How do you do it with kids?

This is a question we get asked a lot.  I mean A LOT.

So ladies and gents, below are our top three secrets for how we make a reno work with little people:  

1. We have help.

LOTS OF HELP.  My parents, his parents, our siblings, our cousins, kids that I teach at school...seeing a trend here?  Basically, if someone offers help we take it.  If we can work for an hour without having to worry about our little ones, we will do it.

2.  We take the kids.

I grew up in renovations and honestly have no problems dragging my kids into them too.  Frankly, I think it is good for them.  They are learning how to work (yes, we make them work!) and we are building something amazing as a family with our bare hands.  It's pretty cool.

Our kids have learned how to remove wallpaper, break up tile, pull carpet staples, and paint (noticing a demo trend here?).  They have also hauled more trash than I could have ever imagined possible.  They'll work for a bit and then play for a bit.  Please, don't get me wrong, our kids have also whined, watched a lot of TV and played a lot of games while we work beside them.  But, we love being there together as a family.

3.  Sometimes we just don't go.

Yep, you read that right.  Sometimes our boys need their momma and/or daddy to stay home, hold them, play with them and just spend an evening with them.  Remember, we are doing this for our family, to help give us freedom to be together more.  So on those days when our kids need some extra love, we give it to them.  If we don't stop and cherish the moments now, when will we?

Wow!  Where does the time go?  I thought it has been 2, maybe 3 weeks since my last post.  But...yeah, try doubling that.  I would love to say that we were out of contact because we were so busy on the house, but frankly, we were busy with life.  You see, when we started this project we (Phil and I) determined that we wanted to tackle the project as soon as we could, but not at the sake of other things in our lives.  Our faith, our kids and our families are at the top of our priorities list.  And yes, we have an actual list.  Over the last few years, Phil has led our family beautifully into finding more balance in the crazy times (you can read more about his awesome ideas at philklutts.com and builtdadtough.com).  So we have intentionally pushed back and adjusted our deadline.  Life has thrown us some serious curve balls over the last few weeks and we have made adjustments as needed.

But, y'all...things are happening at the condo!  And I don't mean frustrating things.  Those days still come, but now we have more days where we leave and have made progress.  Real. Progress.  The drywall work is almost complete and then we will be ready to paint throughout.  Floors are being installed in the wet areas by our tile crew (me) and soon we will starting putting in cabinetry.  Big things are happening.  It's great!!!!

This weekend I completed the tile in the master bath.  Do you remember what it looked like when we started?

<shudder>

It neither looked nor smelled lovely.  We still need to install the vanity and finish painting the old door, but look at it now.  I hope you enjoy the sneak peak!

The new floors are installed, walls are painted and trim just needs to have a final coat of paint.

Come back soon to see the progress on the upstairs bedrooms and living room!

Learning New Tricks

Apologies for our recent radio silence, summertime in our house is always a little crazy.  Add in the launch of Phil's project at work and the fact that I (as a teacher on summer break) have the attention span of a toddler who has consumed 20 pixie sticks...well, you get the idea.  Oh, and don't forget my two little mermen who can't be away from the swimming pool for more than 10 hours at a time.  Chaos. Beautiful glorious chaos.

Progress has been slower than we had originally planned and we have pushed back our "completion" date.  When we started the project, we knew that we would get contractors to do some of the work, and that we would do most ourselves.  Why?  We know how, and that my friends is how you build sweat equity.  By literally SWEATING.

One of the places that has thrown a definite kink in our timeline has been drywall.  There is a lot (and I do mean A LOT) of drywall work at our house.  We got a few quotes for someone to come do the work. OUCH!!!  They were pretty expensive and (because it is summer) we would be looking at a few weeks wait before they could get us on their schedule.  So, yeah, we are doing it ourselves.  We have done it before and to save a few THOUSAND dollars I will do it again.

While fixing holes with my dad I learned a new trick.  You know those holes that are caused by doorknobs, like the one below?

You can go to a home improvement store and buy a patch kit to fix these, but each kit will run you about $8.  Not a big deal if you only have one to patch. We have about 15-20 small holes like this around the condo.  That's over $100 to fix!!!  You can save time and money by using leftover materials you have on hand.

First, square up your hole with a box knife.  Grab a scrap of drywall and mark the edges of your hole and then cut the back paper on your patch.  Once you have scored the back, you can snap off the sides leaving the square in the middle.  During this step DO NOT remove the front paper.

Next, spread all-purpose joint compound around the hole and onto the back side of your patch.  After this, place the patch in the hole and use a putty knife to spread the joint compound.  Check for bubbles and wrinkles and be sure that your patch is as level with the wall as possible.  This is very similar to icing a cake, you want to make it smooth, but don't overwork it.

When you have completed the step above your patch should look similar to the one above.  This spot will need two or three more coats of joint compound and a good sanding to "float" the area and help it blend seamlessly with the rest of the wall.

Voila!  A free(ish) drywall patch.  Enjoy!  As a friend said recently, "You can learn to drywall in 10 minutes, but it takes 10 years to learn to do it well."  What are you waiting for?  Start practicing!!!

Go Get the Breaking Tools - aka DEMO

Demo.  It is a great and terrible part of any renovation.  At first, the smashing and breaking is fun and even therapeutic.  All too soon reality sets in and with it comes the blisters, sore hands and achy back. However, if you can demo your property yourself, it is a great place to save money and to make sure you see "the bones" of your property.

This past weekend we focused on demolition.  We had enough debris to justify getting a construction dumpster, and after researching a few companies we decided to use a local company (www.junk-boss.com).  It was a great choice!  They are fast, efficient, professional and very affordable.  The dumpster we chose was roughly the size of a pickup truck and was only 3.5 ft tall.  We have hauled a lot of junk in our day, and believe me...having them come and haul it off was worth every penny.

Junk Boss delivering our dumpster.  He parked that giant dumpster like it was a Honda. I was impressed!

I have mentioned before that this property is a mess, so there was a lot to demo.  We knew going in that there was water damage in a few areas and the troublesome cat smell that I have mentioned before.  Our main goal for the weekend was to take out all cabinets (cat smell begone) and to remove any water damaged areas to prep for replacement.  We also pitched toilets, ripped up old flooring, and removed wallpaper.  It was a long weekend, but a very productive one!

Two layers of vinyl were removed from the kitchen floor (left photo) and the front entry needed intensive work due to a poorly installed awning (right photo).

The condo still smells a little musty, but the cat smell is thankfully almost gone.  Our next task is to clean all the walls with a product known as TSP-90.  It is a professional grade cleaning product my family has used for years.  It will peel off layers of grime and stink to leave surfaces ready for paint.  Below you can see a wall that has been quickly cleaned using TSP and a sponge.  The change is plainly visible.

The result of a quick wipe-down with TSP.  Be sure to follow instructions and wear gloves when using this product.

We still have a few items left on our demo list, but we are very close to being ready to start putting things back together.  That my friends is very exciting!!!

The Obligatory "Before" Post

I (Tara) have a soft spot for complete dumps.

Honestly. Long before reality TV made it the "in" thing to do, I have lived in, remodeled, and dreamed of restoring many a sad home to its former glory. Because the truth is that every home once started out beautiful.  Some of them have just lost their way.

This condo has definitely lost its way.  In fact it is the undisputed, reigning champion of The Ugliest House on the Block Competition (completed fabricated competition by the way).  This type of home is my favorite.

Many people walk into these homes and feel overwhelmed.  The smell of year old cat funk, the water damage, the holes punched in the walls by angry owners, the wallpaper (shudder...seriously, the most annoying thing on this list to me) are sometimes all that people can see (and smell).  Look beyond all that, imagine what it CAN be and go from there.

The laundry room..."lovingly" referred to as the cat toilet.  Oh the smell...gag!

Master Bath

You know you want that wall paper.  Come on over, you can take it.  I'll keep it from getting wrinkled by leaving it on the walls until you get here.

An interesting perk received when you pick the ugly duckling in the neighborhood is you get to meet LOTS of neighbors.  They all wonder who is the person crazy enough to tackle the insanity (us obviously) and at first they only share the horror stories of the the last person who lived there.  But the more you talk to them and the more you listen, the more you learn about the history of the HOME you are restoring to life.

Yesterday, I learned that this house was once the gathering place for all the neighbors.  They would sit on the covered porch out back (the only one on the street) and enjoy the evenings together.  The roses that are now raging out of control were once gorgeous.  We had already planned to transplant them to our home (its the wrong time of year to try and shape them at this property), but knowing how much they have been loved in the past makes me love them even more.

The overgrown roses.

All that to say, this old girl has a colorful past and is a mess right now.  But she has good bones and will be a wonderful home again soon.

Enough of my chatter, you really came to this post for the pictures.  I saved some of my favorites for the end.  Enjoy!!!  

The "candle shelves". This is only one wall.  All the walls have ridiculous amounts of smoke trails.

"Built-in shelving"...seriously, that's a direct quote from the real estate listing. I am going to go ahead and claim false advertising on that one.

"A great way to add value to any home is to convert your bathroom into a closet," 

said no real estate agent ever.

Yum.

The "cobblestone" effect in the upstairs hall.  

This rendered me speechless the first time I saw it (which is difficult).

Another listing feature is the kitchens double ovens.  If only they worked, or even closed.

And my favorite. The "creative" approach to plating this double switch.

Why have one when you can have TWO?

Embarking on New Adentures

Summertime, the time we seem to enjoy embarking on new adventures.

Nine years ago, we bought our first house together. It was just the two of us, a dog and an upcoming wedding.

3 years ago we broke ground on our "dream home".  Our clan had expanded to included two adventurous boys who joined in on the fun.

And just this week...well, we purchased our first investment property.

Let the new adventure begin.

The TUB!

Ok, some of you are probably exhausted by this topic, but I can't believe how in love I am with our master bath tub.  When making decisions for our home we wanted to make "classic" choices.  For us that meant finding items that had an old world feel and putting our own spin on it.  I think our tub is a perfect example of how we tried to accomplish our "dream."

Our tub was found in an abandoned shed that was destined become my aunt's chicken coop.  Here is what it looked like when we found it...

The color wasn't quite what we had in mind, so we decided to refinish it (please note sarcasm :)).  Our friends over at http://sixtwelvesixteenth.blogspot.com/ recommended a tub refinisher and he was great.   He not only does beautiful work, but knows enough about antique tubs to help us as we decided on final touches for the tub.  Is it possible to make it white inside and out?  Yes!  Just don't expect a perfectly smooth surface...its cast iron.  Should we try to find clawfeet? No, it is virtually impossible to find matching feet and then to find the exact ones to fit your tub is even more impossible.  The tub was made in a time where feet were made specifically for each tub.  What do we do about the old faucet holes?  Simply plug them.
We sent him the tub and he kept it for about a month, cleaning it and working on smoothing out the pockmarks and rust that weather and time had wrought.  While he worked on the tub itself, my dad made us a stand as a replacement for the feet.  At some point in the future we will add in a few more "in progress" pics, but until then...enjoy the final product!  I know that I do!

It's the little things...

Most of you will look at this picture and think, "Tara, that's just a vent." But it means so much more to us. It's a small sign that things are really moving forward. That vent cover? To me it means that this time next week our new home will (most likely) have heat. And that my friends and family is a BIG deal. :)

Fireplace

A few posts back I made mention of issues we were having with our fireplace.  Let me take a moment and record the "fireplace journey."  Can you feel the drama?  No?!?  Oh well...read on.

When we designed the house we knew we wanted a fireplace.  A WOOD BURNING fireplace, preferably with a blower (to distribute the heat).  Why not gas you say?  1.  We don't have any natural gas in our neighborhood and don't want to deal with propane.  2.  This is Oklahoma and chances are that we will lose power in the winter at LEAST once every other year.  For any non-Okies reading this blog the loss of power usually coincides with some severe inclement weather...like a layer of ice coating every surface outside.  The first year we were married we lost power at our home for almost 4 full days.  Besides, who doesn't love sitting by a fire in the winter months?  If you don't you are maybe a little crazy or live somewhere ridiculously/awesomely warm like Hawaii.

So we decided to have a fireplace and place it in the corner (I have a soft spot for corner fireplaces).  We fill the rest of the back walls with windows on the plan and BAM!  Design done.  Framing starts and we reach the point where the framer needs the dimensions of the fireplace unit.  As I said before, I was hoping for a blower and possibly a medium efficiency model to reduce utilities in the winter months.  Armed with my very thorough list I head to the stores. SCREECH!  At the first shop I am forced to slam on the brakes.  At first glance there isn't a single fireplace that will fit the space we have and still meet code requirements.  We shopped around online and in town.  A lot of people tried to sell us a product we didn't need, couldn't afford and frankly didn't listen to anything we said.  When we would question them about hearth sizes and clearances they gave us vague and sometimes INCORRECT responses.  I was getting extraordinarily frustrated.

Finally, I came back to the store where the search began, The Hearth Shoppe in Edmond.  They are a small store, but they know their stuff!  If I asked a question they knew the answer or were pulling code manuals off the shelves to find the answers.  We ended up getting the smallest box they had, but it has worked out PERFECTLY.  One of my concerns was that it wouldn't provide enough heat in the winter months.  However, with the insulation we installed in our house, it will be more than enough heat to get us through any short periods of cold.  I can't wait until we move in (in 6 weeks) and can RELAX!

Quick update

There is a whole lot going on, it's hard to take time to update the blog. We've had lots of help and could not have made it this far without it. I feel like we are rounding turn four and heading towards the finish line! The problem is that there is still a lot of stuff to do before we can call it done! 

Here are some pics to give you an idea of what is going on: 

Concrete finishing

Light Fixtures

Building closet shelves

Lots of trim and tile

And who wants to miss out on picking up 1134 pounds of capstone?!?! Pictures coming soon of where this will end up. 

Just Loving Life

The title is a direct quote from my amazing husband Phil. Made just now, at 11:15 pm. Yes, it was with a bit of sarcasm. Why?

Because he is digging a ditch. Yes, at 11:15 pm. We are in the final phase of construction. A lot of exciting things are happening: cabinets have been installed, tile has started to go in and the house is (mostly) painted. More posts will follow with more pictures.  

But right now, in spite of his sarcasm, we really are enjoying life. Maybe not loving the 14-18 hour days and consequent dreadful lack of sleep, but I can't help but reflect on the many blessings of the day and past weeks. We worked side by side with our parents laying tile and have had many friends sacrifice their time to help us along this journey.  My mom lovingly tucks my children in at night when I can't be there.

These wonderful blessings are compounded by the excited smiles of our children as their rooms come together and the way Phil still makes my heart overflow when he looks at me. Yes, I am definitely loving life.

Labor Day Painting

Labor Day weekend was packed full of family, friends, painting and cleanup. An affordable scaffold rental and a couple ladders made for some quick painting with the sprayer. Trim painting and a few other projects rounded out the weekend, an some of us even managed a dip in the pool! 

Harlan working the scaffolding! 

Robert hanging some doors. 

Painting trim. 

"Painting" with water. What a helper! 

Chimney chase finished. 

Finished colors look great! We love this shot because you get the full effect of the stone, brick and siding. 

It's pretty close to our inspiration: