We have a toilet! When demolition started three weeks ago today, the toilet was the first thing to go, which then presented a problem when we had to go. Seeing that nasty old thing ripped out and sent away was pretty heartwarming, but its absence over the last couple weekends means that our renovation party has seen its fair share of the Home Depot bathroom, a facility one would be hard pressed to describe as sanitary. It only took me two squeamish visits to opt, instead, for the facilities at our local McDonald’s - a mite cleaner and a visit there always ends in soft serve. After a good hand-washing, of course.
But now! Now we have our very own toilet! A toilet I didn’t even notice until I’d been at the house for a couple hours. I’d inspected the taping and mudding on the walls and the new door frame but because I’d been so used to a gaping whole where the crapper once was, I missed the glorious addition entirely. What a happy discovery (happier once I remember to bring some toilet paper).
Tonight, I buy doors… because the doors decided to join the guest bedroom walls in spontaneously shedding their latex paint. Look, I don’t know who painted those doors or the bedroom walls and whether or not it was the previous owners. It could be a coincidence of timing, but I’ll admit I find it very suspect that we have our first hot, humid day and bam! it’s like a molting effing paint snake at our house. IF the previous owners painted as a quick fix for the sale, and they did it incorrectly (as evidence by the peeling), I can’t help but feel immensely disappointed. As a contractor, he would know better. Period. And yes, I bought the house from a coworker – and then quit. We don’t interact at all. Which is good because I am fuming and when fuming, deliver one mean stink eye.
Up next: tub refinishing, floor refinishing and – pending carpenter quote – banquette seating for the dining room. T-minus two weeks and two days til move in.
Aaaahhh, the wonders of a new toilet. When I moved into my house my previous boyfriend was freaked out about the fact that other people had sat on the toilet seats and would not shut up until I purchased and installed new ones. And then dumped him. hehe
Since I’m in the middle of trying to sell my house I can see the beauty of doing a cheap fix to freshen things up and make your house look nicer. However there is NO excuse for a contractor to halfass things! I want to smack him on the hand and say “you should KNOW BETTER!”
We recently bought a home that was a disaster – baseboards saturated with animal urine, a kitchen caulked beyond recognition with wiring hanging above the sink, and all ugly as hell. TOO BAD I CAN’T PROVIDE YOU A SAMPLE OF THE SMELL!
The people we bought it from lived in the house for less than 9 months. I think they painted (the worst shade of white ever), but they didn’t do any renovations.
Come to find out, the person who owned the home before them was a KITCHEN RENOVATOR. It is my biggest nightmare that I would PAY someone and my kitchen would look the way this kitchen did. Seriously, it makes me ill. Mike Holmes replaces kitchens in better shape than this one! So, the word contractor means nothing in my book …
I’m sorry you have to deal with this. The joys of homeownership! This is our second time owning, which I’m so grateful for. If this had been our first time, I can only imagine how dishearten I’d be.
We replaced ALL the flooring and baseboards, the counters, the backsplash, and are currently in the midst of figuring out the wiring mess these jerks created.
Just curious-what year was your house built? Ours was built in 1949 and we had the same problem with the fresh latex paint peeling off the walls. Even though it appeared that latex had been applied at some point previoulsy to us painting, as soon as I took the painter’s tape off the paint peeled in strips from the ceiling down along with it. I wonder if oil based paints were common in the period the house was built? I have found it virtually impossilbe to get rid of. It has even caused weird stains to appear through the latex paint over time. So far, the only fix has been to put up new dry wall.
Go Fish!!! You can do it!
I’ve yet to own a house but, I sure am excited for you! It’s sounds like it’s all comin’ together just fine.
Here’s to continued smooth sailing.
PS: I also think the paint job was done in order to stage for the sale. Sad but probably true. On the bright side, it is happening now and not after a move in and while entertaining 8 guests for dinner.
And congrats on the installation!
“a molting effing paint snake at our house” – I LOVE this!! (The wording, not the situation).
Hang in there – at least you are going through things now and can fix them before you actually start living there. I moved into my place the day of closing, and I’ve replaced something significant almost every year since then.
The dishwasher was 17 years old when I moved in, and it finally bit the dust. The guy who came in to replace it turned the water off, reached for the tubing connecting the dishwasher to the water supply and it … broke off in his hand (cheap-a$$ed plastic tubing!). He said it was a good thing I was replacing it because it would have made a huge mess.
THEN, when he went to take the whole dishwasher out, it took him an hour and a half because the genius who installed it used a portable that he just took the top off and installed as a built-in…… (Sigh!)
We won’t talk about the hole in the wall behind the refrigerator, the crap-a$$ed venting for the furnace/water heater, the utter lack of floor tile under the bathroom vanities, or the hole in the wall behind the powder room wall mirror (that apparently used to have a medicine cabinet).
BUT at least there was no paint snake!!
And in the midst of all your changes – how IS the new job going???
Really well! I like it here. It’s the same deadline drive, sometimes frustrating work, but it’s for people who are pretty stinkin’ nice.
That makes all the difference doesn’t it.. work will always be work, but if the people you work with are cool it keeps you from hating being there! It’s all about the energy they put out. My current bosses are nuts (pretty sure one of them is bipolar since half the time he’s spinnin’ over nothing) and I have to work to keep their nutso energy out of mine, but the experience is priceless so I’ll put in my time until I can move on up – somewhere else!
Nice people at your job! Wedding! New house!
I’d be so stressed I think my hair would start falling out. Wait … I only did two of those three (big move new job) and my hair IS falling out. So, yeah. Good on ya for not losing it.
Also, at my new (very conservative) workplace, I can’t see your blog. It’s blocked because it’s “sex education.”
Um, what?
Also: I can still read The Bloggess. WTF?
We bought our first house in 2009. It was built in 1948 and had about a kabillion layers of paint on every wall in every room. We experienced the walls peeling off in huge sheets as well. It was so upsetting! Anyway, after meeting with a crusty old guy from a paint store, I learned a couple of valuable lessons. Apparently, walls, especially lathe and plaster walls, only hold so many layers of a paint before they finally come off. Never TSP (cleaner) a lathe and plaster wall as it will not rough the walls up to hold a new layer of paint. Also the only way to paint, is to prime with an oil based primer and then you can paint latex over that. If that does not work, then you call in a plaster guy and have him mud the walls and sand and voila new clean wall to paint. Good luck!
Fish, it cracks me up that you’re giving us all these awesome home renovation details, because one of the other blogs I read daily is Young House Love. You should check out some of the stuff they’ve done; they make me wish I wasn’t a renter! :-/
Hooray for toilets and for stink eyes!
I’ve been highly impressed with how much of a remodel you’re doing in such a compressed period of time.
I still can’t believe the paint shedding. Creepy!
I think our entire house was staged for sale. We’ve been in the house 5 weeks and mildew is coming up through the paint.
Awesome.