Condo rehab hassel...Soopa, pay attention!

Dfreder2 · 07-20-2005, 6:22 PM

Sometimes, even the best laid of plans go astray...

I've posted about this before, and I know I owe you guys pics, but not until I am done and all cleaned up. Patience, patience.

I own a condo in very good shape, nice and large for one person, but in need of a repaint. I can't stand snow white walls with snow white painted (too many times) 3" trim around the floor (nothing around the windows, which many people "trim out" with the same floor trim. Top this off with all 12 doors are hersher bar chocklate brown, worse yet, made out of injection molded plastic. Very plain.

I decided if I was going to go through the hassel of painting, the doors and trim must go also. I went with red oak everywhere, stained a honey color and two coats of polyurethane. Between the trim and the 12 new doors (three of them, French), I basically stained and poly'ed for about 30 days straight. Exhausting.

Here is my downfall: I have a master carpenter (for Pella windows) doing all of the heavy lifting and installing for me (as I have cancer and am very weak), and he knows his stuff. The workmanship is superb (wait for the pics, please). However, his taste is "high" and it influenced me. We went with 4.5" tall floor trim, vs. the 3", and this took care of the nasty line that is left from old, built up paint nicely. I'm glad I did that. Expensive, though.

More importantly, Steve talked me into going "upscale" with 3.5" wide by .5" thick door casing. Ouch! $2.94 a linear foot, and I had to buy something like 60-65, 8' lenghts. But the stuff looks very nice, even regal. At this point, I decided to throw out the 25 year old vertical blinds and buy new.

Little did I know how much that extra 3.5" of trim would cost me. I took dimensions and went to home depot, and they said "no problem". A plus was that I could pick from their off the rack stuff, and they would measure and install. Nice blinds, about $600$.

So they come over and measure, and they tell me 4 out of five blinds will be too short by guess what? 3.5" due to the new trim. Their blinds are sized, exactly for standard patio doors with no trim.

So, I am forced to go custom, probably doubleing the price. Shit, but what the hell.

1killercls · 07-20-2005, 6:44 PM

but when its all said and done...

its great to see ya doing better.

**Scrib** · 07-20-2005, 6:55 PM

Dave... Does this carpenter do hardwood floor installs???

Dfreder2 · 07-20-2005, 6:57 PM

But I really am not doing any better. I am very weak. But just trying to finish what I started.

Dfreder2 · 07-20-2005, 7:05 PM

Unfortunately, they live in the FAR northwest suburbs. I doubt (due to travel time) it would be cost effective for you. I suggest you go with a very local vendor, and, good luck!

Putting down a real hardwood floor (the only one I ever did) is not difficult. You need to rent the installation tool, powered by a big hammer. However, leave the sanding, staining, and topcoating to someone else, IMO. It will be expensive, but the results will be gratifing. Plus, you won't hear that cheap "click" you hear when a woman walks by on heels with a pergo (or similar) floor.

I see you got rid of the G35. Howcome? That was a short love affair. Kids on the horizon, maybe?

SDCGTSX · 07-20-2005, 7:12 PM

I remodel condos and sell them for a living so I can understand your plight. But going standard is always the best bang for buck. There are ways around the pricey items but looking pricey. For example, there are many good 3.5" MDF base available for $1.50, door casing shouldn't be more than 3" for most condos. Same with crown, you can find good 4" MDF crown for pretty cheap. I also like to do out the kitchens with granite, which we can get done for $2000-2500 installed ($50/l.f. installed). Kitchen cabinets should be able to get done for ~$4000 for nice maple cabinets. Installation is usually the costly part. Find a good handyman you can pay about $20-25 / hour. That'll save a lot of money over a contractor.

I'm Batman · 07-20-2005, 7:55 PM

Hang in there Dave, good health is on its way. BTW what treatments are you under going?

chef chris · 07-20-2005, 10:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SDCGTSX

I remodel condos and sell them for a living so I can understand your plight. But going standard is always the best bang for buck. There are ways around the pricey items but looking pricey. For example, there are many good 3.5" MDF base available for $1.50, door casing shouldn't be more than 3" for most condos. Same with crown, you can find good 4" MDF crown for pretty cheap. I also like to do out the kitchens with granite, which we can get done for $2000-2500 installed ($50/l.f. installed). Kitchen cabinets should be able to get done for ~$4000 for nice maple cabinets. Installation is usually the costly part. Find a good handyman you can pay about $20-25 / hour. That'll save a lot of money over a contractor.

I've done the same...but cabinets aren't that hard to install either...saves you a TON by hanging them yourself. As long as you are good at scribing trim/molding...you're golden.

soopa · 07-20-2005, 11:45 PM

Shit, I feel ya.

The house was ours on Monday, but we didn't get a chance to get in there to "play" until today. Already spent $400 just on preppers, primer, and trim paint.

Then there's painting. $300 in paint. Endless hours of sanding/stripping/cleaning/masking.

Then, I've already decided to completely gut the kitchen. There's 10-15k there.

Then I've got to get furniture for just about every room... there's 10k.

Then there's that new TV I can't seem to convince myself I don't need. 5k.

Then there's the bathrooms. Ugh. New Tile, New Fixtures. Plus there's not alot of room, so I'm thinking that Kohler Purist Hatbox toilet. $7-8k total.

Then I've gotta fix the chimney... $800.

Then I gotta tear up and re-pave the driveway... $2000.

Then sealing/painting the garage... $500... $1000?

What did I get myself into.

soopa · 07-20-2005, 11:51 PM

Scrib, why not do the floors yourself? Everyone seems to have done it themselves, and say no problem.

Never looks difficult on TV either. heh.

I'll probably refinish the existing floors myself, and hire someone to do the new install in the kitchen. I've heard only about $500-1000

soopa · 07-20-2005, 11:55 PM

Home & Garden sub-forum?

Edr0e · 07-21-2005, 12:23 AM

Dave its great to hear from you !!!

Id say you go for it ! I recently had an interior designer do custom blinds for me and im so satisfied

Right now im in the middle of replacing my my carpet for hardwood floor .

**Silver™** · 07-21-2005, 12:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by soopa

Home & Garden sub-forum?

As a new homeowner I say

SDCGTSX · 07-21-2005, 1:03 AM

Good idea. Home & Garden. Too bad I can't do anything to my condo....

**Scrib** · 07-21-2005, 7:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by soopa

Scrib, why not do the floors yourself? Everyone seems to have done it themselves, and say no problem.

Never looks difficult on TV either. heh.

I'll probably refinish the existing floors myself, and hire someone to do the new install in the kitchen. I've heard only about $500-1000

I've gone back and forth about doing it myself. If I was doing to do laminate

I would do it myself.

But 3/4" hardwood is a different beast. Labor would only cost me $750 for the room I want to have done and the project would be completed in 2 days. For the money and time, I think it'd be worth it.

**GreenMonster** · 07-21-2005, 9:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by soopa

Home & Garden sub-forum?

Nicky Pass · 07-21-2005, 9:28 AM

I knew I was growing up when I started to look at couches and wall paint...and not wheels and intakes!

**Scrib** · 07-21-2005, 9:31 AM

Moving to new Home & Garden forum...

Reddly9007 · 07-21-2005, 9:37 AM

holy crap soopa, do you wish you bought a new home? good luck with all that crap, when its all said and done you'll love your place, granted your paying an arm and a leg to get it like that.

soopa · 07-21-2005, 10:06 AM

Reddly... naaaaa. I hate new homes. They're soo boring and use such shitty materials. No character.

What I like about this place, is when I strip everything down... there's thick mahogony, maple, oak, and pine, under everything. In same condition it was in 1920.

soopa · 07-21-2005, 10:07 AM

plus, you can't buy NEW homes within the city limits anyway. new homes are for suburbs...

eve · 07-21-2005, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by soopa

What did I get myself into.

I keep asking myself the same question but it will be worth it in the end.

I'm remodeling 2 bathrooms, putting hardwood floors in living-room/dinning-room, new carpets in bedrooms, painting, changing lighting, etc. Last night was the first time I saw my "new and improved" unit but there is still a lot of work that needs to be done. One of the bathroom tiles is on the back order and might take another week to get here. Tonight I'm going to pick out vanity cabinets for both bathrooms as well as mirrors and granite countertops. Still have to buy new closet doors, lights, and small miscellaneous items. I don't want to think how much money I already spent but it's not even over yet. I won't be moving until the end of August, maybe early September.

On the other hand, I shouldn't complain about labor charges. My dad does that kind of work for a living so I'm getting a "family discount". Also, many of his friends offered to help for almost no charge, which is saving me a ton of money.

And Home Depot/Lowe's became my second home. Every spare moment I have, I'm there.

By the way - Home & Garden sub-forum is a great idea.

Dfreder2 · 07-21-2005, 11:09 AM

For my condo rehab:

I had to buy two gallons of stain at about $25 per,
3 gallons of polyurethane at about $32 per,
5 gallons of paint, about $120,
good, large canvas dropcloth about $25,
brushes, rollers, painting pans, misc supplies, about $100,
1 double prehung red oak (60" wide) french door, one single prehung french door, 3 six panel prehung doors, 6, six panel bifold doors (all made by Jen-Weld), $2976.
Blinds to cover 3-72"W x 85" H sliding glass doors, 1-42"W x 60" H window and 1-100"W x 85" H window, custom made and cut, estimating $1,200 to $1,500,
Base trim and door casing, about $1,800,
Labor for carpenter @ $20 per hour (cheap, he's a friend), about $1,200.

Estimated total: $7,860.

Sounds like a lot, and it is, but wait until you see the pics, probably in two weeks or so.

And Eric: bite the bullet and put in a REAL 3/4" hardwood floor. You'll be glad you did. It is NOT hard to do, and at least it can be refinished when necessary. Try that with a pergo floor.

**Scrib** · 07-21-2005, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dfreder2

And Eric: bite the bullet and put in a REAL 3/4" hardwood floor. You'll be glad you did. It is NOT hard to do, and at least it can be refinished when necessary. Try that with a pergo floor.

i'm 100% committed to 3/4" hardwood. Pergo was ruled out a long time ago.

Dfreder2 · 07-21-2005, 12:02 PM

I used to moonlight on Saturdays as a simple laborer for my friend Mike who owns his own hardwood installing service. He must be doing something right, he's a millionaire now. Of course, putting down hardwood floors in a shopping center or two, well, the bucks add up quick, I suppose.

Anyway, back around 1978 Mike got hired by a Doctor to hardwood floor his dining room in Barrington, IL (which is very affluent). I'm not suggesting you do this, just relating a story.

When it came time to finish the floor, we were both rather shocked that the Doc specified a high gloss JET BLACK stain and topcoat. The base trim was to be high gloss black also. We did so, and after the floor was cured we came back in a couple of days and helped him place his new dining room furniture.

The walls were snow white. The new furniture consisted of an eight place dining room table and chairs and a china cabinet, all in high gloss black. Period.

I think it was the most stunning room I have ever seen. Absolutely beautiful.

And glad to hear you are dedicated to a real hardwood floor. Tip: look into (if oak) "quarter sawn" flooring. It will cost a little more, but has a different and prettier grain exposed. Don't expect home depot to carry this, you probably will need to visit a hardwood supplier. It's hard to explain, but the difference is like metal flake paint vs. non metal flake paint on a car. More pizzaz.

soopa · 07-21-2005, 12:08 PM

Yeah, I like the look of ebony hardwood flooring.

If I end up having to lay new hardwood in the kitchen (after figuring out just what is under the two layers of linoleum) I will probably do something rather dark as I'd want it to contrast sharply with the lighter floors throughout the rest of the house.

07-20-2005, 6:22 PM	#1
Dfreder2 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2005 Age: 56 Posts: 1,030	Condo rehab hassel...Soopa, pay attention! Sometimes, even the best laid of plans go astray... I've posted about this before, and I know I owe you guys pics, but not until I am done and all cleaned up. Patience, patience. I own a condo in very good shape, nice and large for one person, but in need of a repaint. I can't stand snow white walls with snow white painted (too many times) 3" trim around the floor (nothing around the windows, which many people "trim out" with the same floor trim. Top this off with all 12 doors are hersher bar chocklate brown, worse yet, made out of injection molded plastic. Very plain. I decided if I was going to go through the hassel of painting, the doors and trim must go also. I went with red oak everywhere, stained a honey color and two coats of polyurethane. Between the trim and the 12 new doors (three of them, French), I basically stained and poly'ed for about 30 days straight. Exhausting. Here is my downfall: I have a master carpenter (for Pella windows) doing all of the heavy lifting and installing for me (as I have cancer and am very weak), and he knows his stuff. The workmanship is superb (wait for the pics, please). However, his taste is "high" and it influenced me. We went with 4.5" tall floor trim, vs. the 3", and this took care of the nasty line that is left from old, built up paint nicely. I'm glad I did that. Expensive, though. More importantly, Steve talked me into going "upscale" with 3.5" wide by .5" thick door casing. Ouch! $2.94 a linear foot, and I had to buy something like 60-65, 8' lenghts. But the stuff looks very nice, even regal. At this point, I decided to throw out the 25 year old vertical blinds and buy new. Little did I know how much that extra 3.5" of trim would cost me. I took dimensions and went to home depot, and they said "no problem". A plus was that I could pick from their off the rack stuff, and they would measure and install. Nice blinds, about $600$. So they come over and measure, and they tell me 4 out of five blinds will be too short by guess what? 3.5" due to the new trim. Their blinds are sized, exactly for standard patio doors with no trim. So, I am forced to go custom, probably doubleing the price. Shit, but what the hell.

07-20-2005, 6:57 PM	#4
Dfreder2 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2005 Age: 56 Posts: 1,030	Thanks for the thought, Bill... But I really am not doing any better. I am very weak. But just trying to finish what I started.

07-20-2005, 7:05 PM	#5
Dfreder2 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2005 Age: 56 Posts: 1,030	No, Scrib, but I know those who do. Unfortunately, they live in the FAR northwest suburbs. I doubt (due to travel time) it would be cost effective for you. I suggest you go with a very local vendor, and, good luck! Putting down a real hardwood floor (the only one I ever did) is not difficult. You need to rent the installation tool, powered by a big hammer. However, leave the sanding, staining, and topcoating to someone else, IMO. It will be expensive, but the results will be gratifing. Plus, you won't hear that cheap "click" you hear when a woman walks by on heels with a pergo (or similar) floor. I see you got rid of the G35. Howcome? That was a short love affair. Kids on the horizon, maybe?

07-21-2005, 11:09 AM	#23
Dfreder2 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2005 Age: 56 Posts: 1,030	Just for the record... For my condo rehab: I had to buy two gallons of stain at about $25 per, 3 gallons of polyurethane at about $32 per, 5 gallons of paint, about $120, good, large canvas dropcloth about $25, brushes, rollers, painting pans, misc supplies, about $100, 1 double prehung red oak (60" wide) french door, one single prehung french door, 3 six panel prehung doors, 6, six panel bifold doors (all made by Jen-Weld), $2976. Blinds to cover 3-72"W x 85" H sliding glass doors, 1-42"W x 60" H window and 1-100"W x 85" H window, custom made and cut, estimating $1,200 to $1,500, Base trim and door casing, about $1,800, Labor for carpenter @ $20 per hour (cheap, he's a friend), about $1,200. Estimated total: $7,860. Sounds like a lot, and it is, but wait until you see the pics, probably in two weeks or so. And Eric: bite the bullet and put in a REAL 3/4" hardwood floor. You'll be glad you did. It is NOT hard to do, and at least it can be refinished when necessary. Try that with a pergo floor.

07-21-2005, 12:02 PM	#25
Dfreder2 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2005 Age: 56 Posts: 1,030	Eric: back when I was younger... I used to moonlight on Saturdays as a simple laborer for my friend Mike who owns his own hardwood installing service. He must be doing something right, he's a millionaire now. Of course, putting down hardwood floors in a shopping center or two, well, the bucks add up quick, I suppose. Anyway, back around 1978 Mike got hired by a Doctor to hardwood floor his dining room in Barrington, IL (which is very affluent). I'm not suggesting you do this, just relating a story. When it came time to finish the floor, we were both rather shocked that the Doc specified a high gloss JET BLACK stain and topcoat. The base trim was to be high gloss black also. We did so, and after the floor was cured we came back in a couple of days and helped him place his new dining room furniture. The walls were snow white. The new furniture consisted of an eight place dining room table and chairs and a china cabinet, all in high gloss black. Period. I think it was the most stunning room I have ever seen. Absolutely beautiful. And glad to hear you are dedicated to a real hardwood floor. Tip: look into (if oak) "quarter sawn" flooring. It will cost a little more, but has a different and prettier grain exposed. Don't expect home depot to carry this, you probably will need to visit a hardwood supplier. It's hard to explain, but the difference is like metal flake paint vs. non metal flake paint on a car. More pizzaz.

07-20-2005, 6:44 PM	#2
1killercls Full of myself. Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Clearwater, Fla. Posts: 33,130	but when its all said and done... its great to see ya doing better.

07-20-2005, 6:55 PM	#3
Scrib Administrator Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Northwest IN Age: 31 Posts: 23,240	Dave... Does this carpenter do hardwood floor installs???

07-20-2005, 7:12 PM	#6
SDCGTSX Registered User Join Date: Jul 2005 Age: 31 Posts: 1,208	I remodel condos and sell them for a living so I can understand your plight. But going standard is always the best bang for buck. There are ways around the pricey items but looking pricey. For example, there are many good 3.5" MDF base available for $1.50, door casing shouldn't be more than 3" for most condos. Same with crown, you can find good 4" MDF crown for pretty cheap. I also like to do out the kitchens with granite, which we can get done for $2000-2500 installed ($50/l.f. installed). Kitchen cabinets should be able to get done for ~$4000 for nice maple cabinets. Installation is usually the costly part. Find a good handyman you can pay about $20-25 / hour. That'll save a lot of money over a contractor.

07-20-2005, 7:55 PM	#7
I'm Batman Boom goes the Dynamite Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Moore, SC Age: 48 Posts: 1,670	Hang in there Dave, good health is on its way. BTW what treatments are you under going?

07-20-2005, 11:45 PM	#9
soopa Alumni Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: Albany, NY Age: 26 Posts: 137,694	Shit, I feel ya. The house was ours on Monday, but we didn't get a chance to get in there to "play" until today. Already spent $400 just on preppers, primer, and trim paint. Then there's painting. $300 in paint. Endless hours of sanding/stripping/cleaning/masking. Then, I've already decided to completely gut the kitchen. There's 10-15k there. Then I've got to get furniture for just about every room... there's 10k. Then there's that new TV I can't seem to convince myself I don't need. 5k. Then there's the bathrooms. Ugh. New Tile, New Fixtures. Plus there's not alot of room, so I'm thinking that Kohler Purist Hatbox toilet. $7-8k total. Then I've gotta fix the chimney... $800. Then I gotta tear up and re-pave the driveway... $2000. Then sealing/painting the garage... $500... $1000? What did I get myself into.

07-20-2005, 11:51 PM	#10
soopa Alumni Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: Albany, NY Age: 26 Posts: 137,694	Scrib, why not do the floors yourself? Everyone seems to have done it themselves, and say no problem. Never looks difficult on TV either. heh. I'll probably refinish the existing floors myself, and hire someone to do the new install in the kitchen. I've heard only about $500-1000

07-20-2005, 11:55 PM	#11
soopa Alumni Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: Albany, NY Age: 26 Posts: 137,694	Home & Garden sub-forum?

07-21-2005, 12:23 AM	#12
Edr0e Evolution IX > sTi =P Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Los Angeles, Ca Age: 27 Posts: 2,941	Dave its great to hear from you !!! Id say you go for it ! I recently had an interior designer do custom blinds for me and im so satisfied Right now im in the middle of replacing my my carpet for hardwood floor .

07-21-2005, 1:03 AM	#14
SDCGTSX Registered User Join Date: Jul 2005 Age: 31 Posts: 1,208	Good idea. Home & Garden. Too bad I can't do anything to my condo....

07-21-2005, 9:28 AM	#17
Nicky Pass Fuct in the hed! Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Chicagoland-ish Age: 29 Posts: 13,991	I knew I was growing up when I started to look at couches and wall paint...and not wheels and intakes!

07-21-2005, 9:31 AM	#18
Scrib Administrator Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Northwest IN Age: 31 Posts: 23,240	Moving to new Home & Garden forum...

07-21-2005, 9:37 AM	#19
Reddly9007 Stay or leave Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Orlando, FL Age: 28 Posts: 1,222	holy crap soopa, do you wish you bought a new home? good luck with all that crap, when its all said and done you'll love your place, granted your paying an arm and a leg to get it like that.

07-21-2005, 10:06 AM	#20
soopa Alumni Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: Albany, NY Age: 26 Posts: 137,694	Reddly... naaaaa. I hate new homes. They're soo boring and use such shitty materials. No character. What I like about this place, is when I strip everything down... there's thick mahogony, maple, oak, and pine, under everything. In same condition it was in 1920.

07-21-2005, 10:07 AM	#21
soopa Alumni Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: Albany, NY Age: 26 Posts: 137,694	plus, you can't buy NEW homes within the city limits anyway. new homes are for suburbs...

07-21-2005, 12:08 PM	#26
soopa Alumni Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: Albany, NY Age: 26 Posts: 137,694	Yeah, I like the look of ebony hardwood flooring. If I end up having to lay new hardwood in the kitchen (after figuring out just what is under the two layers of linoleum) I will probably do something rather dark as I'd want it to contrast sharply with the lighter floors throughout the rest of the house.