Let's See Your House Projects!

[Hawkeye]

Originally Posted by hooligan_COLD

House painting finished today!

Ugh, ignore the awful front yard. Aeration and over-seeding is on the schedule for this fall.

@lsturbointeg is judging you so hard right now...

[lsturbointeg]

Originally Posted by Hawkeye

@lsturbointeg is judging you so hard right now...

you know I saw it...started typing than deleted it and just left him an appreciation. I was really trying hard to look past the lawn but my eyes kept twitching

[billnchristy]

Resealing countertops tonight.

[billnchristy]

Shower is finally complete too

[Hawkeye]

So there is a BB&B store closing by me and I happened to ask about the wall fixtures. I ended up buying 112 sq ft of this paneling that I will use for my garage walls and one 16 sq ft section for my workbench in the basement, all for $70. I also bough boxes of 50 of each type of connector they had for $5 a box. Mega score.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Proslat-...8102/203496104

[Hawkeye]

Update. Got some curtain rods made from iron pipe and hung up, hopefully most of the wrinkles come out so ironing isn't as much of a task.



Also got my (turned into) 312 sq ft of wall organization boards and related hanging apparatus. Got it all for a mere $160 total.

[lsturbointeg]

okay I think i'm ready to start painting the ceiling black. I got all 5 canned lights installed. ran all the romex lines and removed the 1x2's that held the drywall in place. room feel much higher now that the ceiling is gone. probably start spraying on Saturday

[hooligan_G01]

Originally Posted by lsturbointeg

you know I saw it...started typing than deleted it and just left him an appreciation. I was really trying hard to look past the lawn but my eyes kept twitching

Didn't want to over-seed until the painters were done fucking around out there.

[hooligan_G01]

Started building the fencing to screen the trash/recycle bins to the left of the carport. I will post pics when I finish it this weekend. Probably going to have to wait until spring to paint it - the pressure treated lumber is still really wet.

[lsturbointeg]

Originally Posted by hooligan_COLD

Started building the fencing to screen the trash/recycle bins to the left of the carport. I will post pics when I finish it this weekend. Probably going to have to wait until spring to paint it - the pressure treated lumber is still really wet.

So the HOA sent out letters to the community saying we can no longer leave our trash/recycler bins on the side of the house that it must be kept in the garage. I thought about what you're going to do with the fence and they said that's against HOA policies. I almost told them to go ef themselves

[billnchristy]

Painting done in bathroom and floor laid last night.

[hooligan_G01]

Originally Posted by lsturbointeg

So the HOA sent out letters to the community saying we can no longer leave our trash/recycler bins on the side of the house that it must be kept in the garage. I thought about what you're going to do with the fence and they said that's against HOA policies. I almost told them to go ef themselves

Bah. That sucks!

Our last HOA at the house in Charlotte had a "trash cans can't be visible" rule. So, while we were having the back yard fenced with 6' privacy fence - I had them build a little "coop" with a gate to keep the two bins in. Worked like a champ - and the garage didn't smell like trash, either.

[RickFLM4]

Originally Posted by heatwave

I read that home owners who replaced their windows report savings of up to 15% on their energy bill due to that one upgrade alone. I want to install new windows and doors in my house for energy efficiency this year.

I replaced my windows in 2017 with double-paned impact resistant glass. I read the same 15% - 20% when we did it, but I wasn't counting on anything, as the windows were more for storm protection than energy savings. Basically, carrying around, putting up and taking down 80+ galvanized steel panels for storms four times was enough to last a lifetime.

I think there are some energy savings, but they are very difficult to quantify. For one thing, the weather changes year over year, and that is a major driver of cooling (and heating) costs. Additionally, normal everyday life results in changes to the patterns of energy use. Even if weather were identical, no one is home the same exact times, doing exactly the sames things, year over year. There are other changes that affect consumption. For example, we also replaced a refrigerator, remodeled our master bath and replaced an older water heater and replaced an a/c unit, all of which are more efficient. We are also 100% LED now. Additionally, the condition of your existing windows impacts the savings. Obviously you'd save a lot more replacing decades old windows than newer windows.

My fuzzy math tells me the energy cost "savings" are less than 10%. My bill has gone down more that 10% but some of that is due to the new a/c, water heater and fridge and some is due to a reduction in the fuel surcharge from our power company. If I looked solely at energy savings vs. cost of windows, I think it would be a 25 - 50+ year payback period. When I factor in the elimination of hanging shutters, better looking windows and (at least theoretically) some increase in property value, it was worth it. But I would not have done it just for high expected energy savings. I'd run the numbers assuming a 7-10% reduction in kWh to assess whether it is worth it if focused on energy savings.

[Ngilbe36]

Originally Posted by heatwave

I read that home owners who replaced their windows report savings of up to 15% on their energy bill due to that one upgrade alone. I want to install new windows and doors in my house for energy efficiency this year. I found one local service here https://titanupgrades.com/services/windows-doors/ in LA, California with reasonable prices.

It should go without saying, but these savings will vary wildly depending on what you are upgrading from.

[hooligan_G01]

Got the screening fence done. Next spring it'll get painted the same black as the house fascia. For now we can FINALLY finish the edging and pea stone in the planting bed in front of the carport.

[lsturbointeg]

I'm dragging ass not getting basement room done. It should've been done already but I'm procrastinating

[billnchristy]

Built this door today. Gotta hang the track and install handle tomorrow.

[spazzyfry123]

Need more updates from hooligan_COLD

Love me a mid century modern. There’s a few “Frank Lloyd Wright inspired” homes in the area here that are just begging for some updating.

[hooligan_G01]

Originally Posted by spazzyfry123

Need more updates from hooligan_COLD

Love me a mid century modern. There’s a few “Frank Lloyd Wright inspired” homes in the area here that are just begging for some updating.

Got the edging and the pea stone down yesterday, as well as the grass seed for our poor front lawn.

I'll snap another pic or two later today.

Also installed a couple new circuits in the basement on Friday afternoon in preparation for the new sump pump.

Careful what you wish for, spazzy, "updating" these houses can go horribly wrong, depending on who's making the decisions. Unfortunately almost all of the "mid century" was renovated out of the interior of this place before we bought it. We're working to put some of it back now.

[spazzyfry123]

Originally Posted by hooligan_COLD

Got the edging and the pea stone down yesterday, as well as the grass seed for our poor front lawn.

I'll snap another pic or two later today.

Also installed a couple new circuits in the basement on Friday afternoon in preparation for the new sump pump.

Careful what you wish for, spazzy, "updating" these houses can go horribly wrong, depending on who's making the decisions. Unfortunately almost all of the "mid century" was renovated out of the interior of this place before we bought it. We're working to put some of it back now.

If you’re holding true to the design, how does that fit in with the rest of the neighborhood? Pretty much all that have been updated around here have completely removed what the house was so that it didn’t stick out in the area. It’s a shame!

[hooligan_G01]

Planting bed finished.


edit -- bah, I don't know what's wrong with my photo uploads...

[hooligan_G01]

Originally Posted by spazzyfry123

If you’re holding true to the design, how does that fit in with the rest of the neighborhood? Pretty much all that have been updated around here have completely removed what the house was so that it didn’t stick out in the area. It’s a shame!

This neighborhood is a mix. There are three other MCMs here, the majority are just "normal" 50s-60s ranches/split-levels, though.

Sadly, the house straight across from us is a 2005 McMansion, but the owners are very nice, so it mitigates the issue a lot.