Chain of Events keeping me away for now

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I’m afraid I haven’t had much time to visit the Forum lately let alone contribute anything but I wanted to drop a note saying I miss everyone and hope to be back around in a couple of months.

Our water heater broke about 2 months ago setting off a chain reaction that will eventually be very nice for us but for now it’s really very inconvienient. Our house was built in 1953, is small and has never been updated or remodeled. We planned to redo the bathroom, kitchen/dining area and living room at some point but never got around to it because the changes all interconnect and need to be tackled as a group.

So the water heater breaks damaging walls and flooring in part of the house. Insurance comes in to start repairs but has to remove parts of the walls in the bathroom, guest bedroom, hallway, living room and kitchen to allow drying. In addition to the walls the laminate flooring had to be removed in the same rooms and also a little bit leading into each of the rest of the rooms. The kitchen cabinets had to be torn out to reach some of walls. They also found asbestos (of course) which added additional time to the removal of some of the walls and flooring. Now for the Chain of Events…

We installed the new water heater outside which freed up the water heater closet. Since the plumber was redoing that and the chase walls were exposed I had him repipe all the plumbing with copper. Since the Water Heater Closet already had water and gas supplied to it we bought a small combo clothes washer/dryer unit to fit the closet. Removing the washer from the kitchen (remember old style house) meant we could move the fridge and replace the portable dishwasher with a built-in unit, but, that called for new cabinets. A completely new Kitchen layout and new cabinets meant new counter tops, new granite meant we could finally use a kohler sink we’ve been holding on to for years. We wanted the sink in a corner so when we re-plumbed for that and the new Clothes washer we went ahead and had new plumbing put in for a stall shower instead of the tub which we never use. We tore the bathroom and the kitchen down to the studs and tore out half the wall that separated the living room from the kitchen to make a larger feeling area. I’m also insulating all exterior walls and replacing the old single pane windows as we go.

With the exception of the plumber and granite guy we’re doing everything ourselves. So far we’ve finished the three bedrooms and just have the tile floor in the bathroom left and the wood floor in the hall way and the back half of the house will be finished. I’m guessing about a month each for the kitchen and living room before we’re completely done.

Just wanted to say Hi and I’ll be back in a while, got a little long winded there but it’s been a very busy few months. I’ll gather some before / after pictures to post later.

Take Care Everyone, Mike
 
Sorry to hear about the unfortunate water heater issues. But of course things could always be worse. Silver lining is you are getting the updated house good luck with everything. Steve
 
Thanks for the update, kraffty and good luck with the remodeling!
 
Mike, you made me tired just reading all of that! No fun now but hopefully worth it later. My Mom had water damage on two floors last year, opened walls to dry, etc. She's happy now that it is done, wasn't a happy camper then.

Thanks for sharing and keep us up to date. And yes pictures are required! (I'd say pictures or it didn't happen but you might drive cross country just for the opportunity to choke me).
 
Some inconvenience, but it'll be nice to have all those updates. Hopefully, insurance takes care of a good chunk of it. We'll be here when you return and will keep your spot open at the bar. Good luck with the rest of the work. ;)
 
Thanks for the update... Glad to hear about how you turned a disaster into a fun remodel..

One question (and most important)... How are you upgrading your winemaking space?????

:)
 
Haha, I can relate to the never-ending snowball of projects... this too will pass...
 
I worked from home last week dedicating most of my time to the remodel and the back half of the house is Done! All fresh paint, floors, fixtures, trim and moldings installed. Even shoehorned in the washer/dryer where the water heater stood and finished the bathroom. Here are a few pictures including some step by steps in the bathroom. Hard to believe it's already been 3 months since the flood but all the work is starting to come together for us.
We're working exclusively on the kitchen now and hoping to wrap it up in a few weeks.
Back in the office today and resting up a bit, boy am I one sore puppy.
Mike

Hall1.jpg

Hall2.jpg

1bathbefore.JPG

2shower.jpg

3tileLayout.jpg

4Bathafter.JPG
 
Another Before/After Picture. Except for a little paint above the backsplash and cabinets I've finished the kitchen. We've cooked and cleaned up after a couple of dinners now and the layout works really nicely. The Granite went in Sat. before last, it was the first day in months that I did nothing but wander around, drink a few beers and watch other people work. The only room left is the living room and I'll start tearing that down to the studs later this week.

I have to add that the stress and frustration level in the house had dropped by 90% now that this is done. It's amazing how irritating all the normal stuff becomes when your home is upside down. At least I can see the finish line now, time to start planning a big BBQ for April.
Mike

3MonthsAgo.JPG

Kitchen.jpg
 
Beautiful work, Mike. We remodeled our kitchen about 7 years ago and it was the most frustrating 6 weeks ever. The part my wife talks about most is washing dishes in the bathtub. Do you recall the name of the granite? It looks very close to ours. If I remember right, ours was called crema bordeaux or something like that. Regardless, it's a beautiful kitchen.
 
Looks good! Great job making use of your space. You know how the saying goes "the last nail in your renovations is hanging the for sale sign". Home ownership always = repairs and updating... especially if you're married :p
 
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