We've hired the Plumbing and Electrical sub-contractors. The budget numbers and close, and we're pretty confident about their convictions on this project. Timing is a slight factor, though, because the major trade right now, carpentry, is probably at the very soonest a couple weeks out. The original contractor we talked with just didn't seem interested anymore -- probably too much work, and I understand. But what is weird is that a lot of people who come and look have the same mannerisms and ask the same questions. They scowl, and look around alot with their head kind of shaking, asking questions like "Whatcha gonna do with these when you're done?" Many want to be inspectors and comment on every little thing: "The floor looks like it's sinking over there..." Gee, maybe it's the 10 years of water than has leaked from the broken soffit on the exterior?
We're not re-inventing the wheel here. Put it back together like it is, with a few minor changes. Is that so hard?! Haha. Yeah, it is I guess. Anyway, the first carpenter I'm tempted to shoo off after last week's showing. All I got was stuff like "I thought all of this was supposed to be demoed by someone else." What, am I supossed to demo the siding and the exterior walls and wait four weeks for you to show up? Give me a schedule and maybe I'll find someone to do it right away. Sheesh. Then I got kind of a wishy-washy "I'll call you tomorrow and let you know what we can do" sort of thing, which never happened. Oh, and the old "We've got a $20,000 porch coming up so it might take a couple weeks to get on this." Did I not stay in touch with you over the past 3 months updating you on loan closing progress? Give me a break.
The next guy on Saturday was better, still a touch wishy-washy, but more apt to *maybe* get it done soon and quick. Open-ended yeses are bad. Get a day, stick to it and if it comes and goes without contact, find someone else ASAP, unless you can wait. We can wait a little while, but too long and it's going to be -10 degrees outside and no one will be happy with that. Schedule? What schedule? Haha.
Okay, the pictures. Here's what we were able to accomplish this weekend. I shouldn't have to tell you that the list was long -- about 10 things on it. But what was actually completed? About 3 things. That is typical. We were attempting to clean up the basement, so that the plumbing guy can get started down there running DWV (drain, waste & vent) and find the plumbing mains. I think the mains are 3/4" copper that were core drilled through some time ago, but have since been nearly crimped and crumpled at the edge of the block wall. Bummer, but we should be able to free them. Well, that was on the list too, but it didn't happen either.
Instead, we started by finishing off cleaning up the kitchen. Most of the work is happening in the old kitchens, and I've found that it is easier to start in the beginning to remove ALL of the nails from the floor ahead of time. Of course, that's after you remove the plaster and lathe (haha). The last thing you want is to be vacuuming and have to deal with a billion nails sticking out everywhere from the two layers of old flooring that was installed with 8d nails. Plus, we're putting down luan and replacing some floor, so a clean floor is just a good way to start. PS...get a respirator and wear it. Very dirty job.
Once the kitchen was cleaned up, I had to replace some of the floor. I really had hoped to get more than one side done, but as it turned out the weekend was just enough time for the North side. It is the harder side, due to a few extra areas of rotten flooring, so that's going for us. Saturday started out with cleaning, and mid-day it was time for a trip to Menards. I had the largest load I can imagine in the new truck this time. I bet we were in the 2000 lbs. range, probably overloaded for this F150, but it got me back home. I got back and started in on cutting out the bad sections of flooring. It got dark around 6:30, but it felt like 8pm, so I quit to get in some family time.
Waking up in the morning, the first job was set already. It had started raining about five in the morning, and I never checked in with then weatherman, so my wood load and plaster filled trash cans were just getting wetter and wetter by the hour. Dummy! And after Saturday, my back was killing me, so work today was supposed to be lighter than normal -- yeah right, that wasn't about to happen today. After moving 100 plus studs, a couple sheets of 3/4" OSB and about ten 2 x 10 x 14's, it was time to get to work work.
Cutting the holes for the flooring replacement was easy. Three areas in the North unit kitchen were rotten. The middle wall area was mostly rotten, probably because of water damage from the bath above over time, and an area to the Northeast (2nd pic) that was sinking due to a lot of water coming off the roof and deteriorating the exterior bearing wall.
Introducing new framing members to a floor that is pretty much intact isn't exactly an easy task, especially alone. I took a crow bar and some blocking to pry against to task, and worked pretty much everything out well for myself. The basement windows are currently missing, which made it easy to get the 14' 2x10's into the basement, and tearing out the blocking between the units allowed the placement of the 14'ers easily.
The introduction of new framing along the middle wall allows for future hidden HVAC ductwork. Something had to be built to carry the load of the floor joists, which in this case was a doubled up header with joist hangers (hopefully code worthy).
At the end of the day, the new joist framing and new support header beam came together nicely. The finishing touch was to put the sub-floor in place with glue and screws. I even screwed every original board I cut through back to the joists to maintain the integrity ofthe original 1x3 plank deck material. And I used a little PL400 (or whatever DAP version is applicable) to glue the new floor to the joists and improve the bond between old and new. Ultimately, a new luan underlayment will be placed on which the final floor finish will be installed.
I had to use 3/4" sub-floor material, and in this case it was OSB, because it's only $12 vs. $22. Generally, OSB is a touch less desirable because of screw hold capacity, or it's full of formaldehyde, but everybody has their own opinion. I used it because it was half as expensive and was interior only never to be exposed to weather (except when the owner forgets to consult the weatherman before leaving stuff in his truck bed). Ultimately the original floor is 7/8" instead of 3/4", so there's quite a lip differential between the old and new. Since I'm putting luan down, I figured it wouldn't matter much. I just plan on putting down some leveling compound prior to the luan installation.That was it for the day. I was hoping for more. Probably would've been too much though. A nice end to the day was dinner at home, some family time with Ethan and Sheri, and a nice long soak in the hot tub. And some hydrocodone if I can find it.
Hope you enjoyed the weekend's project. Stay tuned for the South side SSDD (Same Stuff Different Day). And hopefully some labor by someone other than your truly. Peace.
