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Den-Garage-Foyer Rebuild - The Final Project

15,578 Views | 70 Replies | Last: 1 yr ago by BenTheGoodAg
The Fife
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7:27a, 7/7/22
It's mostly been a couple weeks more framing since the last post. From one day to the next things look pretty similar unless you take a closer look at details.

Windows have started to arrive and those plus electrical will be the next big things to go in. The existing front door is about to be closed off and the actual door will be used between the den and garage. I went to way too much work making the thing for it to go out in the trash.

In the pictures you can see where windows and the sliding glass door will go in the den. Also the 125 gallon aquarium hole and high windows between the foyer and den, and what things will look like around the front door.

More to come!



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The Fife
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9:16a, 8/23/22
Over a month from the last update and we're still in that mid-project funk where you can work all day and the place still looks more or less the same.

Windows and the big sliding glass door are all in now. High transom windows aren't there yet, they're just going to be made by a local place instead of a regular window company to cut costs. Some of the replacements for existing windows need to be strapped in and all of them foamed around the edges, but details...

A/C is in. There will be two split minis for the area being redone and they're basically set but need power and the place dried in before they can do anything.

Drying in... The front doors are done and out in the construction area but not installed yet. It's nice getting them out of the kitchen because they're huge. Garage doors are about ready to be rehung. The door between the den and garage is the one I made in 2014 (was a replacement front door). It's in pretty good shape so I'm just going to sand and add a couple layers of finish.

Most of the electrical work is done. The garage was a big undertaking because of the lighting, outlets everywhere, a few 240 runs, and wire run for future EV chargers. There's going to be one panel in the garage and another where the existing one from 1969 is, so when they put in that second one I'll be without power for about a day. After hours I've been adding speaker wire in the den and still need to do an Ethernet run to the far wall. Hopefully the new service will go in within the next couple of weeks and I'll get internet back at that time too.





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Roger That
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7:09p, 8/23/22
AG
Props to your builder for not flashing the bottom of the windows with zip tape. You see a lot that do and it can end up trapping water.
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The Fife
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12:04p, 9/26/22
The pictures...


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The Fife
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12:06p, 9/26/22
And more because of upload limits...


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The Fife
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12:31p, 9/26/22
The big holdup over the last month has been sourcing a 400A meter base. There are none to be had over here without paying 3-5X the actual price to someone scalping one. If anybody out there has one they don't mind parting with you know how to reach me! Otherwise it looks like the supply house might have one in November.

Moving on with pictures, framing on the den side of the wall for what will support the fishtank is going in. 125 gallons is about 1/2 a ton so it'll need to be a little beefy. That's why there's sort of a mini-header in there. This framing will also outline the height and depth for the built in bookshelves that I'll make sometime in the not too distant future. Roughly 10' high x about 14' wide and 21" deep. Because there's a door between the foyer and den the switches can't be on the wall to the left when you enter so it's also a place on the right to install them. For whatever it's worth the idea for a door between rooms has to do with kids and how well noise travels when a floorplan is a little too open.

On the front elevation, a lot of what I describe as the trimwork is done and the place is about ready for fieldstone to go up. The only exception is where the front door was which will be brick salvaged from wall demolition. Originally that was going to be stone too but by using original brick that should help make it look like there never was a front door where it used to be. The wood off to the left hand side is also for that purpose and because I plan on doing some landscaping, pavers, and maybe putting some kind of bench there.

The garage is just about done. I foamed a lot of gaps and put up insulation on the walls, and ran coax inside smurf tube from where the cable/internet will hit the house up across the ceiling and down the far wall into the crawlspace, all the way to the media closet. There's also 10/3 in the wall running to where there will be a split mini in the garage someday. I'll still probably need to open the wall for the lineset but only in that one area.

I was able to cut costs by handling demo and framing over by the dry bar. If I could scare up some drywall I'd do that too. While all this has been going on I've been purging a lot of things that aren't needed any more. finally go to the point that the bulk of what was left in the dining room was plastic garage shelving so that went out to the deck and I reclaimed the space. It's not perfect but it's usable again.

What's coming up next?
This week the front door and garage doors are supposed to go back in. Spray foam insulation I thought was going to start today but there's nobody here but me. It would be great if doors could happen sometime soon because it's tropical weather season and we have something that'll be in the eastern part of the gulf this weekend. Also because that'll go a long way to cut down on mosquitoes around here. The passageways between the construction area and where we're living are tarped off but it's not perfect and they still find their way in every now and then.

Also resolving that meter base problem somehow would really get things moving along again, and get the cable modem back up and running so I could stop tethering things to the phone for them to have a connection.
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The Fife
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12:34p, 9/26/22
Forgot about the deck, that's mostly done too. My plants finally have someplace to go and the outdoor furniture can go where it belongs! Composite material so I won't have so much maintenance to do.
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Aggietaco
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1:06p, 9/27/22
AG
Not a whole lot of single family pulling 400A, so I can understand the lack of availability. Plus meter sockets as a whole are waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay long lead these days. I would find a part number and call a few supply houses in separate metro areas to see if you have any luck.
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The Fife
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8:50a, 10/11/22
We're about at the point where drywall goes in. I've had to stay on top of things like doorbell wire (to be fair the architect forgot that one). Also the insulation sub didn't understand that the wall above the garage doors was part of what they were supposed to do so that was what I was up to yesterday evening. About all that's left for me to do in there is to run some wire for the security cameras to where I think the DVR will go.

The garage doors are in along with the frame for the front door so visually things are still moving along, just not as fast as I wanted them to. When it comes to the smaller and more detailed stuff sometimes I think that I move faster than the builder's subs do.
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BenTheGoodAg
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9:16a, 10/11/22
AG
This really is a cool project to watch. I'm glad you keep posting on it even though it's not generating a lot of dialogue. I'm sure others agree.
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The Fife
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In reply to BenTheGoodAg • 9:38a, 10/11/22
Thanks, there's for sure a lot more going on than I post about. Plenty of misinterpreting drawings, crap the architect forgot to include and I didn't catch as QA (like doorbell wire, go figure that might be needed because the front door is moving to a new location...). Subs doing about 95% of their statement of work and it being faster for me to catch up the remaining 5%.

Smurf tube is a whole other thing I had to fight. It's definitely a love/hate relationship with the stuff on my end!
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The Fife
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10:02a, 10/13/22
At long last the front doors are finally in. Insulation done, all the random LAN, audio, and camera wires in place, drywall starts going up tomorrow. Pretty soon I should be able to get rid of the plastic sheeting between where we've been living and the rest of the place.


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Claude!
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10:43a, 10/13/22
That's a hell of a front door. Looks almost like a church.
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The Fife
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In reply to Claude! • 11:02a, 10/13/22
Eichler was a pretty strong influence when I designed the overall concept for the front elevation.
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CapCity12thMan
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In reply to The Fife • 2:44p, 10/13/22
AG
what brand of composite decking did you go with
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The Fife
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In reply to CapCity12thMan • 3:01p, 10/13/22
Trex, midrange lineup. It feels pretty solid and the color layer is thick. Not that I plan on dragging crap across the top of it but something good to know.
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dubi
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8:36a, 10/14/22
AG
As usual, you are quite the overachieving DIY'er...

It looks amazing!
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The Fife
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11:52a, 11/1/22
The last couple of weeks have been all about drywall. It's about done, in the late mud and tape phase right now and today it looks like the ceiling paneling is getting started. I also handled all the electrical changes in the dining room and dry bar area because the electricians were taking too long to show up. Unrelated to the project, the new TV antenna is in and camera, LAN, and coax runs are complete.

Lots of things like the fishtank hole and size of the shelving I'm going to build in the den later make sense now that walls are solid.

Not sure what's coming up next but I hope it involves an electric meter base and moving the service over where it's supposed to be.









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gratitudeandacceptance
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12:56p, 11/1/22
Would love a video tour when this is all done!
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The Fife
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In reply to gratitudeandacceptance • 8:46a, 11/2/22
The big question is when is it really all done. When the workers leave, after I install the flooring I want or the bookshelves are in, do some kind of landscaping, when there's actual furniture instead of random stuff I already have in there?

I still have outstanding work in the blue hall bathroom making fake built in cabinet doors to cover the IKEA hamper that's in there. The very last room will be a 3x9 foot bathroom that's the original master. It only has a toilet, wall mount sink, and small shower in there though.

Ceiling paneling is going in today. Think I may have been better off going with stained wood on the ceiling but cost is a pretty big factor at this point.
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The Fife
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8:23a, 11/5/22
Ladies and gentlemen we've got a meter base! Now we're working with the power company to schedule burying the line from the street so it isn't run right through the middle of some large river birch trees.

When I have a date for that I'll be able to get the cable company to come out and run the line to the house through some conduit. Hopefully on the same day, but who knows. After that I'll finally have Internet at home again!
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The Fife
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3:13p, 11/16/22
Things have slowed down a little bit now that it's really cooled off around here. Ceiling paneling is just about done and stone is going up outside. A meter base is supposed to go in this week, no word on when the power company can come in and trench for the new service.

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Claude!
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6:14p, 11/17/22
Yard looks like ****, dude.

Seriously, really love that entryway.
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BenTheGoodAg
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8:20a, 11/23/22
AG
That front elevation is nails.

Love the high ceilings. Continues to be a fun project to follow.
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The Fife
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In reply to BenTheGoodAg • 10:35a, 11/23/22
Thanks, I planned on posting something again today because there's been so much exterior work going on plus prep work for the new power pole in the front yard. A couple of giant bushes that are at least 30 years old are going away and that'll probably give me 300sq ft more yard space.
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Hwy30East
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In reply to The Fife • 6:37a, 12/7/22
Any updates?
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The Fife
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7:29a, 12/7/22
Two parter because of pictures and slow internet connections...

Most of the time since the last update was spent doing masonry. There was a lot more to it than I thought but the stone that was added matches what was put on when the carport was turned into a garage in 1979 closely enough so that it looks like there's no difference. Brick salvaged from demo was worth the effort to gather up because most of it ended up being used. The mortar was originally a really light color that they were able to match, but I'm going to have my work cut out for me cleaning up the rest of the place to match.

The one big rework item is a pretty good leak in the corner of a wall wall that looks like it's always been a problem on the garage side. It's pretty obvious when it rains so this won't be something that just gets forgotten about.

On the utilities side, the new phone pole is in and power run to it down to a box on the ground. Yesterday a small bobcat was brought out to dig the trench it'll need to get from the pole to the house. After that's run I'm bakfilling about 18" and then putting in more conduit for the internet cable. They're supposed to be out next Wednesday to do the actual run, and I should be back online at home for the first time in at least 6 months. No more tethering with my phone.

Indoors more of the trim has gone up. Drywall is finally in where the front door used to be and the living space bumped out a couple of feet. I'll need to do my part and seal up everywhere around the floor and then get a piece of plywood put in so the floor there is at the same height as adjacent areas. I don't think I'll need to run any actual flooring there because cabinets and a mini fridge should cover it up.

The door between the den and foyer is here after they accidentally ordered a 6'8 one instead of 8'0. It's the same as all the others I installed throughout the place so I'll throw a few coats of water based poly on it and call it a day before they put it in. It's easier to deal with finish issues than remove dirty handprints from bare wood. The old front door is in place between the den and garage, I need to refinish that one already but it's pretty much ready to go. I've also been stripping the dark stain off the old mantle piece but they didn't use much and only put a thin coat of finish on it so this hasn't been too bad.

They think they're going to be done with the place by the end of the month. HA!
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The Fife
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7:32a, 12/7/22
And the pictures...



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The Fife
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7:34a, 12/7/22
Moar, because moar!


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Hwy30East
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In reply to The Fife • 9:57a, 12/7/22
The Fife said:
Eichler was a pretty strong influence when I designed the overall concept for the front elevation.
Yes, I had to Google Eichler, but definitely see it in your design/pictures.

Thanks for the updates. It's really looking nice!
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The Fife
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10:10a, 1/5/23
It's all been pretty quiet over here since the last update. Lots of painting indoors and I think they're priming the exterior today. New power line is trenched, internet is back, something to do with how the meter box passed inspection yesterday and the city was supposed to have marked it off as passed in this system the power company uses...

... but of course they haven't yet so there hasn't been any power to the place since yesterday morning. There's an extension cord run from an outlet by the street for construction use to keep the fridge and a couple of lamps on but that's it. Last night wasn't cold but it's supposed to be 45 tonight. Hope they get their crap together sometime today so we can get the place powered up again.
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The Fife
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11:09a, 3/6/23
Things have picked up again now that the project started about a year ago. There's paint, gutters, masonry is done except for pressure washing, most of the lights and other electrical stuff is done, fan and transom windows are installed, final electrical inspection is supposed to be done sometime soon, and gutters are in.

Right now the floor in the den is being prepped for self leveler to take up the original slab to the height the new one is. Since that area was a garage once upon a time it'll take a lot of the stuff. They'll also be doing the sidewalk work at the same time. Pictures to come once I get home from work.
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The Fife
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9:19a, 3/28/23
Ok let's get things caught up. December...

Mostly interior work and here's where a few errors transpired. In the den things were pretty straightforward. Trim going up on the ceiling that matches what I put in the family room back in 2014.



No problems in here besides the builder ordering the wrong size door between the foyer and den and I was able to use the room for game night thanks to a neighbor curbing a pretty nice 100 year old dining room table. Shame the one or two leaves it had are lost to time but free is free.



No lighting or anything in here yet, just another view from the door from the foyer. I put in an outlet above the fireplace because why not, it's the only chance to do it the easy way.



View from the other way the camera was pointing. The trim crew accidentally covered up the wire for the light that's supposed to hang from the ceiling so they got to go back and redo that a week or two ago. One of many wires that were covered up or cut between them and the stone guys.


Back to the den looking towards the front. The big hole between the two rooms is for a 125 gallon aquarium. I'm building in cabinets for the rest of the wall; underneath the aquarium will be a couple of doors for pumps and stuff to go in, and they'll run about 10' up which is in line with the top of the doorway trim and the framing visible above the aquarium. I haven't done a carpentry project this big so it'll be an adventure of its own.

The door between here and the garage is the 'new' front door I built in fall 2014. It was hard work and I wasn't about to throw it out so this is where it'll be used.


Just more of the den from another angle. I may put something up over the brick in the fireplace sometime later but this is what it'll be for the time being.


The right size door finally came in and I finished it just like all the others used throughout the house. The only reason I put a door in there was for noise control. Kids are loud and the existing part of the house has a floorplan a bit on the open side; I wanted to be able to close this part off for that reason.



There was plastic sheeting up between the foyer and kitchen / dining room for months. We used the back door leading out to the deck to enter and exit for the longest time. Not the most fun thing but it didn't last forever!

If work isn't too busy I'll try and get the next month or two up today...
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The Fife
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7:37a, 4/11/23
Catching up from January, the big news was that we finally have a meter base! Dominion put the new pole in, cable run through conduit underground, and we're ready to switch over to it. Trouble is, you're waiting for a connect service call to be worked while the house has no power because it's no longer connected to the service pole out front.

It was also right when a big cold front blew in and they had a bunch of ice to deal with in the upstate, so it was about a 5 day wait. I ran a couple of extension cords to the construction tool outlets ro power the fridge, a space heater, the water heater controller (gas/tankless), and a few lamps. Cooking wasn't a problem because the cooktop uses gas. Not fun but the kids and I pulled through it.

The only other thing that got accomplished that month was paint, despite the drywall work being subpar. It was a slow month





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The Fife
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9:52a, 6/9/23
February... This is about the time I started doing more work than the builder did. They started getting to the point where they'd need a sub there for 2-4 hours and it would be a week of no shows with "they should be there this afternoon" text messages.

This pretty much sums up the state things were in that we had to deal with every day.





It's a little better because the front doors are where they're supposed to be instead of lying around on the floor but things that belong in a garage or the trash are still all over the place. I put in the new light for the dry bar and took care of wallpaper repair and changing it up to accommodate the new layout of the dining room.



The ceiling fan was ordered and went up in the den. It's somewhere between 88 and 92" across, and really doesn't look that big in the room. By the square footage it's supposed to have to fans but one is plenty here, and it's a little too late to change that sort of thing up now anyway.



I also installed the cove lighting in the foyer that month. I had LED strips left over from when I did the kitchen back in 2014, so all I needed were channels the strips sit in and power supplies. This stuff is a lot easier to get your hands on now than it was back then! Lighting is warmer than I'd like it to be, but this is what I had and it needed to get used up already





Onward to March, where every day I wonder just what the hell they're doing....
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