Forum Settings
       
Reply To Thread

This Old House.Follow

#1 Nov 06 2013 at 6:22 PM Rating: Excellent
***
3,053 posts
Jonwin and I are in the process of contacting various contractors about doing home repairs with the money I inherited and just like the tv show we're finding surprises that come when you remove 89 year old woodwork.

So far nothing nice like the drawing of an eagle my parents found under the wall paper. Nope we get the ones that eat into the budget and may mean I don't get to go to fulfill my dream of going to Europe next year. We finally will replace the boiler next week but found out that we need to have the chimney relined. Those 6 vinyl windows put in by the former owner that we wanted to have replaced, has become a structural issue with rusted metal lintels that must be replace, so we're hunting for someone who knows how to do it, without the brick walls falling down. The structural engineer was great guy and email us drawings of what we need done. So the windows Jonwin had installed 20 years ago will also be replaced. Total of nine double hung and 2 basement windows.

There are walls of cracked and falling plaster to be repaired. Guess we may end up painting them ourselves, at the rate money is going for unexpected repairs.

If I'm lucky we have enough to have the kitchen remodeled. My brother-in-law, the architect who has had kitchens in Architectural Digest, will design it for free, but it needs a new floor, sink moved into the house proper, instead of the summer kitchen the size of a small walk in closet, were there is also a gas pipe to hook up a stove, that if it was there would leave barely enough room for a very thin person to get to the sink. Right now we many use electric skillet and a hot plate for cooking, though there is a gas oven upstairs, in the room I want to use as a studio. Baking in it causes the hard wired smoke detector to go off. Oh and the dropped ceiling got to go, though it's been hiding falling plaster and wall paper.

If it wasn't for the fact that Jonwin and I can't afford to sell it as a fixer upper, I would give up a trip to Europe happily for a house that isn't a money pit. Darn I would do most of the tear out work myself if my health was good as it was when I helped my parents remodel their home. (Back then I would get a chronic sore throat from all the plaster dust and back then you didn't need to get a lead test before you do anything more then change a light bulb.)

Instead of spending time making jewelry, I'm spending time on Angie's List, put the claw foot tub that needs major refinishing on Freecycle and trying to clear out clutter, so I will have room for all the things I inherited from my parents. Jonwin is still trying to work things out, so we won't need to put stuff in storage, but the next person I hire will be hauling out some of his old furniture that is too beat up for freecycling or donating to charity.

The good news is I have to buy new clothes, as I'm down to size 10 pants from size 16 last winter. I'm still hunting for good buys t the thrift store, but shoes and business clothes were brought on sale, I've upgraded the jewelry I'm making to sterling silver, since it's price is down and will be overhauling my marketing once I've dealt with getting the major house repairs done.







____________________________
In the place of a Dark Lord you would have a Queen! Not dark but beautiful and terrible as the Morn! Treacherous as the Seas! Stronger than the foundations of the Earth! All shall love me and despair! -ElneClare

This Post is written in Elnese, If it was an actual Post, it would make sense.
#2 Nov 06 2013 at 6:26 PM Rating: Good
Quick. Contact a reality TV show that features house remodeling. They might help cover some of the expense/labor. Even if they don't, 15 minutes of fame never hurts.
#3 Nov 06 2013 at 6:41 PM Rating: Excellent
Liberal Conspiracy
*******
TILT
Ignore it and hope you die before the house collapses. Then it's someone else's problem.
____________________________
Belkira wrote:
Wow. Regular ol' Joph fan club in here.
#4 Nov 06 2013 at 7:06 PM Rating: Good
***
3,053 posts
Rust doesn't hold up 2 stories of brick walls. I don't think exterior walls will last until we are both dead.

Plus I'm tired of living in house without at least one room were the walls aren't smoke stained (Jonwin used to smoke before I moved in.) and I can hang up all the artwork we have collected.

Then there is the bookshelves I need to make space for and piles of books that overflow the ones we already have. Only thing that keeps me off the hoarding tv shows is that we actually have rooms were you can see most of the floor that isn't hidden by furniture. When done most of the rooms walls will either be behind bookshelves or covered in art by some of the leading SF/Fantasy illustrators, or my own drawings and paintings. The archival framed vintage clothes, that otherwise will only be seen by family who are willing to wash their hands and put on cotton gloves. I inherited collections of buttons, lace, furs and anything else my family felt they had to past on generations. Most may get sold or used in costuming, but few things are too valuable as family heirlooms. Darn family been here since the Mayflower first came over, and it shows. Don't think anything I got was that old though.
____________________________
In the place of a Dark Lord you would have a Queen! Not dark but beautiful and terrible as the Morn! Treacherous as the Seas! Stronger than the foundations of the Earth! All shall love me and despair! -ElneClare

This Post is written in Elnese, If it was an actual Post, it would make sense.
#5 Nov 06 2013 at 7:18 PM Rating: Excellent
*******
50,767 posts
Summon a demon. It might be two or three generations, but your eventual fame is assured. Hide bodies and sigils behind walls and wallpaper while you're at it.
____________________________
George Carlin wrote:
I think it’s the duty of the comedian to find out where the line is drawn and cross it deliberately.
#6 Nov 06 2013 at 7:26 PM Rating: Good
***
3,053 posts
I have always planned on the fact that someday after I die, I will become a famous artist.

All of my role models as a kid, did just that.

Which reminds me that I really need to design a hallmark for my jewelry. I order a .925 stamp for the sterling jewelry I have made, but further collectors have a easier time identifying work that has been hallmarkded or signed.
____________________________
In the place of a Dark Lord you would have a Queen! Not dark but beautiful and terrible as the Morn! Treacherous as the Seas! Stronger than the foundations of the Earth! All shall love me and despair! -ElneClare

This Post is written in Elnese, If it was an actual Post, it would make sense.
#7 Nov 06 2013 at 9:05 PM Rating: Excellent
Avatar
******
29,919 posts
The correct way to fix an outer wall structural issue involving removing and rebuilding structure is to put a temporary beam and posts in place just inside the wall to be worked on (or a temporary stud wall), and then jack it up to take the load, making sure if you are on a second floor that you have posts underneath the jacking point all the way down to ground. if its concrete you can use pads, if it is a dirt basement, you have to build a temporary piling, then go off of that, etc. Not a particularly materially expensive task but one that you want someone who knows what they are doing to set up and monitor.

With the mention of all the antique stuff, my brother found and got me something from your neck of the woods that Jonwin might find interesting. It's a print of a ship. A rather famous ship from over there actually. Turns out it's an original lithograph of the USS Constitution painting by Gordon Grant (looks like the one in the link here) http://www.ussconstitutionmuseum.org/proddir/prod/496/23/ from the 1927 restoration. Not really germane to the thread at hand, but this seems a good a place as any to post that heh.

Hopefully your house restoration project goes smoothly the rest of the way!
____________________________
Arch Duke Kaolian Drachensborn, lvl 95 Ranger, Unrest Server
Tech support forum | FAQ (Support) | Mobile Zam: http://m.zam.com (Premium only)
Forum Rules
#8 Nov 07 2013 at 11:37 AM Rating: Good
***
3,053 posts
Oooh! I'll have to point out thee thread now to Jonwin just so he can see your prize.

I need to go move some breakables from the path the claw foot tub will take to get down stairs and out of the house. 2 items being antiques, the rest art work from our SF collection and Jonwin's maritime collection.

Then it's time to pack for the weekend at Faerie Con East. Where I may pick up another piece of artwork from my favorite Illustrator Gary Lippincott. Which reminds me I need to bring along my copy of Stardust by Neil Gaiman, Illust. by Charles Vess with me for Charles Vess to sign.

Life of a collector is never done.
____________________________
In the place of a Dark Lord you would have a Queen! Not dark but beautiful and terrible as the Morn! Treacherous as the Seas! Stronger than the foundations of the Earth! All shall love me and despair! -ElneClare

This Post is written in Elnese, If it was an actual Post, it would make sense.
#9 Nov 07 2013 at 11:44 AM Rating: Decent
Avatar
****
7,564 posts
Start it on fire and claim the insurance.
____________________________
HEY GOOGLE. **** OFF YOU. **** YOUR ******** SEARCH ENGINE IN ITS ******* ****** BINARY ***. ALL DAY LONG.

#10 Nov 07 2013 at 1:45 PM Rating: Decent
Lunatic
******
30,086 posts
89 years ago our house was 30 years old. Your whippersnapper house is just lazy.
____________________________
Disclaimer:

To make a long story short, I don't take any responsibility for anything I post here. It's not news, it's not truth, it's not serious. It's parody. It's satire. It's bitter. It's angsty. Your mother's a *****. You like to jack off dogs. That's right, you heard me. You like to grab that dog by the bone and rub it like a ski pole. Your dad? Gay. Your priest? Straight. **** off and let me post. It's not true, it's all in good fun. Now go away.

#11 Nov 07 2013 at 1:49 PM Rating: Excellent
Liberal Conspiracy
*******
TILT
Can't you hobos afford new houses instead of hundred year old homes? Sheesh.. get a job, people.
____________________________
Belkira wrote:
Wow. Regular ol' Joph fan club in here.
#12 Nov 07 2013 at 2:50 PM Rating: Good
Skelly Poker Since 2008
*****
16,781 posts
Yeah! I love having a new house.
____________________________
Alma wrote:
I lost my post
#13 Nov 07 2013 at 3:12 PM Rating: Excellent
*****
10,601 posts
I'm trying to get a new house, except it will only be a new house to me.
____________________________
01001001 00100000 01001100 01001001 01001011 01000101 00100000 01000011 01000001 01001011 01000101
You'll always be stupid, you'll just be stupid with more information in your brain
Forum FAQ
#14 Nov 07 2013 at 3:30 PM Rating: Good
Our house was new and it still have problems.
#15 Nov 07 2013 at 5:36 PM Rating: Good
******
27,272 posts
Dread Lörd Kaolian wrote:
With the mention of all the antique stuff, my brother found and got me something from your neck of the woods that Jonwin might find interesting. It's a print of a ship. A rather famous ship from over there actually. Turns out it's an original lithograph of the USS Constitution painting by Gordon Grant (looks like the one in the link here) http://www.ussconstitutionmuseum.org/proddir/prod/496/23/ from the 1927 restoration. Not really germane to the thread at hand, but this seems a good a place as any to post that heh.

Hopefully your house restoration project goes smoothly the rest of the way!
Big old sailboats make for great paintings. Even more so if they're in a naval battle.

Jophiel wrote:
Can't you hobos afford new houses instead of hundred year old homes? Sheesh.. get a job, people.
I wish I could afford a nice 100+ year old house. Smiley: frown
#16 Nov 07 2013 at 5:47 PM Rating: Decent
Lunatic
******
30,086 posts
Can't you hobos afford new houses instead of hundred year old homes? Sheesh.. get a job, people.

We're a one income family now, it's all shotgun shacks and used Lexus. Honestly though, while older houses have exciting issues occasionally like non standard timber framing and feildstone foundations, the general consensus is that the period of house to avoid buying is really those built between 1960 and 1990. Apparently those were heady days of shoddy construction.
____________________________
Disclaimer:

To make a long story short, I don't take any responsibility for anything I post here. It's not news, it's not truth, it's not serious. It's parody. It's satire. It's bitter. It's angsty. Your mother's a *****. You like to jack off dogs. That's right, you heard me. You like to grab that dog by the bone and rub it like a ski pole. Your dad? Gay. Your priest? Straight. **** off and let me post. It's not true, it's all in good fun. Now go away.

#17 Nov 07 2013 at 6:07 PM Rating: Excellent
Liberal Conspiracy
*******
TILT
Its not all shoddy construction. We also have a furnace that I'm pretty sure fell off the back of a truck in Mexico.
____________________________
Belkira wrote:
Wow. Regular ol' Joph fan club in here.
#18 Nov 07 2013 at 6:17 PM Rating: Good
Lunatic
******
30,086 posts
Its not all shoddy construction. We also have a furnace that I'm pretty sure fell off the back of a truck in Mexico.

When we bought the house we converted the old witch fired furnace to natural gas. Also saves on duck balancing equipment.
____________________________
Disclaimer:

To make a long story short, I don't take any responsibility for anything I post here. It's not news, it's not truth, it's not serious. It's parody. It's satire. It's bitter. It's angsty. Your mother's a *****. You like to jack off dogs. That's right, you heard me. You like to grab that dog by the bone and rub it like a ski pole. Your dad? Gay. Your priest? Straight. **** off and let me post. It's not true, it's all in good fun. Now go away.

#19 Nov 07 2013 at 10:15 PM Rating: Good
Even when you get a brand new house, odds are good there will be at least one major ***** up in it that you don't discover for a few years.

Edited, Nov 7th 2013 11:15pm by Catwho
Reply To Thread

Colors Smileys Quote OriginalQuote Checked Help

 

Recent Visitors: 275 All times are in CST
Anonymous Guests (275)