Home Improvement Projects

[quote]CLINK wrote:
I hate fixer-uppers. Our first house was built in '54. Cool mid-century style, but way too much work renovating.
I foolishly pried up and removed the floor tiles myself (breaking many), before a contractor friend of mine came in and said, “Hey, those are asbestos tiles!” [/quote]

yea you definitely gotta be aware of shit like that. I have to be conscious of my led paint in my house.

I think unless you spend A LOT on a house, you will have some fixing to do. When my parents moved ($193k in 1998), the house needed a lot. My friend spent $250k this past december and his house needs some work, he already spend $10k on a remodeled bathroom. I spent $130k april 2013 and my house still needs a few things, but nothing that I see as major. I felt the need to get a house cause of the low rates and decent prices at the time and I didn’t have much time since the market was tightening up.

I just couldn’t fathom living in an apt or a town home and spending what I spend on my mortgage (or more) on rent. I’m able to play my drums as loud as I want, and I have my gym set up in my basement.

Everyone I know swears by Andersen windows.

[quote]usmccds423 wrote:
Everyone I know swears by Andersen windows.[/quote]

I hear they are probably the most expensive. The quote I got yesterday was from Pella. I started with Pella since my dad had a good experience with them recently.

I feel like they rape you on installation charges, and I don’t want to pay it if it’s not that difficult to do.

I also feel like I can get away with a “less-than-perfect” install since I have an old starter home. It’s not like I have a $500k house where the next buyer will be super picky. But obviously I can’t have it poorly insulated and looking like shit.

before using a cherry picker really check over the ground you’ll be running it over, a soft spot or hole will result in anything from a stuck machine to a hard whip if extended, to it tipping over. always stay well clear of power lines. If you can hear thunder you’re close enough for lighting to hit.
I was working on a floating US Navy dry dock in Holy Loch Scotland and watched 2 sailor drive one off the dd into the loch.

[quote]usmccds423 wrote:
Everyone I know swears by Andersen windows.[/quote]

Anderson, Pella, Marvin, Loewen…all great windows but there are deals to be had if you shop less well known companies as well.

I’m working on a project right now and am having Windsor windows installed. They make their windows in IA and NC and their quote came in about %25 less than the equivalent Anderson windows.

If you’re near any kind of urban area, there should be lots of small vinyl window manufacturers as well.

Edit: about %17 less, not %25 for a primed wood interior/metal clad exterior. I could have knocked another %12 off the price if I had vinyl interior as well.

first thing that came to mind when i read this title was

“move the wife out”

what type of screens are you putting over them. these are really popular because of the hurricanes and t-storms we get. also makes it a bitch on burglars. may also lower homeowners insurance.

I have done quite a few of my own but I wouldn’t say they are a simple install if they don’t have nailing flanges. When screwing through the frame, squareness and the tightness of shims becomes very important. Not incredibly hard but attention to detail is important.

Anderson are nice windows. About half the cost you cited will be for the windows themselves, so depending on labor rates in your area that breaks down to about five hours per window. Shop around, it shouldn’t take anyone with experience more than two or three hours per window.

[quote]Testy1 wrote:
I have done quite a few of my own but I wouldn’t say they are a simple install if they don’t have nailing flanges. When screwing through the frame, squareness and the tightness of shims becomes very important. Not incredibly hard but attention to detail is important.

Anderson are nice windows. About half the cost you cited will be for the windows themselves, so depending on labor rates in your area that breaks down to about five hours per window. Shop around, it shouldn’t take anyone with experience more than two or three hours per window. [/quote]

thanks for the advice!

at about 1:10 in the video is pretty much what mine look like

[quote]angry chicken wrote:
I love fixer-uppers. [/quote]

I do, too, but they’re hard to find in West Texas/East NM due to the oil boom.

I have a pretty big industrial yard for the rigs, with several full time plumbers, electricians, and generally competent workers who could roof/frame/drywall. Even guys who pour cement for the rig anchors. Everything to re-do a house except finishing work, and these guys would have a “tio” who could do it.

Any time we’d lay down a rig for maintenance, I’d buy some crappy house (usually two or three – we’re talking primarily $35,000 houses in crappy dried up towns) and use my crew to re-do it, and just keep paying their salary.

My accountant found out what I was doing and informed me that this was no bueno.

Very important!

If you use a spray foam like great stuff, make sure it is non expanding.

[quote]Testy1 wrote:
Very important!

If you use a spray foam like great stuff, make sure it is non expanding.[/quote]

This is for only once the window is already in place, since the expansion will cause the window to deflect, correct?

In the video here, he uses expanding foam to fill the large cavities before* The window is in place. Once the foam sets, they trim it, then drop the window in.

Once the window is in, he uses “minimal” expanding foam around the window, which is I’m guessing where you are talking about NOT using the expanding type.

about 6:00 is where the window installation begins. I Gotta believe these guys do it right!

Correct, after installation.

That’s another thing that’s good about working in the Trades - I am good friends with HVAC guys, plumbers, carpenters, contractors, tin-knockers, GC’s, etc… The “horse trading” that goes on most job sites often involves “side work”. You put a new 5 ton unit in my house, I make that change order disappear… I know guys who have had a TON of work done that way.

[quote]Testy1 wrote:
I have done quite a few of my own but I wouldn’t say they are a simple install if they don’t have nailing flanges. When screwing through the frame, squareness and the tightness of shims becomes very important. Not incredibly hard but attention to detail is important.

Anderson are nice windows. About half the cost you cited will be for the windows themselves, so depending on labor rates in your area that breaks down to about five hours per window. Shop around, it shouldn’t take anyone with experience more than two or three hours per window. [/quote]

This is almost word for word what I was going to say. Just to add on, I’ve had some great luck looking at the bargain rack at home depot for windows and doors. Not sure if it is called the bargain rack, but usually in the back or the store its special ordered stuff that is returned so its all really cheap. Seems like an interesting project you’ve got going on.

AC that sounds like a union job site haha.

[quote]carbiduis wrote:
I need gutters

First quote was $880 (playing on people’s fears of heights?)

The gutters themselves are cheap as fuck (aluminum, nothing fancy)

The edge of my roof is 15 ft high (I wouldn’t fucks with a ladder this high)

What do you think about renting a Scizzor lift ($150/day) to put the gutters up myself?[/quote]

I had a similar idea recently myself, to wash the outside of windows on upper level of the house! :slight_smile:

If you do fit gutters, a good idea is to get them or fit them with screens/registers over them to prevent blockage. Saves much hassle with cleaning them in the long run.

[quote]Testy1 wrote:

[quote]carbiduis wrote:

[quote]SkyzykS wrote:

[quote]carbiduis wrote:
I need gutters

First quote was $880 (playing on people’s fears of heights?)

The gutters themselves are cheap as fuck (aluminum, nothing fancy)

The edge of my roof is 15 ft high (I wouldn’t fucks with a ladder this high)

What do you think about renting a Scizzor lift ($150/day) to put the gutters up myself?[/quote]

Scissor lifts are great on flat smooth concrete floors.

Unless your house is surrounded by smooth flat concrete floors, it will not work.

Some things are worth paying for to get done. I used to do residential tree cutting and removal, and have numerous stories of people who didn’t hire a professional first and ended up paying for it the hard way.

For gutters, the guys will throw up the ladders and possibly staging, bang it out and be done in a few hours tops, nice and neat. No messy hospital visits or leaky badly pitched gutters.
[/quote]

Is there anyway to make a scizzor lift work
On flat grass?

I need about 110ft total. $500 is about the high end of reasonable, I was thinking. I feel like a Scizzor lift would be rather safe.

I’ve requested more quotes and told another company that I was quoted $880, ill just keep playing the quotes against different companies to see how low I can get it…for fucks sake, I searched avg prices on google and the quote I got was put of range on the high end.
[/quote]

If you don’t feel safe fifteen feet up a ladder a scissor lift won’t feel safe on any but the flattest surfaces. You have to consider that any angle at all will be magnified. You can probably rent scaffolding pretty cheaply though.

Gutters and gutter covers seem to be something people get gouged on because of the height thing. If you do use a ladder use a spreader to give it a wider contact at the top.

Also, gutter covers are a good idea unless you plan on going up to clean them out at least once a year. My friend just did his own with an aluminum mesh product he bought from costco for around $300. He just got a quote for the same stuff installed and it was $4000.
[/quote]
Your gutter-cover post anticipated me! :slight_smile: Great minds…

Had no idea that they were THAT expensive though!

[quote]'nuffsaid wrote:

[quote]carbiduis wrote:
I need gutters

First quote was $880 (playing on people’s fears of heights?)

The gutters themselves are cheap as fuck (aluminum, nothing fancy)

The edge of my roof is 15 ft high (I wouldn’t fucks with a ladder this high)

What do you think about renting a Scizzor lift ($150/day) to put the gutters up myself?[/quote]

I had a similar idea recently myself, to wash the outside of windows on upper level of the house! :slight_smile:

If you do fit gutters, a good idea is to get them or fit them with screens/registers over them to prevent blockage. Saves much hassle with cleaning them in the long run.
[/quote]

I nixed the gutter approach since last year. I graded my dirt around my house pretty good.

The rain off the roof on the west side lands on a sidewalk that is tilted from the house, so I don’t get any water in my basement there.

The east side of the house is now dripping onto some landscaping rocks (lava rocks)that we have placed there to protect the dirt from the rain beating down. We got the rocks for FREE off of craigslist.

We have had a VERY wet spring/early summer and my basement has been BONE DRY.

Solving problems cheaply and effectively feels pretty good.


I noticed the smell of sewage last week in my basement, found out there was a crack in the top of the elbow (from the toilet) where it connects to the 4" stack.

I replaced all the Iron with PVC. I had to support the iron pipe before I cut it to make sure it didn’t slide down once I cut, since all or most of its weight is being supported at the bottom.

A few hiccups along the way, 7 hours later (with the help of a friend) its all wrapped up, all on my birthday. It was a decent size plumbing job but I planned it out and talked to a few people first to make sure it was being approached correctly.


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