House renovation

Getting closer. Blinds went up yesterday. Closet storage systems almost done. Step railing is up (didn't get a picture). Bathroom fan gets replaced Saturday. Appliances come on Tuesday (dry spell and mud is an issue). Met today with the GC's brother who runs a landscaping business, talked about our plans and gave him a deposit to get in queue (beginning of April) to redo a lot of drainage, plantings, and a patio with a fire pit, walkways, and a driveway redo.

We plan to start moving back in soon and hopefully be reinserted by the end of March.

Still need a few things like shower door and we're going to replace a window where the seal failed, but that's minor.

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Hit a slight hiccup. The GC noticed there were no gas lines run to the water heater. Turns out the plumbers and HVAC guys both thought the other one was going to do it. Now, I’m told the plumber will need to get a “permit” (argh) just for this task, do the work, get an ‘inspection’ (argh again) and this will undoubtedly incur more cost as well as delay.
 
Who makes that closet system? I need to do one in mine once I move the attic access, and that one looks easy enough to not have to do much custom fab work.
 
Supermatch said:
Who makes that closet system? I need to do one in mine once I move the attic access, and that one looks easy enough to not have to do much custom fab work.
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Those are Closetmaide from Amazon. If you really want a good system. California Closets is the bees knees, which my parents house and my wife’s shop has, but you’ll pay $. My wife says that she chose Closetmaide over easy track (made by Rubbermaid) which had bad reviews.,

The contractor said that the Closetmaide was a bit of work and took some effort, but went together easily enough. They are meticulous, though, so I’m sure they took their time.
 
Hey @mostly22lately

Two runs of LMR400 and grounding strap to the radio room. There are two ground rods at this location (they could only get them 6-1/2 feet before hitting a big rock). They ran short on ground wire and are coming back, but the grind rods will bond to the house ground at the electrical panel. I will mount a panel will have poly phasers in it and use copper strap to the ground rods. Need to get the contractor to come out with a tall ladder and mount the x700 antenna to the roof peak. Need to rent a trencher and run coax up to where the HF antena will go. This is one step closer, though.

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all of this is amazing progress, Matt

the peace of mind of having the earthing done well will yield years of dividends
 
Seems like we're taking one step forward and two steps back.

Appliances got delivered this morning. Fridge is plugged in, cold, and water line is hooked to water box and ready to be flushed. Electric clothes dryer is installed and working. Washing machine is out of the storage unit, but needs new water lines. The cabinet trim on the beverage fridge is 24" at the top, but 1/2" short at the bottom. Cabinet guys coming Wednesday to fix this and a couple more issues. The dishwasher will be installed by plumber. The two bigger issues are:

1) I think I mentioned above, nobody ran a gas (propane) line to the water heater. The water heater is capable of up to 199,900 BTU/Hr requiring a 3/4" line. At present, there is concern that the manifold installed by the HVAC contractor may be too small to accommodate the unit and it is being investigated.

2) The kicker issue is that we (nobody did) realize that the kitchen range is a dual fuel (gas burners and electric oven) requiring propane AND 240Vac. The electricians are going to need to add a 240Vac outlet after we took one out, though it was probably an old 3 wire one where a 4 wire is needed. Ugh.

We think the range will fit in the opening, but it will be close with a question of about 1/16th" of an inch. The counters were installed correctly, coming right to the edge of the cabinets where the trim is slightly thicker on the front edge. Worst case is if it doesn't fit, the stone guys will need to come out and trim it slightly.
 
Shower door got installed yesterday. I’ll need to get a picture. It’s clear glass with oiled bronze that matches the rest of the hardware. Except for being on display :oops: in the shower, it is a really nice display of the tile, etc.

Electricians should be on site Monday to correct the stove outlet (need 240vac). Got a $1,700 quote for running a gas line to the water heater and refused it. Said, “see what the plumbers quote”. Should have that early next week.

Sucks to be so close, yet so far. This trailer gets smaller every day.
 
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Shower door installed:
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However, we took a step forward and a few steps back.
1) The stove / range we thought was propane only, but turns out it is dual fuel with a 240Vac electric oven. However, we took out the old 240Vac circuit for it. Electrician is putting one in, maybe tomorrow as they'll be here doing some wiring lights on the chicken coop.
2) There is a beverage fridge but I suspect the original wall (1971) was a little out of square and the opening at the counter was 24" but it was only 23-1/2" at the bottom. Oops. That got fixed.
3) The dishwasher electrical was wired on the wrong side and the cord is 1' too short. The GC is getting them a new cord. Otherwise, they would turn the water on to the house again.
4) The HVAC and Plumbers both thought the other was going to do a gas line for the water heater (see picture above). We are going from an electric tank to a gas on demand with recirculation. So we need a gas line. The GC contacted the HVAC guys as they did the rest of the gas work, and apparently the rule is which ever trade touches it does it all. They quoted $1,700 to run a line from the manifold (under the house) that connects the other appliances. I said, "hold the presses, that's HIGH". Finally got the plumber out to look at it to get a quote from them. He came out today and said, "that won't work." It will fire with one faucet going, but if you start a second you won't have enough gas pressure and it will flame out and fault. :mad: Said to get the propane company to run a new line and put in a second regulator.

Contacted the propane company and about 1/2 hour later they asked if I could meet them out there to look at it. They came out a little bit ago and said that it will be fairly easy. They'll put a T in the supply line, run a line to the water heater and put a second regulator in and hook it up. They agreed with the plumber that if we ran it off the manifold it wouldn't work. Looking back over the pricing from when they ran the lines from the tank to the house and generator a few months ago, the job should be under $500 including if I have to buy the regulator (right now, I rent the tank. Was going to buy and bury but decided to save $10k as it's already over budget). They said it won't be Monday but they'll get to it pretty quickly.

Wife is going out of town next week. We're hoping the following week we will be able to start moving stuff back in and put enough stuff in to be able to stay in the house.
 
Ugh, one step forward, one step back. The 240vac outlet has been installed for the range. Tomorrow mornings adventure will be going and getting joint compound, joint tape, and sanding screen. They cut out a small section of the wall behind the stove and most of the wall below the breaker panel. I had a feeling that was going to happen.

Technically, the GC is responsible, but he likely won’t have the painter do the work and I think I do better Sheetrock repair, so I am going to get ahead of the curve and just do it.

First step, widen the crack where they put the pieces back. Step two, apply mud. Step three apply tape and flatten with trowel. Step 4 wait. Let the mud pull the tape into the crack as it dries. Then mud the top side. If it gets too soft, apply primer to seal it and then mud it.

When we sold the house in HP, I fixed all the cracks above the doors, etc. you couldn't even tell it was ever cracked, let alone fixed.
 
Went to Lowe's and got $40 worth of supplies. Looked at the big sheetrock cut under the breaker panel and saw where they screwed it back, it was recessed almost 1/4". Didn't want to fill it with mud, so I came back to the shop, got a screw gun, some Sheetrock screws, and a little piece of wood. Took the panel out, saw where the wall stud was recessed a little there, attached the wood to the wall board and then put the panel back in. Measured tape, put mud on the wall, going out far enough so that it adheres at the edges and taped it. Now I'll let it dry till tomorrow and then put mud on top. I'll likely let that dry, sand it, and then hit it with primer to seal it so I can then mud and sand the joint smooth to where it will be invisible.

Looks a little messy at this stage, but my goal is to get the tape to suck into the joint/crack. The excess on the wall will sand right off and a thin layer of mud will make for a smooth transition.

Did the same thing behind the stove, but not going to be quite as particular. It too was recessed in part of it, but I just put some mud in there. The hard part is there is no room to maneuver the knife. Will need to trim the joint paper slightly as I accidentally overlapped it. What you see on the floor is dust from where they cut the Sheetrock.

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We have water.

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Edit to add: the water heater fired up, which is great, but the plumbers forgot to install the end of line loop back for the recirculating system. The main plumber came out a little later with the materials for it and they were working on that this afternoon. They also needed to hookup the dishwasher and flush the line for the refrigerator and connect it.

The GC fixed the walls the electrician damaged.

The appliance company is on schedule to come out now and hook up the stove, which is the LAST thing for final inspection.

After 9 months we’re within spitting distance of being able to go home.
 
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Update. Appliances got installed today. Range / oven with downdraft in place and working, both electric and gas. Refrigerator making ice. Beverage fridge cooling and apparently working. Washing machine, had been in storage for 9 mo, didn’t want to activate hot water at first, turn it to hot, cold water flowed, turn off cold, only hummed, but when they checked it out it worked. Dryer door reversed like wife wanted. Dishwasher powered up and I assume water on.

Turned water to house back on this AM and water heater on. Checked house a few hours later for leaks and again this evening.

Need to look into water heater recirculate schedule as I turned a faucet on this evening and it was warm to cool and then got hot after running. May not have been set.

Final inspection scheduled for Tuesday. Fingers crossed. We’re going home, soon.
 
So, with all the one step forward, one back, you finally backed around to... close? :)

Looking great! Hope the delay-related angst(s) fade quickly when the reoccpation happens.
 
Windini said:
So, with all the one step forward, one back, you finally backed around to... close?
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That and the GC has been paid, save the $650 invoice from the electricians to install the 240vac circuit for the range. The GC and I did a combination of repair work on the Sheetrock and I think the cost is sunk.

At this point I will say that if anyone needs construction work in the greater Chatham area of the Piedmont, consider PH Construction (Patrick Haggerty of Siler City) who has exceeded our expectations. It’s mostly a father - son team with some added helpers as needed. They do all the work that isn’t MEP trade. Their skill at framing, siding, doors and windows, etc is very good and they’re very detail oriented. He even handled complex issues like building temporary framing walls to support modifying load bearing walls and support of a roofline while building a new exterior wall for a carport. Speaking of the carport, they knew we wanted to put a pool table on it, and the floor joists are both nailed in place, with a triple beam on pillars in the middle, and then reinforced with hangers. It’s not going anywhere.

I can honestly say, that I do believe that he does the right thing, because it’s the right thing to do.
 
We passed final inspection today.

Now begins the process of going home.

They are trying to charge a $240 “re inspection” fee which we think is from the HVAC contractor that pulled a permit in Dec of 2022 and didn’t complete the job until this one (different permit, under the GC) but we’re verifying.

Honestly, the HVAC company has turned to shit since getting bought out by a “service company” I just might hit them with a small claims suit over it, just to piss them off.
 
Got some furniture delivered this morning and appliances in place. Furniture needs repair and they’re going to send someone. Unfortunately, the last inspection wasn’t the “final” that’s Tuesday. Should be a formality. Supposedly this last one was a redo of the stuff that “failed” previously, but what that was, I don’t know. Now we need to order rugs.

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Lookin' good!

Did Randolph get whatever permission they needed to cross the tracks yet?
 
House passed official final inspection today. I showed up a few minutes after the inspector and just behind the guy who came to go through and service the HVAC system, as it had been through renovation and developed an issue where the t-stat stopped reading the zone dampers. I had gone out earlier, and unlocked the doors, but misplaced the key in the hidden description. He said he was just about to call someone and I mentioned I came by and unlocked the doors but took the key because we had furniture in there. He understood and said he didn’t even think to try the door.

Didn’t take him long and he said he was all good. Spent more time talking about joining the local billiard pool club.

GC messaged later and said it’s officially filed and they issued a certificate of compliance. July 31St 2023 to April 2nd 2024. Took longer and cost more than new construction, however the basic structure is solid and uses stronger wood than you can buy today. I almost would have liked to repurpose some of the 2x4s they removed in the new framing. The wood is SO much denser.

I plan on taking Friday off from work, and we’re going to officially go home, with the three cats and the dog. Three more nights in this trailer.

I’m going to trade it to the GC in exchange for moving the vestibule (see early pictures) and converting it into an intermediate chicken coop for when they’re ready to be out if a brooder, but not yet ready to integrate. It is failing, floors are soft, mostly from leaks undoubtedly @Get Off My Lawn can relate, I’m sure and needs work, but I think he has the skill set to resurrect it and it could serve him for another 10 years. Otherwise the mechanical systems work … we’re running the AC now.

Deep breath. The ordeal is almost over.
 
Well, tonight is the first night back in the house. Wife has gone to bed. Cats are somewhere in the bedroom. They don’t remember their house. Dog is calm, but she’s been here a lot in the interim.Cats are disjoint, they don’t remember their home from 9 mo ago. We made dinner, though it was late. Made some pasta sauce with onions, peppers, mushrooms, and canned tomatoes. Coated some chicken thighs with flour, dipped in egg, and then seasoned panko and Parmesan. Finished them in the oven. I enjoyed cooking. Served over sauce with chicken. My god, it’s been almost a year since I’v had a functional kitchen.
 
noway2 said:
Well, tonight is the first night back in the house. Wife has gone to bed. Cats are somewhere in the bedroom. They don’t remember their house. Dog is calm, but she’s been here a lot in the interim.Cats are disjoint, they don’t remember their home from 9 mo ago. We made dinner, though it was late. Made some pasta sauce with onions, peppers, mushrooms, and canned tomatoes. Coated some chicken thighs with flour, dipped in egg, and then seasoned panko and Parmesan. Finished them in the oven. I enjoyed cooking. Served over sauce with chicken. My god, it’s been almost a year since I’v had a functional kitchen.
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Congrats, I CAN’T WAIT!
 
Interesting twist ….

We noticed around the time the floors got finished, and hence the house got more closed up, windows, doors, etc. that occasionally we would get a sewer smell from the new bathroom area. 😗 it was intermittent.

On Friday, I came in with the GC and noticed it, and asked if he smelled it too, which he did. We ran water in all the traps, thinking it may have dried out. I turned the bathroom fan on, which in retrospect I think made it worse rather then better.

When we got up this morning, I smelled it again. Obviously not a dry trap. Hmm. I opened a window slightly and felt air rushing in. 😏 Left window cracked all day, no sewer smell. Wife commented that it was noticeable after she’d run the dryer, turn on a bathroom fan, or we’d cook and use the stove down draft. Hmm.

I suspect that in the process of renovating, we tightened the air envelope of the house up. We insulated around the windows where there were significant gaps, we went from R11 to R15 in most of the house, we replaced the doors with large air gaps, we sealed up around the attic hatch access, etc.

I think the current fireplace (chimney) is also an air draw and I plan to seal it up with a vented gas insert, but I don’t think that’s the entire culprite.

Hence, now when something sucks air out of the house, it’s sealed well enough that it’s pulling intake air in from an undesirable source, the sewer. Saw a similar thing in our travel trailer of you turned on a roof exhaust with the windows closed.

Thinking at a minimum, I may need to add an intake air damper, but those pull in hot humid air in the summer, and cold dry air in the winter, the opposite of what you want. Consequently, I am wondering if I need to add an ERV to the HVAC to bring in outside air? To be honest, my parents have one and have never opened their windows and the air quality is very fresh. Might be a worthwhile investment. Damn it.
 
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Any chance there's a blocked vent pipe? Have you gone around and sniffed the drains individually? You can use rubber stoppers to plug up the sinks and remove them one by one to try and pinpoint it.
 
Supermatch said:
Any chance there's a blocked vent pipe? Have you gone around and sniffed the drains individually? You can use rubber stoppers to plug up the sinks and remove them one by one to try and pinpoint it.
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That is a possibility. The plumbing was redone, except for cutting the vent pipes at about chest height and then putting some sort of banding clamp between the old a new.

No, we haven’t sniffed the drains individually, but it’s certainly from one bath, which should also be the closest to the sewer. Interestingly where the stench is coming from is the completely new bathroom that should have a new vent pipe.(or did per the pictures).
 
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Did any drains get moved, as in relocated? Off chance there might be an old uncapped tube somewhere?
 
Windini said:
Did any drains get moved, as in relocated? Off chance there might be an old uncapped tube somewhere?
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Everything got redone and old stuff should have been removed, but I haven’t been under the house to check. All the stuff coming up from the floor is new PVC.
 
Nothing like furniture to make a house feel smaller. Hired a crew of movers today. 5-1/2 hours hauling stuff. The Pod / Unit in front of the house is all but empty. The storage facility in Sanford is empty, except some artwork my wife wants to handle. All our stuff from High Point is either gone or in here. It’s just about the end of an ordeal or an era.
 
noway2 said:
It’s just about the end of an ordeal or an era.
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Try to look at it in a positive light: it's not only the end of an ordeal; it's also the start of new ones! :)

Hope you find many moments of contentment in a comfy chair in the new-ified digs.
 
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