# Best friend's house burned on Easter five years ago



## zannej (Mar 29, 2016)

I'll give the abridged version here. My best friend who keeps having bad luck and was nearly killed in a car accident last April was just getting back on his feet when there was a house fire. Because the house was still not repaired from an oak tree falling on it and nearly destroying it, there was no insurance.

His girlfriend and daughter were trapped inside, but he literally ripped an entire window off the wall (frame and all) from the outside with his bare hands to get them out. Unfortunately, all of the pets that were inside died of smoke inhalation.

The fire was caused by his girlfriend's son from her deadbeat ex-husband. We assume it was an accident, but getting a truthful answer from him is never easy. The kid has shown no sign of remorse or even comprehension of the seriousness of his actions.

It's a cautionary tale to never leave a lit gas stove unattended even for a minute when a young child is in the vicinity unsupervised. And people should always know where the fire extinguishers are. This could have been avoided.

Here's a video of the damage. Sorry for the shaky camera. I was moving faster than I thought due to my agitation.
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJkPiDsIvck[/ame]

A couple of pics:


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## nealtw (Mar 29, 2016)

Do they have a place to live?


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## oldognewtrick (Mar 29, 2016)

Wow, so sorry to hear. Glad no one was hurt.


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## inspectorD (Mar 29, 2016)

Glad they made it out, sorry to hear about their Misfortune, Hopefully some of the community will get together to help. We always do a fundraiser round here. Spaghetti suppers are cheap and easy...just need an organization or some good folks to take the reins. And run with it.
Good luck!!


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## zannej (Mar 29, 2016)

nealtw said:


> Do they have a place to live?


No. They are temporarily staying with some friends, but the friends are ending their lease and moving in to a trailer soon.
The friends they are staying with were actually going to go stay in the house that burned for a week or two while they were fixing up the trailer. 
People are willing to take my friend in, but most don't want to have his girlfriend and the kid who set the fire there. Most of my buddy's friends and family can't stand his girlfriend.
We need to figure out how to get the smoke smell off of the few things that survived the fire and find a place to store it until the old place can be torn down. 
He's thinking of getting some sort of pre-built wooden shed that can be used as a house and added on to later. Or maybe a small trailer or something. There is a place that sells modular/manufactured homes about an hour away. But we would have to find out how much it would cost to get it transported and what his monthly payments would be to buy it.
And we need to demolish the old house. I am trying to see if I can get the guy who bought the tractor from us to help out with the demolition, or find out if he knows someone who could help. The power and water have been shut off, so we just have to clear out what we can and then start demo and prepare the land for a new home to be erected. 
Unfortunately, he doesn't have much in the way of $ and still hasn't paid off the medical bills from the car accident. AND he still has wrecked credit from identity theft that never got sorted out.
People in the area have been nice and donated clothes and stuff to him and his family. Someone offered toys for the little boy, but was politely turned down. IMO, the kid should not get any new toys for quite awhile. It might be the only way to teach him that it's not so easy to just replace stuff.
I have to head out to a doctor's appointment now. 
Take care, everyone.


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## nealtw (Mar 29, 2016)

The house didn't look like a tear down, complete gut and repair. I have worked on a lot worse.


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## zannej (Mar 29, 2016)

nealtw said:


> The house didn't look like a tear down, complete gut and repair. I have worked on a lot worse.



It's hard to tell. But given that there aren't actually any licensed residential contractors in the area anymore, it would be difficult to get it fixed and it would be very expensive. He was pricing it out and found that he might be able to get a custom modular home with appliances, delivery, and installation all included for less than it would cost to repair the existing house. He saw some with better layouts at Clayton Homes. Ones with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. The current house only had one tiny bathroom.

We can help him with the demo and hauling off the debris.

But I'll talk to him and see if we can find out more about what it would take to fix it and really compare the costs.


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## frodo (Mar 29, 2016)

zannej said:


> It's hard to tell. But given that there aren't actually any licensed residential contractors in the area anymore, it would be difficult to get it fixed and it would be very expensive. He was pricing it out and found that he might be able to get a custom modular home with appliances, delivery, and installation all included for less than it would cost to repair the existing house. He saw some with better layouts at Clayton Homes. Ones with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. The current house only had one tiny bathroom.
> 
> We can help him with the demo and hauling off the debris.
> 
> But I'll talk to him and see if we can find out more about what it would take to fix it and really compare the costs.




backhoe,  dig a hole,  push everything in the hole,  burn it
what dont burn gets covered up

 bring in a modular
be done wit it


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## zannej (Mar 31, 2016)

Yeah, that was the idea. And he's not too far from the City Dump. We have 3 pickup trucks among us and we could load up junk to haul-- and he does get trash pickup from his house, so he can put stuff out to be picked up.

I looked up Clayton Homes and heard they suck. They have a 2 star rating on consumeraffairs. People reported formaldahyde poisoning, cracking floors, leaking roofs, molding falling off, siding falling off, tubs installed crooked, counters and cabinets warping, gaps in walls and windows, and basically really crap quality.

I don't know if those are just the lowest end ones, or what though.

I've heard Norris modular homes are good. 

Anyone know which brands are good and which ones suck?

I don't want my friend to be stuck with something crappy that will fall apart.

Also, would it be ok for me to link to his gofundme? I don't expect anyone to donate, but if anyone wants to or wants to spread the word, it could help. 

I'm crossing my fingers and hoping things will work out for him and that he'll have better luck in the future.


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## bud16415 (Mar 31, 2016)

Depending on the market and what insurance is going to pay and the time frame of being out of a house, you are better off buying something else and moving a short distance. Then take your time clean up the mess and sell the property. Just a suggestion. At least around here you can buy a house for much less than building new and end up with a better home.  

Sorry to hear about the troubles.


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## applebear (Mar 31, 2016)

I don't have any wise knowledge, but sorry to see this happen.


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## zannej (Apr 1, 2016)

Thanks, bud and applebear. 

Applebear, I wish we could do more for you and your situation. 

My friend found a really crappy trailer to rent-to-own but it is not fit to live in just yet. So, it has to be fixed up and then he has to make monthly payments for the trailer plus renting the spot it's on. I hope it looks better on the inside than on the outside because it was pretty awful looking.


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## applebear (Apr 5, 2016)

No worries Zann, your friend is in much more need and I hope things work out for them. x


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## zannej (Apr 7, 2016)

I've got good and bad news.

The bad news is that the landlord for the trailer park is known to steal from tenants. Even if he does not own the trailers, if a tenant is late on a payment, he breaks in and steals things and sells them. He stole a washer and dryer out of another friend's trailer and then still charged the full price that was owed in back payment. (Technically it was a friend's brother who owed and a friend took over the trailer and paid off the back-pay). The landlord was claiming he was going to take ownership of the trailer if it wasn't paid by a certain date-- which, I don't think is actually legal unless they had it up as collateral, but I don't know how it works in a situation like that.

Anyway, the inside of the trailer looked to be in better condition than the outside. We found a floor model refrigerator with a big dent on the front so it was almost half the normal asking price. Loaded it up in my pickup truck and slowly drove it home. Had to take the doors off to get it into the trailer and then had to reassemble it in the dark. Two phones had their batteries go out while being used as flashlights. Turns out the fridge wouldn't fit in the cabinet that had been built to go around a fridge, but everyone suggested to my friend that he could move the fridge to another corner and put a microwave where the fridge used to be (just put in some shelves). If their chest freezer survived, maybe it can fit in that spot. and it can double as a prep surface. I suggested having a shelf that can flip up out of the way of the freezer door to go over the freezer so it will be the right height for prep. And I'm looking for appliances that have child locks. We want to put the microwave up high where the kids can't reach it-- that is, once we can find him a microwave.

There is a spot at the bottom of the wall where it must be torn up so boards are over it-- which works out well because we can pull that off and run the waterline from the sink to the fridge without having to take off the entire wall panels. Hopefully he'll have electricity there soon. Someone loaned my friend a laptop so he can use it to look stuff up and contact people while his phone is charging. He takes it with him everywhere because he doesn't trust the landlord to not steal it.

I contacted Electrolux to find out if they could help us out with getting a coupon or reduced price on a stove or something. They actually replied and said they would fwd my friend's info on to the appropriate person. Now, whether or not he hears from them remains to be seen, but at least they replied to me.

My fat cat Kunta Kitteh is in here disabling my mouse/keyboard (he pulled the cord out of the USB port) and shredding papers because he wants food. Time to go feed him before he ruins something I want to keep.


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## nealtw (Apr 7, 2016)

He could pick up a chunk of counter top and just screw it to the top of the freezer.


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## zannej (Apr 7, 2016)

Ooh, that's a good idea too, Neal! I'll have to mention that to him. He was supposed to get his electricity turned on yesterday but the people who were supposed to do it never showed up. Now they are saying he might not be able to get it turned on until Monday or Tuesday.


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## nealtw (Apr 7, 2016)

Years ago a friend picked up one for free that was damaged in shipping. He ordered a new lid liner and we made a plywood lid insulated it and put the liner in it and covered it with arborite


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## zannej (Apr 8, 2016)

I didn't even know you could make a lid out of plywood.

Speaking of which, I think I have a tall plywood cabinet/box thingy that my friend could use as a pantry-- if I can extract it from the barn without making the roof cave in more.

He's going to need new exterior doors and frames since the old ones just push open even when locked (probably from the landlord breaking in). And almost every window is broken.

I might have enough spare lumber in my workshop for a lot of it. Too bad the glass I have isn't really window grade.

Our elderly friends used to give us salvaged junk because we were the only ones with large enough property to store that much stuff. Some of it is destroyed and other stuff was given away, but I need to go through and find what is still good.

My friend said they now have a microwave and chest freezer. I need to get him to look through our "give-away" box of kitchen items we boxed/bagged up to donate. Never got around to it because of the tree and vehicle situation.


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## nealtw (Apr 8, 2016)

Up here the salvation army is good for some life needs for people like this.


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## zannej (Apr 12, 2016)

Things are moving along with fixing up the trailer. I found an old tub faucet set (Price Pfister) that a friend had from a store that shut down on the 60s so my friend can use that.

But I have to vent about the stupidity of his girlfriend. They are staying with some other friends of ours who are renting a house. The other day one of our friends got home from work (after midnight because she had to stay after closing to clean). She found the 6-year-old alone in the kitchen with a pot of taco meat cooking on the stove. The kid's mother was off either napping or playing games or something in another room with the door shut (and the kid locked out so he couldn't disturb her). My friend had already gone to sleep before she started cooking because he had to be at work at 6am. 

If it weren't for the fact that this chick continually shows a lack of ability to learn, I would be shocked that she would be stupid enough to leave her child unsupervised in the kitchen while she had something on the stove. It's not a good idea to leave stuff on the stove without at least being in near enough proximity to smell if it's burning or not... But ugh... The stupidity of some people is astounding.
The returning friend was furious about it. She said something to the irresponsible mother, who just shrugged it off like it was no big deal. Two of the cats that died in the house fire were the kittens of this friend's cat and she was very attached to them and was heartbroken that they died. The cat just had another litter and there are week-old kittens. They all could have died if the little sociopath had started another fire.

I'm half-tempted to call department of family services again and report the hag for neglect/child endangerment. Although, the last time I called to report her I could practically hear them rolling their eyes at me while telling me I was wasting their time.


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## nealtw (Apr 12, 2016)

I am sure there is something that could be said about that,:rofl::rofl:


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## jmr106 (Apr 12, 2016)

It may seem strange, but I'd probably look into some kind of online fundraising for the family, such as GoFundMe. You'd be surprised at how much people will help out. I've seen people raise $30K+ when they lost their house.


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## zannej (Apr 12, 2016)

JMR, my friend has a gofundme. It's been shared numerous times but he hasn't even raised $200 from it. People are more likely to donate to someone to get veterinary care for a cute dog or cat. Or give money to a cute girl who wants a new laptop or to go on vacation or something.

I don't know if I'm allowed to post the gofundme link here.

Anyway, the 6-year-old is getting worse in his behavior. The school had to call his grandfather (because the mother couldn't be reached at work). Kid was stealing stuff, talking back to the teachers, screaming, and generally being such a pain that they felt the need to call in a parent or guardian. But then, this is the same school system where the principal once called my father in over an "urgent matter" because my brother drew a picture of a hand with a middle finger extended and threw it in the trash. Another kid dug it out of the trash, they photocopied it, and called my father down from work as if my brother had done something really heinous. 

Kid is going to see a counselor tomorrow.

Even though the electrician hooked everything up, the power hasn't been turned on yet because they said the inspector needs to come look at it first. My friend has been waiting for days for the inspector to show and they won't even give him an ETA or return his calls. 

I brought over some power tools and helped my friend repair a hole in the floor. I couldn't help much physically, but I handed him tools and gave him some suggestions to help (like using a block against the plywood to help tap it into place to not damage the plywood) and held some stuff up while he secured it. Then I picked up food for him and his girlfriend and drove the girlfriend to work.

I did notice a plumbing problem that will need to be fixed. The girlfriend had been washing stuff in the sink and I noticed that there was soapy water dumping out under the trailer. I looked and discovered that there was no PVC or proper drain attached to the sink. Instead, it looked like a hose to a vacuum.










I went to look inside and saw that the old plumbing had previously used an AAV. Currently, they have this hose duck taped to the drain with no trap.





The old plumbing was ABS. My friend is thinking of changing the duck tape monstrosity out for PVC and using a fernco to hook to the ABS. I'm not sure the AAV works though. There is probably a reason they disconnected that stuff.


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## zannej (Apr 15, 2018)

I wanted to update on this: My friend ended up breaking up with his girlfriend and selling the trailer to her (well, she was *supposed* to buy it but she never paid so he's out the $). He got his fridge back from her and started fixing up a house that belongs to his late grandmother. It's a smaller house with a larger yard. The bathroom is larger than the one in the burned house but the kitchen is smaller (the kitchen is actually smaller than the bathroom). It still needs some work.
Someone went in to steal and destroy anything of value that was left in the burned house. Found some of the belongings on the neighbor's porch and suspect some of the grandkids were the culprits.
My friend's father was helping with some of the repairs but they had a falling out bc the father got high on meth and tried to kill him and the father passed away in November last year.
The upside is he found a girlfriend who is very supportive and sweet. She's great with his daughter, cleans up, cooks for him, and doesn't pull the mind games his ex did. They are now engaged.
He still hopes to someday fix up the burned house, but it won't be anytime soon.


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## Mastercarpenty (Apr 19, 2018)

A nice-to-hear update. All too often our hearts want to take us places where our brain screams "NO!" and when that happens you'd better stop, step back, and think about it awhile. But most people don't. We humans often do stupid things!

I'm a recovered drug and alcohol addict, 14 1/2 years clean and never going back, and I can no longer tolerate being around people with those kinds of problems. Even if they're helping me get something done. You just can't trust them or know what they'll do next. The best thing you can do for them us to let them feel their own self-caused pain and misery until they make the decision to clean up their act. I know that sounds heartless but as long as they can find a way to continue living with their addictions they will keep on doing that, so helping them during that time is actually hurting them even more. 

Houses that sit open and unoccupied tend to go to crap rather quickly so I'm hoping your friend can get going on the burned house soon; otherwise it may be better to demo it and start all over, possibly re-using whatever good materials can be salvaged from it. At least then you can create the floorplan you want!

Phil


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## zannej (Apr 19, 2018)

Thanks, Phil. I'm glad you got over your addiction and have been clean. My friend's father had been an addict since his teens and was in his mid-40s. He was in and out of rehab over 20 times, but his parents (mostly his mother) kept enabling him. My friend was living with his grandparents when the father attacked him (the father was also living there). The grandmother was away on a trip and the guy got thrown in jail (but with $0 bond). As soon as the grandmother got back, she bailed him out and brought him back to the house despite the fact that her grandson had a restraining order against him. She chose her son over her grandson-- and the grandson is a law abiding good guy who always helps out, never did drugs, doesn't drink, and is trying to do do something with his life. His father stole from everyone constantly and was unemployed. But because the mother kept bailing him out and allowing him to walk all over, he just continued to do it. So, my friend had to move out because he couldn't be in the same home as his father. The really sad thing is, the incident made his father get serious about getting clean & as far as we know, he hadn't used drugs in at least a month but he got pneumonia. My friend is taking it hard, but he's moving on. I promised his grandmother I'd look after him so he knows he can call me any time of day or night if he needs help.

I'm going to help him do some painting and try to find something to put on the floor so his daughter can move in fulltime. It will be better for her to be away from her mother. She currently doesn't have her own room at the trailer.


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## Mastercarpenty (Apr 19, 2018)

At 58 and with growing health issues myself, I've come to realize that it is a total waste of everything to try to help those what are not trying to help themselves. My next-door-neighbor keeps her adult daughter up, and that girl is strung out on prescribed Methadone. When one Doctor tries to wean her from it she just goes to another- she does not want to help herself by quitting. As a consequence I will not help her Mother who us a really great person in every other way. That part kind of hurts me but I can't support an enabler any more than a user, for the end result is the same. Sad to hear his Father didn't get to enjoy being clean long before he died, but we're never promised a tomorrow. Had he cleaned up earlier there would be much less sadness and much more success in your story, and without enablers maybe that would have happened.

Kind of getting off topic with this but you and your friend do have my sympathies and I hope your future days are better ones.

Phil


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## zannej (Apr 20, 2018)

I highly suspect that the constant drug use weakened his system and that if he'd gotten clean sooner & stayed clean he might have lived much longer-- but then, when it comes to the medical treatment here (or lack thereof) he might still have died anyway. And sometimes I wish I could use a time machine to go back and find the jerk who got him (and many other children) addicted to drugs in the first place. He got the mayor's son hooked as well as several other people I knew (all of whom are now dead). I was told he was a boy scout leader who started giving the kids mild drugs, then started getting them hooked on stronger stuff and used them as mules. He was active in the community and went to church every Sunday and pretended to be an upstanding guy so all the parents trusted him-- and since he used the kids to hold and transport the drugs for him, he didn't get busted & when the kids said he was their dealer, nobody believed them.

I get off topic all the time. LOL.

Right now my friend is trying to tackle the rodent infestation in his house. They are coming from the attic and there is no access to get in to the attic (well, there is a small hole, but even his size zero 76lb fiance can't fit through it).


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## Elizabeth Lynn (May 17, 2018)

Wow that's awful! They're very lucky no people were injured. Is the house repaired or did they decide to move into a new home?


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## zannej (May 19, 2018)

The burned house is still un-repaired. They are trying to fix up the other house, but my friend's grandmother recently passed away. She raised him and was more like a mother to him so he's devastated. Things are further complicated by the fact that his grandfather is disabled and completely dependent on others to care for him but the two surviving sons are not in a position to help. The older one lives out of town and the younger one his an emotional wreck who has been drowning his sorrows with alcohol & isn't reliable. So my friend and his fiance are now staying with the grandfather. There are some repairs that need to be done there. Before she passed away, his grandmother got frustrated with the waste from the washing machine backing up in the kitchen sink so she just put the drain hose for it out the window. The plumber who did the kitchen and laundry room didn't put in plumbing vents and didn't have a proper standpipe for the washing machine. But, my friend now has a bleeding ulcer and doesn't feel up to tearing open walls to fix things. I'm hoping things will work out for him and that he'll finally catch a break.


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## zannej (Oct 10, 2019)

Update: My friend has given up on the burned house but another friend of his is fixing it up in exchange for getting to live in it once it's fixed enough.
 My friend's grandfather is one of the most aggravating people I have ever met. When my friend was staying with him the old man would try to call them on their cellphones while they were in the same house as him & then would pound on their door & wake them up at 2am. My friend temporarily moved back with him to help him out after the grandmother died (we think the stress from the grandfather plus the loss of her favorite son was too much for her heart). His surviving children blame him for their mother's death & don't want much to do with him-- but he also lies, won't take care of his own responsibilities, & acts like a needy little baby. He was really being nasty to my friend when he had a dislocated shoulder from a work accident & the fiance had a broken arm. I now realize that the grandmother had my friend's father around as a buffer so she wouldn't get nagged to do things all the time and she was the buffer for him bc the grandfather's nagging could be spread out a bit so there was at least some relief. The old man has been disabled for a very long time but he's more able than he acts (and he's proven it by doing stuff for himself) but he constantly calls my friend & harasses him even though he's no longer living with him. Old man drives up in front of his house and blares the horn like a jacka$$ until someone comes out. He calls when he knows my friend is at work. Sometimes he'll call 8x before 7am. I could write a novel about how annoying this man is, but my friend loves his grandfather & still helps him out even though his grandfather has repeatedly screwed him over financially. It seems like most of the people in his life just take advantage of him.

They have moved in to his maternal grandmother's old house which had become a meth house. They found all sorts of needles & drug paraphernalia. They gloved up, bagged stuff up, dumped it in the trash and warned the trash guy to just turn the can upside down instead of taking the bag out.

The place was a total disaster, whole back wall fell off the very back room of the house, roof leaked & destroyed the tiny kitchen, and the bathroom had to be gutted & have the floor from the joists on up fixed. There used to be two separate rooms from the front door to the middle room and then the kitchen. Someone took the wall out between the room next to the kitchen & the front room to make it a single room. For awhile there was indoor/outdoor carpet but a punk that was mooching off of my friend ruined it. Ended up getting some new carpet in, new sectional sofa (my mom bought it bc she was tired of having nowhere to sit when she came over). Got a new door on the bedroom along with a schlage knob. Got a schlage knob & deadbolt for the front door but the door itself was damaged by someone trying to break in. 

Put tarps on the roof to stop the leaking & it's worked. Abandoned the old kitchen to turn it in to a large pantry/storage room. I had two old metal rolling shelf thingies down at the workshop just collecting dust so those are in there. We still need to put up some insulation for that room and get it sealed up nice & tight. Put an accordion door on it (apparently that's what his grandmother had there before.

The room that is now the kitchen had just been empty before. The floor is just plywood right now & is all wonky. Walls are all crooked as well-- they lean backwards. We brought in the fridge from the trailer (his ex still never paid for the trailer). People have to go through the daughter's bedroom to get to the bathroom & back room. Have to enter the bathroom to get to the back room (which used to be the laundry room but the floor pretty much fell out). I helped him put the sliding glass doors back up (even though the can't slide) just to cover the opening where the used to be when they & the wall fell off. Still need to build up the structure more, fix the floor, & get that room insulated, but for now it is free of leaks & there's carpet padding down on the floor. The washer & dryer were moved in to the bathroom. My friend got the washing machine on clearance (open box/display) at BestBuy & it works great. I found the dryer & pedestals on facebook marketplace. It was a long drive but it was worth it given the cost of those appliances. The price for a washer & dryer plus 2 pedestals was a little over the cost of one pedestal.

Found the range hood at a liquidation store for $79 (retails for $180). Found a used Samsung smoothtop stove for $200. It needs something fixed to make the oven part work- LCD touchscreen went out but my friend knows how to fix it once he gets the parts. Reused the old sink but got a nice countertop on a discount. Got the base sink cabinet from Lowes-- the front looks nice- has oak trim but the sides are flimsy mdf. Found an over-the-sink kitchen rack for extra storage. I have the 30"x24" wall cabinet stained & ready to go up once the window trim & curtain rod get moved out of the way, the range hood can go up next-- it's already wired up with a plug.

Found a nice stainless steel sensor trash can that opens & closes automatically for $35 at the liquidation place (retails for $120+).

Slowly moved in the other base cabinets & got them stained then got the pantry cabinet. Planning the wall cabinets next. I'm going to try to get all of the dimensions in to sketchup to do a room layout to see how much space he has for stuff-- he wants to add a small breakfast nook.

I'm hoping the ceiling doesn't go any lower than 94" over where we want to put the wall cabinets.

Should I make a new thread to show the progress of the renovation or just use this one?


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## shan2themax (Oct 25, 2019)

Idk if you should use a new thread, but I would love to see the progress!


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## havasu (Oct 26, 2019)

Just continue in this same thread IMHO.


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## zannej (Oct 29, 2019)

Ok. Will do. The burned house is not being worked on now because the friend who had been fixing it up got a job offer in Alabama for a job that pays a lot more than jobs around here & gives him $100/day per diem so he left for there almost immediately. Cost of living is higher there but sales tax is about the same. Its larger than this place so there might be better medical.

My friend is still struggling to make ends meet. Some of his paychecks haven't been clearing on time (sometimes not clearing for a couple of days after they are put in) so he's had late fees on stuff that is due the day of or right after he is supposed to get paid. He's also had some health issues & other life stuff that made him miss work a few times & bc of the wreck he was in years ago his body is giving him more trouble. He has a bone spur on the inside of one of his vertebrae that is growing toward his spinal cord. It causes him pain but he was told it's inoperable due to the location.

I was away on a trip when he put up the wall cabinet & range hood. He's very happy with it bc he now has light above the stove. He put the cabinet on upside-down from the way I'd intended & I noticed some spots that I'd missed with the stain so I will have to go over and remedy that maybe tomorrow. The walls are all wonky & ceiling slopes down so the cabinet looks odd against it, but it's better than just wall above the stove.

I wish I could find some of the earlier pictures I'd posted of his kitchen that I saved somewhere to my computer but don't remember where.
Here are pictures of the progress:

Stock photo of 60" sink base cabinet from Lowes:


After staining & putting on VC Dimensions Labrador "granite" Formica countertop & installing sink. + over-the-sink rack from amazon.




Since the Lowes cabinet only had oak for the trim but mdf for the frame & sides it was rather fragile & pieces broke off during installation & we wanted something sturdier (after we patched the holes with fiberglass mesh & gorilla tape to keep mice out). I coated all of the mdf & unfinished edges in water sealant to protect things. Next up are photos of the base cabinets & corner cabinets from Surplus Warehouse (made out of plywood and trimmed out with oak). We got an 18", a 12", 24" (I think-- could have been 36" but I don't remember) & the corner cabinet. Didn't realize the corner cabinet doesn't go all the way back to the wall so we had to try to adjust it & bc the walls are wonky & the shorter side was just a tad too small for the corner one to fit forward as far as the other base cabinets, we bumped it back a bit. Still need to level it & secure the countertops properly.
Here's the picture of the base cabinets after they were set in with the countertops set on but untrimmed.


First coat of stain:


Later we trimmed the countertop & added edge trim + another coat of stain.


Pantry cabinet we picked up on clearance from Surplus Warehouse (it had been "water touched" so it was 40% off plus another 10% off for military discount) before being stained (my brother photobombed):


Pantry after 1st coat of stain


Wall cabinet for above-the-range with the range hood upside-down on top of it. It was a $180 range hood we got for $79 at a liquidation place bc it was open box but wasn't damaged or missing anything. (My brother decided to photobomb again).


(continued in next post)


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## zannej (Oct 29, 2019)

More pictures of the pantry:




After staining the sides:



Wall cabinet after staining (pre-installation):


(continued in next post)


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## zannej (Oct 29, 2019)

Here's the stainless steel motion sensor trash can that retails for $120 but we got for $35 at the liquidation store:

As an aside, my sister got a similar one that randomly opens when people walk by & she joked that it was like it was asking to be fed so we started jokingly apologizing to it when it opened & we didn't have any trash to put in it & would say things like "I'll feed you later!"

These are the pics my friend sent me while I was away- wall cabinet & range hood installed:


It took the B&D Matrix w/ various attachments & a Dremel tool to cut away the window trim to make it fit.

I got some unfinished oak toekick trim that will be used to cover the seams on the toekick of the base cabinets. Hopefully we'll have enough left over to use on the upper sides of the pantry so we can add hooks & stuff for hanging oven mitts & such. I was pricing out the pre-made hook rails & they were horridly expensive so we can just make our own for much cheaper if we just buy the hooks. We're considering using some sort of faux stainless steel peel & stick vinyl to put on the bare side of the pantry to make it look better, but the way it looks now is starting to grow on me & it would be a pita. I suppose we can find some other shallow things to hang on the side as well.

Due to the ceiling & floor being so uneven, it will be a challenge to get the rest of the wall cabinets in & given the options available in cabinet sizes, they will have to go all the way to the ceiling rather than being level with the top of the pantry cabinet. The cabinets only seem to come in 30" height & there would not be enough clearance for stuff underneath if we dropped them the 7" or so to the pantry's top. I played around with the layout in sketchup to figure out what would fit & how it would look but I did it when we thought we had 10" but the ceiling drops 3" from the side of the room with the range so we only have 7". I have not yet adjusted that in the sketchup file.
Rough sketch of the possible layout:


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## shan2themax (Oct 29, 2019)

Bravo! Looks great!


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## zannej (Oct 31, 2019)

Thanks, shan2themax!
I wish I could find the pics I took earlier of the old kitchen (in the former meth house- not the burned house). The subfloor had rotted, some of the joists had rotted, windows were falling out & it was a total mess. Had some pics of my friend working on it & when he had put in a temporary countertop & sink (the sink that was re-used for the new kitchen). It was absolutely tiny & he couldn't get a working stove in there. It was smaller than the bathroom. The roof leaked & destroyed pretty much everything so he had it sealed off for awhile. The tarp on the roof has stopped the leaks so he was able to add some paper & fiberglass insulation but it didn't help too much in terms of temperature regulation. He completely covered up the windows bc it was cheaper than replacing them & he didn't need windows in this room. We got him some Reflectix double-sided insulation & the tape for it. It was getting drafty with the weather turning cold so he finally put it up & sent me a picture. This room will now be a walk-in pantry. I think eventually he may add a chest freezer.
Apparently the reflection from the insulation makes the room very bright when the light is on but he said that it's nice and warm now.


He wants to add tin/metal to his roof to replace the shingles but he wants to just put it straight over the existing roof & tarp-- I don't think that's the best idea though. Or would that be ok?


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## oldognewtrick (Oct 31, 2019)

He would be better served to strip the roof, fix any deteriorated decking, apply a high temp ice and water shield, then his metal roof panels. Simply putting metal over the existing mess is like putting lipstick on a pig. It will at some point fail and he will have a bigger mess.


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## zannej (Nov 1, 2019)

oldognewtrick said:


> He would be better served to strip the roof, fix any deteriorated decking, apply a high temp ice and water shield, then his metal roof panels. Simply putting metal over the existing mess is like putting lipstick on a pig. It will at some point fail and he will have a bigger mess.


That's what I thought. He'll have to find a time when the weather isn't too cold or too hot & isn't raining-- which is tough in our area. It went straight from being in the 90s one day to being in the 40s the next. When it was warmer it was raining. I'll have to talk to him about the roof thing, but he'll have to save up some $ for it. He still needs to get a replacement vehicle for the truck that had the engine go. It very rarely gets below 40s here but it gets incredibly hot so heat is more of an issue than cold.
But with the climate change things have been weird. It used to snow only once every 20 years (and I was around for both times) and then it snowed 3 years in a row- but only for a few days. They don't even sell ice scrapers here bc it's so rare & everything shuts down if we get an inch of snow bc people here don't know how to deal with it.

Last year got particularly cold & we had bursting pipes all over. At least now my friend has a heater in his house & has that room insulated.


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## zannej (Jan 3, 2020)

We got a tarp for my friend to put on top of his roof to stop leaks & it worked during the summer & fall but I don't know if it tore or if something happened to let water in at a specific spot, but the roof has been leaking like crazy over the pantry & bathroom-- down the wall toward the electrical for the washer & dryer (the laundry room is in the bathroom). He sent me this picture of the pantry. So we'll have to figure out how to fix this asap. His fiance is pregnant & they don't need black mold forming in the house.


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## bud16415 (Jan 3, 2020)

If you got the lower priced tarp like harbor freight sells they don't last very long in sunlight. One summer and they will break down enough to let water thru.


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## Jeff Handy (Jan 3, 2020)

Lots of tarps and plastic goods will break down from ultraviolet from sunlight.


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## zannej (Jan 3, 2020)

It was actually a rather pricey tarp that is supposed to be UV resistant, long-lasting in weather, and thick. It's possible it slipped or that shrinkage/contraction from the cold contributed to it. But now we need to figure out what materials he needs for the roof and price them out. Would pressure treated plywood be necessary if it's covered by roofing wrap? Or whatever gets put on... He wants to put metal roofing on.


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## Jeff Handy (Jan 3, 2020)

Running a floor fan helps to dry that stray water up.


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## Jeff Handy (Jan 3, 2020)

Check with metal roofing vendor for sheathing requirements.


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## oldognewtrick (Jan 3, 2020)

No, you do not need pressure treated ply for roof decking, C/D ply is fine. A tarp is never a good option for use long term as a weather barrier. 

If he's wanting a metal roof, strip off the old shingles, apply a high temp underlayment then the metal roofing complete with drip edge.


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## zannej (Jan 3, 2020)

Thanks! He was insisting that he leave the old shingles on and I said "Nooooooo!" Old stuff needs to come off so we can see what it looks like underneath. Plus the added weight isn't good for the structure. I told him we might as well do it right the first time instead of having to redo it down the road. I offered to go up there & help if need be.
Found a C/D pine sheathing. Trying to find the right underlayment that is available at the nearest HD.
Any more info on the drip edge? Is that a particular type of flashing?


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## bud16415 (Jan 3, 2020)

@zannej

What is his budget? How big is the roof area? What is the pitch? How complicated are the roof surfaces? Example dormers and all kinds of facets or just a simple two pitch roof with maybe a vent stack and a chimney poking thru it.


There are metal roofs and there are metal roofs. A true residential metal roof is a pretty expensive deal and the installation IMO should be done by a pro and the material maker likely wont guarantee the product unless it is installed by a pro that is approved and trained for that product. Then there is what a lot of people around here are doing (myself included) and that is to use agricultural / pole barn roofing and a method of installing it that is kind of a hybrid method like they do barns. I was never a fan of it and around here the Amish both make the steel roofing in a factory here and there are dozens of Amish roofers and now some general roofers putting ag roofs on homes. The Amish are so cheap that they kind of cornered the market here. Lots of farmers and handy men doing it for themselves as well.


Around here it started about 30 years ago and I talked to so many people that have had one up for 20 plus years to see if they still liked them. I couldn’t find anyone that had any complaints except maybe the color they picked. I talked to our insurance adjuster and he didn’t seem to have any problem with them and said a large percentage of his home owners have them now. The fire department had some issues at first as they didn’t have a good way to cut holes thru the roof to get water in, but now they can cut the steel as easily as the wood when there is a major fire. Even the fire department re-roofed with this stuff when they needed a new roof.


Based on all the above I decided to give it a try against my better judgment based on cost. I bought the steel from one set of Amish delivered and then my local Amish guy did the work. the final cost was less than a shingle roof by quite a bit. They did as your friend suggested leaving the shingles on and then built the roof out 1.5” with 2x4s on the flat. They do a ridge vent that has a open foam strip to keep bugs out of at the top and bottomand they have all kinds of caps and strips for flashing and edges all bent and ready to go. It is all put down with self tapping self drilling screws with a rubber seal washer built in. He had a big box of snow grabbers he asked if I wanted the snow to slide off or stay on the roof. I opted for slide off. You have to be careful how your roof is pitched and such if you live in the north because when that 1-2’ of snow comes off it comes right now and you don’t want it landing on you or your car. Now that we have had it a few years I’m going to put a few on in just one place. The rest it is nice not having ice dams and all that stuff. We also don’t have gutters only in a couple spots.


To your point you need to know what’s under that roof and you don’t want to build on rotten wood. I knew it was all solid and what the roofing on there was like.


So far so good for me. and my roof was too steep 11/12 pitch and a full 2 stories for me to even think about DIYing that roof. With a step pitch rain doesn’t stay to long on that tin.


Post a pic or two and I think you will get better advice. And you be careful getting on that roof.


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## zannej (Jan 5, 2020)

I'll have to get my friend to do the measurements & send pictures. I think he only wants to do about half of the roof right now. The back side if the roof is fairly simple. It's a gabled roof and it goes down-- not sure of the slope. I know on the back side of the house there is a lot of wood rot at the end of the supports and possibly in the walls though.
His budget is very small-- he wants it as cheap as possible so long as it will stop his roof from leaking. I believe there is one plumbing vent or pipe of some sort sticking up through the roof so he'll need a roof boot there. The house has no fireplace. It's in the south so we very rarely get snow but we get a lot of rain.
We saw another type of roofing material that was textured. Not sure what it was made from but it seemed sort of like fiberglass or something- not sure if that would be any good or not.


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## zannej (Jan 7, 2020)

Apparently the tarp tore from the winds & that is why it was leaking. My friend didn't get pictures but he measured and described the roof to me. He said it's a gabled roof but it changes angle for the lower 10' (sort of the reverse of a gambrel where instead of going steeper, the slope goes flatter). It's 30' wide and the top 14' have the steep slope then the angle changes. Only the lower 10' seem to be leaking so he's trying to figure out the best way to patch it. There are asphalt shingles on it currently. When he was first describing it, I thought that it was only 10' to the peak but it's 24'- which would be a lot more expensive to cover. 
He's wondering if he can leave the top 14' with shingles and then convert to metal using some sort of flashing when the angle changes. Or maybe there is some sort of roof sealant that can be spread over the shingles liberally to stop the leaking.
Here is a rough sketch I did of the side view of the house from what he described.


Any suggestions? Budget is very small (probably under $1,000).


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## zannej (Jan 8, 2020)

My friend just informed me that the part of the roof over his pantry room doesn't even have shingles. It's just wood and felt overlay. Yikes.


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## Jeff Handy (Jan 8, 2020)

Ask around if any churches or charity groups will assist in helping with his roof or other repairs. 
Especially after a fire, and he is in tough situation.


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## zannej (Jan 9, 2020)

Jeff Handy said:


> Ask around if any churches or charity groups will assist in helping with his roof or other repairs.
> Especially after a fire, and he is in tough situation.


He's tried that. Some a-hole started a rumor that the fire was caused by a meth cooking accident & none of the churches are willing to help. He lives directly next door to a church, but the parishioners there have actually vandalized his property in the past.
The upside is, I went to price out the stuff at the local hardware store & their metal roofing is cheaper than at Lowes & HD. The owner installs roofing but he wasn't in (his daughter said he'd be in Monday) so I can pick his brain about what all is needed for that job. He's a nice enough guy & he's given discounts on stuff to my friend before, so we'll see if he can come up with a full materials list. I'm going to have a sketch with measurements and some photos ready to show him what we're dealing with. 
Turns out the change in angle on the roof is very subtle. I never really looked at it so I didn't notice that there was an angle.




I'm currently working on something in Sketchup (just a rough sketch).


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## zannej (Jan 14, 2020)

Owner of the hardware store who does roofing said the angle change is small enough that my friend could just put a single thicker gauge roof panel up. It's the stuff used on his store & is strong enough to walk on without plywood underneath. He said my friend could put some boards underneath for extra support and anchoring if he wanted. The gaps will be covered with rake trim that he said he'd give my friend for free since he's got some "off color" pieces. He'll even deliver all the stuff for free (my friend doesn't live very far from the store). So, all we have to do is order the panels + ridge caps & get about 300 of the screws. He recommended going with 25' long panels. He said if my friend had any questions about how to do stuff to just give him a call & he'll help him out.


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## zannej (Feb 5, 2020)

My friend pulled a stainless steel napkin holder out of the trash at the hospital (not sure why they were throwing it away as it's perfectly good). I've been joking that it was contaminated with ebola. I refer to it as "the ebola napkin holder". He scrubbed it with bleach. LOL. I thought it looked lonely up on the pantry so I got him a magnetic whiteboard. I told him when he realized he was out of something he could write it on the board, then snap a picture before going to the store so he would remember the list. Or he could send the list to his fiance if she's at the store with me or someone. I made a face out of the magnets that came with it.






Meanwhile, the top to his vanity was on slightly crooked so water dripped on part of the front & it's particle board so it expanded. I suggested pulling it off & replacing it with a waterproof board that tips out to have storage for his toothbrushes and stuff. He likes that idea. He wants to change up the bathroom. For one, the vertical support for the floor under the shower slipped off the foundation block & the floor is sagging. He needs to jack it back up and get it secured. He also wants to get rid of the small shower & replace it with a tub/shower combo. The vanity would then get moved next to the toilet. He wants to turn the toilet facing straight but there isn't enough room between center of toilet and wall (it's diagonal right now) for that-- I suggested an offset flange. I'm going to have him give me the measurements of his rooms so I can plan stuff out in sketchup.


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## zannej (Feb 9, 2020)

Found this flooring on clearance for $11 cheaper per box https://www.homedepot.com/p/Home-De...ank-Flooring-20-34-sq-ft-case-60198/207047495
He liked it and since it was on clearance we got it for him. It looks better in person than on the website. Now the problem is prepping the floor for it. His floor is all kinds of uneven and the corner with the cabinets is considerably lower. I think it's over 1-inch drop from one corner to the other so I think the best we can do is get it so there aren't valleys and peaks but I'm not sure how to go about it. 

You can't see from the pics, but the stain on the top of the lower pantry door had scraped off on the top left corner so I touched it up. I also touched up the range wall cabinet to get some spots I'd missed.









Meanwhile, I took measurements and found that the bathroom plan was not great-- space between the front of the tub & front of washing machine would be 24" and it would just be awkward to have to squeeze through a tight space like that. Granted, the machines can be bumped over, but a big wall right there when you walk in would block light & wouldn't look good. Moving the toilet next to the vanity & putting the shower on the opposite wall won't work because the ceiling gets too low on that side. So, I measured & found that the showertub could fit perpendicular against the side wall. Toilet would still have to be moved so it would pretty much be across from the vanity but offset a bit. There would be room for a small storage space and plumbing access if the tub is right hand drain. My friend wants the American Standard Saver tub (which has a curved bumpout). It's the same as the American Standard Ovation tub but it's cheaper at Lowes & comes with a better surround.

I did some very rough crappy sketches of the current bathroom layout (although I put the toilet straight instead of at an angle like it actually is) as well as the plan.








Eventually he needs a better toilet-- preferably an elongated one. Hoping the Toto Entrada will come down in price more.


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## zannej (Feb 12, 2020)

My friend didn't want to wait to put his new flooring in & didn't want to mess with leveling. The planks he got are quite flexible so they just followed the contours of the floor. I tried to get him to do some kind of leveling first, but he insisted on installing forthwith so I helped him. I brought my flooring saw, a plastic mallet (the one I was nicknaming Mjolnir), a speed square, pencil, safety glasses, hand saw, & Matrix 6-piece kit. I also brought over my battery charger but forgot to charge his battery. I left the charger there I think so he can still charge up. Ended up needing the oscillating attachment to trim the shims on the cabinets. We left expansion gaps around the perimeter and stuff isn't even at some of the edges because we plan to put shoe molding over things. At first I wasn't sure what to do to help but then I got in the groove (pun intended) of setting up the planks and even marking the end piece for cuts while he started the next row. He patiently showed me how to put the planks in so I slowly put a few starters in while he was putting the end pieces in. We used a scrap piece for the tapping block. Once we got the first few rows in, the shims weren't necessary & we moved the full boxes of planks on top of the flooring to hold it down. My brother was able to cook while we were working on the last 1/4 of the room. It would have been faster if my friend hadn't started on the wrong end. He was going from left to right & it was very hard to get things to lock into place that way. He realized that he needed to go from right to left so he switched on the 2nd row. He didn't do too much of a staggering pattern but it worked out. He had a box & a half left after the job. Since it was clearance material & they charge a restocking fee, we wouldn't get the full amount back if we returned the box, so he's keeping it in case he needs to replace something or if he wants to use it for something else.

Even with only 1/3 of the room done there was a vast improvement. The light was reflecting from the floor and made the room brighter. He said it felt like he was in a new house & everyone kept commenting on how much nicer the room looked. It even felt better in there-- maybe because of the light. The floor seems very easy to clean & stuff just slides across when sweeping. I was in my socks so I didn't get mud on the floor from my shoes & I didn't slip, but it was still smooth for sweeping & cleaning.

In my own house I want to level the floors first, but in his house this is a vast improvement. I still need to get some kind of pull bar for the very first row to make some adjustments in the middle, but overall, it turned out better than I'd anticipated and all parties involved are happy.










The floor is actually more gray than it appears in the photos. The bulbs in the kitchen light have a yellowish tint & the floor looks more blonde in the photos but it's ash gray.


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## zannej (Feb 24, 2020)

@slownsteady mentioned that the wall needs a backsplash behind the range. Something like https://www.amazon.com/Broan-SP3004-Backsplash-30-Inch-Stainless/dp/B000AMOBA8/ might work if adhered to cementboard. He could make a channel in the cementboard behind the stainless steel to run the power cord for his range hood. Or he can hide the cord behind the window trim.

For the sidesplash I'm leaning toward https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01AFTOAMO/but don't know if my friend likes it or not. If he gets a stainless steel backsplash, he can get magnetic metal shelf thingies that are designed to go above stoves.

Something like this could go on the side of the fridge https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07TYZ7RHS/


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## zannej (Feb 26, 2020)

I forgot to get pictures of the roof panels before they went up. Roof is on now but still needs rake trim and some flashing. I couldn't get up on the roof to take pictures. My friends said the new roof was very slippery & they both slid and fell a couple of times. I had told one of them previously to walk on the bolts after they are in.
I did get pics of his new fridge. This is the only pic that turned out to my liking.
https://66.media.tumblr.com/6395fa9.../2c3e633ae60042e15b04438ec538a411669b105b.jpg





It wouldn't let me upload it here so I had to upload it to Tumblr.


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## zannej (Apr 10, 2020)

We worked on the bathroom next. The small shower stall wasn't cutting it & they didn't like the toilet location & angle. Plan was to move the toilet over and add a shower-tub. Pulled the floor for plumbing and discovered a massive beam was running right where the toilet was supposed to go. If we put it to the right of the beam, it wouldn't be able to hook in to the plumbing since the beam is so large it almost touches the ground. If we put it to the left, people would be hitting their knees on the edge of the tub. So, he decided to leave the toilet in place and pivot it sideways so it's in a cubby. It's not quite to code (about 29-1/2") but it's better than nothing. New tub & shower look great. Still needs some framing out.

I got my friend some sch80 elbows for the pex bends so it wouldn't give him trouble & he said it worked great. Next part will be more reinforcement & painting.
This was the shower with the old showerhead (new one arrived today).



This is the new showerhead


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## zannej (Apr 13, 2020)

So, I derped on the measurements for the height of the showerhead. I knew the shower arm went up about 8" and I did the measurement for the distance for where the edge of the shower was, but didn't consider the slope of the ceiling. It should have been 8" down from where the ceiling was higher-- It could move up a good 3" or 4" and not hit the ceiling. No hole was drilled for the lower part of the slide bar, but I had a sort of hairbrained idea... We could get this shower hook & replace the plastic threaded piece with the same size in a rust-proof bolt, add washers to the back, use the suction cup part as a gasket, cut the bolt to length, & use the knob to tighten it in place & then seal around it with silicone to cover the hole after moving the showerhead up. It would add some hooks to hang loofas on so it would be functional.


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## havasu (Apr 13, 2020)

Just curious, but what is the height of the shower head to the floor? Looks like I would have to bend my knees for the entire shower on my visit there?


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## zannej (Apr 15, 2020)

I'm not sure, but the ceiling is not very high. My friend & his fiance fit under it & I can fit under it. We are all under 6'. My brother is over 6' and has to bend his knees. My brother is around 6'2" or 6'3" and the top of the rainshowerhead is about the same height as the top of his head. But, I ended up looking at the situation & it can't go up anymore because of a curved detail on the shower wall. My friend said the showerhead has 5x the pressure as the old one though, so he's happy with it.
Got a new brighter light in the bathroom & will be painting the ceiling next. He's planning to move the washing machine & dryer back to the room they used to be in once the floor is fixed & have more storage space in the bathroom. He also wants to change the shower curtain out because the one his fiance picked is very dark & blocks all the light.


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## zannej (Apr 22, 2020)

Light in my friend's bathroom: It has buttons on the side you can push to change the intensity and color. It can go from bright white, yellowish, dimmer yellow, and blue-ish. He likes it more daylight colored, but if he needs to see better he can set it to bright white.
We got him a double curved shower rod to match the curved tub. We ordered one that my brother liked better & it turned out he liked the design of one we'd already bought on clearance better (which was going to be in my brother's bathroom). The one we already had was a better fit for his bathroom. He put it lower than I would have, but it still works.



I think the room will look a lot better once I paint it. That pink wood look has to go! LOL.
His fiance picked the shower curtain but its too dark. Looks like a blackout curtain when it's shut & he said he can't see inside the shower.


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## kjones1829 (Apr 23, 2020)

II'm sorry to hear about what happen. But I am happy to know that everything was fixed already.


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## zannej (Apr 23, 2020)

Oh it's far from fixed. The burned house is actually getting fixed up by another friend (who also had his house burn just before Christmas-- but that house burned down completely). There's still a lot more work that needs to be done on this one. House needs new windows, bathroom needs flooring, laundry room needs to be built, shelter for the water heater needs to be built, doors need to be replaced, kitchen needs new paint & some upper cabinets, eventually the other half of the roof should be paneled over with metal, porch needs some work, front steps need to be replaced, siding needs to be replaced, and the electrical needs upgrading.
Walk-in pantry which has now been turned in to an office also needs some kind of flooring.


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## kjones1829 (Apr 28, 2020)

zannej said:


> Oh it's far from fixed. The burned house is actually getting fixed up by another friend (who also had his house burn just before Christmas-- but that house burned down completely). There's still a lot more work that needs to be done on this one. House needs new windows, bathroom needs flooring, laundry room needs to be built, shelter for the water heater needs to be built, doors need to be replaced, kitchen needs new paint & some upper cabinets, eventually the other half of the roof should be paneled over with metal, porch needs some work, front steps need to be replaced, siding needs to be replaced, and the electrical needs upgrading.
> Walk-in pantry which has now been turned in to an office also needs some kind of flooring.


Oh I see. Well I guess, it is going in the right direction. It is really hard to start from scratch.


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## zannej (Apr 28, 2020)

kjones1829 said:


> Oh I see. Well I guess, it is going in the right direction. It is really hard to start from scratch.


The upside is he bought flooring for his bathroom & he was asking me about the measurements I gave him for the cabinets so he knows what size he needs. I showed him my mockup in Sketchup & he liked it.. Gonna be fun seeing if it all fits right though bc nothing is square. I've told him to let me know when he's ready for painting. If he gets the upper cabinets in, I can stain them, do touch-ups on the older cabinets, & do a poly coat on top. We'll have to find a place for his fiance to go for a few hours so she's not breathing the stuff in though. Maybe she can go visit one of her siblings or her mother or something.


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## kjones1829 (Apr 30, 2020)

zannej said:


> The upside is he bought flooring for his bathroom & he was asking me about the measurements I gave him for the cabinets so he knows what size he needs. I showed him my mockup in Sketchup & he liked it.. Gonna be fun seeing if it all fits right though bc nothing is square. I've told him to let me know when he's ready for painting. If he gets the upper cabinets in, I can stain them, do touch-ups on the older cabinets, & do a poly coat on top. We'll have to find a place for his fiance to go for a few hours so she's not breathing the stuff in though. Maybe she can go visit one of her siblings or her mother or something.


I could see that you were a very good friend zannej since you've been doing a lot for your friend. I can't wait to see the final product.


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## zannej (Apr 30, 2020)

Thanks, Kjones. My power was out all day yesterday & it started to get too hot inside without air conditioning & we didn't have running water because we have a well system. Friend invited us over so we could have air conditioning & running water. One of the people in his household has already tested negative for Covid-19 so they are in the clear. I got more pictures (although they aren't great) of the bathroom with the new floor in. I had my friend put a level on his ceiling above his cabinets in the kitchen to find the lowest spot so we would know where to measure down from for the cabinets and see how much clearance would be underneath if we got the ones 30" tall. He's waiting for his next unemployment check to land to be able to buy the uppers. I've suggested painting the upper cabinets before they go up to make it easier & limit the chances of drips on the countertop. Once the uppers have their 2nd coat dried, I can do a coat of poly on all of them.
Another friend who has been staying with him has been helping him fix stuff up but is also working on the other burned house. I'm waiting for him to tell me when he wants painting done so I can go over and paint for him.


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## ajaynejr (May 1, 2020)

> ... He's waiting for his next unemployment check to land to be able to buy the ...


OT: I would suggest holding off on purchase of materials for interior renovation until he gets back to work. No way of knowing how long the unemployment will last.


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## zannej (May 1, 2020)

ajaynejr said:


> OT: I would suggest holding off on purchase of materials for interior renovation until he gets back to work. No way of knowing how long the unemployment will last.


He was told he can get it for 6 months, but he's going to be looking for a job once things open back up. Was hoping to get some stuff done today but his check hasn't arrived in the bank yet.


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## kjones1829 (May 2, 2020)

zannej said:


> Thanks, Kjones. My power was out all day yesterday & it started to get too hot inside without air conditioning & we didn't have running water because we have a well system. Friend invited us over so we could have air conditioning & running water. One of the people in his household has already tested negative for Covid-19 so they are in the clear. I got more pictures (although they aren't great) of the bathroom with the new floor in. I had my friend put a level on his ceiling above his cabinets in the kitchen to find the lowest spot so we would know where to measure down from for the cabinets and see how much clearance would be underneath if we got the ones 30" tall. He's waiting for his next unemployment check to land to be able to buy the uppers. I've suggested painting the upper cabinets before they go up to make it easier & limit the chances of drips on the countertop. Once the uppers have their 2nd coat dried, I can do a coat of poly on all of them.
> Another friend who has been staying with him has been helping him fix stuff up but is also working on the other burned house. I'm waiting for him to tell me when he wants painting done so I can go over and paint for him.
> View attachment 23625
> View attachment 23626
> ...


Oh that's a lot of stuff there zannej. I wish that the painting activity will start soon so that you guys could move forward. By the way, I'm happy to hear that the person living in your friend's house tested negative for COVID-19. Stay safe always.


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## zannej (May 3, 2020)

I went over to the other burned house and painted yesterday. The friend who is fixing it up was in the room painting with me- he was working on one wall and I worked on the other. He was injured awhile back & his shoulders give him a lot of pain. He mentioned something about how he forgot how bad his shoulders were. I told him that if he needed to take a break he should. I didn't want him to hurt himself on my account. So he went to work on something else that didn't hurt his shoulders. His girlfriend (the one who was tested) bought me some cold water and when she heard I was having kidney stones she brought over a container of cranberry gel capsules for me. She started helping me paint while the friend who owns the house helped move stuff & do measurements as they are figuring out where to put the kitchen. It got hot so we all took a break to cool off & we discussed the plans. The friend who owns the house was also having kidney stones so we were empathizing with each other. I get mine because of some medication I take for hypothyroid. I think he gets his from drinking sodas all the time & not drinking enough water.
There's no electricity on there yet so there were no lights & we had to stop when it was getting dark. Once more drywall goes up we can get more done. I'll probably go back over later today to do more painting.
No pics because I didn't want to get paint on my phone.


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## kjones1829 (May 4, 2020)

zannej said:


> I went over to the other burned house and painted yesterday. The friend who is fixing it up was in the room painting with me- he was working on one wall and I worked on the other. He was injured awhile back & his shoulders give him a lot of pain. He mentioned something about how he forgot how bad his shoulders were. I told him that if he needed to take a break he should. I didn't want him to hurt himself on my account. So he went to work on something else that didn't hurt his shoulders. His girlfriend (the one who was tested) bought me some cold water and when she heard I was having kidney stones she brought over a container of cranberry gel capsules for me. She started helping me paint while the friend who owns the house helped move stuff & do measurements as they are figuring out where to put the kitchen. It got hot so we all took a break to cool off & we discussed the plans. The friend who owns the house was also having kidney stones so we were empathizing with each other. I get mine because of some medication I take for hypothyroid. I think he gets his from drinking sodas all the time & not drinking enough water.
> There's no electricity on there yet so there were no lights & we had to stop when it was getting dark. Once more drywall goes up we can get more done. I'll probably go back over later today to do more painting.
> No pics because I didn't want to get paint on my phone.


It's good to know that you are helping each other out. So I guess the work will be done fast since your group has been working hand-in-hand.


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## zannej (May 7, 2020)

Got the wall cabinets for the kitchen. Derped & got 1 the wrong size because we saw a nice microwave cabinet. I was trying to get the dimensions of it to make sure it would fit but my friend started making jokes about women & being obsessed with inches & we sort of forgot about it-- turns out it was too large to fit. But, it will fit perfectly in the laundry room to the left of the washing machine. It will be able to hold the detergent bottles.
So, we still have to go back and get one more cabinet. The laundry cabinet will be painted later once they decide on a color (although, I'd like to hit it with some Killz primer to get a protective coating on it).
I got the 1st coat of stain finished around 8pm. Had to go home for a bit to feed Mom and then came back a few hours later to do touch-ups & 2nd coat. I stained them while they were standing upright but with the bottoms up so I could stain the bottoms in case they were visible when mounted. I stained around the edges a bit as well. After the 1st coat & some drying, we rolled them on their backs so I could get spots I missed & do a light 2nd coat. Still wasn't fully dried so I might need more touch-ups later as it started removing some stain instead of putting more on in some places. It didn't want to stick fully, so I may need to do a light sanding in some spots to get it to take the stain.
Once we go back & get the last cabinet & stain it, I can get the poly to put on.

I think it looks pretty nice thus far:




One of them has a spot where a knot came out during production & it looks like a cockroach on it in person so I'm going to get some stainable wood filler & hit that spot because it bugs me too much.


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## zannej (May 8, 2020)

Went back with some screws (friend said he didn't have any-- turns out he went & bought some, but I got longer ones he ended up needing), wood filler, & other supplies. Friend wasn't home but his fiance was. I filled in the one big hole & asked her to look at the cabinets & see if she saw any other holes that bothered her. She pointed out a couple more-- said they looked like an ant & a spider. I filled them & left them to dry. Then I helped her clean off the countertop so my friend could adjust the lower cabinets & install the counter properly when he got home. She's tiny so she couldn't lift the microwave or the air fryer.
I came back a few hours later after the filler dried & covered it & did some touch-ups. Wiped down the cabinets to have them clean. Did measurements & discussed what size cabinet to get for the end one. Turns out there's a 30"x30" that is cheaper than the 27"x30" & it will fit. We'll pick it up Monday, I'll stain it, & when it dries he'll install it & I'll come back and put a coat of poly on all of the cabinets.
The edge trim on the countertop popped loose in a spot so we need to find the iron to iron it back on. If that fails we'll have to find another type of adhesive.


I'm waiting for him to cut the toekick trim to size so I can stain it & then he can attach it.
Meanwhile, the former walk-in-pantry has become the computer gaming room.


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## zannej (May 12, 2020)

Got the last cabinet & stained it. Waited over an hour & did the 2nd coat.
My friend got a new ceiling fan from a Liquidation store but the fan part doesn't work, the light kept flashing (finally stopped after he took it apart & messed with it) and the light isn't as bright as advertised. Unfortunately, the store doesn't do refunds. The fan that was in the box wasn't the one that was supposed to be in the box though. So, he's going to see if they will do an exchange. I'm hoping he can at least get the fan to work, but he looked up reviews on the fan after purchase & it had 1 star across the board. Biggest complaint was fan not working at all.
Since the new light was up when I took pics, it didn't show the sides as well.
He still needs to cut the toekick trim & pick out some molding for the sides. There's about a 1" gap from the side of the cabinet to the flooring that was installed so I figure some 1/2" baseboard & 3/4" shoe or cove molding should cover it. 
Waiting on him to give the go-ahead for me to do the poly coat. I think I still need to putty some spots & do touch-ups first though.


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## zannej (May 20, 2020)

I went over to scrub the grime off the cabinets, do putty & touch-ups, and then put a coat of poly on. It's a one-coat deal so only needed to do it once. We had a few laughs because the stuff looked like ejaculate. It dried very quickly & the cabinets are all water-sealed now. They are much easier to clean & they are slightly shinier. Next step is toe-kick trim, ironing the edge trim back down (it popped up a bit), finding something for the small gap between the pantry & counter, picking a backsplash (or paint color) under the wall cabinets, installing some under-cabinet lights, getting & installing handles (need 26), installing a stainless steel splash guard behind the stove, getting magnetic metal shelf for above the stove, & replacing the stove. It started acting up- burner came on without being turned on and burned one of the house guests, oven started turning on by itself. If a burner was turned on the oven would come on with no way to shut it off. No idea what's wrong with it, but it's become a hazard so my friend is going to get an LG EasyClean range. The splash guard is a 24x30 Broan brand one. There's only one in stock at the local store but if another comes in he might get 2 so one can go on the side.
I noticed that the towel hangers in stainless steel tend to blend in with the cabinets & the fiance wants the handles to pop & she likes oil-rubbed bronze.
More pics:


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## zannej (May 25, 2020)

I'll upload pics later, but he got a new stove (another samsung, but this time a free-standing one) & the backsplash panels. Got one panel in & an aluminium corner angle I grabbed from the metal section on the way out. Actually grabbed two pieces in different sizes. Smaller one fit. Larger one can hide the power cord for the range hood. Sidesplash needs to be trimmed to go around a light switch. I'll post pics later after my phone charges.


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## zannej (May 26, 2020)

The backsplash came with a white protective film that had to be peeled off. I peeled it down at the corners so it wouldn't get stuck under the #8 screws.
Pictures do not do it justice. It looks much better in person.


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## tuffy (May 26, 2020)

I like that. It looks good!!


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## zannej (May 26, 2020)

Thanks, Tuffy. I need to try to get a better picture when the side piece goes up. We're going to get magnetic tape to put on the corner bracket to make it stick to the stainless steel better. I talked to my friend & we decided it would be better to move the light switch away from the stove & closer to the door so it won't be close to heat, won't get accidentally bumped during cooking, & also it will be moved a little lower so it will be easier for people to reach. People currently have to stumble through a dark room to find the switch over by the stove to turn on the light. I think it would be nice to also add a small holder for the ceiling fan's remote control so it doesn't get left on counters or fall on the floor.
Thinking of going with a Leviton black rocker switch


Leviton stainless steel wall plate


And here's my crappy copy-paste in MSPaint of the switch & plate put together



It's meant to mimic the appearance of the stove (stainless steel & black).

I'm waiting for my friend to call me to say he's back from his fiance's medical appointment so I can bring my dremel tool over to work on some stuff.


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## zannej (May 27, 2020)

Light switch turned out better than I'd thought. The switch is better-looking in person than in pictures. Pictures looked grainy & matte finish. It's gloss black which is perfect for matching the stove. It got moved a few feet away right near the entrance to the room. It's on a wall that is under construction. Had to pry the door trim back & remove a nail to get the sidesplash to go in. Removed the wainscoting because we thought it was in the way, but it was a hidden nail that was the problem.
I think it's a vast improvement.






Got a crappy overpriced aluminium gap cover (my friend decided to get it despite there only being 1 in the package for $17). No adhesives, no magnets, nothing to make it stay in place or prevent it from scratching surfaces. It's also not long enough. But, it covers the gap for now.


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## zannej (Jun 2, 2020)

Went to Lowes to pick up a tub & found a 2"x2" aluminium angle in stock. My friend unloaded my tub into my workshop and discovered I have a metal cutting saw there. He was able to cut the angled piece to size so it is now a side shelf next to the stove. The brightness of the aluminium stands out against the stainless steel. I wonder if there's something I can do to slightly darken it without ruining anything. But it looks better than the bare wall gap.


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## zannej (Jun 7, 2020)

Mosquitoes and wasps are getting in to the bathroom somehow. I suspect from where the old porch roof meets the bathroom ceiling area. I can see light coming through up top. From the outside I can see a lot of wood rot. There's a defunct sliding glass door there that is going to be removed & a wall will be built. I found a through-wall 180CFM vent fan that should work for pulling moisture out of the laundry room/bathroom. Sent the link to my friend and was typing that he could put it in the new wall when he messaged to say it could go in the new wall. LOL. Still trying to figure out how to build a custom back door for an emergency exit.. Ceiling is quite low so it has to be shorter than standard- but main purpose is to be a fire exit, not a regularly used door. My friend's ex could have gotten out the back door on the burned house if he hadn't sealed it up and made it into a wall. People had been breaking in via the back door to steal stuff so he decided to get rid of the door. This time he wants to have an exit since he covered up the windows.
I'm going to see if my friend wants my old laundryroom & bathroom windows (2 of them total) when I get them replaced for his house. Kitchen window he has now is huuuge and makes it so he can't have cabinets above and such. From the outside it's covered with a tarp. Wood on the windows is rotting. My old windows are metal. They need a little cleanup but they are functional.

My friend picked out a vanity he wanted (actually, I showed it to him when it was on sale but he procrastinated & the sale ended so it's back up to over $400 again). It's making me want to learn how to build a vanity myself. I have the tools, just need the practice & to clear space for working. I told my friend I'd help him build one if we can find the plans & get the lumber. No sense in paying that much for a vanity made of frickin' particle board/MDF.

Prefab vanity top would be fine. I found one under $200 that has an overflow drain (very important IMO).

I made a sort of collage of the vanity he liked plus the top I picked (I'm a helicopter friend instead of a helicopter parent). LOL.


IF we built one, I'd want to have a proper toekick and not the above floor thing like that. I'd want to have toekick drawers to store the bathroom scale, extra bath mats, etc.


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## zannej (Jun 26, 2020)

Got a decent shot of the kitchen with the new stove & fridge. Sonogram photos have been slapped up all over the fridge now.


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## zannej (Jul 19, 2020)

No pics, but the side shelf is now actually being used as a shelf for seasoning. My friend is now talking about moving the refrigerator out & over to the corner where we wanted to put the table, adding more countertop, installing a dishwasher underneath, & having more counter space. He's thinking that he may even be able to fit a small pantry in the corner but I think he's overestimating the size of a dishwasher. He might be able to get a small pull-out-shelf thingy like the kind they put behind a decorative pillard (I think that is the term).

He covered the ceiling in Reflectix & gaps filled w/ spray foam. He then took out the unmoving glass door/window in the bathroom, put in support studs along the wall, and covered over it w/ waterboard (they were out of sheetrock/drywall at the local store). Eventually he's going to build a custom door to go out the back & add a wall-mount bathroom vent next to it.


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## zannej (Sep 19, 2020)

Murphy table idea has been scrapped. Not enough prep space. Got a Farberware  6qt pressure cooker bc their rice cooker sucked.
New plan is to move fridge to diagonal corner and put a dishwasher in its place under butcheblock counter. Smaller window will be put in and upper cabinets will be put in.
New sink is needed.
Still need to put up hardware. For now we got under cabinet lights. HyperTough slim LEDs.
Also got tired of the junky round short toilet that flushed slowly. There are 2 disabled people staying here and everyone hated how low the old toilet was. Found a new one on sale at Lowe's and got military discount. Toto Entrada elongated chair height toilet with Mayfair sta tite slow close seat.


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## zannej (Sep 28, 2020)

The toilet is now available on amazon for $178.99 and free shipping if anyone is in the market for a toilet. It's also available for in-store pickup via Lowes. If you get a Lowes credit card you can get 20% off some stuff but if you're military you can get 10% off. I don't believe they stack. https://www.amazon.com/TOTO-CST244EF-01-Two-Piece-Elongated/dp/B00H2Y52A0/

Friend is loving the new toilet.


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## zannej (Sep 29, 2020)

My friend told me today that his house's ownership is contested right now. His mom went to the city to try to get the title (I think she was planning to use it to threaten to throw him out) & found out the city is still claiming full ownership of the house even though my friend paid the taxes. Not only did I go with him as a witness to him paying the taxes, I had him audio record the transaction to prove he was paying his taxes & that the city no longer had any claim to the house, and I had him take a photo of the receipt. So he can prove that he paid & the city can't claim ownership of a home that has had it's taxes paid. But, that means it may get turned over fully in his name sooner. Unfortunately, we're going to have to go to the City Hall on Thursday to try to sort it out. I hope he won't have to hire a lawyer for it, but it may come down to that. The paper receipt should be in a special file folder my mom got him to store his important documents.

He said if the city or his mom try to pull any BS to claim ownership of the home & try to kick him out, he's taking out everything he put into it-- metal roof, cabinets, flooring, shower, appliances, even the kitchen sink. Bc the house had none of that stuff when he first moved in-- it was falling apart.


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## zannej (Jan 5, 2021)

Since this last post my friend has had a stroke and is not able to lift more than 15lbs. He's legally blind in his left eye but has not lost strength in his left arm or leg/side. We think it was caused by a blood clot formed when his (now ex) fiance busted his head with some blunt object in one of her bipolar rages. Long story short, she's no longer living there so doesn't have to worry about her griping about everything he does or get her approval for changes. I will have to get pictures tomorrow, but he moved his refrigerator over to the opposite corner (diagonally). He's going to get a dishwasher and wants to do a butcherblock countertop where the fridge previously was. He has enough flooring to fix up the floor. Tomorrow we're hoping to do the toekick and baseboard trim. Maybe do the cabinet hardware.
He wants to cover up part of the giant window behind his sink. He plans to put cabinets up there. He was going to have a corner cabinet (which is more expensive) but I pointed out that he could take the microwave cabinet out of the laundry room and put it up over the dishwasher area and it would free up space on the countertop by having the microwave out of the way. We can empty it out, take it down (I can probably lift it with help from my brother) and I can stain it. From there we can do measurements to see what size cabinets to put in between. I'm hoping to get good enough measurements plugged in to sketchup to plan it out.


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## shan2themax (Jan 7, 2021)

Glad to see your friend still has you and his ex is out of the picture. I hope you have had a good Christmas and Near Years! 
I hope your friend continues to recover from the stroke.


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## zannej (Jan 8, 2021)

Thanks, Shan. The ex being out of his life is still an uphill battle. She keeps trying to come back. He keeps telling her she has x number of days to get her stuff out. We are reminding him of all the reasons why he shouldn't take her back-- her cheating, the physical and emotional abuse, etc.

I'm fighting a sinus infection right now but hoping we can get something done sometime on the weekend or next week.


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## shan2themax (Jan 22, 2021)

Zannej, you stay as busy as I do. Lol

Are we running from something or towards something? I'd changes daily for me.

I've had a wild ride for 5 weeks now, long story short.... I found my mom on the bathroom floor face down a week before christmas, called 911 and used my reciprocating saw to cut the door frame out so i could get to her. She was on the vent for a few days and in the hospital for 8 days and has been in rehab since Christmas eve if I remember correctly. I have painted the livingroom, kitchen, dining room, and bathroom and the ceilings in those rooms plus the hallway. Currently rearranging alot of stuff in the kitchen and dining room (another long story)
I am WORN OUT!
I Hope by now you're over your illness and I hope you're friend continues to stay away from the ex. I will be praying about that for sure!


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## zannej (Jan 22, 2021)

Friend's ex got kicked out by her new boyfriend's family. Decided she didn't like the new boyfriend after he quit his job & couldn't buy stuff for her. She went crawling back to my friend who didn't want to leave her homeless. They aren't back together per se but she's back at the house acting like she owns the place & he's frustrated as hell, putting his life on hold until she gets out. I told him he shouldn't put off dating just bc she's being a jealous brat. She cheated on him, he's not in a relationship with her anymore, he owes her nothing. He can date and she can suck it up or she can find another place to live. Her parents won't take her back. My brother won't go over and visit now bc he's mad that she's there. I made him promise me that if she gets violent with him again, he will throw her out and call the cops. 
Got him a small tall cabinet for his bathroom that I found on Marketplace. Things have been too hectic to work on stuff we wanted to work on & he's still having some health issues. My sinuses have cleared up but I've been having bad allergies.
Been struggling to get my hypothyroid under control & haven't been as productive as I've wanted to be.
This is the new cabinet. It was $60. Sellers bought it for $300 on wayfair but it was too shallow for their tastes.


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## shan2themax (Jan 29, 2021)

That's a super nice cabinet.... I'm driving myself nuts over chrome shelving currently.... the.work is never ending!


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## zannej (Feb 3, 2021)

Chrome shelving sounds interesting.

Covid has been spreading badly in town so we haven't gone in much. Friend's ex is still there getting in the way when we want to work on stuff so we haven't gotten anything more done. She's spread her crap back out all over the house again. I think my friend should change his name to Mat. Door Mat. LOL.


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## shan2themax (Feb 3, 2021)

Hilarious! If I ever get done, I'll post pictures of the shelving!


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## zannej (Feb 8, 2021)

The ex has really been mucking things up. She's a slob who never cleans up after herself. She's also upset the girl who was cleaning to the point the girl barely comes out of her room and hasn't been cleaning (she's also exhausted from being pregnant). Quite frankly, I don't blame her for not wanting to clean up after my friend's ex. The ex will get a drink out, take a few sips, set it down, forget about it, go get another drink, take a few sips, & repeat. She then has partially consumed drinks that she throws out. She will drink some of a bottle of water and rather than finish it later, she pours it out. She stopped taking her allergy meds so she has a lot of mucus and she spits it out on the carpet. When she spills something on the floor or knocks something on the floor, she doesn't clean/pick it up. She also doesn't put away leftovers or wash dishes after cooking. So between her being a slob, 2 other adults staying there (a male friend & the pregnant girl) and two kids (not counting the baby), the place is a mess. I think the 11-yr-old isn't as messy as my friend's ex. He's the pregnant girl's brother. His mother just dumped him over there and left him. He's been there since before Christmas. His sister is paying for all of his food with her food stamps & paying for anything he needs for school with her unemployment.

Friend is starting to lose vision in his right eye as well and he's terrified. The ex not wanting to let him go is causing him stress. She's convinced he's going to take her back and they will move into a different house & everything will be fine. But she's stopped taking her meds for her bipolar disorder and anxiety so she's likely to become violent again. The sooner he gets her out the better. She's got a job for now but we give her 3-weeks to a month before she blows it. She'll either quit or get fired. 

Anyway, all that drama aside, here's the new Rev-A-Shelf I got for him. It was on sale.


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## zannej (Mar 4, 2021)

Friend got his new vanity that came with counter-top (with built in sink) and a mirror. It required an 8" widespread faucet so he got a new faucet.


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## zannej (Mar 19, 2021)

My friend had to clean up his yard because of the mayor's attempt at extortion. It needed to be done though. Still needs some weeds cut in the back, but we did a little landscaping in the yard. He dug a drainage trench next to the sidewalk and filled it with pea gravel. Filled in some of the pot holes in the driveway, but 100lbs of pea gravel barely put a dent in one of them. We had a very nasty rainstorm yesterday but my friend reported that the new trench worked. His lawn did not flood like it usually does.





He re-arranged his office again (and will have to do it once again since I got him another chair for the office-- his old one broke so it won't stay lifted and the seat back won't stay up).




That's a moving blanket on the wall over the Reflectix. It helped keep the room even warmer during the winter storm.

New vanity and mirror are working well in the bathroom. The cabinet from Facebook Marketplace was moved over. An extension showerhead thingy was added to the rainshower thing so it can be raised up more and my brother can fit under it.


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## Hal201 (Apr 13, 2021)

It's sad to see this happen to your best friend...but still, great work tho on the renovations.


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## zannej (Jul 31, 2021)

Friend got his grandfather's old dishwasher (since the grandfather's insurance is paying for a whole new kitchen after a tree fell on it-- I'm tempted to go over and take pictures).
It needs end panels and friend wants to put butcherblock countertop on it.
View attachment 26236

I believe it will need new insulation wrap because it doesn't appear to have any. From what I understand the underside of the countertop will need some sort of flashing tape to protect it from steam at the front of the dishwasher.

Friend also replaced some of the flooring pieces so it looks better. I need to get a better pic without the trash can in the way. LOL. I think maybe some of that peel & stick stainless steel vinyl might look ok on the front of the dishwasher.

Planning to put a microwave cabinet above the dishwasher-- high enough to allow for some small appliances and prep space but low enough to be easy to use. Friend and I are about the same height so what works for me should work for him. His tiny gf will just have to use the stepstool I gave them.
Trying to figure out the best way to finish this off. I need to plugin measurements to Sketchup.

Any suggestions for the framing/cabinet support for the countertop? Ana White used 3/4" plywood with some 1x2 as face trim, but plywood is still super expensive here. Buying a pre-made birch dishwasher end panel is cheaper. She used the scrap plywood for the back part of the "cabinet"- here's her photo:


Not sure if this is feasible in my friend's house because his walls aren't plumb. They lean back. And the plywood is probably a no-go. May end up having to get a storebought end panel (the oak ones from where we got the cabinets are out of stock but they are $30 when in stock) and use some scrap wood as well as some cheap 1x2s. I will have to see how birch looks when stained compared to the oak.

Lowes has a 4'x25'x1-1/4" Rubberwood butcherblock top for $99.99.  I'm still hoping to find or make something cheaper but wood prices are still insanely high. Nothing on craigslist or marketplace in the area.


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## zannej (Aug 1, 2021)

Another update. My brain would not let me rest until I went over to take some measurements. It looks like the wall on the right is about 8'6" (or so- measuring tape wasn't long enough) from the range hood cabinet. The dishwasher is 24" wide and there is a 13.5" gap between the washing machine and the wall. That means we could put ~1.5" of spacers and have a 12" base cabinet. It's only about $61 for the base cabinet at surplus warehouse.

The plan for lower part is to put 12" base cabinet against the wall- perhaps with a little scrap wood/trim filler to cover gaps Maybe even some cove molding. We can put a bit of similar trim/filler the same height as the cabinet between the sink cabinet and the dishwasher. Dishwasher will get some new insulation wrap and maybe some peppermint oil to deter mice. *Need to find some insulation that mice don't like. Any recommendations?*

The butcherblock countertop may stick up a little above the other counter, but my friend said that is fine. He can seal the gap with clear caulk or even some sort of stainless steel trim (do they sell very thin stainless steel looking transition trim/edge trim or something?) I guess it depends on how much more the top sticks up. We're going to get a stainless steel vinyl sticker to put on the front of the dishwasher to hide the stains and make it match the rest of the kitchen.

I got the dimensions of the microwave cabinet: 30"W x 34.5"H x 18"D. His gf may have to use a stepstool to use it, but that will be her problem. There will be a decent amount of space beneath it for prep & the space where the microwave used to be will be more prep area. With the way the countertop hangs over the other cabinet, my friend should have about 12" of the butcherblock left over. It could be an additional cutting board or even a shelf somewhere. Maybe it can be a shelf in the corner where the microwave currently sits.

Since it would be awkward to mess with the microwave so close to the wall, it will be bumped over 3" to 4" and my friend wants to get a rev-a-shelf wall cabinet filler (one of those things that pulls out). I don't know if he realizes it doesn't come with the face. Not sure how difficult it would be to get or make a face with lumber prices the way they are. I suppose we could check my lumber supply and find something that would work. I still think $90 is too much for the Rev-a-Shelf thing. We could custom make one for cheaper using scrap lumber & some drawer glides. The $90 one is not as deep as the microwave cabinet so either there will be a gap behind it, or it will get bumped back.


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## zannej (Aug 2, 2021)

I went over with a longer measuring tape. My guess for the remaining distance was about right-- off by 1/4". So it's 8' 6-1/4". (So 102.25" inches). That means we can fit three 30" cabinets and two 6" fillers (he didn't want to go with a 12". Surplus place has some 30"x24" wall cabinets. Found a place called Imeca that has lower prices on the rev-a-shelf pullouts but shipping is $17 (and it is not combined). So shipping is doubled if you order 2. Anyway, they aren't exactly the right size. Only 30" high and the microwave cabinet is 34.5". I will have to measure from the top of the range cabinet to the bottom of the range hood to see what the height on that one is. I suppose worst case scenario, friend could buy one of the 30" ones and we could study it to make the taller one.

Alternatively, we could make one 30" one and one 34.5" one. Although, I should measure the height of the range hood and upper cabinet combined. I believe range hood is 7". Can't remember height of other cabinet. I think 18" or 12". If it's 18" then it will be about 25".

I studied the construction of the pictures I found of the wall filler pullout and it looks like it has one side-mount slide at the bottom and a center mount slide at the top. The support frame is shaped like a C bracket (obviously not curved). So there is a top horizontal piece with the drawer rail part. At the bottom it comes up like an L sideways to for the side mount rail. I believe this set up should work even for the 6" version, although I will have to see. A wooden drawer slide or some sort of guide can be added to the other side for more support (with the moving shelf part being notched/built around it). Even with lumber as high as it is, I should be able to get everything for this for less than $200.

Since I want adjustable shelves, I'm looking at options for how to do that. I saw some vertical shelf rails that can be set in to the wood in dado cuts. I can use clips that can go in to the grooves to adjust shelves. Would take about 4 of the rails (or a single rail long enough to be cut into 4 pieces). For the sides to hold spices in, I could have some wood strips on the outside edges with holes to attach some bungee cord. That will allow some flex to make it easier to get stuff in and out of the shelves.

I just got brain freeze...


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## zannej (Aug 3, 2021)

Found a picture of the microwave cabinet that will be moved from laundry room to the kitchen (will sand it & stain it first)


Friend's gf is happy about the microwave being up higher. I may have to get her a taller stepstool though. 

I did some crappy not-to-scale sketches of the layout.
Current 30x24 + 12x30 + two 30x24s + 30x34.5


I made a rough collage of upper and lower (dishwasher compartment won't stick out that far)



So, that's 4 more cabinets (3 wall + 1 base) that need to be purchased as well as 2 end panels, pet proof screen, some 1x2s maybe and possibly spacer trim panels.
I'm going to staple/nail metal mesh/screen to the back of the dishwasher cabinet in an attempt to keep mice out. Middle cabinets are $109. Base cabinet is $61, 12" wall cabinet is $46. The end panels are $24 each.

Although, we could get plywood for the sides. I see some 24"x48" plywood for around $9. And some 24"x24" for around $6. Although, if we do the cutting right, we should have enough leftover off the 24"x48" piece for the back & top. Thin strips but better than nothing. Or we could still get the 2nd panel and leave some sort of cutout for screen to let heat out.


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## zannej (Aug 4, 2021)

I had to install new graphics drivers to get Sketchup to work.


It's only an approximation of the stuff though. Different stove, dishwasher, sink, faucet, microwave, dish rack. I wanted to get the general feel of it though.

I was too lazy to draw walls, but the full cabinet set in the kitchen looks like this: 

After taking these screenshots I redid the older cabinets because they were a mess. Adjusted sizes, fixed countertop, added walls, etc. I'll get more screenshots later.


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## zannej (Sep 20, 2021)

My friend got enough $ to buy the butcherblock, a base cabinet, butcherblock sealant, and a dishwasher end panel. The butcherblock was 30% off (marked down to $119) and I got him an additional 20% off because it had some damage on one side. I spoke very politely to a manager who agreed to discount it. 

The end panel was $30 but it has actual red oak on it. Base cabinet was $61.

Friend saw a sink he liked in the store. He wants to get rid of his shallow 2 basin sink and replace it with a deeper single basin sink. It's the same size (width and length) as his current sink but it's 9.5" deep and his current sink is 6" deep.

There was an unexpected problem. Since my friend didn't listen when I initially suggested we use my tablesaw to cut the formica counter, he was only able to cut through the counter part and not the backsplash. He'd left the backsplash long. He decided to cut it off so it wouldn't get in the way of the butcherblock. Saw kicked and split the formica (separating the backsplash from the counter). Instead of trying to glue and clamp it back, he cut off the part with the crack. This has caused the middle edge of the formica/particle board to sag as there is nothing under the edge to support it. I suggested putting a 2x4 underneath that sticks out enough that the edge of the butcherblock can also sit on it a bit. He decided to leave the butcherblock at 48" instead of trimming it (smart move IMO). Gives a larger cutting surface.

The butcherblock that was available was 1.75" thick. The countertop was 1" thick. So we will need some 1x2s (perhaps ripped down) to fun along the perimeter of the cabinet to raise the formica up to about the same height. I suggested putting the 2x4 in after the 1x2s and getting it to the same height as the 1x2s to prevent sagging.

Additionally, my friend wants to remove the curtain and window trim and put drywall (or waterproof cementboard) over the window. I suggested building a box to leave at least some small portion of natural light visible, but we'll see. He did that with the gaming room to put in an air conditioner.

My friend already put the base cabinet in the corner next to the dishwasher and loosely set the end panel in place (it needs to be trimmed down a little). I decided to stain the base cabinet and the trim. Even though trim will get ripped, I didn't want to have more drying time/waiting. I figured I can do touch-ups after it is cut. We'll probably grab some more lumber to frame out around the dishwasher (and have some rear support for the butcherblock). I got 2 coats of stain/paint on.

I got 1 coat of the sealant on the top and 3 of the edges of the butcherblock. We put foil tape on the underside where the steam from the dishwasher may rise up from the door. I will also poly the bottom, side and back of the butcherblock. There will be some heat barrier on top of the dishwasher underneath the butcherblock.

I will probably pick up more shims to get things to line up.

Picture time!

Photo my friend sent me of when he first set things in place (nothing was stained or coated)



Base cabinet after 1st coat I managed to only get one little spot on the wall since I couldn't find the painter's tape and it was tough working in that corner-- especially with that huge door trim. That wall paneling will eventually get painted some color.



Butcherblock with 1st coat of sealant. The brown smudge on the floor was cocoa powder that had been there for a week. I got annoyed with it so I cleaned it up.



Wider shot with the trim, base cabinet and some of the butcherblock after their 1st coats. (I'm going to need to clean up those older cabinets and do a 2nd coat of poly).



The butcherblock loosely in place with 1st coat of sealant. Base cabinet and trim had 2nd coat of stain at this point. (I left the drawer open while the face boards were drying)



Another shot of the butcherblock, base cabinet, and end panel trim. The visible edge on the side of the butcherblock was on the floor so I didn't get to seal it yet.




Sadly, my friend didn't use a straight edge to help him line up his cut and he used a jigsaw so the cut on the formica end is jagged. We will need to figure out how to bridge this gap somehow once the formica is raised up to the same level.



Any suggestions? I'm thinking a very low profile t-molding or something... Something that will sit over the top but not stick up too much that will hide the jagged edge...


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## zannej (Sep 27, 2021)

He put one of those things that goes between a stove and counter over the gap but it doesn't cover all of the way. Need something longer. I wish they did the stainless steel ones longer, but for now it works. Butcherblock is still sitting loosely. He removed the side window trim and moved the microwave cabinet from the laundry room to the kitchen and set the microwave on it. He moved the wires from a receptacle covered by a base cabinet up and installed a new receptacle. He wants to get a surge protector/power strip to stick to the wall and plug in appliances. He also installed a slim LED undercabinet light on the microwave cabinet.


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## Eddie_T (Sep 27, 2021)

I like the paint color! For a gap filler how about a strip of brushed aluminum with tab strips epoxied to the bottom?


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## zannej (Sep 28, 2021)

Thanks, Eddie. It's supposed to be a stain but it just refused to soak in to the wood properly. Kept leaving yellow undertones that didn't look good. Its red oak so I should have pickled it first to get a more ashen color. But the stain has a blue tint. After discussing it with my friend, he said to just do it like paint.

I was thinking of this: https://www.amazon.com/Edge-Supply-Stainless-Thickness-Edgebanding/dp/B0953ZGJTJ/  with painting sticks glued to make a T on the underside. I've seen there is stainless steel colored caulk for the ogee part of the formica if a gap still looks bad.

Another pic sent by friend's gf (she's only 5' so it's from a lower perspective):



I'm debating whether the insides of the shelf should be painted or just covered with poly. If I do poly then I will have to tape off the insides to keep stain from leaking in. Might be easier to just stain inside. I'm concerned it might be too dark.  I suppose worst case I could try to find some metallic silver paint for the insides for more light reflection. I'll have to see what my friend thinks. His gf is apparently loving it thus far.


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## zannej (Sep 30, 2021)

I painted the microwave cabinet today. My friend is trying to send the pics but the internet isn't working properly. I forgot that I will have to paint more of the side of the microwave cabinet since it is 18" deep vs 12" deep of the other cabinets and it's at least 4.5" taller so I will have to hit the bottom.  I might see about doing that tomorrow when I go to pick up mail.

This is a sketchup version of the current look (well, side of the cabinet isn't painted, but you get the idea). I left the insides of the opening unpainted. Friend wants to leave them natural so I will hit them with poly.



This is the plan:


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## Eddie_T (Sep 30, 2021)

@zannej Just another wild thought, how about using the colored caulk that is sold for use with formica and granite to fill cracks. If you do so stuff with paper towels or such to fill most of the crack so as not to require so much caulk.


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## zannej (Oct 1, 2021)

I tried ordering the color-match caulk for the formica but it was out-of-stock and I've never been able to get it. Paper towels would not work. Mice would get them for sure. Old house that isn't sealed up properly so it has mice. He tried bringing a cat in to get them but they were in places she couldn't get to.

I went over and painted the side of the cabinet while my friend was asleep this morning. No pics since I still can't find my phone.


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## Eddie_T (Oct 1, 2021)

@zannej If the cracks are big enough for mice to get in you need to glue a spacer on the edge of the butcher block. Then a piece of butyl tape could be used as a gasket seal it to the formica countertop.


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## zannej (Oct 2, 2021)

Eddie, the mice can get in from behind the base cabinets. Also, one of the base cabinets is made of particle board so mice can easily chew through it. We are trying to figure out solutions for it. Apparently the drain came disconnected and dumped water down under the cabinet and messed it up so he might need to replace it though. We'll have to see if it can be repaired. I think I may have found some solutions for the gap though. At least I hope.


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## Flyover (Oct 2, 2021)

Holy cow y'all have been busy over here.

Zannej, that's really impressive work. My only suggestion is to not angle the fridge like that, you lose all the space behind it. My wife used to be into angling furniture in the corners of rooms and it always drove me nuts. It creates this triangular cavity back there where you can't clean, you can't store or access anything, it's just wasted space.

PS. Also, I'm not sure what's up with the aluminum stuff over the windows? The UV from sunlight will help keep the kitchen clean and reduce odors.


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## zannej (Oct 3, 2021)

Thanks, Eddie. 
The fridge is pulled out enough that people can get behind it. when it was sitting straight one of the doors couldn't open fully-- would keep hitting a wall. Tried it on both walls and still not quite enough room so my friend settled for having it at an angle. He stores some stuff behind the fridge that he can grab-- like brooms). We may play around with moving it again though.

The new microwave is too deep to fully fit in the cabinet so it sticks out a little, but my friend is fine with that. It apparently does air frying and convection. Old microwave stopped working. I think it was a cheap Mainstays microwave. New one is something like Galanz or Galant.

The Reflectix was put over the windows in anticipation of the winter storm earlier this year. The window is huge and not sealed well. It leaks in cold/hot air. The kitchen was getting extremely cold during winter & we knew the storm was coming so I got Reflectix and moving blankets. He put the moving blankets on the walls in his office (which he plans to turn in to his son's bedroom eventually) and put Reflectix over the entire window.

The plan is to eventually add some studs inside the window frame, put in some drywall, put wall cabinets on the upper half, but make a box/frame to have a small opening to allow natural light in. Replacing the whole window is not an option-- far too expensive given the size of that window and the outside of the house would have to be altered quite a bit to add a smaller window in that space. Maybe eventually it could be done, but it's not in near-future plans. Although, when I get my old windows removed we might be able to give him one or two of them to put in that place and figure out how to cover where the big window sits and put on some sort of siding.

Current wall cabinet plan may have to be revised based on price and availability of the cabinets. Prices went up on some of them.

The plan is to have a single upper 12"x30" cabinet ($46 + tax) and two 30"x24" cabinets for $109 ea (problem is, we'd have to go to Lake Charles to get them as they are not in stock at the local place).

Alternatively, he could get 30"x18" cabinets for $78 ea plus the 12"x30 cabinet. (But they are shorter than he wanted to go for cabinets)

He could ditch the 12"x30" and get two 36"x24" ($116 ea + tax).

If he shortens his over-the-sink dish rack he could get the 12"x30 plus two 30"x30" ($79 ea + tax).

If he got two 36"x30 it would be $87ea + tax.

Shortening the dish rack may be a pain though. Wish I knew why the 36x24 was more expensive than 36x30.


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## zannej (Oct 5, 2021)

My friend liked the idea of two 36"x30 cabinets. It gives more space and reduces the number of handles needed for the cabinets. I think at this point he needs about 33. I believe he has about 30 of them to put on. Might be able to buy 3 more individual ones though.
This is the latest sketch with the single sink he wants to get (it's about 33x22x9.5)


He got a new microwave-- pretty large one that sticks out from the cabinet a bit. It's Galanz brand and does air frying and convection.


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## Eddie_T (Oct 9, 2021)

The rain is over and it's good to see the sun again. As I looked out my kitchen window this morning my thoughts went to your friend's kitchen, I would never give up a kitchen window over the sink (air leaks can be fixed). When my wife designed our kitchen that was a priority.


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## zannej (Oct 11, 2021)

Eddie, apparently chunks of the window are missing, glass is broken, and it's a mess. My friend does not want to have a window there. He plans to remove the glass, board it up on the outside, (I will probably paint it), & then he will drywall over the inside. I thought it would be nice to have a small window at least but he doesn't want to mess with it. 
I did a mockup to see how it would look if he turned his fridge. He already tried turning it so the back was to the wall to the bedroom & it looked bad in person. So I'm trying it this way. It's about 53.5" from the edge of the doorway to the wall. The fridge is 35-3/4" wide and about 31-1/2" deep. Leaves 17-1/4" to the wall. But, if he adds trim inside the 37" wide doorway he can bump it over 1/4" and fit another 18" pantry cabinet.


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## Eddie_T (Oct 12, 2021)

zannej said:


> Eddie, apparently chunks of the window are missing, glass is broken, and it's a mess. My friend does not want to have a window there. He plans to remove the glass, board it up on the outside, (I will probably paint it), & then he will drywall over the inside. I thought it would be nice to have a small window at least but he doesn't want to mess with it.


If he plans to never sell that might work ·  ·  ·  for me it would be too claustrophobic ·  ·  ·  and detract from outside appearance. I would leave the window and slap a storm window over the outside to protect from the elements until I could do a proper window replacement. IOW home improvement vs degradation.


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## zannej (Oct 12, 2021)

He never plans to sell. They want to keep the house in the family. 

Bit of a snag because the price of the cabinets went way up. The cabinets that were $87 are now $105. The pantry cabinet he wants is out of stock and has nearly doubled in price. So he'll have to save up even more $. If that's even possible with pretty much financially supporting his gf, her baby, and now her family that are staying there. I think they are buying food but they are not contributing to utility bills.


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## zannej (Oct 31, 2021)

Friend found a used door and installed it. Also got a different dishwasher since the one from his grandfather's didn't work. New one is even uglier but works. I think it's another Kenmore.
This is my sketch with the new door:


The photo of the door



New dishwasher



The plan is to put peel & stick vinyl that looks like stainless steel on the front & maybe paint some parts of it black with appliance paint. Not sure how to deal with the white buttons though.


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## zannej (Nov 5, 2021)

The 2nd pantry idea is out since my friend needed a place to put his upright freezer. It's a small one: 21.5"w x 22"d x 35"h. He moved the fridge over and the floor and walls are all so crooked that the upper part of the fridge does not butt in to the doorway, but the lower part does. He had to use some 1" thick trim pulled off from around the window to shim under the fridge because the floor slopes so badly.


If we still give the freezer some room to vent, we can probably put some sort of shelves or cabinet above. I wish it was cheap to just straight up buy a whole cabinet door in a specific size. Doing the stiles and rails would be a pain. We'll figure something out eventually.
My sketchup drawings:





As for the nursery, my friend wants to go with foam flooring (partially for insulation but also to have a softer surface for the baby to crawl and play on). Found this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08XN4R8JC/


He liked the gray wood look better than the colored block stuff (plus the colored block stuff was more expensive when we looked). I figure pops of color can be put in the trim & decor in the room. Maybe get some colorful wall stencils or stickers or something. I wish I had the right paint to do a mural or small artwork piece.

The nursery (which is being converted to an office is currently around 112"x92". One of the walls has a door and the adjacent perpendicular wall has a window with an AC unit. The opposite wall has the power outlet so my friend didn't want the crib on that side. He wants to fit the crib, the changing table, a dresser, and a wall mount TV. He will be putting drywall up so the walls will get even smaller. He'll put up ceiling tiles so it will get even shorter. Currently the highest point in the room is 86" (about 10" lower than the ceiling in the kitchen-- but the floor is 1-1/2" lower than the kitchen floor). It goes straight for about 4' and then angles downward so the lowest wall is 71"h. 

I'm not sure if the changing table is attached to the crib or if it can switch sides, but currently it sits to the right.




My friend was going to drywall today but ended up in the hospital over kidney stones. He had so much pain he threw up. So he's on pain meds and is resting right now.

I think where I put the crib is about the only place it can go without covering an outlet. Debating whether to shift it to the right or left and find out if the changing table can swap. TV might be able to go over the AC unit but might also be able to go on the other wall. Toy chest can probably fit under the AC unit. Not sure about the dresser as I don't know the size. Didn't see a crib of the right style/size on 3dwarehouse so I just made a placeholder.

Any suggestions? (I know the room needs more color).


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## zannej (Nov 7, 2021)

Today I got more measurements. Got a better look at the door from the kitchen to the bedroom (that also leads to the only bathroom and the laundry room). I need to get full measurements of everything at some point.
I also put in the barn door my friend wants to get.







The blob on the left is the crib with attached changing table. Top is a dresser. AC (not shown) is on the opposite wall as the dresser. Not sure what type of toy chest or size will go in there. Friend wants the TV over the AC.


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## zannej (Nov 11, 2021)

I decided to go over and take a look at the crib and dresser & get some more measurements. Some stuff I forgot to measure & had to guesstimate. Couldn't find the light switch in there so I had to guess where I was aiming the camera. LOL.




I spent a few hours constructing the crib in Sketchup (kept messing up and had to start over a few times). Don't have the right color/wood texture to get it to look right so I used the closest I could find.







I measured the AC in the window to get the general size so I would know how much space there was around it. I also derped and had the walls only 24" in at a taller height instead of 48". Pretty sure it was 48" so I fixed it. Need to confirm with my friend again though. I tried to scroll up in messages but it wouldn't load because my internet sucks right now.



Maybe a crazy idea, but I was thinking we could get a little dog bed that sort of looks like a couch for the baby to sit on. They make some that are more comfortable than stuff for humans now- stuff with washable covers designed for messy pets. It could be set up against the wall next to the crib when not in use and put on the floor for the baby to sit on while playing or watching tv. The adults may also be able to sit on it (well, I probably couldn't bc I'd need help getting back up).
Something like this


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## zannej (Nov 17, 2021)

My friend put up drywall & had to patch up the wall to the right & had to add 2" of buildup to fix it. He added 1/2" drywall on top. So the room is 3" smaller from left to right and 1" smaller from front to back. He used white paint for now.
Before the corner of the wall to the right had a large gap that rats were coming through:


Upper part of that wall



Opposite wall-- monitor is blocking the AC. AC is only about 18"W x 12.5"H and 1" of it pokes in to the room.



This is the current layout with drywall up. I did not draw in the play mat and stuff he put down.


They put a rug down temporarily since it's just bare plywood floor for now.



Still trying to decide on seating. Friend sent a short video of the room.
View attachment nursery1.mp4


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## zannej (Nov 26, 2021)

More pics of the nursery. The ceiling tiles have since all been put up


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## zannej (Nov 26, 2021)

So, my friend sent me this picture earlier:


His gf's sister-in-law was taking the trash out and the step collapsed under her. Fortunately she felt it going and stepped back up on the porch so she wasn't hurt.
I took this one on arrival


While my friend and I were picking up new steps at a building supply store his gf's brother moved the old steps out of the way.



News steps were larger but the smaller ones were too small.
Old steps were about 16"H. New ones were 21". So we had to dig down and put some bricks and old concrete under. Unfortunately, we couldn't break off the end of the sidewalk so the steps lean back toward the porch a bit.


Steps are hollow so I measured to make sure the shortest step wouldn't be blocked by the dirt.






New steps are concrete with fiberglass.

Nightmeow and Smokey were unimpressed.


We probably still need to get the steps leveled in the front, but we need to figure out how.


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## zannej (Apr 1, 2022)

The poor little black kitty had a massive seizure and died awhile back. Poor little gray kitty is still hanging in there but not in great shape.
My friend's ex-stepfather passed away and his half-sisters were cleaning out the guy's house. Found several boxes of 3/4" water resistant laminate. My friend got rid of the carpet and installed the laminate in his living room.





He'd had it all cleaned up but his ex made a mess.


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## zannej (May 25, 2022)

Barn door for the kitchen/living room arrived but was missing some parts. Seller is sending the missing parts. My friend assembled the door. Living room side is going to be stained with Rustoleum Cognac. Kitchen side will be gray. Possibly same color as the cabinets if we have enough of the stain.
He took this picture in his daughter's room.


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## zannej (Jul 11, 2022)

He had to trim 1/8" off the bottom of the door bc his floor is wonky. Got it hung up but needs to bump it over 6" but was too tired. I'm going to stain one side of it (living room side) after his dental appointment.


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## zannej (Jul 28, 2022)

No pictures, but I got the baby a dog bed & he loves it. My friend put it in the room and the kid walked over and flopped down into it. He apparently sleeps in it. He likes to sit in it while watching TV. Friend has fixed the barn door (I still need to get pics) and I think I forgot to put up pics of the microwave cabinet after it was painted.



Paint was still wet when I took those pictures. It looks better in person.

There is a new stainless steel dishwasher (not in place) but it needs a new part.


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## zannej (Nov 22, 2022)

The dresser and drawer thingies are all gone from the toddler's room. He broke the drawers apart climbing on them and they got infested with black widows and roaches so my friend tossed them out. 
There is still a crib in there, but the kid likes sleeping in the dog bed we got as a chair for him.
There was too much of a gap around the barn door for my friend's liking from the living room side so he got someone to donate some reclaimed barn wood. I helped him mark, cut, and clean it off (I had a putty knife to scrape the dried mud off). I held them still while he put them up and screwed them into place. Not great, but looks better than before. I'll go back with some wood putty and cover the screws. Then I'll see if I can find some matte finish poly to seal it up once I sand.


I was talking to him about the kitchen and he has that big open space but no island and not much prep surface. I saw this cool little rolling island on Ana White's site: Rustic X Small Rolling Kitchen Island | Ana White


I mentioned in another thread what modifications I want to make to it.
My Sketchup drawings:


I want to have full width bottom shelf, middle shelf eliminated or optional, hooks more in the middle so they don't stick out as far, shelf behind the drawer, wider drawer, legs 1/2" shorter, 2x2s as a butcherblock top.
I want to have drawer glides instead of using 2x2s that the drawer would sit on. *Might* do some sort of bottom rail just for extra reinforcement. Higher shelf, back panel, and bottom of drawer would be 1/4" lauan. Sides under Xs and bottom shelf would be 1/2" 2'x2' plywood.
I'd have to buy the 2x2s, the plywood, 1x6, & 1x8 (unless I find some lying around) but I think I have enough 2x4s that I can reclaim.


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## zannej (Nov 23, 2022)

Friend sent me this link to this hunk of junk that he liked bc it has stools.


			https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CSVW1WH/
		


Mdf particle board or whatever overpriced crap. Smaller (with the leaf down) than the one I want to build. Stools were weak AF as well. So I found folding ones that hold 440lbs.



They can hang on the coat hooks on the island or hang on the wall or something.


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## zannej (Yesterday at 1:30 PM)

The stools have worked out great. Friend's new GF loves the idea of the small island. 
More changes are being made to the house now that it is being kept clean. There was originally a door between my friend's bedroom and his daughter's bedroom. Apparently there used to be a hallway but it was torn out. He tore open the drywall that covered the door (they took the knob off the door and drywalled over it). The door is now exposed and it opens. 
Busting through drywall and finding the door (its an old solid wood door):








This is the other side of the door in my friend's room. Apparently he put a knob on it.



To make up for taking a chunk of his daughter's bedroom we got her a loft bed (ok, he mentioned it, I found it online for cheap and bought it). 
It's this bed:


Holds 200lbs. He wants her to have a desk area so we may make some modifications and reinforce it more. I'm waiting for him to ask her what color she wants so I can paint it. I'd have to see the height of stuff in the room, but the bottom shelf could hold a computer, middle could have keyboard, but I think top would be too high to hold the monitor. So, could modify it to make it lower. Add something solid over the shelves so they aren't just slatted. Add in some extra screws to reinforce areas. I wonder if her dresser will fit in there. The shelf side will be up against a wall. 

I priced out lumber to build a bed and this came in cheaper than the lumber.


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