This Old House
Sep. 3rd, 2018 07:12 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
calzephyrOur house is twenty years old and like most things, one wonders where the time has gone - how did the rose bush get so tall, how was the old sidewalk ever so terrible, and so forth?
Our annual reno idea for this summer was to replace the basement windows, but, due to a water leak, that couldn't be completed. Everything from one side had to go in to the other side. It was a ton of work, I tell ya!
So we decided to get the wood trim on our house repainted and some shabby parts replaced. It had been at least ten years since it was painted last, so it would be a relatively cheap fix. We were quoted a fair $1000 parts and labour since some of the wood had to be replaced. I had to trim back the rose bush so the handyman could get in there. In fact, I told him to trim back as much as he needed to, which he did.
Now, here's the fun part about being the second owner - you discover what the heck the first owners were up to! The trim was originally painted a more blue shade of green:
There were also these circle squares on the corners of all the windows. It turned out they were made of MDF, a wood that you really don't use outdoors. Somehow they weren't totally disintegrating, but we went with his suggestion to rip them off. I was sure other houses around the neighbourhood had these decorations and they do - but they're just bevelled squares, not squares with circles. So, I can only infer that when the house was first repainted, they ripped off the decorations and replaced them.
We decided to keep the forest green colour because we liked it. I'll have to get all the photos from the handyman, but basically we dodged a bullet one two.
In some places where there was a square, there was a gap where the red tape behind the wood could be seen. He resealed the gaps and painting was delayed for the sealant to dry.
The wood on the front underneath the living room window had seen better days, so he replaced it with a composite board and trim. It looks so good! We shouldn't have to replace it for 20 years. Now, one of the reasons that the wood had seen better days was because the trim was interior baseboard trim. Ahhhhh!
He pulled off one of the front boards and discovered that the wood behind the trim was starting to get soft. He sealed the crap out of it and lined around it with Tuck tape, so we should be good for winter. It wasn't so bad that it would have to be replaced. If that was the case, the siding would have had to come off :P Here's the after picture:
The labour will cost more than anticipated because one day turned into three days. We should have been on it sooner than later, but like everything, time just passes sooner than you realize...but now we're good for a couple years.
Speaking of this old house, while we were working out details with the handyman, I read about the ultimate homeowner nightmare. Basically this lady from my hometown discovered that despite a home inspection, her house was a total lemon - ants, mold and asbestos! I really feel sorry for her. That could be anyone.
Our annual reno idea for this summer was to replace the basement windows, but, due to a water leak, that couldn't be completed. Everything from one side had to go in to the other side. It was a ton of work, I tell ya!
So we decided to get the wood trim on our house repainted and some shabby parts replaced. It had been at least ten years since it was painted last, so it would be a relatively cheap fix. We were quoted a fair $1000 parts and labour since some of the wood had to be replaced. I had to trim back the rose bush so the handyman could get in there. In fact, I told him to trim back as much as he needed to, which he did.
Now, here's the fun part about being the second owner - you discover what the heck the first owners were up to! The trim was originally painted a more blue shade of green:
There were also these circle squares on the corners of all the windows. It turned out they were made of MDF, a wood that you really don't use outdoors. Somehow they weren't totally disintegrating, but we went with his suggestion to rip them off. I was sure other houses around the neighbourhood had these decorations and they do - but they're just bevelled squares, not squares with circles. So, I can only infer that when the house was first repainted, they ripped off the decorations and replaced them.
We decided to keep the forest green colour because we liked it. I'll have to get all the photos from the handyman, but basically we dodged a bullet one two.
In some places where there was a square, there was a gap where the red tape behind the wood could be seen. He resealed the gaps and painting was delayed for the sealant to dry.
The wood on the front underneath the living room window had seen better days, so he replaced it with a composite board and trim. It looks so good! We shouldn't have to replace it for 20 years. Now, one of the reasons that the wood had seen better days was because the trim was interior baseboard trim. Ahhhhh!
He pulled off one of the front boards and discovered that the wood behind the trim was starting to get soft. He sealed the crap out of it and lined around it with Tuck tape, so we should be good for winter. It wasn't so bad that it would have to be replaced. If that was the case, the siding would have had to come off :P Here's the after picture:
The labour will cost more than anticipated because one day turned into three days. We should have been on it sooner than later, but like everything, time just passes sooner than you realize...but now we're good for a couple years.
Speaking of this old house, while we were working out details with the handyman, I read about the ultimate homeowner nightmare. Basically this lady from my hometown discovered that despite a home inspection, her house was a total lemon - ants, mold and asbestos! I really feel sorry for her. That could be anyone.
no subject
Date: 2018-09-04 01:36 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-09-07 09:25 pm (UTC)Good work on the house and nice to see those solutions, too.
no subject
Date: 2018-09-09 11:26 pm (UTC)IIRC, bleach and vinegar can be used to tackle mold. We had something growing in one of the windows and I used both, although not at the same time, and it hasn't come back :-D
We're planning on attending the home and garden show in a couple of weeks, so we'll see what's new and amazing in homes today. Sometimes it would be cheaper to buy a new home, but eventually it would be the same problem, LOL!
no subject
Date: 2018-09-09 11:21 pm (UTC)Our friends bought a house with aluminum wiring and it took me by surprise. I didn't know that was a thing either.
We get pill bugs in the house every spring for some reason - I think I would take ants over them. They creep me out!