Follow me, a professional home renovation construction manager as I take on my own renovation project. They don't call me "pitbull" in the field for nothing - let's see if I can renovate my 1920s cottage, converting it to a tudor with modern interior spaces for under $100k and in 3 months. Learn how to manage your own renovation - the good, the bad, and the stress of it!
BEFORE
Our humble abode and the modern tudor it shall become...
We have a solution for our exterior dilemma. My mason, Jason, found a granite veneer that is 2" thick and is in geometric shapes!! I have to just drive to Athens GA to look at it live! We will probably head down there Sunday - nice road trip...too bad there isn't a college game going on!
We have 2 pics now - we photo shop edited the pics and added arches. So we are down to a stone front because we can not find ANY brick, but now we need to decide on the arch detail and the column base detail to the right. Now again, you have to use yoru imagination to see that the arches are kind of jimmy-rigged but it gives you an idea of what it could look like...Tell me what you think...
All stone with a brick arch. It is a tiny detail but adds a bit of a connection to the base.
All stone with a stone arch (not exactly how it would be but the general idea). I am thinking with this option, the column base to the right need to be in brick. Just not sure if I will have enough brick so we have to be prepared to leave it stone.
Weigh in - all feedback is welcome.
Once we get this done this week there will be sooo much more to report - cabinets, countertops, tile, paint colors....it will go quickly. Ruben is coming tomorrow to put my subfloor down - REMEMBER glue, and screw to avoid the squeaks!! He will also add blocking, some final framing touches and repair the exterior trim that got a bit messed up by the electrician (it can happen). Ruben is also replacing rotted wood around existing windows. THIS is such an inexpensive fix with GREAT results, so have your contractors be aware of rotted wood and have them let you know how much it will be to fix. It makes a HUGE difference in curb appeal. Then it is on to all INTERIOR work!!
Okay so my mechanicals are done, fire caulk is done. Ready for my framing inspection this week. Next is insulation and sheet rock. BUT I can not hang sheet rock until the dormer has found it's permanent position atop the posts. AND we can't install the posts until we know if we will have stone or brick veneer. URGH!! I will not make my 3 month goal. We are looking at a 4 week delay total.
Tilo and I spent Monday at several stone yards looking at options. Granite is expensive and also only comes in THICK pieces. I have framed the dormer with a 4" space for brick under the overhangs of the roof line. When you do stone veneer, you allow 6" of clearance. So now I not only have to pay more for the stone but I have to pay more for the labor to cut it down from 5-6" thickness to 2-3" I need to fit my framing. URGH!!! Another option would be to put more brick back on the profile - I have a place in Indiana that is sending me their samples - maybe it will work....If we can find SOME brick, we will do this option...
Option 1
This is our "second" choice if brick is not available..
Option 2
Option 1 is great IF we can find brick in Indiana. Option 2 is the choice but will come at a higher price.
We should be able to make a decision this week. Weigh in now while it is still up in the air!!
So we are still on hold waiting on a decision about the brick vs. stone. Now it's time to weigh in if you haven't already. Tilo and I will do some more photo shop options this weekend and post them for responses! Please tell us what you think.
We did pass all of our inspections - electrical, HVAC and plumbing so now we will do fire caulk, insulation and then sheet rock. If all had gone well at the beginning with my foundation walls, porch and masonry I would be done in about 4 weeks! I have about a 4 week delay but I don't want to rush the BIG decisions. I want the house to be set on it's permanent columns and sit there for 2 weeks before putting up sheet rock or installing the hardwood / tile floors. Normally you want the house to have the chance to settle for about 4 weeks before adding these finishes. I just hope that my porch has done it's settling and little more will occur once the addition is set on the columns.
This weekend we will take pictures of everything in side of our walls and mark on a plan where are extra blocking boards are for when we want to hang heavy things on the walls. These pictures and site maps can prove priceless later on - especially if you ever have any electrical or plumbing issues that requires you to cut sheetrock! Also take pictures of the mechanicals before the sheet rock goes up.
We went to look at cabinets, tile and countertops this week. LOTS of money and lots of decisions to make. We are going to try and find remnant pieces of granite or limestone for our countertops. you can go to any of the fabricators and suppliers in the City and ask them for their "leftover" pieces. Sometimes you can get the most expensive granites for 60-70% off. It is a simple phone call to make. Reuse and Recycle is my motto!!
For our cabinets, I went and visited Founder's Kitchen and bath in Alpharetta. This is a great operation - small with employees that have worked there for over 15 years. They have the top end lines down to the modestly priced alternatives that look better than many custom cabinets I have seen. They are working up a quote for me right now. Bottom line we are looking for a modern style and they have it!
Pictures will be posted this weekend. I will post our photo shop options as well as stone photos from our visit to the stone yards on Sunday! Stay posted...
Okay so this is REALLY difficult. Trying to pick out the exterior colors and textures. We had it all planned and then when our original materials were no longer available, were forced to look at the limitless options!!
After playing around with color on teh 3D pictures, Tilo took matters in to his own hands and played around with photo shop. Now bare in mind these are NOT perfect and are very "jimmy-rigged" together but the colors and textrues are real life. We have a few options to look at....
Doing an arched (keep in mind, we couldn't draw the arch correctly..you have to envision it there) stone front..to cut down on the amount of brick we would need
Modifying that with even less stone - BUT this could still be too much brick for us!!
Or doing an ALL stone addition front and right side column base with brick porch ...
We have the porticos built over our doors. I finally have protection for when it rains and we have the prettiest weekend in the last 20!! Check out the cedar porticos Ruben built over my 2 side entry doors...
This is the right side of the house at the door leading to our terrace. Ruben also re-trimmed the old doorway. Still have some more wood to replace there, but it looks great so far.
This is our main side entrance portico. Now I have to look for a pendant light to hang from the center. We will stain it a bit darker than it is now, add some roofing shingles and voila!
Look at teh finished product. All of our windows are in and the siding is up. Now we just have to resolve this stone - brick issue and get the front porch built! Upstairs is ready to insulate and sheet rock but I cant until we have the dormer resting on stable posts!
We could really be done in 4-6 weeks if I could find my brick and or stone!! Keep your fingers crossed...
You are never to old to learn something new! This experience so far has taught me something new everyday. In this lull of activity, I thought it might be a good time to summarize 10 of the BIGGEST lessons or "things to do" I have learned thus far - lessons that maybe you can simply take at face value during your renovation and reap the benefits from, saving the pain of my lessons learned!
1. If you are rehabbing an old home - older than 1950, make sure you have a source for your brick and/or stone BEFORE starting the project. There are brick salvage yards and several custom manufacturers like Colonial Brick in Indiana who can help you. Without this sourced, you could experience weeks if not months of delays in your project!
2. Order Windows, bath fans and plumbing fixtures at the day of contract signing or permit acquisition. Have them delivered to your home or office so you have them ready on site and on time.
3. If your home has plaster ceilings, consider demo-ing those ceilings prior to construction start, especially if they are below the area you will be renovating!! If you don't demo them at the start, they may demo themselves during the process!!
4. Make clear lists for all of your mechanicals (plumbing, electrical, HVAC) - marking ALL locations, listing all desires and actually use that list to determine whether or not the mechanical sub contractors are complete and should receive payment. Typically, the mechanical sub contractors receive the first payment draw of 60% when they pass the rough in inspection, and the remaining 40% when the pass their final inspections. NEVER pay up front and NEVER pay until the first inspection has been passed.
5. Take pictures of ALL of your mechanical locations before sheet rock goes up. Take pictures of your plumbing, electrical and HVAC locations so that if there are every any troubles, you will know what is in the wall. Mark them on a site plan as well, but pictures will give you a better visual. It will save you lots of sheet rock patching costs down the road should something go wrong.
6. Have contractor trash bags readily handy on site at all times. I have found that if there is a trash bag on site, the trash - lunch, construction, & misc- miraculously finds it's way into the bags in stead of landing in my front yard bushes! Same goes for a broom that is handy. If there is a broom handy inside and out, the guys tend to sweep up after themselves! Without it, the debris is handled by the homeowner! Bags, brooms and shovels should ALWAYS be available.
7. Buy LOTS of water bottles and offer them to the workers each day. A bottle of water goes a long way to having sub contractors that enjoy working for you. Happy workers bring Happy results! I buy red bull and even pizza for the guys who work on Saturdays. Domino's has medium pizzas for $5 each if you buy 3 or more. What is $20 if it means having the results be perfect!!
8. When in doubt ASK. Your contractors are a wealth of knowledge. If there is something you want done, ask them if it is possible. Ask them the how tos and then find out the cost associated with doing it. My interior trim guy had the easiest and cheapest solution to our pocket door dilemma..I almost dint ask him and would have ordered the wrong hardware to get the quiet, solid door systems that we want!
9. Buy ONLINE. So far I have probably saved $3000 in fixtures, attic access stairs, bath fans, you name it, b simply buying on line. Many stores have free shipping and NO taxes! On my plumbing fixtures alone, I saved $2200. Most online supply shops also offer contractor discounts, so either set up your own account or ask your contractor to set one up and get an even deeper discount. Some of my favorite sites so far are www.homeclick.com, www.wamhomecenter.com, www.westsidewholesale.co, www.build.com and www.mrsupply.com.
10. Stock up on wine and beer! You will need a glass or bottle each night - if you are a non-drinker, find a vice that makes you happy!! And remember it will all be over soon!!!!
Ruben and his crew showed up again today to install my newly arrived windows! The house is total chaos with the electrician finishing up, the low voltage guys here installing all of Tilo's speakers and the plumbing inspector here to see how we are doing!
The plumbing passed the inspection. Now we will have HVAC and electrical inspections tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed.
Ruben's guys got the windows installed and finished much of the siding. Tomorrow they will build the 2 porticos over my 2 side entry doors - this is so exciting and something I have wanted since building the deck - a cover over my head when I go to unlock the door in the rain!! The new cedar brackets arrived and they are PERFECT! I still have the monster ones if anyone knows anyone who needs them!! I will send pics of the brackets and porticos tomorrow. In them meantime, enjoy my new exterior looks...
Okay - the entire project is now on hold because we can not find my brick. They do not produce this brick type any more. Not the color or more importantly the texture. i have looked all over the country. My last chance is in Indiana. Jason from Dreamscapes has been helping me to locate something that will work. We will now fed ex 4 samples of my brick to Indiana and see if they can make it for me. A custom brick order - who knows what it will cost? It will also take weeks!!
So i have been looking at stone selections. About 50% of the homes in VaHI have stone on them. We are thinking in the grey tones....what do you guys think of these options?
Grey stone addition and porch with brick details...
Brick addition with grey porch bottom..still need brick for this but not as much!
Weigh in - send me a post here so I know what you are thinking. Now the board and batten siding has no color - we are working on getting that colored in as well so we have a true idea of what it could look like.
I will send more options through tomorrow!! Vote NOW!!
We have concrete on our porch. We can stand on a porch! They laid the block, back filled with dirt, stone and brick, then poured the concrete pad on top...the gap is for the brick row lock that will edge the area..
Still trying to pick out the stone and/or brick facade. We are having serious difficulty locating my brick. I am relaly nervous about it and may switch to a stack stone.
So I am roughed in for electrical, HVAC and Plumbing. now we sit and wait for the City Inspectors. If we get a sign off then it will be on to subfloor install, final framing issues and insulation.
With regards to the rough in of your mechanicals, make sure you do a complete walk thru with them prior to them starting the work. Afterwards, even though you would like to assume they got it, you need ot check their work at the end of each day. There is always a light switch, outlet or light that needs to be moved. There are things that you realize once in the space with the wires and items there - a change. If you can catch it NOW, there should be little to no upcharge unless you are adding something new all together. If it is a simple adjustment then you should have no push back. If you don't do this check each day though and insulation / sheet rock go up..it will become costly to have it they way you really want and/or need it to be!
I have already had the electrician change many things and added a few additional outlets and lights. The HVAC guys have run their duct work and set the unit. The plumbers installed my new water heater!
Now it is on to finalizing the locations of everything. Then I will have all floor and ceiling joists vacuumed out - making the space free of dust and debris...really key before insulation goes in!! Also helps if you ever have to cut the ceiling down below to install lights or what have you, you will not have a face full of debris falling down!
So here are the pics of my newly blocked front porch outline...
Now it is a sit and wait game. The blocks need to dry out so we can backfill, beat down the dirt and pour a concrete slab on top to form my porch floor. BUT it started raining again today. Mother nature is against me!!
Scott from home Pro Electric has been doing all my wiring...he and Tilo are loving the "shop talk" about electrical stuff...
Scott has a second company that specializes in powder coat painting metal surfaces - which is REALLY cool for us because he specializes in painted recessed can trim kits. So you could have a hot pink recessed can light! Viola will get 4 turquoise ones! I am so excited. i will link up his site in my next post. But they look so COOL!!!
HVAC starts tomorrow and the plumbers will finish up, installing our new marathon water heater (GA Power give you $525 back right now for buying one!! it wound up costing us like $350!! and has a lifetime warranty on the tank!).
More to come..
New can lights in the master...
All new electrical in the upstairs...
Viola's new tub...
The tent created to protect and dry out our new front porch. Hope it works as the rain sets in...
Let me start by commenting on my last post...The house I went to see was truly amazing and beautiful...I didn't want to take away from that at all - there is a grand master suite with this incredible tiled master spa area, amazing paint colors throughout and master wood trim work GALORE. Even more amazing is that this whole HUGE project was done in such a short amount of time under obvious tremendous pressure- kudos to the coordinator because there was a lot to contend with there!! My comments had nothing to do with the workmanship but rather simply the contractors in general - this "breed" of workers...that even when they are working on this "famous" house, they are still contractors generating lots of trash, wearing dirty boots everywhere, and acting with a general "bull in a china shop" character. It simply made me realize that sh_t happens everywhere and there is always a pretty easy fix. We just cant be scared to ask for MORE and to ask that they repair the "damage". If you can go through your renovation with that mentality, I think you will have a LOT less stress and actually might even enjoy the process! That HGTV homeowner just walked through the place without batting an eye, raising his voice or freaking out. If he can handle it like that, then so can we!! :) Dirt, dust, trash and imperfections are just part of the process - LEARN to EMBRACE them...let's see how long I can hold that thought!!
Now back to my house....This weather is really causing some issues for me. I cant get the block work done so we can set the house properly on the brick columns. I need to be able to set the hosue NOW so it has time to do it's settling, which IT WILL. Everyone has to understand that new construction will settle. It is inevitable...it will cause the caulk to crack and things will have to be "adjusted" 6 months after moving back in. I mean think about it, you churn up the earth, pour new concrete footings and set a new structure on top of them. On top of an area that has never been exposed to that amount of weight. The earth is simply going to give a little. A GREAT tip Ruben reminded me of, is try to get all of your foundaiton work completed 4-6 weeks prior to installing your hardwoods and tile. That gives the home a chance to do it's settling and allow the install to go smoothly.
I am not going to have that luxury because of this weather. Normally my house would have been up on it's new foundation early last week. We ran into footing issues and now weather issues. My tile could conceivably go in in 3 weeks if all went well. I may push it back 2 weeks so the house can sit on it's new foundation for at least 3-4 weeks. That isn't the best with my goal of 3 months but mother nature is not helping me!
I will post some pics shortly...got new electrical in, so great to see the old silver wires and fuse boxes gone! The new copper plumbing is in...all shiny and new. more to come...
So I had the chance this week to go to a VERY famous HGTV moderator's home in Buckhead who is doing his own renovation that is being managed by a friend of mine. I went over there to check out the work of some of his subs and make the contact with them to come and price my little job. It is a major expansion over there and total chaos. I am not sure what I was expecting but I guess it was a long the lines of perfection, no messes, no visible mistakes, total organization on a construction site....I wanted to see how "bad" our sites were to his...how imperfect our finished work probably was to his...
MUCH to my surprise it was all the same. People everywhere, dings in the newly finished and painted walls, finished hardwoods with a mess on them....things I really strive to protect and am a "pitbull" about were also happening there. It must truly be a construction thing. How hard is it to clean up after you are done with your work? To ask for a broom or where to deposit your trash? How about your lunch trash? Does it belong on the newly painted window sill...I KNOW I am overly sensitive to that stuff but I am hell bent and determined to train my guys to think about this. It makes a HUGE difference to the client when he or she sees the subcontractors making an effort, being respectful of the homeowner's space. Don't be afraid to "educate"...I always tell my husband, it is not me yelling at them, it is simply me "educating" them to be better, cleaner, and more organized in their daily work!!
Moral of the story? Do not think it is only happening to you, in your home, on your project...it happens everywhere, EVEN on an HGTV site that was even being filmed!!! Speak up, educate those in your space (or have your project coordinator speak to the fellas) so you can sleep sound at night. They don't do it on purpose, it is not dependent to the size or the cost of a job, it is simply a "construction thing". Hold everyone accountable to any and all damage they do especially to untouched portions of the home or newly finished ones. That will educate them faster than a few harsh words from the project coordinator - "um that window you just broke cost you $300"!
I need everyone to help me come up with a concept to pitch to HGTV - a female based perspective on renovations...any ideas????
The plumbers finished the rough in today except for my shower valve installs. The online company "lost" the valves and are shipping new ones as I write this blog! they should arrive tomorrow. The plumbers will com back Tues to install them and also to install my new marathon water heater. This big water heater is electric, very efficient and comes with a $525 instant rebate from GA Power! I will get it for like $300. Pretty good deal.
My electrician is MIA....got sick yesterday and postponed his start to tomorrow but haven't heard from him...hmmmm....will keep you posted on that.
Picked up some custom tile from my friend J. Gladney at Renaissance tile for Viola's bathroom today - it is gorgeous. J. is AMAZING and helped me and Viola with our design,,,what fun it was for her to create her OWN piece! You can splurge on bands and accent pieces and cut corners on the basics. We will use this as a band through her standard white subway to give her room some POP. I will use 4x12 subway set in vertical columns and then have 2 bands - 1 at 3 feet and 1 at 6 feet in her tub surround. Take a look at the "Viola" creation sample...
She is so excited about her creation...something fun she had a say-so in makes the difference! And you know what, it is a band that can always be changed out fairly easily some day so don't be afraid to let your kids have a choice!
Rain is in the forecast the next days so my porch will not be done anytime soon! Monday they will (hopefully) install the concrete block and we can get some supports in place for the dormer that is just "hanging out" there. Makes me nervous!!
Still lots of decisions to make for Tilo and I this weekend....where is my project manager and interior designer when I need them? My house is piling up with fixtures, plates, things and stuff!
The key to any successful renovation project (or at least the management of such project) is organization. You need to have an overall project schedule and you need to stick with it. This schedule should outline the major milestones in the renovation process - foundation, framing, mechanical installs, insulation, sheetrock, interior trim, painting and final installs but maybe even more important it should tell you when you need to have your windows, valves, plumbing fixtures, lights, switches, paint colors, and what nots ON SITE in order to stay on the schedule.
I try to keep my clients updated each week on where we are with the construction and where they should be in their design process. I indicate via email when we need what items on site, allowing them as much advance notice as possible so they can select, order and receive those items on schedule. Now on my own project I didnt have ME to guide me. Ruben and I decided at the last SECOND to start this thing and within 5 days he was done and I had no windows on site! Home Depot called this week to tell me that the windows have been delayed ANOTHER week! urgh. Then my plumbers show up today and all they need to do their work is my valves. The delivery arrived yesterday - perfect - only to find out the valves got left off the pallet! no one can find my valves....damn online services!! Kevin was great though and is still moving forward. He will be back in 2 weeks to install the 2 missing valves and run my venting.
Next on my list are the cabinets, then tile. Each takes a while, especially if custom made and special order. Allow yourself 3-4 week lead time. I am probably 4 weeks out from needing both. Off to shop some more I go this week. Tilo and I are going for that ultra modern, simple but sleek look..not too easy to find on our budget and in the deep south! Will be ordering a lot online which presents its own set of circumstances. Online is quick but can be out of stock so be aware.
Lots to do and I still have to work my day job - Nancy and Jody I WILL be working on your pricing and project schedules...right after I post this blog :) I promise!!
I know I know, I have left you hanging the last 4 days. But there was absolutely nothing new to blog about. We had rain, rain and more rain. I had footing issues, issues and more issues. Just not anything positive!
BUT All of that has changed....Enter KLS plumbing, Kevin Sutton and his crew came in today and roughed-in my master bath and Viola's bath. They will be finished mid day tomorrow and got for their inspection Thursday. I went through the design of the bathroom with kevin, selecting showerhead locations, sink and toilet spots. it is important for you tobe there either the day of the install or better yet a week before to do a walk thru with the subcontractor so everyone is on the same page. You do not want them to rely solely on an architectural plan (which can be off on scale). it is better to walk adn mark the locations together prior to the start. You especially want to note if you will have body sprays, diverters or hand helds. You shoudl also discuss where the vents wil go up through teh roof and make sure that when the plumber vents those, yoru roofers are there the same day to install teh protective boots over them. otherwise you will have water coming in through teh hole in your roof!! You can give your framer or roofer a heads up and they can take care of that in an hour. Plumber's crack! My now open master bath toilet area.now open to the porch below!! Love the transom over my toilet area. We will have a glass separation wall to the vanities - very modern.
The footings also got poured today....
My front porch is NOT going anywhere anytime soon. It took us 4 days to get them laid out right and to get the rebar support up to code so the inspector would pass us...take a look at the steel in my concrete... Got those water lines protected in case we ever needed to pull them out!! Was all pretty tricky and complicated, but doing it right makes the difference in a structure that lasts and one that sinks!!
Anyway, we made a BIG step in the right direction. We had to do a major overhaul on the footing locations and depths...I saw some errors and jumped in to get them corrected. I can't have things off even if it is by an inch. Now we have rebar, solid ground (went 16" down instead of 12") and a form that lines up with the structure above it so the brick will look flawless. It is key that you have your framer look at the footing location if he has built the structure first. He can tell you if it is correct faster than many foundation guys! Thank you RUBEN!!
Tomorrow we start electrical...Tilo and I took a few hours on the weekend to mark switch and outlet locations on the 2x stud walls. I will walk the site with my electrician, Scott Harper from Home Pro Electric tomorrow at 8 am to get on the same page. It is imperative that he knows of medicine cabinets, sconce #s and locations in vanity mirrors, where you want dimmer switches, 3 way light controls, recessed cans and switched receptacles. these are things that later are harder to install.
HVAC and low voltage AV stuff will be next week....windows on the 10th and then brick work!! We are cooking now!!!!!
Check out the boulders we pulled out of my yard! This is all part of Stone Mountain's granite!! REALLY!
