Oye.

I'm back. So, the best combo I found for the windows was vinegar and the scruff pad on a kitchen sponge. It's not perfect, but it's much better.

If I never see another ****ing window I'll be happy. (I might have a couple week break from that at least)

During that bad cold snap I broke down and bought some antique gas space heaters, taped up my broken windows and closed off the rooms not used. I couldn't get anything to dry before that.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/Rw5kx9][/url]2017-02-01_04-33-15 by Paul Bubel, on Flickr

These things rock by the way. Dearborn.

My first real trim work ever:

[url=https://flic.kr/p/Rw5ihC][/url]2017-02-01_04-32-35 by Paul Bubel, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/RyLMnn][/url]2017-02-01_04-32-07 by Paul Bubel, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/RyLJWk][/url]2017-02-01_04-31-34 by Paul Bubel, on Flickr

It's not perfect, but I'm pretty happy.

Taking a break to watch a Texans game... on my phone: (any excuse for a beer)

[url=https://flic.kr/p/Rei4VN][/url]2017-01-16_01-12-32 by Paul Bubel, on Flickr

The windows, ugh, the windows.

While I've left two cracked ones in place, this upper set was driving me up a wall:

[url=https://flic.kr/p/RKAzov][/url]2017-02-01_04-31-53 by Paul Bubel, on Flickr

I couldn't imagine doing all this work and leaving that be. (the other cracked ones are still tight and fine till I replace the exterior ancient glazing and repaint the exterior of the windows.

The back window that looks into the enclosed patio with the old panes removed:
[url=https://flic.kr/p/RKBaKr][/url]2017-02-01_04-41-00 by Paul Bubel, on Flickr

Broke one of course. Stole another pane from the dining room.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/QvPJZZ][/url]2017-02-01_04-41-10 by Paul Bubel, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/RyMraX][/url]2017-02-01_04-41-23 by Paul Bubel, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/RyMs1e][/url]2017-02-01_04-41-37 by Paul Bubel, on Flickr

Fudged the whole thing back together keeping most of the glazing intact.

Got the shashes mostly back in place, new trim, and cleaned up the glass.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/R1jKcf][/url]2017-01-14_09-07-37 by Paul Bubel, on Flickr

Naturally, got the middle one back together before realizing that I forgot to attach the weight. I went home.

A friend and his girlfriend randomly stopped by. She tugged at a patch of flooring and pulled it up. I joked that she should finish what she started.

We did.

3 hours later, I guess I got rid of the sheet vinyl. It wasn't planned. But you take the help you can get, when you can get it.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/Rb6Cww][/url]2017-01-14_09-07-50 by Paul Bubel, on Flickr

Gouged one of the boards, and it sure as hell smelled like cedar. I can't imagine this place has cedar floors. I've never cut on old growth pine so I'm probably just wrong.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/QHrZkw][/url]2017-01-16_01-12-16 by Paul Bubel, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/Q466eD][/url]2017-01-16_01-12-03 by Paul Bubel, on Flickr

Screwed around with some adhesive remover:

[url=https://flic.kr/p/Q462X8][/url]2017-01-16_01-11-31 by Paul Bubel, on Flickr

The rest will have to wait until the ceiling is finished.

I still wish I had replaced the drywall in the living room, but that would have set me back immensely. I do believe that the furniture and curtains/drapes will cover most of the crap till I pay someone to do it right. In a couple of years.

I might still try and fix it before final paint.

I do need to eventually figure out a transition between the drywall and the exposed wood wall. I thought about a quarter round like that on the baseboard but that might not be enough. I also need to find a matching baseboard for that wall. I shattered the old one when it was pulled up.

So, that's the past couple of weeks on my end. Hope y'all's was as.... interesting? ****ty? fun?

I still can't decide. I'm happy with the progress though. Slow as it may be.

Oh, and:

We went scuba diving in Cayman Brac so our time certainly falls in the "fun" category!

That's heart pine - I've had it in a couple of houses before. If you need more it's easy to come across replacements. Your floor is obviously antique but probably not old growth. Most of the 200-500 year old pines to the east and upper midwest were already harvested by that time.

Things are fun over here, tomorrow I'm due for another update on my thread. There's been some pretty heavy demo and rebuilding going on.

You should submit this to one of those TV shows where they do a complete home makeover, seriously. It would be fun to watch, and I mean that in a good way.

And then...?

It's coming.

Hired out my first job this week. Needed to save up some cash first so I've been doing nothing "big."

Actually, it looks like I have done more since the last update. Give me a second.

Spent a week with some nasty chemicals peeling the adhesive off the living room floor.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/T1aw15][/url]2017-04-05_01-36-26 by Paul Bubel, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/T1auQu][/url]2017-04-05_01-36-12 by Paul Bubel, on Flickr

There's still some residue left that I need to tend to and some boards that need replacement but I've moved on the the bathroom and dining room.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/QvNd78][/url]2017-02-01_04-13-42 by Paul Bubel, on Flickr

Blech. And there was someone living here...

[url=https://flic.kr/p/ToH1e6][/url]2017-04-05_01-37-58 by Paul Bubel, on Flickr

They did one thing in this place absolutely right, and that was screw the ever loving **** out of the plywood.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/T1aEAm][/url]2017-04-05_01-37-40 by Paul Bubel, on Flickr

It was a pain to remove.

During this time, some pendejo took out my Jeep which made life much more of pain and more money went out the window. I also went camping and to New Orleans. (The casino is a cruel mistress)

I've got a foundation guy starting work on the back of the house on Friday along with a plumber to move the supply and drain lines for the new bathroom.

It's effin tiny, with a large window so a layout has been problematic.

Currently how I'm thinking it might work out:

[url=https://flic.kr/p/T1aN8W][/url]2017-04-05_01-39-31 by Paul Bubel, on Flickr


I was going to go with a glass enclosure, but the space it really tight and I'm thinking a custom curtain rod and curtain is the best route. Plus, that's cheaper than glass and less likely to break.

If anyone has good knowledge of permitting and the related issues I would love a PM by the way to ask some questions off line.

Weeeee...

The bathroom remodel has gotten a little overboard.

My kitchen:

[url=https://flic.kr/p/SvsrbD][/url]2017-04-10_07-03-08 by Paul Bubel, on Flickr

The floors were shot. The rear foundation is a bit of a joke and there was no going around getting it fixed at this point. The bead board under the drywall is interesting though.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/TDs2Yd][/url]2017-04-09_02-45-33 by Paul Bubel, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/TDrYYL][/url]2017-04-09_02-45-19 by Paul Bubel, on Flickr

Effin brilliant.

Bathroom:

[url=https://flic.kr/p/TxPGrK][/url]2017-04-10_07-03-44 by Paul Bubel, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/TxPHDV][/url]2017-04-10_07-03-58 by Paul Bubel, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/TxPJgB][/url]2017-04-10_07-04-09 by Paul Bubel, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/TLDVb9][/url]2017-04-13_05-23-13 by Paul Bubel, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/SxKVh3][/url]2017-04-13_05-23-54 by Paul Bubel, on Flickr

The plumbing is being replaced and new hot and cold lines run. That's the good news. I'm moving the location of the kitchen sink and finally came up with a plan for the kitchen that works as good as it can with the windows and doors. I've lost the wood in the kitchen though, so for a while I'm living with the plywood there and in the bath.

All because I needed a toilet and sink that was working for King William Fair at the end of the month. Oye.

Still, progress. About a quarter of the home will have it's foundation repaired by next week. The rest will have to wait. I finally found a contractor willing to just replace what needed replacing, instead of starting all over.

The Fife said:

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Welcome to the no floor and joists club, fellow member! Many shall consider, but few will go through the royal pain in the ass to join our ranks!

If you know anybody with a metal detector I'd let them run around in the kitchen and whatever other areas are opened up. People I know do that over here and find all sorts of crazy crap.

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That's one club I never plan to join!

But kuddos to you guys as I've had a little experience working on my parents pier and beam house many years ago, but no where the entent that y'all have gone through.

Update needed. What happened with permit police (per San Antonio thread)?

Oye. Got slapped for not pulling a foundation permit. Since 90% of this city never pulls one for anything and the work was taking place in the backyard I took a chance.

I fought the law and the law won.

$600 later for an engineer's report stating that the foundation needs repair (why I wanted to avoid this process in the first place ) I'm ready to pull a permit for the foundation this week. I'm not sure what the final fine will be either. The good news is the work done is kosher and ready to go.

I'm not going to have a functional toilet and sink for the King William Fair on Saturday is the worst part of the delay.

The week off has provided me time to help with a friend's piece of junk house though, which is a good thing as I'll need his electrical help at some point in the future.

What San Antonio thread?

The Fife said:

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What San Antonio thread?

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Deleted I think.

The Fife said:

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What San Antonio thread?

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Hey Aggies!!

Quote:

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I was going to invite whoever was in the area to stop by my sh/t-shack to enjoy some brews and BBQ during the King William Fair, but I got slapped upside the head by the permit police this week and the likelihood of me having a functional toilet and sink by then is not looking good.

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You don't have a space shuttle in your back yard? Those are functional enough.

Space shuttle? I'm not following the joke. ( I am little dense )

The report indicated another 5 piers need to be replaced, which is great news for me.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/SUFajL][/url]Engineer by Paul Bubel, on Flickr

$268 is the final fine. Cripes, this has been fun. But, I'm legal now. For the time being. Work should resume this week I hope.


Mercifully, all the of the permit departments are under one roof, making it pretty simple. In and out in 30 minutes after dealing with the Historic Commission, who remembered the house from last year when I asked to pull the front chain link fence down, and the city code enforcement folks.

The historic people gave me a free "permit" to fix all my windows as well. Didn't realize I needed that... and they weren't too concerned that I've fixed the front ones already. But to avoid any future issues that may crop up, I'm covered.

Yea, replacing windows in most cities now requires a permit. Can you believe that ish?

Aggietaco said:

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Yea, replacing windows in most cities now requires a permit. Can you believe that ish?

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Such bull*****

dubi said:

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Aggietaco said:

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Yea, replacing windows in most cities now requires a permit. Can you believe that ish?

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Such bull*****

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No sh/t...so glad I replaced all the windows in the front so all the windows in the back yet to so...screw the permits!

Aggietaco said:

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Yea, replacing windows in most cities now requires a permit. Can you believe that ish?

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I'm not replacing windows though. Just fixing them, so they open and close and have glass. What a crazy concept.

I shouldn't need a permit for something like that. Oh well. It didn't cost me anything at least.

p_bubel said:

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Aggietaco said:

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Yea, replacing windows in most cities now requires a permit. Can you believe that ish?

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I'm not replacing windows though. Just fixing them, so they open and close and have glass. What a crazy concept.

I shouldn't need a permit for something like that. Oh well. It didn't cost me anything at least.

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Even over here with the bat**** crazy board of architecture and historical preservation *******s that sounds crazy...

In fact for a house as old as yours there's a separate board of architecture permit on top of the regular city permit that you have to get. If you are changing anything it goes through separate board of architecture review, where based on their completely arbitrary guidelines can kill or force you to modify your project, come back the next month and present it to them for approval.

They do crap like this, then complain about how nothing is affordable downtown. No crap, it's not like their own process doesn't add just a little bit of overhead now.