All Categories - The Burner Downer

Back to the Drywall

1/27/2015

While my parents are digging out of the rubble, progress continues at The Original Burner Downer. Drywall is completely hung and the mud is being applied. Mud, sand, mud, sand... you get the picture. The janky walls mean more mud than usual.

Let me just say this, there are no square corners, no even floors, nothing is plumb or level. This house will be safe and clean, like new even and if I can't find a tenant with a sense of humor, then maybe I can find one that has always wanted to live in a skate park.

To Begin Again.

1/23/2015

For those of you reading this, that are not connected to me via other social media outlets, my parents lost their home last Friday. I say that mostly to explain my absence, since the work has continued and there has been progress made, but I have been processing this event and pitching in where I could.

They are both fine. No pets. No kids at home. Everyone is fine. They have lost all of their worldly possessions, but as mom said, "it can all be replaced." Thank god everyone is alright. They've taken it on the chin and maintained a level of grace and calm that is surprising and even alarming. Are they just coping? Are they building to some great release? Will there be PTSD from this? Who knows, but for now I think everyone is just grateful.

It's a terrible situation you wouldn't wish upon anyone, but from it our family has come closer, uniting in support of our parents and for that I cannot accept that this is a senseless event with no good to take away. It is going to be tough. there are still moments of emotional breakdown, but for all the bad and all the pain, there is a light in our family and there is hope and optimism that something amazing will come from the ashes.

God speed the recovery.

Drywall, Day 02

1/22/2015

And the beat goes on...da da dun dun da

At this point I pretty much show up and just walk back and forth, up and down the hallway, just soaking it all in.

Drywall, Day 01

1/20/2015

They start with the ceilings, they fix new problems as they arise and they do their best not to laugh at my work (while I am there). They also talk me into doing more demolition and even more demolition. And yes, more demolition...

My biggest lesson: DEMO EVERYTHING!! I should have been saying, why should I keep this? Instead of, why should I remove this? So I kept more than I should have, way more. I should have just demo'd everything the first time. So now I am dealing with layers of debris everywhere, multiple clean-ups, loads to the dump and a couple of Bagsters.

Prepping for Drywall

1/19/2015

Premiere Handyman (contact me for deets, they are awesome) are now on the scene and expect to be here all week. They'll get the walls prepped for drywall and finish any final framing or other work that needs to be completed before drywall can be hung, including the subfloors in the kitchen and bath.

The 3rd Act

1/17/2015

And so begins the final act...we're getting insulation...everywhere. When we came into this home there was barely a bat of insulation, there was some aluminum foil stuffed into the walls, sanding pads stuck to the closet wall and lots and lots of expandable foam.

Now we have insulation and it is amazing, the difference. Immediately there is separation from the outside. The traffic down the block is quieter. The walls do not echo. It's starting to look like a house again. **Plus it hides those crooked studs in the middle bedroom.

Also, the electrical rough-in inspection passed! The 200 AMP Service box was installed.

It's Electric; the Saga.

1/7/2015

The process of getting the house wired, by a licensed electrician has been full of learning. So, here is the best explanation of the process I can give;
First, I hired a guy I knew, that happens to be the Chief Electrician at a large corporation. He was great. Gave me lots of free advice and pieces of wisdom. He came and checked out the house and gave me some insights about what I would have to deal with and how to manage the process. He was super helpful. One of the things he told me right away, you have to get a "Temp Pole" and get power to the place.

I agreed.

I called the local power company and they told me I'd need to pull a permit from the city. So I called the city permit office and they said that in order to pull the permit you must be an electrician licensed with the city, which my friend is not. So we reached out to a friend of his to see if we could get someone to "vouch" for us.

In the mean time, Electrician No. 1 built the temp pole (it is in one of galleries below) to the precise specs given us by the city electrical inspector.

Now, Electrician No. 2 comes into the picture, albeit rather briefly, he says that he is willing to help, would be glad to look at the temp pole and get it powered, but would also like to bid the job in totale. I am happy to have someone that wants the job, is known by Electrician No. 1 and can be a more dedicated presence at the house. However, over the next 5 days he is unavailable, our schedules don't match or his truck breaks down. I take this as a sign to move on.

Enter, Electrician No. 3 - I found him on Angie's List, he showed up on time, he seemed to know what he was talking about and he said he'd be in touch with a quote. He only made one sour comment about how, "some electricians wouldn't even take this job," but whatever, I guess I was lucky to have him.

And then he came back at about twice the amount I thought I should pay (this is somewhat obtuse since I don't have a lot of whole-house wiring experience, but still, I listened to my gut).

Enter Electrician No. 4 - This guy was definitely more of a character. He kind of busted on my friend (Electrician No. 1) and tried to poke holes in his work. He continually propped himself up on the fact that he had a city license which is, "extremely difficult to get." Other than the fact that I could have used sub-titles for his thick accent and these few derogatory comments, he seemed fine. He also said that they could get to work right away and would be back in touch with an estimate. I didn't hear from him for the next two days.

Rather than just wait for his estimate I decided it best to have a backup plan.

Enter Electrician No. 5 - this was a big company. They do the electrical work on major construction projects. I was not sure what I was getting into, but I figured it was worth taking a stab at it. The account manager showed up, was polite, professional and on-time. He walked the property and was helpful, positive and friendly. He even mentioned that he had looked at the property before I bought it and considered buying it himself. He knew the area and process for everything we'd need to do to get power reestablished. He left and called back a couple of hours later with a "not to exceed" price (which I have NEVER heard of). The price was reasonable and they could get to work right away.

Before I make a decision though - I thought I should call Electrician No. 4 back just to complete my due diligence - upon answering the call he went right into a long explanation about his license (or lack thereof) and the fact that "the feller" with the license...blah, blah, blah...something about a payday loan and the high cost of Christmas, the new year, the damn city licensing fee... TL;DR - he doesn't even have a city license!

I called back Electrician No. 5 and hired them - the next day they demoed the old wires and began running the new wire. By end of day 2 they had the recessed lighting fixtures installed and most of the wires run throughout the house. The power goes on today or tomorrow and not a moment too late. Lots going on over the next two weeks.

Lesson learned, sometimes it's just better to go with a known entity - I won't divulge the names of any of the electricians I didn't use, but McGaha is the company I am using. Top notch so far.

In with the new!

Nice cans. Kitchen.

Living Room Lights.

Can in the Can. Bathroom Light.

H2Oh

1/6/2015

The plumbing is roughed together and as far as it can be completed until we have fixtures. Thanks to Cory Smothers for his excellent plumbing work! His number is 865-684-6584 if you need a quality plumber for projects big or small.

Exciting to see things in the house that will stay in the house and really excited to see the utilities getting installed. The only thing, I was a bit unsteady when it came to the placement of fixtures - I mean, I knew they were going to ask me where I wanted everything and I had been constantly considering where I was going to put everything, but then the day comes and they say, "where is the bathroom sink going to go?" And you have to decide and it gives you pause, because it will be that way forever or at least for a long time and you don't want someone to walk in ans say, "wow, what a crappy layout."

I drew everything out, multiple times and re-arranged the space plan over and over. Walls were removed and some things were kept, but at last I think I have a workable layout.

Pex-A, Kitchen sink.

Main line (Blue) and shower drain (PVC).

Bathroom plumbing.

Washer hook-up.

Framed.

1/3/2015

Got the last bit of framing (other than a few repair jobs) ready for electrical to get roughed-in.

You Gotta Have A Favorite

12/31/2014

And this is mine.

So far, we have been working without power supply to the house and often battery powered equipment leaves us wanting more.

Not so with this Paslode Framing Nailer - it drives em deep, no hoses to pull around and the fuel cell and battery work as advertised.

I haven't had to wait on this guy yet. That is why it is my favorite tool.

EDIT: it also makes a distinct and satisfying sound when "fired."