First Reno - be gentle with me!

Bob, I was going to leave the asbestos but I'm going to get a sparky in to add a dishwasher point and a plumber to move the taps over a little and I don't really want them digging around in it. Do you think it would be okay just to reagent with Masonite?

Janglesey I'm away at the moment but will post some when I get back. It's a pretty family friendly area so I'm thinking a bath would be best but still waiting on quote.
 
Call your sparky and plumber and play dumb and say there could be asbestos, your not 100% sure. See what they say, they probably work with a lot and won't be to worried. Or cut out the pp hole for them and remove sections where the tsps need to go. Just keep it wet when working with it.
They may have other ways around it to get their work done.

Avoid resheeting if possible, unless there are other ratings you need it gone, apart from it just being asbestos

My experience,I had a bathroom guy come around who thought I might have asbestos,I haven't even thoughtabout it. He told me how his father died from it, but then said either I could take it down it he was more than happy to, and hoe to do it. There are dangers obviously but you won't be swimming in it for a small power point hole.
 
Hi, I've had the asbestos removed for $250 (there wasn't much) and I will re sheet it myself with Masonite because it's just behind where the kitchen cabinets will be going.

HELP!!!
I'm still having dramas with the bathroom which is going to run overtime I'm sure. I had a few guys looking at it and the general consensus is that I can't move the toilet because of difficulty/cost in tampering with the septic so it wont be the ideal layout but I can still get a bath in there. The best quote came in at $1400 for tiling, $1500 for plumbing (adding a bath) and around $2500 for the chippy to strip it out, install the bath and resheet the walls. - I supply tiles so the cost will be around $6000 where I'd only budgeted for $3500 but that was without adding a bath. The other problem is that one wall is badly bowed and the chippy quote included straightening it out and re sheeting it. How can I get my costs down? I thought that I could strip it and remove tiles, and ask the tiler to retile existing walls so only the bowed wall gets resheeted and hopefully this will save a bit, but the tiles are proving ridiculously hard to get off and I dont know if I can do a good enough job for the tiler to retile. Any ideas/links for removing tiles/stripping out bathrooms?

Happy Easter btw :)
 
Can you upload a sketch of what's there note and what the plan is

Try an old screw driver to get in under them and pop them out
Out Get a brick bolster or chisel with a hammer and go nuts

How much is the wall out by? A good tiller should be able to hide it? It it just bowed in the middle or out out level? What size tiles are you using I think bigger is better in this case

Can you strip it out it doing anything for the plumber. can you do the plumbing?? Waste is straightforward
 
If the bowed wall is out by a fair bit say just through the middle you could pack the wall out in those sections then putup a new sheet over. You will need a lot of screws and make sure their long enough and that they are into timber
 
Thanks bob, I have a guy taking care of the wall and have decided to strip the bathroom myself to save a few $. (I googled stripping bathroom on youtube and got some interesting videos) :eek:

Next question... I'm busy painting and will be ripping up the carpet up to polish floorboards. Obviously you paint first, but what about the architraves? The carpet is so thick that it comes about 2cm up the architraves, so when the carpet is removed I will need to do loads of touching up. In this situation would anyone paint the walls and ceiling, then remove the carpet and then paint architraves before the floor is sanded? Would it be fair to say that any paint spilt on the floor would be removed when it's sanded anyway or am I missing something??

Thanks for any advice.
 
Next question... I'm busy painting and will be ripping up the carpet up to polish floorboards. Obviously you paint first, but what about the architraves? The carpet is so thick that it comes about 2cm up the architraves, so when the carpet is removed I will need to do loads of touching up. In this situation would anyone paint the walls and ceiling, then remove the carpet and then paint architraves before the floor is sanded? Would it be fair to say that any paint spilt on the floor would be removed when it's sanded anyway or am I missing something??

I'd be ripping up the carpet and painting the skirting boards and when the floor polisher is done, you can then touch up the bits where he might damage the skirting boards. That is so much easier than painting them with a newly polished floor. Any paint you drop will come up with the sanding, but try not to splash it about anyway.
 
Ta Wylie, that's what I was heading towards.

What paint are people using for trims these days? Does anyone use oil or are we all water based these days? - NB I'm only a novice painter but want a nice shiny finish :)
 
Paint wise, depends what's there I'd say it's an old house so go oil based. Chances are the paint is oil that's there. And if it's in ok condition you could almost get away with one coat if done right,thick and minimal streaks. Painters don't recommend that though but they get paid to do it right

And semi gloss
 
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Thanks Bob, I'll do the metho test this weekend!

BLTN The sanding quote I accepted came in at $2955 which works out at around $34/m2 + get. (Rivergum Floor Sanding).

Heading out again this weekend, PROMISE I will take some pics and upload!
 
Thanks Bob, I'll do the metho test this weekend!

BLTN The sanding quote I accepted came in at $2955 which works out at around $34/m2 + get. (Rivergum Floor Sanding).

Heading out again this weekend, PROMISE I will take some pics and upload!

... I should add that I will remove the carpet, but he will punch and fill the holes. Also some rooms have that lovely carpet glue stuff stuck to the floorboards and he says he will remove. - Hopefully all goes to plan!
 
Here are a few pics of the reno so far... not sure if the links will work but here goes.

http://somersoft.com/forums/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=5072&title=wagga-before&cat=500

http://somersoft.com/forums/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=5076&title=wagga-before&cat=500

http://somersoft.com/forums/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=5075&title=wagga-before&cat=500

http://somersoft.com/forums/gallery/data/500/IMG_04001.JPG

http://somersoft.com/forums/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=5073&title=wagga-before&cat=500

And a little update:

Unfortunately with a few sick kids, I haven't been able to get out there as much as I'd hoped over the past few weeks but will be ramping it up now. Timeframe has been extended from 6 to 10 weeks, but between running a farm and a school as well as squeezing in a family holiday to QLD and a couple of sick little tackers, we're not overly concerned about timelines when we're 400km away. I'm hoping there's enough in it to cover a few more weeks of holding costs.

It's been a nightmare to paint because its an older house and the horse-hair plaster and masonite walls don't seem to take the paint very well - not to mention all the patching and filling. All walls are getting 3 coats, 4 in some spots - really should have undercoated/primed first. :(

I've spent a bit more on the bathroom because I've decided I will be adding a bath (+$1500 for plumber, and paying a chippy to straighten out a really wonky wall), so it looks like there'll be no deck addition.

I've learnt that old cornices are ridiculously time-consuming to prep and paint, particularly after a few coats.

So far the hardest thing has been spending time away from my 2 girls (2&4). I'm lucky that I've never really had to be away from them much but hopefully it will be worth it.

With a bit of luck the 'after' shots aren't too far away :)

Hooroo
Allgood
 
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you have a challenge on your hands!

Have you gone to a paint shop (not bunnings) and told them what your up against? Youll need an oil based for the walls if you havent already. might save a coat or 2 if your lucky. As for the cornice, get a spray gun if you can?? It will make it a lot easier, youll need to get the mix right. It might be easier to apply but take more coats
 
Hi guys,

Time for an update ( thanks bob for the ongoing advice).
I changed to a different undercoat and life is much easier :)
Our bathroom is coming along with the tiler finishing off this week. I've had a few agents and property managers through and they've all said the addition of a bath was a big plus for the many families who rent in the area.
I've had some really strong feedback on expected rent, too. The general consensus is between $330 and $350/week, although it is typically a slower time of year. 3 agents have given an idea of the property's value, around $280k, around 300k and 310k, although it's hard to know until its finished obviously. It will owe me $250k when it's all done so those figures are really promising (although not formal valuations obviously.)

Ok finished my McCafe coffee and I-pad time spits back to painting :):)
 
Thanks for sharing your progress on this reno Allgood. The before photos have got me interested - I can't wait to see the after photos!
 
Hi guys,

I'll be adding the finishing touches to the IP this weekend. It's taken a little longer than I'd hoped but it's coming along well. The floor has slowed us down because the sander was worried about the glue that stuck the old carpet to the boards was asbestos. $160 for a test and 10 days later it's come back clear so it's good to go!

I took the wife and our 2 young daughters down on the weekend - luckily they all approve of the progress :D. A big shout out to Crest 133 from this forum who really looked after us by giving us a great deal on an apartment in his motel. :)

I'll post some photos next week after it's been polished up!
 
Hi Zoom,

I spoke to a few people who said it was used in some houses in the 50s (the IP was built in 1954.) There were concerns about 2 things:
- The lining of the carpet underlay which was a paper-backed product with a 10mm grid made from polyurethane (concerns that it was asbestos). The experts were quietly confident that this was okay, although asbestos was used in some underlays; and
- The actual glue that stuck the underlay to the floor (who thought this was a good idea??). Ours was a greenish colour, like an adhesive rubber, and while there are less cases the glue having asbestos, they thought it was a real possibility.
 
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