house two second year

This was not the best way to do the remodeling because the roof is one of the most important components of the house. It protects everything inside from the weather. I should of had the roof done last year and put the windows in this year but now I just have to live with my decision.

I did not work on this house through the winter so when the weather started to improve I had the electric turned back on.

When I got back to working on it I discovered that when the heavy layer of snow melted it dislodged some shingles and there were leaks. I tore all of the old particle board, more like pressed cardboard, out of the attic in order to find the leaks. I filled all the holes with expanding foam. I could see the holes because of the daylight showing through and when it rained I checked to see if there were any leaks I had missed and filled them with more foam.

I figure, since I don't have the money to do the roof I will do what I can in the rest of the house while saving the money to replace the roof.

I could not afford a new roof at this time so I used the expanding foam and laid a sheet of painters plastic over the entire attic floor. I put 2x4 boards around the edges of the floor and laid the plastic on top of it to make a small depression to catch any water. I figure the water will evaporate and not cause any further damage to the attic floor or the bedroom ceilings on the other floors.

Water had leaked through some of the bedroom ceilings on the second floor so I tore all the carpet out of the bedrooms. I tore the carpet out so I would not have mold or mildew problems. The easiest way to take care of the ceilings, once the roof is fixed, will be a drop ceiling. I already had the wiring ran through plastic conduit because I was planning on a drop ceiling, now Mother Nature has helped make the decision final.

One wall in the bathroom was damaged, last year, when I tore out the old cast iron drains so I ripped the old plaster and slats out and I put 1/2 inch OSB over the studs in the bedroom that shares a wall with the bathroom. The 1/2 inch OSB is a pretty close match to the other walls. I will paint this OSB with white barn paint to help smooth out the texture than I will paint the whole room one color. The damaged wall is in the corner hidden by the chimney and it is hard for people to notice but its my house and I know it needs fixed so I will. I'm thinking I can turn it into another clothes closet if I don't like the way it looks.

Last year I had already taken the carpet off the first floor and stairs going to the second floor in order to put down 1/2 inch OSB. I now have a house with all bare floors, I can now put 1/2 inch OSB on the second floor bedrooms and 3/4 inch marine grade plywood on the bathroom floor. I will redo the floors with carpet or tile when I have the house ready to move into.

I had the window company, I used last year, measure and order three windows for the attic. I made the same arrangements that I had last year.

I put a 10% deposit down and gave myself three and a half months to finish paying them off. I made the agreement this way so I would not have to finance and pay interest.

I had the windows paid for in two months so they were installed in April. I started putting up new walls around the attic windows after the windows were installed. I used expanding foam around the windows because the old window openings had some cracks in the wood and the expanding foam will fill the gaps. I put rolled fiberglass insulation in the rest of the walls and put 1/2 inch OSB over the insulation. I put rolled insulation on the floor in the dormer sections where the attic slants down and can not be used for anything except storage. The insulation on the attic floor is a way to help with heating and cooling the rest of the house.

I had to break some of the cement floor in the basement in order to take out the rest of the old cast iron drain. I broke out a section about 10 feet long and 3 feet wide until I found the Terra Cot-ta drain. I had used a rubber coupling that went from a 4 inch drain pipe down to a 3 inch drain pipe I ran the 3 inch drain back to the wall where it connects to the kitchen drain, bathroom drains and basement shower and toilet drains. I than had to re-cement the part of the floor I had removed. Now that I have the hardest part of the plumbing done I can run the drains from the other rooms and hook them into the main drain.

I am going to have my nephew help me put block windows in the basement. Once I have the basement windows done the house will have all new windows and the basement remodeling will be pretty much finished except painting the walls and floor.

I finished removing the kitchen cabinets they are made of real wood and not the particle board type sold now. I can sand them down to the natural wood grain and either stain them or shellac them. I tore down the old retaining wall and stacked the cement blocks, on the front porch, so they can be reused when I redo the wall.

Due to paying the back property taxes and taking care of my other bills I did not have the money to do any extensive projects. I continued to maintain the yard and did minor projects but I did not get as much done the second year as I wanted. My brother had some health problems so I did not put a garden in. I had the electric turned off at the beginning of December so the second year was done.

The house will be paid off by April or May. Than the money I paid to buy the place can be used to finish fixing it up. If everything goes as planned I am planning on being able to move into the house by the end of November.

If you are planning on buying a house and remodeling it by yourself make plans and have an order to what you want to do and can afford to do. Always be ready to have your plans and order upset and have an alternate course of action.