need be. However, I would want this done quickly as I only have one bath and I'm sure someone will have to potty at some point. I can shower at work, so I'm set, but I can't bring my g/f, her son, and our baby.

I HATE carpet....it stains easily, shows wear and needs to be replaced about every 5 yrs..( I dont care what their ratings are). I have 18" porcelin tile throught my house, I got sold on hard flooring in my first house

[Arct1k]

Can't you just hire a concrete core drill?

http://ezinearticles.com/?Concrete-C...lling&id=94282

- concrete -
Renta concrete saw and jackhammer. Use the hammer to bust through a very small are. If no rebar, go in with the saw all th way. If there is, do a very shallow cut to give you a pretty square....then go crazy with the hammer

[TexasSP]

On the doors, I would buy new. Hollow core doors are relatively cheap and you can get endless designs. Going from flat panel doors to ones like 6 panel or others with designs drastically improves the look of a house. You can get these made to about any height/width you need.

For the concrete I would saw and drill. You can get better saw blades to handle the rebar but half the time older houses used much thinner (say 1/8" diameter) wire versus rebar. Also, you nedd to make sure and dig around and replace the moisture barrier (if you have one) so excess water does not seep in through the concrete.

[BrianG]

Originally Posted by azjc

I HATE carpet....it stains easily, shows wear and needs to be replaced about every 5 yrs..( I dont care what their ratings are). I have 18" porcelin tile throught my house, I got sold on hard flooring in my first house

The house actually has hardwood floors everywhere, but it was in bad shape and would have needed extensive refinishing to be kept visible. Which is probably why the previous owners put carpet down in the first place. And even if it was pristine, I did live in the house for the few weeks before the carpet came and I found it loud and echo-ey (I know that's not a word). Not to mention cold floors on bare feet during winter mornings - Brrr. Yeah, there are disadvantages to carpet, but I like it better. Now, kitchens and bathrooms MUST be some type of hard surface for obvious reasons...

Originally Posted by Arct1k

Can't you just hire a concrete core drill?

http://ezinearticles.com/?Concrete-C...lling&id=94282

Interesting, sounds like a concrete hole-saw. But how the heck am I gonna get a core drill big enough to cut out a 2' circle for a decent price? Not to mention securing it to the floor. Heck, the Home Depot guys in the "project center" gave me the deer-in-the-headlights" look just asking about a saw or jackhammer!

But, I might just rent a hammer drill and get a few 3/4"-1" masonry bits, drill holes in a circular pattern, and then break it up that way. This might be the least messy option, if not very easy.

Originally Posted by TexasSP

On the doors, I would buy new. Hollow core doors are relatively cheap and you can get endless designs. Going from flat panel doors to ones like 6 panel or others with designs drastically improves the look of a house. You can get these made to about any height/width you need.

Well, I would, but I'm cheap. I have three bedroom doors and four closet doors to replace. Even cheap $40 hollow-core doors will set me back around $300, and that's before the necessary modifications. I'd need to get a second job to have that many nice, custom-cut doors done!

Originally Posted by TexasSP

For the concrete I would saw and drill. You can get better saw blades to handle the rebar but half the time older houses used much thinner (say 1/8" diameter) wire versus rebar. Also, you nedd to make sure and dig around and replace the moisture barrier (if you have one) so excess water does not seep in through the concrete.

Yup, this is an older house. And I don't think there is a moisture barrier at all currently. I live near a flood zone (see this, I'm near the bottom of E 41st), and water comes UP from the floor (not down the walls).

[JThiessen]

We're going to put down some Bamboo inour bathroom - 3 bucks a sq foot. At that price, its worth the try to me. Its got 5 coats of seal on it, so it should be ok - plus its a master bath, so no kids to splash around in it.

[RCShocker]

Doors:

When we trim our doors here at work to the point of completely removing the solid bottom we just take a piece of scrap wood to add strength to the bottom of the door.

You should still have outer edges/the sides on your doors even though they are trimmed. Take a piece of wood, usually about 1" x 1", and slide it up into the lower hollow portion of your doors.

Then it can be secured with wood glue & finishing nails. I use glue and a nail gun.

Does any of that make sense? I've done it many many many times.

Brian

I know what you mean by the echo sounding you get with hard flooring especially when thier is little or no furniture I have placed area rugs throughout the house and that has helped here in AZ I will wear socks in the morning in the winter

brian your clicky does not work "this"