Ask Home Repair and Improvement Questions.

[Cutlass]

I'm not a professional home fixer. Just a guy who has learned a lot the hard way. I'm sure a number of other people here are too. So this thread is to help people with advice on how to do common (and a few not so common) things around the house.

So a few things I can do that I more or less learned to do on my own..

Installing new windows and doors....








And I built this laundry room for Mom. I didn't do the plumbing, I did do the electrical. The room already existed as an entry way and I converted it.




I can also build decks. I built the first one the last place I lived and did about 95% of the work myself. The other one I built with a friend nearly 20 years ago at my parents house. I'll be repainting that one a as time permits this summer. But it's as solid now as the day i built it, even though the pealing paint makes it look kind of rough.







So from here and there I've picked up quite a bit of what homeowners need to know.

Spoiler :

btw, El Mac has approved this thread

 

[FriendlyFire]

Nice.

Though I never understood the desire for full glass side panels and glass doors. Its like a invitation for theieves and such.

 

[warpus]

I've been meaning to do some work on my deck this summer, and I even started a thread about my ideas to get some tips..

but in the meantime i've been realllly busy, and it turns out that my roof needs fixin'.. so.. that's on hold.

Expect some pictures in this thread soon though, cause I'd still like to get some advice

 

[Cutlass]

Nice.

Though I never understood the desire for full glass side panels and glass doors. Its like a invitation for theieves and such.

Only if they're open. They have good locks. If they're closed and locked no one is getting in without smashing the double glass. Just like on a sliding glass door.

 

[Cutlass]

I've been meaning to do some work on my deck this summer, and I even started a thread about my ideas to get some tips..

but in the meantime i've been realllly busy, and it turns out that my roof needs fixin'.. so.. that's on hold.

Expect some pictures in this thread soon though, cause I'd still like to get some advice

I've never done roofing. But my bro is a roofer. So I know a bit, but having never done it I don't know a lot.

 

[Kerozine]

-How much do you think it would cost to renovate a home to be more energy efficient? (e.g. doors, windows, insulation, etc.)
-Amount of work involved? (time frame)
-DIY-able or is a professional required?

There's a lot of talk right now about home renovations, as part of the guv'mints economic stimulus package, so we're thinking of taking full advantage of their offer..

We don't have a clue where to start.

 

[Cutlass]

Cost is very variable depending on what you want to do and what you are starting with. There are a lot of options. Your main sources of heat loss are doors and windows, poorly insulated attics, any actual holes out the walls or ceilings where you have air moving back and forth, poorly insulated walls, and the cellar in more or less that order.

2 factors to consider, air transfer and heat radiation. Air transfer costs you the most heat. So stopping leaks comes first.

Can you do any or all of those jobs yourself? I can. If you are more or less physically capable and have basic mechanical skills and a moderate understanding of carpentry, then you can too.

So you make a list in order of priorities. Windows are expensive, but there's a lot of bang for the buck in savings available from windows if the old windows are in poor condition or not energy efficient models.

To get cost on windows you first have to measure and count how many you have that need replacing. And then figure which type of replacement you are going to do. The cheapest, but lowest quality, solution in window inserts. Basically you knock out all the innards of the existing windows and place the inserts in the existing frames. Almost anyone can do that. The hardest, but the one that gives the best results, is to use what are called original construction windows. For these you have to strip off some of the siding and reside that area. Which with some types of siding is near impossible, and that restricts your options.

If you can't afford windows, then caulk and weatherstrip your existing windows to stop the drafts and in the winter use plastic sheeting to cover them over and stop leaks.

Doors face pretty much the same range of problems as windows. They are fairly expensive and a fair amount of work and you have to have at least moderate carpentry skills.

Time with moderate skills, 1/2 a day or so for each window or door. Lots of variation in price, but $2-500 for most windows and doors if you aren't getting fancy.

Insulating the attic is easy if you have access to it. The blown in type of insulation over whatever is there is easy, but takes 2 people.

You can save a lot of money with an improved heating system if yours is old as well.

If you are going to renovate a whole house and do it right, then, depending on the size, you can be spending sizable money. $10-20,000. But you can do it yourself. You can pick up books that describe each job, or even look on the net. But to actually price out your job I would need a lot more information.

 

[Kerozine]

I think our current windows are the worst offenders, as they always fog up during the winter and are fairly large compared to any given room's wall space. They are single pane, dual-layered windows and [probably] are the original windows for the house.

Here is a diagram of what a typical window in the household looks like:

Interior |---|-X Exterior

| = single-pane glass
- = spacing
x = window mesh

I don't have specific measurements (around 8x6 ft), but I hope pictures might be able to give you a rough idea of their size..

(Large windows to the left)

(4 Large windows)

I think this is an ideal (they look energy efficient ), best-fitting model:

 

[Cutlass]

I'm a bit confused since you pictured 3 different houses. And none are single family homes. Windows that large you will need a second person to help you with. For the upper floors you will need at least a pair of ladders.

From your description I would say your windows are probably your big problem, as you think. Take all of the trim off the inside of the windows so you can get a measurement of the of the opening that the window sits in. That's the measurement you will need to order windows to fit the whole opening. Then you can shop around and price windows to fit those places. You can't always get a new window that is an exact fit for an old window. So come as close as you can. What's the siding on the side of your house? It's easier to make a window hole a little smaller than it is a little larger, and if your house it sided in brick you may not be able to make it larger at all.

 

[Kerozine]

Hehe, sorry about that. I Don't have a camera on-hand to take actual snapshots, so I looked through a real estate website to find windows as similar as possible.

Yup, brick and mortar.

I'm inquiring about this for my folks to see if any kind of renovation would be feasible/affordable (I proposed the idea/doing it). I think I've got an idea of what to do now, and what to expect if we embark on this endeavor. Thanks for all your input!

 

[wicshade]

If you are going to be doing work with the insulation then you should make sure there is no asbestos. I think that the health department can test for it and lead. I you get the health department to run those tests then you better be prepared to fork over some money, because they will put a lean on your house until your house has a safe level of lead/asbestos. You won't want to remove asbestos yourself, there are special companies that employ Mexicans for doing that work (and it is fairly expensive).

I'm not sure on the dates, and they will vary depending on where you live. You should check when your house was built before you call the health department, I think asbestos was banned in the 70's or 80's.

 

[Cutlass]

Hehe, sorry about that. I Don't have a camera on-hand to take actual snapshots, so I looked through a real estate website to find windows as similar as possible.

Yup, brick and mortar.

I'm inquiring about this for my folks to see if any kind of renovation would be feasible/affordable (I proposed the idea/doing it). I think I've got an idea of what to do now, and what to expect if we embark on this endeavor. Thanks for all your input!

No problem. Like I say, I'm not a contractor. But I can help walk you through most stuff below that level.

 

[Cutlass]

Generally speaking you are not going to be adding or removing the insulation in the walls. Because that means redoing all of the wallboard on the insides of all the exterior walls. Major, major, project not to be undertaken lightly. So your stuck with the wall insulation. And attic insulation you would normally just go over what is there. There are paints you can buy that are meant to go over lead paint and seal it in. That's a better alternative than to get hazmat involved.

 

[Bamspeedy]

Not so much a 'how to' question, but since you've built decks, I'm hoping you know a bit about building/installing fences as well.

I'm looking to replace the current fence that I have on the perimeter of my property. The current fence is 4 feet high on most sides (6 feet on the side farthest from the corner), is very old and made of wood so it is starting to rot away. Not looking to get a taller fence since I live on a corner and there isn't a sidewalk there so I want to keep a low fence for increased visibility of pedestrians/motorists going around the corner. So the new fence would be the same height.

I've been told by some friends that I should build the new fence directly behind the current fence so when it is built then I can tear down the old fence and avoid the need to acquire a building permit. Of course this feels like a sneaky way of getting around a law, but is it really legal to do that? I'd rather buy the permit rather than run the risk of getting some hefty penalties/fines.

What kind of fence would you recommend (wood, vinyl, steel, etc.) and what are the differences in them for cost, installing them, maintanence, etc.

 

[wicshade]

I installed a white vinyl fence, and I am disappointed with it. They are said to be low maintenance but that was not true for me. My fence accumulated some black grime or dirt that stuck to it, which I could not pressure wash off; it had to be scrubbed by hand. I feel that my old wood fence looked nicer because I never to clean it off.

Vinyl will cost less and last longer in the long run. Depending on what type of lumber you use and how you care for it makes a big difference for a wood fence. My old one was pressure treated pine; it lasted about 12 years before I took it down (The fence was Fine I just wanted to increase the area of my fenced yard).

Galvanized steel is economical but not easy on the eyes. Now they sell aluminum fence, which I have never seen before. I remember having one of my dogs shred some aluminum siding on my backdoor frame once, and it wasn't very cheap to replace.

http://www.decks.com/article176.aspx

 

[Cutlass]

Bamspeedy, for something like a fence whether or not you need a permit really depends on how your town feels about those things and what the local building codes are. These are different everywhere, so I can't tell you what your location wants. Whatever the law says, if your town doesn't happen to care whether or not you get a permit, you don't need to. But if they're hardasses about it, then you might as well just to avoid future hassle.

As to type of fence, a lot of that is up to what you need the fence for and what do you care about appearances. Vinyl fences are fairly easy to install and are low maintenance. However if something damages it it can be a pain in the butt to fix. I wouldn't use then in an area where kids break them up for fun, for example. And as wicshade said, can be hard to clean. Though I used a power washer on one recently and got good results. Pressure treated wood is supposed to be good enough to be put in the ground and not rot for 20-25 years. Don't tar the part of a wooden fence that gets buried in the ground. That only traps water inside and makes them rot sooner. Chain link fences can be difficult to put in, but are tough if you are just keeping a dog in the yard or something like that. Unfortunately they aren't very good looking. There are other options, but many are pricey.

So if you want a fence that's mostly decorative, I'd say pressure treated wood or vinyl. If you go with those and you have a dog and the dog tries to dig beneath it, you can take a piece of flexible green mesh fencing and attach it to the bottom and curve it onto the ground to discourage that.

One guy I know got a real cheap stockade fence by taking his time and going to all the Home Depots around and getting damaged panels and repairing them himself. Other than that, I don't have a a pricing list, so I'd have to look up those. Can't really help you that way. But they are fairly expensive. The only fence I've bought in the last several years has been post and rail wood. and that was I think $25 or so per 8 foot section.

I think vinyl can in many instances give you the best appearance for the least work. If you get a stockade fence and don't paint it, then it's low maintenance but will eventually rot. But that's years out. Vinyl beats a painted fence simply because you will never have to paint it. Place your vinyl fence where no snow plow will push snow up against it. Because that might break it. A painted wood fence would be highest maintenance.

Hope that helped, I've only done fencing twice. So not really an expert. But if you have any further questions, I'll try to help you find an answer.

 

[Cutlass]

I thought this thread would get more interest because there are some homeowners here. Oh well Anyways, finally found enough good weather time to finish the deck and paint the house.

 

[Adria]

I thought this thread would get more interest because there are some homeowners here. Oh well Anyways, finally found enough good weather time to finish the deck and paint the house.

I bought my place brand new 1.5 years ago so there's no work needed here. Other than the (overgrown) garden. So if anyone has suggestions for plants for a low-maintenance garden I'd love to hear them.

My boyfriend is looking to do some renos to his condo before renting it out. He's thinking about doing the floors himself (hardwood laminate, possibly tile in the kitchen) but leaving the bathroom for a contractor. If he doesn't do the floors himself, he's thinking of letting someone like Home Depot do them. Anyone know how reliable they are/what kind of quality their work is?

 

[GoodGame]

Looks nice Cutlass. Curious---why'd you paint instead of a natural wood stain?

I just repainted my above-ground, basement apartment with some bath/kitchen paint (Valspar) to try and control must smells. A true HEPA filter from Honeywell helped as well. It appears to have worked, now that the paint has dried a week.

 

[Cutlass]

Looks nice Cutlass. Curious---why'd you paint instead of a natural wood stain?

I just repainted my above-ground, basement apartment with some bath/kitchen paint (Valspar) to try and control must smells. A true HEPA filter from Honeywell helped as well. It appears to have worked, now that the paint has dried a week.

What happened was that the deck when first built has given a clear wood preservative. But it was underneath some trees and after a few years had gotten blackish. Now when I wasn't around my father painted it. But paint does not stick well to pressure treated wood that has had wood preservative soaked into it. So the paint chipped badly. I repainted it once. But it didn't last long. This now is not a paint. It is a solid color stain. The guy tells me it will both cover where the paint stuck and where it came off. I'll know it 5 years if that is true or not.