Home Repairs/Improvements

[teachercd]

I have installed vinyl siding on probably 250 houses and I would almost hesitate to put it on now with the large size hail that seems to be common in the midwest (assuming you live in the midwest). The formulas have improved as far as fading and appearance and if you aren't in a hail zone you'll be alright. They have lots of "beige" colors. If you tackle it yourself have someone who knows how to install it help you get the first two rows on and you should be fine. Just make sure EVERY piece gets snapped in place. Get at least an .044 thickness or better, not the cheap stuff sold by the box stores.

Thank you for that information. I was wondering about that and I live in Omaha. If you had to guess, would you say a 1,500 sqft home would be how much to side?

I pretty much quit doing vinyl after the last big hail storm here (2006? Hastings). I was doing it for about $350/sq then so I would estimate probably $450 now and a 1500 sq ft house with 8' ceilings and garage would have approx 20 sq of siding. Taller ceilings and bigger gable ends would bump that up to 22 sq maybe.

20 sq x $450.............. $9000

Soffit and facia board wrap- $2500

Wrap window trim with coil- $1000-1500

Some of the bigger companies will tear off and remove old siding for "free" but you are paying for it somewhere.

So, yeah, expensive...okay thanks for the information! I will probably just look into painting it.

 

[NUance]

I bought the house six years ago. I built a cedar fence around the backyard so I could get a dog. Put in a garden, planted five fruit trees, and a bunch of flowers. Built a 275 sq ft deck (cedar and Trex). Put a 175 sq ft addition onto one paver patio, and built a different paver patio of ~100 sq ft. Built a small deck on the front of the house (4' x 15'). Built a pirate ship play structure for my kid. Currently I'm making a water filter/water falls for a small pond in our back yard, and remodelling the basement.

Dang, you sound like a boss when it comes to being handy! I basically have no tools at all.

Ha ha! Yeah, I have a ton of tools. Every Christmas when I was growing up I'd ask for a different tool of some sort. And I generally use every home project as an excuse to buy some tool that I don't have. But I'd starve to death if I was a professional contractor. I'm way too slow to complete projects. I probably spend twice as much time on a project of my own as a real professional would spend.

Also, I should mention that anytime I start a project I've not done before I look at a couple of YouTube videos to figure out how to do it. Seems like there is a YouTube video for nearly any skill you want to acquire.

 

[Junior]

I bought the house six years ago. I built a cedar fence around the backyard so I could get a dog. Put in a garden, planted five fruit trees, and a bunch of flowers. Built a 275 sq ft deck (cedar and Trex). Put a 175 sq ft addition onto one paver patio, and built a different paver patio of ~100 sq ft. Built a small deck on the front of the house (4' x 15'). Built a pirate ship play structure for my kid. Currently I'm making a water filter/water falls for a small pond in our back yard, and remodelling the basement.

Dang, you sound like a boss when it comes to being handy! I basically have no tools at all.

Ha ha! Yeah, I have a ton of tools. Every Christmas when I was growing up I'd ask for a different tool of some sort. And I generally use every home project as an excuse to buy some tool that I don't have. But I'd starve to death if I was a professional contractor. I'm way too slow to complete projects. I probably spend twice as much time on a project of my own as a real professional would spend.

Also, I should mention that anytime I start a project I've not done before I look at a couple of YouTube videos to figure out how to do it. Seems like there is a YouTube video for nearly any skill you want to acquire.

Yea, I used to rent nail guns and stuff like that for big projects, then I decided it's just as much to buy a tool as it is to rent it. So might as well buy it! I just bought a new nail gun yesterday for my wainscoting and chair rail.

 

[BIGREDIOWAN]

Did all the landscaping around our home, it sucked bad! Built a shed, built a wooden play set for my boys, expanded our patio with river rock and flag stones, helped finish "some" of the basement, but not much. Projects planned for next spring: tear off old deck, put on new one cause the guy that built this one was a frigging moron! The damn thing shakes like crazy when you go down the stairs so it's making me nervous. I'm planning on putting down that composite decking, it's gonna be expensive. My deck isn't huge, 10 x 30 or so, but I plan on putting up some sort of pergola as well. Made several rain barrels as well to water above mentioned landscaping plants around home.

 

[darkhorse85]

I bought the house six years ago. I built a cedar fence around the backyard so I could get a dog. Put in a garden, planted five fruit trees, and a bunch of flowers. Built a 275 sq ft deck (cedar and Trex). Put a 175 sq ft addition onto one paver patio, and built a different paver patio of ~100 sq ft. Built a small deck on the front of the house (4' x 15'). Built a pirate ship play structure for my kid. Currently I'm making a water filter/water falls for a small pond in our back yard, and remodelling the basement.

Dang, you sound like a boss when it comes to being handy! I basically have no tools at all.

Ha ha! Yeah, I have a ton of tools. Every Christmas when I was growing up I'd ask for a different tool of some sort. And I generally use every home project as an excuse to buy some tool that I don't have. But I'd starve to death if I was a professional contractor. I'm way too slow to complete projects. I probably spend twice as much time on a project of my own as a real professional would spend.

Also, I should mention that anytime I start a project I've not done before I look at a couple of YouTube videos to figure out how to do it. Seems like there is a YouTube video for nearly any skill you want to acquire.

Yea, I used to rent nail guns and stuff like that for big projects, then I decided it's just as much to buy a tool as it is to rent it. So might as well buy it! I just bought a new nail gun yesterday for my wainscoting and chair rail.

I bought a brad nailer this Winter. Easily one of the best investments I've made. I've been at my house for about a year not and I love working on it. We got the home at a rock bottom price but everything needed updating and the basement needed finishing. We gutted the upstairs and carpet guys come in to do teh bedrooms and office upstairs. I put down over 700 sq ft of Walnut flooring that I milled, planed, and shaped myself (took about every minute of my free time between the offer and closing on this house) and laid tile in the upstairs bathrooms and laundry room. Every room got a fresh coat of paint. The kitchen cabinets were all refaced and painted. Had to tear out two cabinets to make room for a dishwaser and also had to shorten the cabniets abouve the stove to put in a over the range microwave. The list goes on and on and on. Right now I'm working on the basement. I'm doing everything besides the plumbing and drywall finish so we'll save a good chunk of money down there. I get to buy a new tool about every week which is nice.

 

[BigRedBuster]

I am actually some what enjoying this summer not taking on any major projects.

Two years ago my lawn completely died in the drought. So, last spring I had to completely reseed my lawn (I have a very large lawn) and put in an under ground sprinkler system. I then tore off our old deck and put in a raised paver patio (LOVE IT).

That was two major projects last year that just about had my azz kicked by the time the summer was ended.

Sometime next year I plan on starting to finish off a bathroom in the basement. I also have some places that I want to pour some concrete. We will continue always to do a little more landscaping around the place.

 

[carlfense]

My nights and weekends are almost all spent on home improvements. Currently tiling my kitchen backsplash. The new countertops are in minus the piece that was made incorrectly. New sink, faucet, trim, etc. all done.

Some days I really like working on our 130 year old home . . . other days I can't believe that we were too stupid to just buy a cookie cutter house out in suburbia instead. Haha.

 

[darkhorse85]

My nights and weekends are almost all spent on home improvements. Currently tiling my kitchen backsplash. The new countertops are in minus the piece that was made incorrectly. New sink, faucet, trim, etc. all done.

Some days I really like working on our 130 year old home . . . other days I can't believe that we were too stupid to just buy a cookie cutter house out in suburbia instead. Haha.

You wouldn't happen to be a fan of This Old House, would you?

 

[carlfense]

My nights and weekends are almost all spent on home improvements. Currently tiling my kitchen backsplash. The new countertops are in minus the piece that was made incorrectly. New sink, faucet, trim, etc. all done.

Some days I really like working on our 130 year old home . . . other days I can't believe that we were too stupid to just buy a cookie cutter house out in suburbia instead. Haha.

You wouldn't happen to be a fan of This Old House, would you?

I love this Old House . . . because their projects are the opposite of mine. They look at something and do whatever would be most awesome . . . cost is never a factor. I always start from whatever is cheapest/best bang for our eventual resale buck.

Someday though . . . someday we'll have gorgeous soapstone counters that we have to reseal every couple of months and a $300 sq foot zinc topped bar. Haha.

 

[BigRedBuster]

I love This Old House also. I love old homes and it seems like most of their shows are in the New England area and I love the architecture of those neighborhoods.

I agree with you though. It's funny because they do a show and 99% of the public wouldn't be able to go in and do to those homes what they do. I think it would be awesome though to have the money to buy and old place like they do and really put the money into it to do it right.

 

[darkhorse85]

My nights and weekends are almost all spent on home improvements. Currently tiling my kitchen backsplash. The new countertops are in minus the piece that was made incorrectly. New sink, faucet, trim, etc. all done.

Some days I really like working on our 130 year old home . . . other days I can't believe that we were too stupid to just buy a cookie cutter house out in suburbia instead. Haha.

You wouldn't happen to be a fan of This Old House, would you?

I love this Old House . . . because their projects are the opposite of mine. They look at something and do whatever would be most awesome . . . cost is never a factor. I always start from whatever is cheapest/best bang for our eventual resale buck.

Someday though . . . someday we'll have gorgeous soapstone counters that we have to reseal every couple of months and a $300 sq foot zinc topped bar. Haha.

I know what you mean. I enjoy their newer series quite a bit as well; "Ask This Old House." That one is definitely more geared toward the average homeowner. Both shows are great and their magazine is actually quite helpful. It seems like every time I get the new issue delivered there is something inside that's relevant to a project that I have going on at that time.

 

[tattooedhusker]

Bought my home about 15 months ago, had bamboo floors installed on the main level and built a firepit out on the back patio and took out a cherry tree. I loved the cherry tree, but the kids found it awesome to squish the cherries and paint my dogs. Wednesday I plan on removing the hideous bushes out front and changing the color of my trim. My next big project is removing the carpet in the upper level and putting in the same bamboo flooring, then painting the kid's bedrooms.

 

[NUance]

Right now I'm working on the basement. I'm doing everything besides the plumbing and drywall finish so we'll save a good chunk of money down there. I get to buy a new tool about every week which is nice.

Yeah, my basement remodel is sort of stalled right now. Other projects keep coming along and playing through (to borrow a golf term). Do you happen to have any good sources for basement remodel ideas? Websites and such?

 

[teachercd]

Man, you guys put me to shame!

Today I sprayed painted cabinet doors and it looked amazeballs...the brushed part on the vanity sucked.

Tomorrow (Probably) I will paint one of the bathrooms and possibly start to rip up the linoleum and start to get ready for a tile job.

 

[KUfaninNebraska]

We bought our house in 2002. The first thing we did was paint the dining room and kitchen. The dining room was a honey mustard color and the kitchen was pea green.

Since then we have:

• Had the garbage disposal taken out
• Redid both bathrooms
• Replaced the downstairs bathroom door. Long story.....
• Had the windows on the north side, siding and roof replaced. All three were paid for by insurance company after Jun 3rd's storm.