Home Improvement

Mrs. Gravy

Mrs. Gravy

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"When we last left the story of Mrs. Gravy and her house woes, she had discovered that the rim joist and part of the sill joist on the back of her home had rotted. This was due to the previous evil owner's installation of a sliding glass door atop said joist system with the failure to install flashing. 15 years of water and carpenter ant buffet seriously took its toll upon the poor joist family. NEVER fear - Mrs. Gravy has people who care about her in her life and who have skills! The section was small enough - only about 10 feet that a little house jacking, scrape, scab, replace et voila! new joists. They also put a new balcony style deck on for her. Charge - $441. for the lumber and some material (if they didn't already have it) labor in love. Oh and they also cut to the ground 5 tree stumps and they mowed the lawn."

They would not take any money. I will get them gift cards to dine out but I also have (for each of them - my b-i-l and my cousin) ordered a wonder winder extension cord winder (they were ogling mine) and a new US wire and cable 14/3 100 ft sjtw yellow lighted extension cord. What else would be good for them?
 
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Picasso3

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Amod please sell this thread to bobvila.com and give the proceeds to draegens etiquette schooling
 
Indyrat

Indyrat

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Mrs. Gravy, seeing your name on the news boards made my day. never post but i had to say something!

I'm glad that everything worked out well with the upgrades. you certainly deserve it!
 
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Intrinsic

Intrinsic

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I posted something about this on the other forum, here's my current status update. Trying to build a pantry for our kitchen area. We don't have a lot of space so we want to put this around the corner by the stairs in a cubby. I have no woodworking experience and didn't own any tools almost at all. Figured why not jump in and try to learn. So far there are about 1,000 things that are wrong with it, but it should be functional for what we need.

I've learned a fucking ton throughout the last week though. All the small (and larger) issues that could be easily fixed next time. Looking forward to it.

Lots left to do:

Drawers in the bottom two cubbies (which may actually end up being baskets intead). Do the upper and lower doors. Do some wood putty, sand. Wife has to come up with a stain / paint color for it to match our upstairs area. Then move it up there. Will probably move it then hang the doors. Bastard is getting heavy and it won't fit up our stairs going to the garage. So we'll have to carry it out the driveway and around to the front and it'll be hard for her to lift one end.

adiu9q.jpg
 
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benjamin

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Intrinsic said:
I posted something about this on the other forum, here's my current status update. Trying to build a pantry for our kitchen area. We don't have a lot of space so we want to put this around the corner by the stairs in a cubby. I have no woodworking experience and didn't own any tools almost at all. Figured why not jump in and try to learn. So far there are about 1,000 things that are wrong with it, but it should be functional for what we need.

I've learned a fucking ton throughout the last week though. All the small (and larger) issues that could be easily fixed next time. Looking forward to it.

Lots left to do:

Drawers in the bottom two cubbies (which may actually end up being baskets intead). Do the upper and lower doors. Do some wood putty, sand. Wife has to come up with a stain / paint color for it to match our upstairs area. Then move it up there. Will probably move it then hang the doors. Bastard is getting heavy and it won't fit up our stairs going to the garage. So we'll have to carry it out the driveway and around to the front and it'll be hard for her to lift one end.

adiu9q.jpg
Click to expand...

Wow, Intrinsic! That's impressive. Everything I build turns out to be a workbench.....
 
mkopec

mkopec

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Pretty impressive for a first timer. Good job! Looks pretty legit, but one mistake I can see is you used shitty lumber. Next time when building something of a furniture quality piece, use some better stuff. Yeah I know you will paint it, but still, some of that shit will still show through the paint, you will have to put globs of putty on it. My tip for you is use some drywall compound on the big surfaces. That stuff works wonders and easy to sand.Not to fill holes, but for more surface work to hide the grain and the knots.

The thing thats great about building shit like that is that its a lasting legacy. Your kids and grand kids will probably have this piece somewhere in their house in the future and thats whats cool about it. when you are long gone, this thing will still be around and every time your grand kid looks at it he will remember you by it. Thats whats cool about building shit like this.

I was around this shit all my life. My grandfather was a cabinet maker and when he retired he used to make small furniture pieces and sell them at craft shows. I used to work with him in his garage over the summers. Learned a shit ton of stuff. Now I have all my own equipment (and some of his stufff too) and make shit here and there, recently just made my mantel from scratch. But I would definitely would like to do it more, just no time.

In the perfect world I would like to take like 2-3 weeks off during the summer, set up shop and build new cabinets for my kitchen. But I know this will never happen, lol. I could make them so much better than the shit you can get from the retailers. All prefinished hardwood plywood 3/4" All hardwood drawers, face frame, best hardware, etc... Shit is easy too now with pocket screws.
 
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Intrinsic

Intrinsic

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Thanks. Yeah that is absolutely something I have a better appreciation for, the lumber quality. Well there's very few things I don't have a better appreciation for. The difference, that i could find from a Home Depot level, was like $0.98 for a 1x3 vs $8.00. Just not what in was willing to pay to experiment and learn on. Otherwise just trying to use the pre-sanded ply and the sanded common board stuff I've found a wide variance in those that I had no concept of, like the smoothness, grain, straight, knots, etc, etc....
 
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Picasso3

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Yeah I'm with you, if i used cabinet grade shit to build my first cabinet I'd look like ted striker on final approach on every cut.
 
Siliconemelons

Siliconemelons

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Suppose I will put this here...

I don't know why, but I always have wanted a "pool house" or "guest house" - I really have no "REAL" use or need for one - and it would just be nice to have for when my kids are older and want to "move out" or something while in college, if they stay local...or some other fabricated reason for my to play around and build something.

I also don't want to do permits or hire anyone... heck I don't mind permits if they are something I could reasonably manage to do myself (the process)...but alas most of it is a bunch of red tape and imo unneeded expense to fill the pockets of contractors and local government.

I started looking into what I could build without permits, and it looks like a 10x10 "shed" is the biggest I could do without pulling a permit - and I have found some really decent looking plans in the micro house movements. While I would more like to do something in the 200sq ft range vs the 100 - there are some decent tricks - such as the sleeping area is a loft bed and shower is part of the bathroom... the biggest thing I need to overcome is getting it connected to electric and water/sewer - the water I know I could do myself, I just don't know if I am "allowed" to - dig up the main, splice in the new one- and run a feed to the little house/shed/thing... now electrical.. no idea to do it right.

Many of these micro houses go propane for gas heat/stove - but I am in Florida, you need AC 90% of the year - so its going to need a small window unit (was thinking nice mini split, but that's serious overkill for this project. I also could do it as a complete off the grid mini house - compost toilet, rain collection/filter water and solar power- but that would be non practical for me.

okay sorry 2 ramble... anyone build something like this? dealt with doing new power/water?
 
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Picasso3

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I wouldn't overly worry about permits. Water and power depend on how easy it is to get from your house to where you're going to build it.
 
mkopec

mkopec

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Picasso3 said:
I wouldn't overly worry about permits. Water and power depend on how easy it is to get from your house to where you're going to build it.
Click to expand...

I would still look at codes and see how its properly done so you dont screw yourself in the long run. So you dont end up on one of those what not to do home improvement laugh-athon threads.

God news is it probably does not freeze there or if so its like a every 100 yrs thing im guessing, so you dont have to bury your water like 4 ft deep. Electrical, just use good shit rated for underground. And you dont have to tap into your main, do a connection on one of the closest cold pipes in the house to where the building will be and just add a shutoff. Hot water might be a problem, you would have to add a mini water heater in the new house. But you could do all electrical in the new house. electrical heater, electrical stove, electric water heater, etc... But this would require a major line, at least 100 amp, so you might have to have an electrician buddy come over. It would also be a good idea to have a mini fse box in the new place too. Its not like you can just run a 25 amp line from your current place and run all that shit on it.
 
mkopec

mkopec

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Picasso3 said:
I mean don't choose the size of your structure to avoid getting permits
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Well there is also other risks in not permitting stuff. Like what happens when the shit burns down? Will it be covered by homeowners insurance? I mean its not like a shed at that point right? You will have at least $25-30K invested in this. So it might be a good idea to do things legit.
 
Caliane

Caliane

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Dump cash on it. Rent it out as a Bed and breakfast.
do be aware of local variances for property lines. Swear 80% of people who build sheds, etc, end up having to move them, due to too close to prop line.
 
Siliconemelons

Siliconemelons

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Thanks for the replies.

Local codes are 3ft from property line - that's very unlikely to be an issue.

As for insurance, nothing would be covered as - if I do as-is - it would be a "shed" that happens to have power and water and is inhabitable.

As for investment, the external structure would be first, and also would most likely actually be the cheapest stuff- some concrete footings (as opposed to a complete slab) and the framing, siding and roof.

The money comes in on... really the electric - it would need its own run and little box - out from that I can do everything myself. I have a water feed that I could use (sprinkler system was city/fresh water...its not used...$$$$$$$ so I eventually need to get a well done for that reason, if I ever make my lawn 'nice' vs, its green - carry on, as it is now) - its just connecting it to the main sewer out - that's not a problem in "doing it" its, if I "can" and - at this house I don't know where the main is... and its Florida - its only 1-2feet down.

So if I end up having to pay permits and "official" workings for power and water, then really the only one left is to get blueprints + permit for the house thing - and then I may as well go over 10x10 and do a 200-250sqft mini home- but if I can get away with really just paying an electrician to do a fresh run to the micro house and that's it, ill stay in the 10x10 and be able to do everything myself.

I am not trying to add value to my house, nor rent it (wife is to paranoid to have strangers... And who would rent a micro hosue anywho...) - I really just want to do it for me, for the exp and pride of building it. If it gets some use with a drop by relative for an overnight or whatnot, great - if its essentially a little detached mancave for me to go and play EQ in, fine by me.

The electric may be more simple of an ask than I think - be like "this will be my work shop, I will be running power tools, lighting and a window unit AC" as a window unit AC in sheds is not unheard of and common in FL.

As for hot water, a small standard plug instant water heater would support the need, or even a 10-15gal traditional - both that and the window unit AC should be the largest of the power needs.- instant hot water needs more umph in high and short power draw than traditional.
 
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Picasso3

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Depending on several things the electric may not be that bad, especially if you do the shit work like digging the trench yourself
 
mkopec

mkopec

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Xadion said:
I am not trying to add value to my house, nor rent it (wife is to paranoid to have strangers... And who would rent a micro hosue anywho...) - I really just want to do it for me, for the exp and pride of building it. If it gets some use with a drop by relative for an overnight or whatnot, great - if its essentially a little detached mancave for me to go and play EQ in, fine by me.
Click to expand...

Fuck yeah man, if you got the cash why not. Its like a tree house without the tree. Say fuck off to your wife and go hang out in the man cave, err shed!
 
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Picasso3

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Gutters were supposed to get done tomorrow to the tune of 2600 with guards, meet the guy for a fucking meeting to sign the paperwork at 4 today, he's over an hour late with no apology. "I think i'm going to pass you seem overloaded" "Ok thank you sir"
 
Siliconemelons

Siliconemelons

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How many feet of gutters is that! Goodness...

Guess he is doing just fine to blow off a 2600$ job.

I should replace my gutters as they are going to be in rough shape soon- I just cleaned them. I am sure yours is the same but we have people that do seamless- they roll up with a truck of rolled aluminum and you choose depth and color and it spits out full lengths with no seams. My dad was redoing his with stuff from homedepot, about 250 in product, as he was up there the guys rolled by and saw him doing it and where like "let us give you an estimate before you can't take all this back" it was 300 installed, and then some more for the mesh guards (that he didn't buy yet). He said " have your 50$ this stuffs going back. They were done by the time he returned from homedepot returning what he bought.
 
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