Author Topic: The Barnhouse Transformation  (Read 88211 times)

Freckles

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Re: The Barnhouse Transformation
« Reply #450 on: March 25, 2017, 06:12:59 PM »
I never see the cake! It's as if I have forum-cake blindness.  Regardless, I hope you had a good birthday and you're having a productive weekend at the barnhouse.

dilinger

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Re: The Barnhouse Transformation
« Reply #451 on: March 26, 2017, 01:48:35 PM »
I got a $50 laminate cutter. I love it! It saves so much time, isn't noisy, and doesn't make a huge dust mess like a power tool would (which is important for a floor reno in a house that my family is living in). Rather than cutting, it crushes the laminate and leaves a pile of crushed laminate underneath the tool. No dust.

I plan to donate it to our local tool library once I'm done with all of the floors. This is the one I got:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Roberts-Laminate-Cutter-for-Cross-Cutting-up-to-8-in-Wide-10-35/202501850

Windows are EASY. I have a 1927 house, and have done both replacement and resizing. You will save so much money; $5k for 4 units is ridiculous. I'm paying $200 to $500 per window for Anderson 100 series from HD (which I like because the fibrex material is less floppy than vinyl, so the frames don't bow out). As far as waterproofing, get some 3M 8067 flashing tape (HD doesn't carry it, but amazon does). For new (flanged) windows, you pull the entire older window frame out down to the studs, and flash the studs. For replacement windows, I flashed over the older wood frame. The older wood frame sill will probably be tilted towards the outside, so as long as you can get the flashing tape between the sill and the siding you should be okay. It's not going to be perfect; I don't know what your house sheathing situation is, but mine is a mix of no sheathing and some crumbly sheathing that seems kinda useless. You want to ensure water drains to the outside of the house (avoiding the sill and structural elements), but if it rots the siding.. so be it.

Oh, and if you have a gap for pulleys in the sides of the older windows and are doing a replacement, fill with insulation first before flashing over it.

dilinger

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Re: The Barnhouse Transformation
« Reply #452 on: March 26, 2017, 01:54:31 PM »
Oh, and my experience with window replacement on older houses - it doesn't matter whether you do the "easy" replacement window method or new install windows; the majority of time will be spent trying to get the outside to look good. That's something an installer isn't going to care about, only you will. You can tell which windows on my house were installed by big box store installers, and which were installed by me. :)

Le Poisson

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Re: The Barnhouse Transformation
« Reply #453 on: March 27, 2017, 10:10:53 AM »
This weekend was at once frustrating and productive. My Dad came up and "helped" install the kitchen countertops. We arrived on Friday night and removed the old counter. In the process, Dad cut through the base cabinet with his new reciprocating saw. We didn't need the recip saw at all, but he was gung ho to use it, and before stopping to think about what he was cutting or why there was so much resistance, he took out a 2X4 cross member and a 1X2 face frame. I expressed frustration and repaired the cabinets.

When the new counters arrived on Saturday morning, we were ready to receive them. The delivery guys dropped them off in the kitchen, and Dad pulled out his framing hammer and started knocking off the protective shipping blocks. In the process he busted off a 6" section of backsplash. Thanks Dad.

I set him to work doing some painting and I ran out to get cement board to screw into teh wall to receive the backsplash that I can only hope will hide the damaged laminate. When I got home Dad had cleaned his paint brushes in the bathroom sink. For some reason, the tap now runs and the hot side water pressure is crazy low. I am loathe to blame Dad for this, but somehow it seems like he has a way with things...

While I was out, I had asked him to do some painting and to cut spacers to make up the gap between our new living room drywall and the old window frames. When we did the drywall, the walls came out 1/2" thicker than they had been previously, so I needed spacers set in teh frames to hold the trim. He hadn't bothered because he couldn't figure out how big to make the spacers. (1/2"???) but how wide? None of the drywall cutouts were the same! (Any width - drywall can be trimmed back) He had sat around instead, waiting for me. Ugh. Oh well, at least I wasn't paying him.

Back to the countertops... With everything uncrated, we lifted the cabinets into place for installation. The fit was snug. Too snug. I was thinking about where I should grind back the plaster in the wall to have the smallest repair. Dad interpreted this hesitation as "Maybe we should try ramming this mofo in there with all our weight" and proceeded to slam his hip against the new counter, only leaving the floor for a moment before coming down on it with his full body weight. The end cap on the countertop cracked and flew off. The MDF behind it arced across the room. I swore at my father.

We traded ends and I re-evaluated. Dad commented that when he did that, it must have torqued the countertop and now it was wedged in. We should get the twist out of it. I commented that this was a time for finesse. He nodded, took a step back and was airborne AGAIN. At least both ends of the counter match. This time I swore more forcefully.

Seething with anger, I pulled the counter back out from where it was wedged in and asked Dad to hold the end while I got out the grinder. Dad set it down so that the counter was now wedged down on the floor at one end and up on the cupboards at the other. It would not come back up. The cracking and splitting of the backsplash away from the countertop as we forced it back into position was plain to hear.

Getting the sink in without a cutting template also proved challenging. In the process I managed to nick a 1/2" divot in teh laminate right in front of the sink. So much angry over this thing.

Good thing I got the counter for cheap. I now have to:

- Repair 2 end caps
- repair backsplash join
- seal mitres
- repair divot from grinder (my fault)
- tile backsplash
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Once the countertop was done (Dead?) we moved on to the front entryway and trimming around living room windows. Dad left and on Sunday the boys and I kept going, getting half the living room trim up, and all teh 1/4 round in the dining room. This week I need to make cupboard doors and drawer faces. I'm hoping to sneak up after work on Thursday and get an extra 6 hours in.

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Strange things are happening in this thread.

For reasons beyond my understanding, I can no longer post to it from my phone. Updates are simply being eaten by the interwebz. I am going to ask a mod to lock down this thread by the weekend and I shall start a chapter two. I'll provide a link once that thread starts.


G-dog

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Re: The Barnhouse Transformation
« Reply #454 on: March 27, 2017, 10:45:38 AM »
I can't post on this thread with a devices either. Still some weird legacy from the migration I suspect.

How did your dad handle it when you swore at him. Sounds like you need extra safety equipment when he's helping (flying mdf). Or, at least a bigger bank account....

Le Poisson

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Re: The Barnhouse Transformation
« Reply #455 on: March 27, 2017, 11:26:32 AM »
I can't post on this thread with a devices either. Still some weird legacy from the migration I suspect.

How did your dad handle it when you swore at him. Sounds like you need extra safety equipment when he's helping (flying mdf). Or, at least a bigger bank account....

He was very humble about it actually. The first time when he broke the backsplash he tried to pass it off as being the yard's fault, but by the time we were done, he was pretty shame-faced.

Shinplaster

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Re: The Barnhouse Transformation
« Reply #456 on: March 27, 2017, 11:51:46 AM »
Ah jeez, Prospero.  All that excitement and pleasure installing brand spanking new counters, only to have them end up nicked and damaged before they were even installed.  It must have just taken all the 'shine' off for you.   I hope the rest of the renos go well, and you can get the taps fixed without much trouble.


Bracken_Joy

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Re: The Barnhouse Transformation
« Reply #457 on: March 27, 2017, 01:46:16 PM »
Ughhhhhh I am annoyed on your behalf. Sorry to hear about all the counter-chaos. Family can be very frustrating.

snacky

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Re: The Barnhouse Transformation
« Reply #458 on: March 29, 2017, 05:29:58 PM »
That sucks. I'm sorry.

Le Poisson

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Re: The Barnhouse Transformation
« Reply #459 on: March 30, 2017, 11:03:38 AM »
As of today I am retiring this thread. Sometime soon a mod will poke their nose in and take away the "reply" button. If/When that happens, look in my signature for new Barnhouse thread. I know you're excited. I am.

arebelspy

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Re: The Barnhouse Transformation
« Reply #460 on: March 30, 2017, 04:34:43 PM »
Strange things are happening in this thread.

For reasons beyond my understanding, I can no longer post to it from my phone. Updates are simply being eaten by the interwebz. I am going to ask a mod to lock down this thread by the weekend and I shall start a chapter two. I'll provide a link once that thread starts.

I can't post on this thread with a devices either. Still some weird legacy from the migration I suspect.


Quoting to look into.
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