Although I don’t know what we would have done without the Boy’s parents over the last week or two, I do know what we wouldn’t have done. The hours and hours of work I’d already put in at the house were eclipsed in a few hours with two extra sets of hands and volumes of home improvement know-how.
In the last week:
The bathroom has been gutted and re-floored (and two rotten floor joists) replaced. The walls of the utility room, kitchen and living areas have all been sanded (we’ll get to that later) and there is a first coat of paint on them, ceiling fans and light fixtures installed. One door jamb and two sets of door frames have been torn down and replaced. The doghouse and fifty-year-old rust pole (er, clothes line) have been demolished and the yard mowed and trimmed. The kitchen and utility room floors have been steamed and the grout sealed. The attic fan has been removed and the ceiling repaired. A new attic entrance has been framed. The garage has been gutted and power washed. The windows (and screens), brick and siding have been washed. Pansies have been potted and added to the front porch next to a bench that was refinished (spray paint!), just beneath the also newly refinished mailbox (more spray paint!).
Next up: bathroom cabinet, tile and a painting frenzy.
The wall sanding thing, which I stubbornly insisted would be done prior to priming and painting, did not go over well with anybody. The standard, “You don’t need to do that,” was almost always followed by a head shake. “You’ll never get them the way you want them.” Okay, so you might not know this about me yet, but from the minute you tell me I won’t be able to do something, I’m busy figuring out how to prove you wrong. Not that I was asking anyone to do it for me – if no one else wanted to play along, I’d have Little Red Henned that shit in a second if I had to. It was getting done and that was all there was to it. Years and years of inconsistent texturing and gloppy paint made the house look its age – not to mention all the years of bad smells and dirt that it trapped. In the end, my almost-mother-in-law and I got down and dirty with some hand sanders and holy cow, the result is nothing short of glorious! A coat of primer and just one coat of paint and it’s a whole new place. Our place!
Watch out, baseboards. I’m coming for you.
Wow, that is a long list of projects — and some fairly heavy duty ones at that. Can you elaborate on steaming and sealing grout? I have an 81 year old house with that one inch octagon shaped tile in the bathroom — the grout is less than pristine… I do own a floor steamer…
I fervantly hope that you took before photos and will post some after ones! Nice job! You must be so excited!
I would second the comment below about bleach and a wire brush. A bleach pen can get right on the grout line. But I would also add that the old cleaners – Ajax and Bon Ami(?) – work GREAT on old tile.
I love older homes, and they all seem to have that 1-inch octagonal tile in the bathrooms and/or kitchen. There’s no way around it, I have to get on my hands and knees, and soap them up and scrub them with Ajax, etc. It’s a pain getting them really clean, because the cleaners are powder-based, but after several cleanings and rinses, the tile is brighter, and the grout is definitely cleaner. (I usually repeat it a few times a year with my heavy duty cleaning.)
After you do a heavy duty cleaning you can seal your grout and you won’t have to do those heavy duty cleanings anymore. You may have to reseal 6 months after doing it (which I am going to be doing soon) but it beats scrubbing that grout! Just make sure it is clean before you do it.
Aww, I love ripping the crap out of a house and rebuilding to make it your own. If you haven’t already checked them out, visit my other favorite blog, younghouselove.com.
I love that you knew what you wanted, went for it, and it turned out just like you knew it would. I hate when people doubt that I KNOW THINGS. Solidarity, sistah!
Pictures, please!
And I can totally identify with the “I’ll show you” mentality…
congrats! i know the feeling of that “just moved in, gonna get it right”, plus i have super handy parents that love to renovate houses.
it’s a tiring and satisfying feeling. enjoy wandering around and admiring your hard work!
@projectgirl – have you already tried bleaching the grout and scrubbing with a wire brush? my parents installed tile in a kitchen but did not seal it right away…i def spent a few summer days scrubbing that damn grout before it was sealed.
or, if you can’t get it clean, have you thought about dyeing the grout?
I hope at some point there are going to be a slew of before & after photos!
Woohoo! You go, Girl! (Thanks, Folks!)
How exciting!
Stay focused….you’re almost there.
Wow – that house is going to be beautiful!! Can’t wait for the “reveal!”
(BTW – how long did the actual sanding process take? I’ve got to do the same thing at my house, and I’m a little apprehensive!!!)
A long ass time. At least an hour per 8×8 wall. I’m so glad I did it, though. When my shoulder stops hurting and all our furniture is in place and it looks like a million bucks, I’ll be even gladder.
No one had one of those small electric hand-held sanders? Highly recommend for cutting the required time in halF!
Huh? That’s what we used. I think that’s what I said – hand sanders.
Misunderstood hand sander to mean you did it by hand without electrical assistance.
OMG, that would have been like, eight thousand times more miserable!
If the photos from your first Texas apartment that you posted before are any indication, it will look FABULOUS!!
I agree with lawyerchik1. Your first Texas apartment was amazing! Can’t wait to see the house.
Our house was built in 1946, so there is no telling how many layers of paint are on the walls! I am interested in the sanding technique
Do you re-texture the walls after you sand?
I wish I could have your attic fan. I want one so badly!
Welcome to the wonderful world of homeownership. I have come to realize after a little over 3 years in this game my house will NEVER be done. As soon as I think I am getting close I decide to do something else. Good thing I like to make lists!
Can’t wait to see pic’s!
Exciting! All your hard work sounds like it is really going to pay off. How great that you are doing this much needed work right away! I know folks who have had the best intentions after moving in and then before you know it, it is three years later.
I’m simply in awe. Can’t wait to see pics.
My attic fan gets such a work-out in late spring/early fall. I can’t imagine pulling it out and not replacing it with a newer, shinier, less rattle-y model. Sounds like your place is shaping up!
The attic fan didn’t even have a motor – it was caked in years of attic dust and grim and the vent cover was really nasty. Our house and backyard are shaded by something like 16 trees so even when it’s hot out, the house stays cool. We simply have no use for it, so we yanked it. It was like one of the Titanic propellers!
Amen to the sanding- my dad’s a general contractor, and the idea of painting without sanding and wiping down first throws him into convulsions.
I can’t wait to see pictures! There’s nothing I like more than the fruits of the labors of a good DIY remodel. Congrats, Fish!
I’m in the middle of a bathroom remodel and it’s so exciting. The stone floor went in yesterday, today comes the new vanity and countertops and mirrors and light fixtures. I’m beside myself with excitement to see the final product.
So what is this grout sealing that everyone is talking about? Since the stone went in yesterday, is that something I should do fairly soon? I’m not doing any of the work on this remodel, I found a very nice retired contractor that is giving me a heck of a deal. Is sealing grout something an extreme amateur can handle?
Oh, I hear ya on the baseboards — and painting in general. Both have been the bane of my existence for the past few weeks. My boyfriend and I are moving in together and fixing up his new house, which is awesome. I’m excited.
But, we’re both pretty OCD about everything being done nicely and neatly the first time so that we don’t have to do it again or look at it and resent those stupid baseboards while we’re, like, watching “the Wire” on DVD. So, everything is taking twice a long as it would to slop some paint on a wall. GAH.
Every time I park my car in the driveway, I say, “Listen here, House: I’m gonna win today.” I’m right about 75% of the time. But that house is goin’ down, by God.
I am so impressed! And feel so lazy at the same time. But that’s OK because mostly I am impressed and very, very happy & excited for you.