Boss managed to build more efficient house then anybody. Big media event tomorrow. This would be the "Green" house. It's 60 percent efficient...regular Energy Star only has to be 15 percent. Hopefully this will catch on. If nothing else, it's nice that people will know they can get a better house.
I'm very beat and tired....just don't want to do this full tilt anymore. Ah well, one more cuppa joe and into the showers. A and I are getting an early start today to take care of the heat. Doors came yesterday. More birch veneer. Warned A about their fragility....one nasty look and they scratch.
105 bucks for my energy bill. Would be more if my incandescents and halogens were still around. The culprit is some (lots) missing insulation. Wish I had the time to fix but not, so I'm paying for it. Later perhaps. I only run the AC when it hits 85 degrees up here.
Water bill up too, a toilet decided to keep on running but that was taken care of. New valve body and flapper. Note to people who live in chlorinated water systems, sometimes the chlorine tablet does more harm then good. It tends to dissolves important bits like the overflow tube and the float arm.
Tough week so far and less then half way.
Job hunting on hold. Edge of the world has two bars of reception at best and in the middle of the day....none. Toying with idea of spending next week with an insurance agent and the town to knock out the rest of the paperwork, then going up to my other sister and bro-in-law to help them open up a new showroom.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Sunday, August 26, 2007
More Reviews, More Borrowed Books
First up, The Android's Dream by John Scalzi. Flows well, excellent plot, and obviously an homage to one of the truly great sci-fi writers of the twentieth century, Phillip K. Dick and his book, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. The editing wasn't great, missing a few "a"s, "the"s, and "to"s. Minor annoyance at most. Worth borrowing.
Dan Simmons, Hyperion, The Fall of Hyperion, Endymion, and The Rise of Endymion. Well done, four novels that can each stand on their own. Read in the order given for best enjoyment. I award them the status of buy if at a used book store. Not a lowly rank but kinda up there at the top.
The Sons Of Heaven by Kage Baker. I liked it. She's a solid writer. It's best after reading all the other books about Zeus Incorporated first.
Robert A. Caro, The Years of Lyndon Johnson, The Senate Years. There is no finer wordsmith then Mr. Caro. I have the complete set in printed form in my bookcase. I'm eagerly awaiting the Presidential Years and hope he does not write it posthumously. Not only do you get LBJ, but pocket biographies of the people around him, excellent explanations of the institutions they served in, and all so, so, well written. Add to that, Caro is clearly a dispassionate observer who lets the reader see just how complex a character LBJ was.
Dan Simmons, Hyperion, The Fall of Hyperion, Endymion, and The Rise of Endymion. Well done, four novels that can each stand on their own. Read in the order given for best enjoyment. I award them the status of buy if at a used book store. Not a lowly rank but kinda up there at the top.
The Sons Of Heaven by Kage Baker. I liked it. She's a solid writer. It's best after reading all the other books about Zeus Incorporated first.
Robert A. Caro, The Years of Lyndon Johnson, The Senate Years. There is no finer wordsmith then Mr. Caro. I have the complete set in printed form in my bookcase. I'm eagerly awaiting the Presidential Years and hope he does not write it posthumously. Not only do you get LBJ, but pocket biographies of the people around him, excellent explanations of the institutions they served in, and all so, so, well written. Add to that, Caro is clearly a dispassionate observer who lets the reader see just how complex a character LBJ was.
It's Mauve?
Friday was yet another hot day. It melted the glue on the tip of one of A's shoes. It didn't stop us from nailing up most of the finish ceiling. The ceiling is covered with random width stained yellow pine boards. Came out well. Young R has been gluing foam board to the stem walls. My glasses are at the job site, that sucks.
Saturday rolled around and though not a hundred degrees, was within touching distance. Working outside on my townhouse was not a happening thing. There are two cheap bathrooms that need attention though in air conditioning......so first a trip to Lowe's to get yet more goodies. This time I spent just under thirty bucks for underlayment, bag o' paint rollers, and a twenty dollar can of "Ultra Premium Valspar" for three bucks. The paint was three dollars for a reason. Those little dots of paint on the lid can be deceptive. It's mauve, not just any shade of mauve, but mauve on steroids. I'm very tempted for sheer cussedness to use it since it cost three whole dollars.....but it's very strong. Each test spot on the wall was THERE.
My staging area for the front bath under the back bath sink. Various stuff including salvaged toilet parts.
The old toilet from the half bath donated it's relatively new valve body and flapper to the cause. Then became a fifth seat for the Baja.
Saturday rolled around and though not a hundred degrees, was within touching distance. Working outside on my townhouse was not a happening thing. There are two cheap bathrooms that need attention though in air conditioning......so first a trip to Lowe's to get yet more goodies. This time I spent just under thirty bucks for underlayment, bag o' paint rollers, and a twenty dollar can of "Ultra Premium Valspar" for three bucks. The paint was three dollars for a reason. Those little dots of paint on the lid can be deceptive. It's mauve, not just any shade of mauve, but mauve on steroids. I'm very tempted for sheer cussedness to use it since it cost three whole dollars.....but it's very strong. Each test spot on the wall was THERE.
My staging area for the front bath under the back bath sink. Various stuff including salvaged toilet parts.
The old toilet from the half bath donated it's relatively new valve body and flapper to the cause. Then became a fifth seat for the Baja.Thursday, August 23, 2007
Nonambition
Nonambition
I wish I could say I have done something of note, but not in the last few days. The Garage-House has more wallboard up. Not ready for it yet, but this time, the HVAC people wanted places to put their return and supply. So, three more pieces on the walls. New guy, A, from the Great Lakes. He sez it's really bad up there economy-wise.
My two cheap baths....nada, zilch. Did nothing.
Job search.....on hold till after the week.
Borrowed Books Reviews
One decent book from the way back when, Way Station by Clifford Simak. Well written, won quite a few awards in 1963. It was republished on his 100th birthday. A refreshing change from the regular "fast food" reading ground out by, well, hacks.
Example of "fast food" reading, State of the Union by Brad Thor. Formalistic thriller and at times, one gets the feeling they are reading a Neiman Marcus catalog. That or authors get paid for product placement. I got about fifty pages and closed it, never to return.
I wish I could say I have done something of note, but not in the last few days. The Garage-House has more wallboard up. Not ready for it yet, but this time, the HVAC people wanted places to put their return and supply. So, three more pieces on the walls. New guy, A, from the Great Lakes. He sez it's really bad up there economy-wise.
My two cheap baths....nada, zilch. Did nothing.
Job search.....on hold till after the week.
Borrowed Books Reviews
One decent book from the way back when, Way Station by Clifford Simak. Well written, won quite a few awards in 1963. It was republished on his 100th birthday. A refreshing change from the regular "fast food" reading ground out by, well, hacks.
Example of "fast food" reading, State of the Union by Brad Thor. Formalistic thriller and at times, one gets the feeling they are reading a Neiman Marcus catalog. That or authors get paid for product placement. I got about fifty pages and closed it, never to return.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Worm's Eye View of the Economy
Something my boss told me...."55 percent of all people are self-employed in the United States.". I tend to believe this. I have a worm's eye view of the economy, much less an exalted view then from some marble and ivory towers. I'm self-employed. I wouldn't mind working for other people and might land a job sooner or later, but a cat's gotta eat, to quote someone who I forgot.
Doesn't look good on the resume to be self-employed to some, but I'm not going to lie about it. There's the official unemployment rate (4.4 percent to 4.6 percent) and then there's the unofficial unemployment rate (12 percent).
Two links, one the official, the other, the unofficial:
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/empsit.pdf
http://www.exponentialimprovement.com/cms/unemploy.shtml
More later, gotta go work on a house.
Doesn't look good on the resume to be self-employed to some, but I'm not going to lie about it. There's the official unemployment rate (4.4 percent to 4.6 percent) and then there's the unofficial unemployment rate (12 percent).
Two links, one the official, the other, the unofficial:
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/empsit.pdf
http://www.exponentialimprovement.com/cms/unemploy.shtml
More later, gotta go work on a house.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Mad Dogs and Englishmen and Us
Poly-Ticks
The Presidential Race has to be frustrating from a Republican point of view. A guy gets out in front and then self-destructs. Mitt Romney's transportation of a dog on top of his car was a good one. Couldn't help think of Chevy Chase and American Vacation. Sadly, there are few Wagonqueen Family Truckster extant in the world. One of the few cars that's actually uglier then my Baja. Guilani, the former mayor of New York., he has some baggage. He did do a good job during 9/11 and said all the right things.....but he did once tear down an apartment building and prevented any of the occupants from rescuing their pets, never mind their belongings. I have a large feline myself so no need to explain my feelings on that.
Democrats, it's the Hillary and Obama Channel, nothing but. See the occasional ambitious hopeful throwing caution to the winds, but it's a semi-foregone conclusion. They might as well hang it up.
I'm an independent with Libertarian leanings, so it means nada for us. The closest we ever got was H. Ross Perot who really screwed things up for Bush the Older by bugging out as he did. Though in hindsight, Old George, though excellent in international and business, was a whole lot clueless how we great unwashed were getting by on the streets.
Of course I live in North Carolina. One of our current Senators, is Republican Elizabeth Dole who seems to be as every bit worthless as the former Senator, aspiring Democratic Presidential Candidate John Edwards. Then there's the state gummint. Ugh. Talk about an "owned" system....it sure ain't the people.
House Banging
The Garage-House is going. The room has been mostly framed and wired. The solar hot water heater is mostly done, just needs the panels. We worked on Loblolly Pine stock yesterday and milled it into trim. If I can, some pics of the grain. It's rather pretty stuff. Nice strong pattern and color contrasts. It kinda interferes with job hunting though, since it is located just on the edge of a cell tower. Some days there is no reception at all. Also been a hundred degrees more often then not. It's really hard to think or work in that heat.
I really don't want to do this anymore, just too old. Back was unhappy with me after we furred up the old ceiling. I had to grab hold of a stud just to stand up after bending over. I heard somewhere that construction has the same physical stress as a professional athlete, more akin to football. No wonder there are few old active hammer-swingers.
The Cheap Bathrooms
Nada, nothing, zilch. I did seal up a few openings but no ambition. Just too tired.
That Investment Thing
My investments are coming back. What I hold is very solid and one of the things they did not do, was to hold subprime mortgage companies. I'm getting back to where I was. Figure par by next mid week. It was an exciting time in the market though. Most people held on though, those that sold were in the minority.
Job Hunting
Second interview last week. See what happens. One thing I don't do is hold my breath. Best to stay active in the search. Rule of thumb of internet job hunting is if no response by the first or second day, forget it. Sometimes HR departments can be less then speedy, so I'll keep what I applied to in a list. The "hot" file is less then a week, the "lukewarm" file is one to two weeks, the "soon to be deleted" file is over two weeks to a month.
Got to go to work. Life sucks. Especially in the sun.
The Presidential Race has to be frustrating from a Republican point of view. A guy gets out in front and then self-destructs. Mitt Romney's transportation of a dog on top of his car was a good one. Couldn't help think of Chevy Chase and American Vacation. Sadly, there are few Wagonqueen Family Truckster extant in the world. One of the few cars that's actually uglier then my Baja. Guilani, the former mayor of New York., he has some baggage. He did do a good job during 9/11 and said all the right things.....but he did once tear down an apartment building and prevented any of the occupants from rescuing their pets, never mind their belongings. I have a large feline myself so no need to explain my feelings on that.
Democrats, it's the Hillary and Obama Channel, nothing but. See the occasional ambitious hopeful throwing caution to the winds, but it's a semi-foregone conclusion. They might as well hang it up.
I'm an independent with Libertarian leanings, so it means nada for us. The closest we ever got was H. Ross Perot who really screwed things up for Bush the Older by bugging out as he did. Though in hindsight, Old George, though excellent in international and business, was a whole lot clueless how we great unwashed were getting by on the streets.
Of course I live in North Carolina. One of our current Senators, is Republican Elizabeth Dole who seems to be as every bit worthless as the former Senator, aspiring Democratic Presidential Candidate John Edwards. Then there's the state gummint. Ugh. Talk about an "owned" system....it sure ain't the people.
House Banging
The Garage-House is going. The room has been mostly framed and wired. The solar hot water heater is mostly done, just needs the panels. We worked on Loblolly Pine stock yesterday and milled it into trim. If I can, some pics of the grain. It's rather pretty stuff. Nice strong pattern and color contrasts. It kinda interferes with job hunting though, since it is located just on the edge of a cell tower. Some days there is no reception at all. Also been a hundred degrees more often then not. It's really hard to think or work in that heat.
I really don't want to do this anymore, just too old. Back was unhappy with me after we furred up the old ceiling. I had to grab hold of a stud just to stand up after bending over. I heard somewhere that construction has the same physical stress as a professional athlete, more akin to football. No wonder there are few old active hammer-swingers.
The Cheap Bathrooms
Nada, nothing, zilch. I did seal up a few openings but no ambition. Just too tired.
That Investment Thing
My investments are coming back. What I hold is very solid and one of the things they did not do, was to hold subprime mortgage companies. I'm getting back to where I was. Figure par by next mid week. It was an exciting time in the market though. Most people held on though, those that sold were in the minority.
Job Hunting
Second interview last week. See what happens. One thing I don't do is hold my breath. Best to stay active in the search. Rule of thumb of internet job hunting is if no response by the first or second day, forget it. Sometimes HR departments can be less then speedy, so I'll keep what I applied to in a list. The "hot" file is less then a week, the "lukewarm" file is one to two weeks, the "soon to be deleted" file is over two weeks to a month.
Got to go to work. Life sucks. Especially in the sun.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Apocolypse Bathrooms
The sink slow draining in the back bath was cured by removing a half of pound of hair (from a previous owner) from the trap. I also removed most of the vanity since it was just a front, and caulked like mad. I love that sawzall. 
I don't quite get the register location under the cabinet. It smelled under there too...... Guess I'm not the only one with an animal. At least mine is well behaved.
I don't quite get the register location under the cabinet. It smelled under there too...... Guess I'm not the only one with an animal. At least mine is well behaved.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
August Doldrums
Equipment casualty lists....one cheap blender, the plastic top got shredded. Plastic only lasts when you don't want it too. One camera dropped, did not bounce well. One camera dead of old age. At least the coffee pot still works. That would be a bad thing.
Front wall up at the Garage-House. Solar energy people wanted a finished room for their tank. Boss was not happy. We are not in that phase yet. Still have quite a bit of furring and caulking and insulation to do. Finished room they got though. I'll do the corner taping.
Interview went well yesterday and another one tomorrow. Who ever gets me first......
No progress on the bathrooms....no time.
Front wall up at the Garage-House. Solar energy people wanted a finished room for their tank. Boss was not happy. We are not in that phase yet. Still have quite a bit of furring and caulking and insulation to do. Finished room they got though. I'll do the corner taping.
Interview went well yesterday and another one tomorrow. Who ever gets me first......
No progress on the bathrooms....no time.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Off North
When Friday rolled around, I went north. It's cooler up north. Three days away was nice. My best friend up there had surgery to repair his shoulder. Of course he would catch a staph infection in the hospital, one of the really nasty drug-resistant ones. He's doing well but he will be hooked up to intravenous antibiotics for six weeks. He'll probably watch every video and DVD he has twice. Cabin Fever redux.
Usually I go I-440 to I-64 to I-95 to get out of North Carolina. I went I-85 instead. Prettier road and less traffic. Found an old time gas station with fried food.
Really neat interchange to a toll road south of Richmond. Picture doesn't do it justice but it stands pretty tall and proud, and at one point, has three layers.
If you drive north on I-95 toward Richmond, This city skyline complete with skyscrapers, rises out of the horizon. The road then swoops by an all brick Romanesque train station right at the roof level.
Finally I get to where I was going. Another hazy lazy August afternoon looking toward the old home place.
Free wallpaper. Never say I don't give anything away. Black Walnut, very hardy tree. I planted and moved quite a few onto the front lawn. The only drawback is the green hailstones they grow. Not really desirable near sidewalks and driveways during certain months of the year.
Just more free wallpaper. I must be feeling generous.
The kitchen is getting worked on at the house. Oak floors. My Bro-in-Law is going to order the cabinets soon. Until then, it's like this for livability's sake. Very old kitchen, been there long enough, it has one of these......
Kitchen fireplace and back stairs for when there were servants. Fireplace was redone several times, last in the 1960's, but it always has been meant for cooking.
This grate actually swings out. It also has a pot hook. It was welded together by the local blacksmith who made the grate as well. I sent many a cord of wood up the chimney here, and grilled a few steaks.
I spent yesterday at the Garage-House. We got the interior walls framed. Also was contacted by another recruiter, so I got their online thingie done too. Today we do the exterior wall and frame in the old garage door.
Usually I go I-440 to I-64 to I-95 to get out of North Carolina. I went I-85 instead. Prettier road and less traffic. Found an old time gas station with fried food.
Really neat interchange to a toll road south of Richmond. Picture doesn't do it justice but it stands pretty tall and proud, and at one point, has three layers.
If you drive north on I-95 toward Richmond, This city skyline complete with skyscrapers, rises out of the horizon. The road then swoops by an all brick Romanesque train station right at the roof level.
Finally I get to where I was going. Another hazy lazy August afternoon looking toward the old home place.
Free wallpaper. Never say I don't give anything away. Black Walnut, very hardy tree. I planted and moved quite a few onto the front lawn. The only drawback is the green hailstones they grow. Not really desirable near sidewalks and driveways during certain months of the year.
Just more free wallpaper. I must be feeling generous.
The kitchen is getting worked on at the house. Oak floors. My Bro-in-Law is going to order the cabinets soon. Until then, it's like this for livability's sake. Very old kitchen, been there long enough, it has one of these......
Kitchen fireplace and back stairs for when there were servants. Fireplace was redone several times, last in the 1960's, but it always has been meant for cooking.
This grate actually swings out. It also has a pot hook. It was welded together by the local blacksmith who made the grate as well. I sent many a cord of wood up the chimney here, and grilled a few steaks.I spent yesterday at the Garage-House. We got the interior walls framed. Also was contacted by another recruiter, so I got their online thingie done too. Today we do the exterior wall and frame in the old garage door.
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Hot enough for Us? Yep.
A hundred and six today. Boss was working on the Garage House in the morning but only because the solar people were showing up. Yesterday four of us were putting up walls. Boss and I and G are all eligible for AARP membership. Could call it the Geezer Construction Society. Ah well. We are all in good shape as opposed to office people. Average middle-aged cubical dweller would have been dead. We just drank, perspired, and kept going.
Interview went well but think it's gonna be awhile. Leaving tomorrow for Northern Virginia. My best friend is in the hospital. Had a short chat, will see him tomorrow or Saturday. May comeback on Monday if he and his better half need help.
Cheap bathrooms, what did I do? Nada. Nix. Nothing. Ah, I did spend money. New toilet fill valve and flapper, four half inch CPVC caps,two wax rings and last but not least, two shiny new straight valves that can be glued into the CPVC pipes. Forty dollars and forty cents. I hope I have stock in Lowes, they certainly get a good chunk of my income. When I get back from my travels, the plan is to put the new parts in the back bath toilet, replace the half bath toilet with the new 1.6 flusher that's been camping in my dining room, and then demo the front bath. Weather and money permitting.
Well, this lazy sod needs to start charging batteries.
I tried to read The World Without Us. Big disappointment. My apologies to Amazon for being late. They should have lost the book. Gave it to my nearest relative with the hope I never see it again.
Interview went well but think it's gonna be awhile. Leaving tomorrow for Northern Virginia. My best friend is in the hospital. Had a short chat, will see him tomorrow or Saturday. May comeback on Monday if he and his better half need help.
Cheap bathrooms, what did I do? Nada. Nix. Nothing. Ah, I did spend money. New toilet fill valve and flapper, four half inch CPVC caps,two wax rings and last but not least, two shiny new straight valves that can be glued into the CPVC pipes. Forty dollars and forty cents. I hope I have stock in Lowes, they certainly get a good chunk of my income. When I get back from my travels, the plan is to put the new parts in the back bath toilet, replace the half bath toilet with the new 1.6 flusher that's been camping in my dining room, and then demo the front bath. Weather and money permitting.
Well, this lazy sod needs to start charging batteries.
I tried to read The World Without Us. Big disappointment. My apologies to Amazon for being late. They should have lost the book. Gave it to my nearest relative with the hope I never see it again.
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
The Garage-House
The Garage-House cuz we are converting a garage into a bedroom. Floor platform down and sealed. Brutal hot today, advisory for 102 degrees Fahrenheit in the shade. Ozone alert as well. My druthers....forget it, ain't that crazy. But it's gotta be done. Oh well.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Deconstruction Soon.
Usually if I have worked on, or worked on someone else's house, I won't work on mine. Still, I threw a little mud into some holes and "oops" of the front bath.
Running cost so far....zilch.
I have an interview Thursday in the morning and the rest of the day is mine. Besides cleaning house, I'm going to start deconstructing and re-constructing some of the bathroom.
Running cost so far....zilch.
I have an interview Thursday in the morning and the rest of the day is mine. Besides cleaning house, I'm going to start deconstructing and re-constructing some of the bathroom.
Monday, August 6, 2007
How To Overhaul a Bathroom
This will be my fourth bath overhaul. It's not a remodel because the fixture placement stays the same, no walls get moved, and the plumbing and electrical hookups don't get changed.
Painting is an unusual first step but I figure since it will have four layers of paint, I can sand that down a little bit and smooth the walls enough to eliminate quite a bit of spackle. Besides, it costs money to throw paint away. Wake County requires mixing in a solidification agent and paint rollers are cheaper.
This is how I redo a room.
The plumbing is decent. The toilet is borderline as to needing a rebuild kit. The main issues is the condition of the walls, the current vinyl floor which was laid on top of the sub-floor with no underlayment, and the shower stall needs a good cleaning and re-caulking. The vanity is a goner after twenty years of moisture.
Looks like an easy job ahead.
Painting is an unusual first step but I figure since it will have four layers of paint, I can sand that down a little bit and smooth the walls enough to eliminate quite a bit of spackle. Besides, it costs money to throw paint away. Wake County requires mixing in a solidification agent and paint rollers are cheaper.
This is how I redo a room.
- Planning Phase. Pry, probe and look.
- Demolition Phase. Gut the room down to drywall and sub-floor. In a few cases I'll keep the trim but when replacing cabinets and built-ins, best to start fresh. After demo, cleaning.
- Room Envelope Sealing Phase. So called because I do the drywall repair to seal the walls and repair & caulk the the sub-floor. It helps the utility bills in outside rooms by closing off drafts.
- Painting and Finish. Before any fixtures go back in the room, the walls get finished and painted with a good quality paint. I like to use sheet vinyl as a finish floor. Sheet vinyl sealed to the walls is an excellent way to stop water.
- Fixture and Trim Installation. Fixtures and trim are installed. I like to put a thin bead of caulk behind the shoe mold, on top of the baseboard, around toilets and cabinets, and around the door trim as well. This gets rid of unsightly cracks and once again helps prevent moisture migration and drafts.
- Electrical and Plumbing Hookup. I'm a firm believer in not messing with, or changing electrical wiring and plumbing.
- Testing, Touch-up, and Done. Check for leaks, gaps, paint holidays and final adjustments. Takes about a week to get most of the minor, minor stuff especially, but worth it.
The plumbing is decent. The toilet is borderline as to needing a rebuild kit. The main issues is the condition of the walls, the current vinyl floor which was laid on top of the sub-floor with no underlayment, and the shower stall needs a good cleaning and re-caulking. The vanity is a goner after twenty years of moisture.
Looks like an easy job ahead.
Sunday, August 5, 2007
A Tale of Two Cheap Bathrooms
This townhouse has two master suites. The back is storage for now and the cat has the back bathroom. Since she is a very traditional cat, she has a cat-box and it's not a burning issue that the toilet has finally given up and died.
My first act was to paint the front bathroom with more toward an eye of getting rid of a partial gallon of mis-matched paint. It was worthy of an experiment to see if flat could hide the nasty condition of the walls. Well, failure. Even stucco couldn't hide some of what was done in there. I didn't know people still mudded with their fingers. I do like a cool tone though, so not complete failure.
A year ago, my estimate after very careful research, was $1981.23 to redo both baths. This included materials, taxes, and even a hundred bucks for drywall work. All labor done by me of course.
As you can see, the Gov takes a real bite. Also two grand...back to the drawing board.
That's still too high a dollar figure. Some things have changed since then. The cost of materials is way up. The focus is to do a good job as cheaply as possible. Speed won't be an issue here. The work will be done when it's too nasty out and when I have time. There are three baths here, one of which is relatively new, done by yours truly. It's not like I don't have a place to, well, go. Second act of today will be to toss the guts of the vanity and one plate glass mirror. Pictures, before, after and during, I promise!
My first act was to paint the front bathroom with more toward an eye of getting rid of a partial gallon of mis-matched paint. It was worthy of an experiment to see if flat could hide the nasty condition of the walls. Well, failure. Even stucco couldn't hide some of what was done in there. I didn't know people still mudded with their fingers. I do like a cool tone though, so not complete failure.
A year ago, my estimate after very careful research, was $1981.23 to redo both baths. This included materials, taxes, and even a hundred bucks for drywall work. All labor done by me of course.
| Original Estimate | ||||
| Item | Vender | Price | Qty | Subtotals |
| Toilet Paper Holder | Lowes | $15.00 | 2 | $30.00 |
| 30" White Vanity | Lowes | $200.00 | 2 | $400.00 |
| 31" Vanity Top | Lowes | $138.00 | 2 | $276.00 |
| Vanity Top Side Filler | Lowes | $23.00 | 3 | $69.00 |
| Faucet | Lowes | $78.00 | 2 | $156.00 |
| Medicine Cabinet | Lowes | $98.00 | 2 | $196.00 |
| Toilet Cabinet | Lowes | $88.00 | 2 | $176.00 |
| Robe Hook | Lowes | $5.00 | 1 | $5.00 |
| Underlayment | Lowes | $4.00 | 8 | $32.00 |
| Vinyl | Lowes | $35.00 | 2 | $70.00 |
| 1 by 4 * 12 | Lowes | $4.75 | 2 | $9.50 |
| Molding | Lowes | $7.60 | 5 | $38.00 |
| Quarter Round | Lowes | $4.00 | 5 | $20.00 |
| Door Casing | Lowes | $5.30 | 5 | $26.50 |
| Wall Paint | Lowes | $23.00 | 2 | $46.00 |
| Toilet Tank Rebuild Kit | Lowes | $20.00 | 1 | $20.00 |
| Toilet Wax Ring | Lowes | $4.00 | 2 | $8.00 |
| Towel Rod | Lowes | $15.00 | 1 | $15.00 |
| Cabinet Knobs | Lowes | $2.00 | 16 | $32.00 |
| Ceiling Paint | Lowes | $18.00 | 1 | $18.00 |
| Drywall, Mud, Nails | Lowes | $100.00 | 1 | $100.00 |
| Plumbing Parts | Lowes | $100.00 | 1 | $100.00 |
| No Tax | $1,843.00 | |||
| Tax | $1,981.23 |
As you can see, the Gov takes a real bite. Also two grand...back to the drawing board.
| Second Estimate | ||||
| Item | Vender | Price | Qty | Subtotals |
| Toilet Paper Holder | Lowes | $15.00 | 2 | $30.00 |
| 30" Vanity | Lowes | $200.00 | 2 | $400.00 |
| 31" Vanity Top | Home Depot | $80.00 | 2 | $160.00 |
| Vanity Top Side Filler | Home Depot | $13.00 | 3 | $39.00 |
| Faucet | Amazon | $60.00 | 2 | $120.00 |
| Mirror | Home Depot | $27.00 | 2 | $54.00 |
| Robe Hook | Amazon | $1.70 | 1 | $1.70 |
| Underlayment | Lowes | $4.00 | 8 | $32.00 |
| Vinyl | Lowes | $35.00 | 2 | $70.00 |
| 1 by 4 * 12 | Lowes | $4.75 | 2 | $9.50 |
| Molding | Lowes | $7.60 | 2 | $15.20 |
| Quarter Round | Lowes | $4.00 | 5 | $20.00 |
| Wall Paint | Lowes | $23.00 | 2 | $46.00 |
| Toilet Tank Rebuild Kit | Amazon | $12.00 | 1 | $12.00 |
| Toilet Wax Ring | Amazon | $2.00 | 2 | $4.00 |
| Towel Rod | Lowes | $15.00 | 1 | $15.00 |
| Cabinet Knobs | Amazon | $1.60 | 8 | $12.80 |
| Ceiling Paint | Lowes | $18.00 | 1 | $18.00 |
| Drywall, Mud, Nails | Lowes | $100.00 | 1 | $100.00 |
| Plumbing Parts | Lowes | $100.00 | 1 | $100.00 |
| No Tax | $1,259.20 | |||
| Tax | $1,353.64 |
That's still too high a dollar figure. Some things have changed since then. The cost of materials is way up. The focus is to do a good job as cheaply as possible. Speed won't be an issue here. The work will be done when it's too nasty out and when I have time. There are three baths here, one of which is relatively new, done by yours truly. It's not like I don't have a place to, well, go. Second act of today will be to toss the guts of the vanity and one plate glass mirror. Pictures, before, after and during, I promise!
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