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Crimes of Homeowners Past

September 14, 2012 RH 2 Comments

This is what happens when you don’t prime first.

This is my fifth major renovation and I’ve seen it EVERY. TIME. Why do people just cover up what needs to be repaired? Money issues? I don’t get that. Those band-aids aren’t cheap. Instead of fixing some holes in the plaster, is it really less expensive to drop the entire ceiling?

I found a piece of cardboard used to patch a hole in the wall the other day. Like, cut out from a box. That was nothing. I can fix that. What bothers me about this house is that there is a new roof and vinyl siding. Although that’s not bothersome in itself (well, the vinyl is), it worries me that there were no repairs made to the wood rotting beneath the new protection.

I was a bit torn. As an environmentally aware salvage freak, I wanted to keep materials out of the landfills. As someone on a tight a budget, I couldn’t afford to gut the entire house down to the studs. So, I fixed what I saw but I know that there are things I missed behind those walls I didn’t remove. And I kept and re-covered the holey ceiling plaster myself after removing the drop ceiling.

I’m not completely concerned because, as I stated in a previous post, most of the rot seemed to be under each window and I did take those areas down to the studs.

But what about crazy plumbing fixes….or just letting pipes leak? So much damage from leaky pipes! And gas leaks? And electrical issues? Is it better to save a few bucks and risk your life and the life of the house?

Here’s the deal. You don’t have enough money for repairs? Fine. Nobody can fault you for that. But how’s about you learn some DIY skills and fix this stuff yourself? Seriously, if you would cover the gaping floor hole from your leaky toilet with sheetrock rather than just fix the damn toilet, you shouldn’t own a house. Apartment buildings with supers are wonderful things. I know. That’s the way I grew up. Call this a rebellion against my parents.

It’s not going to repair itself on it’s own, whether you cover it up or not.

Just do the right thing. For you. For the house. For the next owner.

Behind the Walls

August 13, 2012 RH

Hidden stash of 70’s/80’s porn

By Friday we had gotten the dumpster. I ordered a 30 yarder and they delivered a 20. The plan was to finish the entire demo by Saturday afternoon, but we decided to get rid of a bit more rotty sheetrock than planned so demo will continue this week.

Plumber Larry plumbed on Sunday. He knew his stuff and was able to repair all of the corroded pipes and then some in one long day. Hubby and I just acted as his gophers, running to Home Depot for materials. Two trips over the bridge back into Brooklyn on a hot summer Sunday with beach traffic.

Today is a day off for all except for the chimney guy, Manny LaSalle. Well, it’s not my day off but I’ll be doing some fun shopping for salvaged materials.

Anyway, here are some more finds.

Wall paneling behind wall paneling

This insulation looks like charcoal in person but it was actually some kind of cement. There were a couple of pieces of foam stuck in the wall. We think it was supposed to be concrete and foam insulation, but the foam was only in one spot.

Doesn’t look like this “insulation” was doing much. Why bother?

Kitchen wallpaper through the ages. Guess it was a child’s room at one point.

Found this 70’s linoleum under the carpet. It will be reused.

The Charles Manson Tate trials! Found under some kitchen lino. Also, papers from the 40’s during war time.

Antique Kitchen Cabinets

July 27, 2012 RH 11 Comments

There’s no need to spend $3000 on cheapo Home Depot cabinets or $20000 for nicer ones that still look like dreck. Get yourself to an antiques shop or flea market and buy some mismatched pieces of history for your kitchen!

Can’t you see an entire red-cabinet kitchen to match the single painted piece above? Or how about multiple colors? You can have similar styles co-exist with just a few coats of paint and some matching hardware. Tip: Make sure it’s a durable paint or seal it with poly as this is for everyday kitchen use.

Ok, so this one isn’t dirt cheap flea market price, but it’s not easy to find a Hoosier with matching side cupboards. It retails for $3975 at an online antiques shop.

There’s a whole story behind this old hutch. You can read about how it was saved from certain death at Bearfort Lodge.

Need some spice storage? This antique Chinese apothecary doesn’t come cheap at $4500 but it will surely be the centerpiece of you kitchen. A less expensive and almost-as-cool alternative for spices might be a library card catalog that can be picked up for a few hundred bucks.

Keep in mind that vintage mid century cabinetry is pretty awesome and you can pick up entire sets, but this post is about ANTIQUE, not vintage. Just so you know.

Gross Laundry Story

June 27, 2012 RH

We all know about cleaning the lint filter in dryers but how often do we clean the washing machine filter? For me, it’s never. In fact, I didn’t even know my washing machine had a filter or trap.

Let’s backtrack a bit, shall we? I’ve mentioned before that I’m no fan of Frigidaire appliances. We already replaced the dryer last year but we were holding off on the washer because it still worked (intermittently). About 6 months ago, I started noticing a sulphury smell whenever the wash would drain. I knew that something wasn’t right but the clothes came out clean enough.

Last week the washing machine stopped working in the middle of a wash. It wouldn’t drain or fill with water. It sounded as if the motor was trying to fill the chamber with water but nothing was coming out. I ordered a new machine in hopes that it would arrive soon enough so I wouldn’t have to hit up the laundry mat.

Six piles of laundry later, my online purchase was still pending so we figured we might as well attempt to fix the thing temporarily.

Not draining = something is blocked up. All of those socks we lost over the years?

Whomever designed this particular machine didn’t make it easy to empty the filter. We had to turn the machine over and take it apart. At the end of the day, we found about $2.00 worth of change and a bunch of pet hair blocking the trap.

I canceled the new machine and I promise to check pockets before doing a wash.

Shower Stalls

June 14, 2012 RH 2 Comments

Love these “French” shower doors from Peppermint Bliss. She didn’t say where she got them from but word on the street is that you can use factory windows to achieve this look (which is probably what is shown in the picture).

Clawfoot shower base with new chrome “antique” enclosure. Via Little Green Notebook.

Corrugated metal is showing up everywhere these days. Via Apartment Therapy.

These reclaimed windows are a nice concept but you would want to seal them up before using them in your shower. Via Apartment Therapy.

Decorating Doors

May 31, 2012 RH

Got a bunch of plain doors you don’t really want to replace? Fancy them up instead of removing them. Start with a colorful paint and some antique hardware and go crazy with other techniques.

Ok, so the door above is actually a beautiful antique door to begin with but you can use chalkboard paint on any door. Mount an old frame or some molding around the chalkboard.

Create your own panel door. Do as many panels as you like. Whatever width of molding you want. Personally, I find mitering to perfection a bit difficult, but the good news is that there are ways to cheat.

This is a great fake-out. That door just has painted panels. No carpentry involved! Oh my, it doesn’t get any easier than that.

These panels were made from pre-cut artist stretchers that interlock. Miter schmiter.

Don’t forget that any of these techniques can be used on kitchen cabinet doors as well.

All Over the Place

April 27, 2012 RH 4 Comments

The $200k house challenge is proving to be quite difficult. And you know what else? Buying a property strictly for investment is way harder than finding a place to live. Never in my life did I care so much about what others thought until this property search, because I’ve gotta think about who’s going to buy it versus what I like.

So what do I like? Ok, as usual, I’m posting pictures without links so I’m not advertising homes I might want for myself.

I fell love with the Accord farm house above. In love! Three acres on a corner lot for $125k. The catch? The work it needs is not merely cosmetic. That is fine, but this city girl gets intimidated by wells and septic. Don’t know the first thing about them. In this case, there’s a well located INSIDE the house. Anyone know if that’s a big deal? I called the listing agent to tell her that I may be interested but wanted to know what she knew about that well. She didn’t return my call which bought me some more time to look at homes that needed less work.

This farm house is a case of “If it was for me, I’d grab it.” but a flip? It would probably take the better part of a year for a proper restoration and before I even get in there to do my stuff, the mechanics would need to be worked out.

I’m keeping it in the back of my mind but continuing to look.

Jon, my broker, has done a million successful flips. He keeps telling me that I should be looking for a quick and easy “FLIP” that only needs cosmetics, not a restoration project. I see his point. I do! And I’m trying, but it’s tough to wrap my head around a vinyl sided house….

This vinyl ranch is actually a possibility according the Flip Gospel of Jon. There’s not much to do on it. I can bring back the 1950’s look from the decade it was built. If I get it for the right price, I can make a profit, but not really if I have to pay the $199k asking price.

The location is what I love most. Right between High Falls and Rosendale where some of my favorite restaurants are located. Nuts, right? I’m thinking about what I can eat while working on the house! But in my defense, those areas are desirable for folks who would appreciate my kooky style of renovation. In other words, I don’t have to go conservative.

Just when I thought I had narrowed it down, I ran into a friend on the subway. He mentioned that some of his gay friends have homes in Sullivan County. I’m like “Invest in a gay area? I’m there!” Sooo, I’ll finally be looking at Sullivan County next week after putting it off because I’m just not familiar with the area.

Then this morning another friend forwarded a listing in Brooklyn that might be doable. Brooklyn? That’s where I wanted to do this in the first place. The only reason I’m looking upstate is because I thought I couldn’t afford down here. Yeah, I got into the idea of having a place to go for the summer, but work is work. I can do the 9-5 in Brooklyn and rent a place upstate. Sheeeeet.

I need professional help. Not from a broker and not from a therapist (ok, maybe a therapist). If anyone knows a good psychic, post it in the comments.

Home Siding Options

April 24, 2012 RH

I’ll be looking at a few outdated ranches this week. I suppose you can say that’s more of a challenge than restoring an old farmhouse. In anticipation of this possible project, I’m trying to come up with some fun ideas for the exterior.

Now since money is the main factor, as long as the -ugh- vinyl or aluminum siding is in good shape, the least expensive thing to do would be paint it some funky color. Yes, these surfaces can be painted as long as they are properly prepped. The cute yellow house above has painted aluminum clapboard.

Remember that awesome bungalow in The Rockaways? Corrugated metal seems like a more modern and tasteful approach than your run of the mill siding.

Board and batt can work with any style home, from a church to a barn. If it’s a straight siding job, you can assemble and paint before installation. Sure, there will be touch up, but it should be much easier than painting once it’s attached to the house. You can and should also pre-paint wood clapboard.

This is 4’x10′ sheets of hardipanel ripped down to 24″ and painted. As long as it keeps the water out and isn’t crazy to maintain, there are plenty of materials out there that can be used as alternatives to plain ole’ siding.

Here’s what they call “Redneck Siding”. What does it say about me that I love it? And it can be made from 100% recycled materials!

Can’t decide? Why not mix it up? Here’s a variety of reclaimed materials that would probably work well on a raised ranch as there varying depths on the exterior.

Conversations with a Homeseeker

April 6, 2012 RH

Deb has been looking for a house for awhile now. Anything that has a decent renovation goes into a bidding war and as a first time home buyer, she’s reluctant to take on a huge renovation. She tries to wrap her head around fixer uppers and homes that are not her style, but lacks confidence in her “vision”. So, I nudge her along.

I sent Deb before and after shots of the second home we renovated, a weekend place we had up near Stone Ridge from about 2000-2004. I’m posting the conversation along with the photos because it’s Passover/Easter weekend, so you want I should actually write a real post?

Happy Holidays, y’all!

Ok, so D=Deb and M=me

D: Very cool. So did you buy all the furnishings? How long did all of that take? Was that a flip or that was your house?

M: No, we never did an actual flip before! That was our Kingston house. We put too much money into it thinking that we would keep it forever (which we’ve done on all 4 houses). We owned it for about 4 years and renovated slowly the entire time. When we decided to sell, we finished the reno. I don’t know how long that was in actual reno time because we stopped and started so many times. It was our weekend project for many years. We went up there to get away from our Park Slope renovation.

D: Considering that you like wild colors and all it seems rather tame for you, no? But in line with what it is. I likey.

M: I think I did that because everything was so dark when we bought it that I just wanted LIGHT.

D: The dining area, you covered the beams, is that what I’m seeing?

Before. Obviously.

M: Not really. Those “beams” were faux, made out of foam. We ripped them down. The house was modular and came in 2 sections. That beam running down the middle is the joint. It was never bolted together until we did it. Or maybe it had a couple of bolts, but not to Luke’s liking.

D: Gawgeous. Did you and Luke do everything, like you lay the floors yourself etc?

M: Did not do everything. Hmm, I remember laying out the floor but I don’t remember nailing it down. We had a contractor working beside us. Not sure if he installed or we did. I know that he sanded and polyed.

D: Please tell me that wood floor was under the carpet? har har

M: Oh please, girl. That house was carpeted throughout. It had plywood under all the carpets. The day I was up there alone ripping up carpeting, my dogs were running around outside (we had 7 acres) and one of them came back with a deer leg and dropped it right in front of me. They didn’t kill the deer. People were hunting illegally on the property. I chased one of them down one day.

D: Did you add wainscoting or was that there?

M: The wainscoting in the bathroom was just Home Depot stuff we put up. The living room walls were originally brown wall paneling. We wanted to do that “bat and board” look, so we had a contractor install actual boards piece by piece. Then the previous owner asked why we didn’t just put up plywood and use 1×2’s to create the same look. We were like “Oh yeah. We could have done that.”

D: So, can you do this to the 6th avenue house I like?

M: No I’ll be busy working on my own.

D: This is why I do wish you could sit with me look at a house I like and advise me on how I can make it look a certain way. Darn you!

M: So find a house you’re going to put a serious offer on and I’ll go with you to second showing. But it’s really not as exciting as creating my own mess.

D: Sweet, thanks for sending

Under $100k in Warwick

March 15, 2012 RH

Check out this too-good-to-be-true place in Warwick. Of course the $75k asking price has people bidding against each other. It’s not a short sale and when I looked at it, there was nothing apparent to the eye that was a deal breaker. It just needs some work to finish up the renovation that someone started. Nice location and decent property.

When I called the list agent to find out what the deal is, I found out that it may not be such a deal after all. Or maybe it is, but delving into the problems would be uncharted territory for me.

The home currently has no running water. The seller tells the agent that it’s a broken pipe but let’s assume the worst and figure on drilling a whole new well. Just in case. Furthermore, the septic system is a mess. Worst case scenario, let’s say it needs a new one. The owner also thought he would save on the price of oil, so he installed a coal heating system. Coal? Who does that?

Ok, so those are the big issues. I was almost tempted to check out prices on those items but as of last week there were seven offers on the table, above ask, so I just didn’t bother.

Nice house though. Someone who knows a thing or two about something other than city sewer and water is gonna steal this baby for a song.

Marble Window Sill

November 28, 2011 RH 2 Comments

This is a work in progress and it doesn’t look like much now, but I’m excited that after oh, about four years of plywood window sills, we finally cut the marble to install. The plan has always been to use the recycled marble that came from our fireplace hearth. Two slabs were sitting in the backyard. Don’t know what took so long.

The pieces are not wide enough. We’ll use smaller cuts on the sides and fill it in with grout to make up the difference. Wood molding will be added to the front, painted to match the radiator cover.

It will take about another four years to for the finished product.

Scary Renovation Mishaps

October 31, 2011 RH

Ever fall off a ladder? Not me, because I’m so scared of heights that I cling to it for dear life. But here’s an FYI for ya. Always put the ladder on level ground and make sure the support brackets on the side are locked in.

Paint spill. Probably the most common DIY mishap. At least in my world it is. Something I will never learn….to look where I’m going. Don’t kick the bucket over. And check bottom of shoes BEFORE stepping off of the protective paper or tarp.

The old nail through the pipe routine. Yeah, we had a contractor’s assistant put a screw through our copper pipe while installing subflooring. It wasn’t a massive flood. More like a drip, drip, drip of the tell-tale pipe.

Foot through the floor….or rather, ceiling below. Can’t count the number of times we were working on joists and sub floor that someone’s foot said hello to the downstairs neighbors. My scary moment happened when I fell through the floor and was dangling from the bannister that I was lucky to grab unto. My husband was right next to me and after a few moments he looked up and asked “Do you need help?” Um, ye-ah! Would you mind?

Buy American. Laundry

October 24, 2011 RH 2 Comments

We covered American made large kitchen appliances last month. They were mostly high end companies who manufacture laundry products as well, so please refer to that post so we don’t get redundant here. The list of made in America washers and dryers gets a bit fuzzy as companies manufacture products for each other and individual parts may be made outside of the U.S. Here’s a Consumer Report article to confuse you even more.

Staber Industries has been family owned and operated since 1976. They claim to be the only U.S. manufacturer of energy efficient top loading tumble action washers. Staber washers have been produced in Groveport, Ohio since 1993. Most sales are shipped factory-direct to the customer.

Speed Queen was founded by Joe Barlow and John Seelig in 1908. The Wisconsin hardware store owners bought several hand-powered washing machines from a company in Kansas City, MO and changed the product with the times (that means electricity, kids). During World War II Speed Queen halted its production of laundry equipment to manufacture 20mm shells as well as parts for airplanes, tanks and guns. The company is a big supplier of coin operated laundry machines as well as residential models.

Now the big name brands. As stated: fuzzy. Most of them are technically made in America, not necessarily the United States, but North America. They have factories in Canada and Mexico in addition to the U.S.

Maytag

Kenmore manufactures in North America, but they are also associated with LG from Korea.

Whirlpool

Amana

Reclaiming Our Roots

October 21, 2011 RH 4 Comments

Reclaimed Home is going back to its roots! After moving back to Brooklyn, where space is an issue, we stopped collecting larger salvaged items for reuse. Well, it’s time to expand again.

Starting a tiny home based business was a breeze. Starting a small business with a team is a bit more challenging. But you know what? It’s important that we do this now for a variety of reasons.

Saving building materials from the landfills. Mother Earth is screaming for help. Tons of demolition rubbish goes into dumpsters every day.

Presenting restoration options for folks of all income levels. We’re going through some rough economic times. Why shouldn’t everyone have the same access to beautiful architectural details and furnishings for their dwellings?

Preserve our history! Old homes are being torn down to make way for new construction. Historic details are discarded of during renovations. The skilled craftspeople who created these materials are long gone. Let’s give their work a second life.

Here’s what you can do to help us achieve our goals. If it can be recycled, please don’t throw it out! We’ll take reusable materials off your hands. If you’re doing a renovation or know of someone who is, contact us before you allow your contractor to destroy house parts and throw them in the dumpster. We’ll carefully remove the items for you so someone else can make use of them.

It will save you demolition fees. It will save you disposal rates. Most importantly, it will save our planet from overflowing landfills.

You can email us by hitting the “contact” link at the top of the middle column. We thank you and Momma Earth thanks you.

10 Things I Hate About Home Ownership

October 20, 2011 RH

I’m stealing this idea from my friend Judy’s blog, Bad Advice, flipping it around and running with it. See, Judy thought she should be more positive, so she’s posting 101 things she likes. Screw positive. I’m not motivated enough to come up with 101, so here are 10 things I hate.

1. Contractors who don’t call back, don’t show up or don’t do the job right. I can come up with a list of 101 things I hate about contractors, but this is good enough.

2. The constant upkeep. Just when you think you’ve finished renovations, it’s time to start over again. Appliances breaking down, doors falling off the hinges, blah, blah, blah.

3. Oy, it’s expensive! Yeah, this is part of upkeep, but I have to stretch it out to 10. Things like the facade. Damn, that’s gonna cost like a year’s salary. My husband’s, not my measly two cents.

4. Realtor’s postcards. Go away. Just because I’m listing 10 things doesn’t mean I want to sell my house.

5. Backyard. It’s a lovely idea in theory and there’s nothing like sending my dogs out there when I don’t want to walk them. Actually, wouldn’t live without one. But, do I get to enjoy it? Between the mosquitoes and the dog shit….nah.

6. Tenants. Believe me, it would be nice to live in the whole house. Who could afford that? I wasn’t one of those kids who liked sharing. Plus, walls are thin. Can’t have loud sex.

7. Property taxes. This totally doesn’t apply to NYC where taxes are low, but we felt so ripped off on our upstate taxes. The toughest nut was the school tax and we didn’t even have kids! Or sidewalks or public trash bins. What were we paying for?

8. Space. Again, like the backyard. A great thing, really! Until every acquaintance and distant cousin wants to sleep on your couch.

9. Worries. In the past, we’ve had tenants and petsitters call us while we’re on vacation. Frozen pipes, broken locks, flooded basements. Luckily, that was all one house, which we unloaded years ago. Mmmwwwwaaaahhhhaaaahhhhaaaaaahhhhaaaaa!!!

10. Lack of a life. Every weekend with the working on the house and the Home Depot trips.

Honestly, I had trouble coming up with 2-10. I just felt like kvetching, but it’s not a bad thing to own a home. If I thought so, I wouldn’t be addicted to scoring every few years.

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