There used to be a time when I had disposable income. Not anymore. I live on a small pension and a lot of freebies and going out to eat means McDonalds disappearing dollar menu and Costco Hot Dogs and Caesar salad.
I used to fix things as soon as they broke, and I admit I was a shopaholic and I have a bit of a hoarding problem that I still manage to do despite having to live on 1/3 of the income I used to make. I don't really miss the weekly dinners out, day camping, or going to the movies so much and it was fairly easy to eliminate the land line phone. I was much harder to give up tv, but I like old movies and old series so I can get that on demand on line. I certainly do not miss the commercials except for Hulu which is just not my favorite place since it has so many commercials. I have had to cut my garden budget by a lot, but I save seed and can get some plants and seeds from my other gardening friends and I used to garden for fun and now, I actually eat more of the produce from my garden and that has really helped me keep my grocery bill down. I buy most of my clothes from the thrift shop and some of it is pretty good and hardly used and the rest is perfectly good for working in the garden.
Now, necessity has meant that a lot of the chores I would have taken care of immediately has to wait in line.
Well, I have hit a point where, I have to do something.
I could not go to work because I work on a farm outside and I cannot work if it is raining for most of the day. I get $8 and hour and no benefits. If I get sick, no work no pay. I had to get the job in order to pay for medical insurance $400 a month and I my co payments are about what I paid when I just paid cash for medical care.
Any way, since I was stuck in the house, I decided to take care of things I had been putting off. I started with cleaning out the refrigerator, which apparently I have not done since about 2011. The refrigerator was full when I started now I have some empty space and even an empty crisper. It only took me 4 hours.
Next, I tackled the pantry. I used to clean it out every three months or so, but since I went back to work, I stopped doing that. I had expired cans from 2008 and I found some exploded mandarin oranges in the back of the cabinet. My garbage can was so heavy I could barely move it and I have to hold off on adding more trash since my next trash day isn't until Monday. So, the rest of the things I am finding is going into bags on the side.
The trash bags were so heavy that they kept breaking so I had to keep rebagging and lightening the bags until I ran out of bags.
So, I went to get more bags out of my spare bedroom/storage warehouse and it smelled like a sewer. I looked up and there was this giant black sagging puddle on the ceiling. The toilet upstairs is apparently leaking. I thought I fixed that leak a couple of months ago. It was leaking from the tank float valve and water was puddling on the floor. I even changed the toilet seat that I had been putting off doing for about 4 months. It is going to be a b***h to get it off though, the plastic bolts broke off when I tightened them on.
Apparently, the toilet is leaking from the wax seal.
Well, some things I can tackle, but fixing a ceiling and lifting a toilet is not on my skill list.
Luckily, I do have a great handyman and I have known him for over 20 years.
Since, I was calling him anyway, I made a list of the rest of the projects that I have put off
1. Replace the rusting screen door that my cat can open.
2. Change the socket in one of the two stairwell light fixtures. I cannot find the socket to replace it and I don't want to buy two new fixtures.
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3. I tried to replace the three way switch in the kitchen with my Dad's help, but he made me do it and he wasn't much help. In the end the lights did not work right and it took me over 4 hours to get one to work and I could not figure out why I had two hots on the other line so I taped off the wires and the hallway has been in the dark ever since. But, I did get the three way in the kitchen to actually do what it was supposed to do.
4. Replace the agitator dogs in the washing machine. I have been reviewing youtube videos for months trying to get the courage to take it on. I bought the parts for less than $3
5. Remove the house regulator valve. My water pressure is dismal 37 lbs and the Board of Water supply tells me that two plumbers and the landscaper is wrong that 37 lbs is adequate and somehow I have moved closer to the water tank over twenty years and that is why my water pressure is lower than it used to be. BTW, when I called the plumber to change the house regulator, he said it wasn't going to make a difference, 37 psi was low and changing the regulator was not going to improve anything especially after we asked the neighbors if we could check their pressure and found out within a couple of pounds we all have low pressure.
Between my work schedule and my garden schedule, my handy man came today to give me the estimates.
I went with my dad to pick up the screen door and the wax ring for the toilet the other day. My dad's car is bigger so the screen could fit on top.
My handyman came after lunch afterI got back from the garden.
1. Fixed my stairwell light. Apparently the bulb I used to replace the burned out one was also burned out, so all he did was try a different bulb. Dah! and I have been stumbling down the stairs with only a night lite at night.
2. He rewired the kitchen and hallway 3 way switches. He said I had not taken out the "tab", which I did not know about and I had not wired the switches right. This took the longest since he had to figure out how it was supposed to be wired and the box in the wall was not anchored well in the dry wall so he used longer screws to get the switch and wires back into the box.
By then it was too late to do much more.
He wanted to replace the toilet rather than fix it, but I have a 3 1/2 gallon flush and I don't want to go to a lower volume flush because everyone who has those have to deal with clogged sewers and most people don't realize it is because the lower volume does not have enough force to move the waste all of the way to the main sewer line. I did realize this when we bought the other house. It had a larger sewer drain 5" instead of 4", but I had to run the toilet by keeping the flapper open when the I cleaned the toilets every week to flush the drains. The neighbors, were plunging every week. My mom has an older house with 4" drains and she changed her toilets to 1.3 gallon low flush toilet and they bought a sewer snake and she goes through cases of liquid plumber.
I am now testing for additional leaks. He thinks a slow tank leak may be the cause of the failure of the wax seal, so now I have shut off the valve but not emptied the tank. He said to check it in about a week and see if the water level has dropped. He said the floor is not puddling with water but water is coming from the base of the toilet probably from the seal. If the water level drops then it might be the flapper or the tank to bowl seal. The toilet was installed in 1991.
He wanted to know if I wanted to return the door and get one that will not rust as fast. It would cost about $350. I decided that a $120 door would probably last another 15-20 years, that is all I need it to last. That and make it so my cat cannot open the door.
Now, for the estimate
1. Fix the toilet
2 Install the screen door
3. Fix the ceiling which will take more than one trip
Plus the the lights and switches he fixed today $850. Not including dry wall which I have to buy once I find out if it is type X or regular dry wall.
Fixing the washing machine dogs.... that last video was right on. The other videos would have had me take out the agitator and pull it apart and buy a special wrench. As it turned out, all I needed was a pair of long nosed pliers to get the plastic bolt and spring out and I did not have to even take the agitator out of the machine. I replaced the dogs and for the first time in a long time the agitator actually went all the way around without me having to press it down during the wash cycle. It was the only thing I actually fixed myself without screwing it up.
I had to move my stuff out of the room to another room just to clear the area under the damaged ceiling. Now, I have to go through that pile of stuff too.
My next task, is to cut out the damaged ceiling and find out what kind of dry wall it is and get another sheet for the repair. I know I have a drywall saw somewhere, but it is probably in the bottom of one of the piles. I will probably just get another one. Now, I have another job to do and I don't know when I am going to find the time or have the energy to get to it. But, I can't put it off too long.
He has to figure out how he is going to remove the house regulator. It is not as straightforward as I thought, I have to wait for the estimate for that one.
I have to take the money out from my savings. I have already paid about $300 for the materials I got so far.
This is what happens when things that need to get done pile up.
On the up side. I now have light in the stairway and hall way at night when I have to stumble downstairs to the toilet because the other one is turned off.
My washing machine will be washing instead of rinsing the clothes, I hope.
I probably don't have to have the house rewired......yet
I am forced to deal with the junk pile unless, I keep the door closed for awhile, but I probably have to termite treat the house and I have to bag a lot of stuff.
I think my garbage can, which usually has cat litter and one bag of trash from the kitchen may be going out full for a while. I found not one, but two carts in the room to replace my broken pack n' roll so I really don't need to buy another one for a while.
I don't know where I am going to find the time and energy to do all this.
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LIcenter
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Whew, that made me tired, and all I had to do was roll the scroll wheel! I feel for ya, as I wind up doing the same thing. Put it off, put it off, aw junk look at all the work I need to do now! ): The only plus is I am very handy, and never really need to call anyone in to fix something, except maybe a motivator. 
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applestar
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Wow it all sounds overwhelming @imafan. You've done an amazing amount of work already.
I don't envy you the task, and I find myself feeling reminded that I probably should be doing some of that sorting and cleaning out stuff... Especially the refrigerator and freezer.
...LOL about the drywall saw. I had ours out to tackle a project, but then I didn't get around to doing it for a long time, so -temporarily- put it "away" -- out of sight nearby. Then next time I thought of it, I couldn't remember where I put it, so when I found it, I put the thing BACK to where it is normally kept... Because I reasoned that, otherwise, next time I won't remember. -- Now, that "project" is STILL not done.
I don't envy you the task, and I find myself feeling reminded that I probably should be doing some of that sorting and cleaning out stuff... Especially the refrigerator and freezer.
...LOL about the drywall saw. I had ours out to tackle a project, but then I didn't get around to doing it for a long time, so -temporarily- put it "away" -- out of sight nearby. Then next time I thought of it, I couldn't remember where I put it, so when I found it, I put the thing BACK to where it is normally kept... Because I reasoned that, otherwise, next time I won't remember. -- Now, that "project" is STILL not done.
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rainbowgardener
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Wow, imafan! Congratulations on all you have gotten done!
Handyman work is expensive. In our new house, there was water seeping under the wall to wall carpet in the downstairs bedroom. Two different repair type people told us the water must be coming from the outside (like seeping through the foundation wall) even though we told them it dried up when our renter was not there using the shower off that bedroom and started getting more wet when she came back and started using it again. The day they showed up to do the work, they headed right to the back yard to start digging out the foundation, but I got real assertive and said no, you have to come look at this.
Probably more to keep me happy, they started tearing into the drywall outside the shower wall and the lino floor next to it. Sure enough they found a shower drain that had been installed all weird and was leaking. They fixed that, a lot of work, and repaired the dry wall (we will have to paint). The linoleum had been all ripped up and it was ugly to start with. So we had them put down ceramic tile in the whole bathroom. That's about 30 tiles plus some edging pieces. Looks great now, better than it did, but cost of all this, with labor and materials was $1500.... Ouch. We keep resolving we have to quit spending money on this house for awhile, and then more stuff happens. We've been here two months and have replaced the stove/range, had a garbage disposal installed, had the dishwasher repaired ....
But getting ready to move and try to sell our old house, we got rid of a whole bunch of stuff. Since we've been here, trying to find places for everything, we've gotten rid of more. There's a book that is very popular right now The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo. I read the first half at a friend's house. I don't agree with all of it, but I did agree with what I take to be her main point: the secret is not to keep building more shelves and organizing systems, the secret is to get rid of A LOT of stuff. She says get rid of everything that does not give you joy when you pick it up and handle it and use it. I'm not sure that's exactly the right criterion. I don't have that kind of relationship with "stuff." I would have an empty house that way. And hoarders have too much emotional connection to stuff (in severe cases even trash and garbage) and would consider that everything they pick up gives them joy.
But somehow, we all have to get rid of a lot of stuff. Even the poorest people in this country usually have too much. And imafan, you gave a perfect example of one of the many problems with too much stuff - you have a dry wall saw, but in all the piles you don't know where it is, so you buy another one. Now you have more stuff and spent more money.
One of Marie Kondo's other points is that tidying a little bit every day, makes the job endless. What you need is to make a big push, get it all done, getting rid of a ton of stuff while you do it. Then when you have a streamlined and organized place you will be able to keep it. I think the big push would be very hard to do on your own. She does it with clients. You could look for a friend/relative to help you. Most of the "help" is just keeping you motivated and focused and stop you from moving things from one pile to a different pile or one room to a different room. OHIO ! ONLY HANDLE IT ONCE!!
When you pick something up, do NOT put it down until it is either in the trash, in a bag for donations, or in its final home where it belongs.
Her other good suggestion is don't tidy/organize by room. Do it by categories. For example books, clothes (may have to be broken down, to sub categories), saved papers etc. People have stuff in one category in all different places in their house. Pull ALL the items in one category together from all over the house. Our old house in Cincinnati was a three story house. Since we didn't necessarily want to run up and down all those stairs if we wanted bathroom cleaner, we had cleaning products on every floor. Now we have pulled them all together, we have too much. We got rid of some (bottles that were less than half full, etc), left some behind for the next person, and now we are just working on using up the rest. But we didn't know how much we had until we got it all together! Put it all in one place/pile, see how much you have in that category, see what of that is really necessary/ useful/ joyful and get rid of all the rest.
Best Wishes - I have said elsewhere how much more pleasant and beautiful our old place was when it was severely decluttered to show for selling.
Handyman work is expensive. In our new house, there was water seeping under the wall to wall carpet in the downstairs bedroom. Two different repair type people told us the water must be coming from the outside (like seeping through the foundation wall) even though we told them it dried up when our renter was not there using the shower off that bedroom and started getting more wet when she came back and started using it again. The day they showed up to do the work, they headed right to the back yard to start digging out the foundation, but I got real assertive and said no, you have to come look at this.
Probably more to keep me happy, they started tearing into the drywall outside the shower wall and the lino floor next to it. Sure enough they found a shower drain that had been installed all weird and was leaking. They fixed that, a lot of work, and repaired the dry wall (we will have to paint). The linoleum had been all ripped up and it was ugly to start with. So we had them put down ceramic tile in the whole bathroom. That's about 30 tiles plus some edging pieces. Looks great now, better than it did, but cost of all this, with labor and materials was $1500.... Ouch. We keep resolving we have to quit spending money on this house for awhile, and then more stuff happens. We've been here two months and have replaced the stove/range, had a garbage disposal installed, had the dishwasher repaired ....
But getting ready to move and try to sell our old house, we got rid of a whole bunch of stuff. Since we've been here, trying to find places for everything, we've gotten rid of more. There's a book that is very popular right now The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo. I read the first half at a friend's house. I don't agree with all of it, but I did agree with what I take to be her main point: the secret is not to keep building more shelves and organizing systems, the secret is to get rid of A LOT of stuff. She says get rid of everything that does not give you joy when you pick it up and handle it and use it. I'm not sure that's exactly the right criterion. I don't have that kind of relationship with "stuff." I would have an empty house that way. And hoarders have too much emotional connection to stuff (in severe cases even trash and garbage) and would consider that everything they pick up gives them joy.
But somehow, we all have to get rid of a lot of stuff. Even the poorest people in this country usually have too much. And imafan, you gave a perfect example of one of the many problems with too much stuff - you have a dry wall saw, but in all the piles you don't know where it is, so you buy another one. Now you have more stuff and spent more money.
One of Marie Kondo's other points is that tidying a little bit every day, makes the job endless. What you need is to make a big push, get it all done, getting rid of a ton of stuff while you do it. Then when you have a streamlined and organized place you will be able to keep it. I think the big push would be very hard to do on your own. She does it with clients. You could look for a friend/relative to help you. Most of the "help" is just keeping you motivated and focused and stop you from moving things from one pile to a different pile or one room to a different room. OHIO ! ONLY HANDLE IT ONCE!!
When you pick something up, do NOT put it down until it is either in the trash, in a bag for donations, or in its final home where it belongs.
Her other good suggestion is don't tidy/organize by room. Do it by categories. For example books, clothes (may have to be broken down, to sub categories), saved papers etc. People have stuff in one category in all different places in their house. Pull ALL the items in one category together from all over the house. Our old house in Cincinnati was a three story house. Since we didn't necessarily want to run up and down all those stairs if we wanted bathroom cleaner, we had cleaning products on every floor. Now we have pulled them all together, we have too much. We got rid of some (bottles that were less than half full, etc), left some behind for the next person, and now we are just working on using up the rest. But we didn't know how much we had until we got it all together! Put it all in one place/pile, see how much you have in that category, see what of that is really necessary/ useful/ joyful and get rid of all the rest.
Best Wishes - I have said elsewhere how much more pleasant and beautiful our old place was when it was severely decluttered to show for selling.
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HoneyBerry
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I feel for you, imafan. I have a very long to-do list too. It has been one of my pet peeves. I took charge of it several years a go and it is now less of a pet peeve. I seem to have gotten used to it. I have developed a distrust for hiring strangers to do the work, due to some bad experiences. It never turns out right and I don't know what I'm getting until the work is done. It's not like going shopping where you can see on the shelf what you are buying before you buy it. It's more like gambling. I can usually do better if I do the work myself because I put more care into it than some of the bozos that are out there doing residential work. I can't do everything myself. The good ones are usually busy and work by word of mouth so you need to get a reference from a friend.
There are some things I can do for myself, but I need clear instructions. Some things are beyond my skill level. I usually know how it needs to be done and I am good at reading the instructions but like I asked my BIL to help me change my garbage disposal. The instructions were pretty clear and I could direct him, but I could not have gotten on the floor and lifted the heavy disposal and gotten up again. I do know how to clear the disposal when it get stuck or backed up, that I can do myself. I have changed some light fixtures after the covers broke. I did have to assemble the computer table in the room a couple of times because it does not go through the door fully assembled. I installed and repaired the drip irrigation system for over twenty years and now I am replacing the manifolds as they start to leak as I can no longer get diaphragms for the old ones. I have hit and had to repair the pvc sprinkler system more than I want to. I use to service the mini tiller myself, but I had to have my father help me with the grease nipple. I can never get the grease to go in the right place. I check my oil level, and change the air filter on the car. I don't put air in the tires, I over and under inflate all the time, but I can go to my Brother's shop or to Costco where I bought the tires and have them do it for me. I have done simple dry wall repairs usually only very small ones like where the door knob goes through the wall. I have door guards now. I have painted before, but sometimes I have to edge more than once. I have replaced blinds more than once.
I can change the toilet flapper and the flush valve usually. I just put a pivitron head on the gas weed whacker. I just could not string that spool. That only took me 4 hours to figure out. (I tried to put it on upside down. It helps if the sides are labeled better in the instructions). I can change a faucet and I have recaulked the tub and sink although it is not as neat a job as I put it on pretty thick. I have retiled the floor with vinyl tile before. I have repaired the redwood fence replacing the the 2x4 rails that rot. I did assemble a kitchen cart and an outdoor bench but it has been awhile.
I can prune my trees up to 15 ft, and for the taller ones I need help, I cannot climb trees.
Carpentry for the most part not in my skill set. However, I have discovered angle bars that makes corners a lot easier. Cutting things square, still a problem.
I can tighten up the ceiling fan, which has to be done periodically as the screws get loose over time.
I can drain the water heater once a year. This new heater makes it hard to tap it it once a month as it takes a wrench to open the faucet drain.
I have changed the door locks before.
I cannot go up on the roof. I can't get back down.
I can change the toilet flapper and the flush valve usually. I just put a pivitron head on the gas weed whacker. I just could not string that spool. That only took me 4 hours to figure out. (I tried to put it on upside down. It helps if the sides are labeled better in the instructions). I can change a faucet and I have recaulked the tub and sink although it is not as neat a job as I put it on pretty thick. I have retiled the floor with vinyl tile before. I have repaired the redwood fence replacing the the 2x4 rails that rot. I did assemble a kitchen cart and an outdoor bench but it has been awhile.
I can prune my trees up to 15 ft, and for the taller ones I need help, I cannot climb trees.
Carpentry for the most part not in my skill set. However, I have discovered angle bars that makes corners a lot easier. Cutting things square, still a problem.
I can tighten up the ceiling fan, which has to be done periodically as the screws get loose over time.
I can drain the water heater once a year. This new heater makes it hard to tap it it once a month as it takes a wrench to open the faucet drain.
I have changed the door locks before.
I cannot go up on the roof. I can't get back down.
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HoneyBerry
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I can't go up on the roof either. My brother can, and those who install roofing for a living seem comfortable being on the roof top. They hop around like monkees up there. Me, I can't even get past the gutter line. Just 2 steps up on the ladder feels like a mile. I would make a terrible roofer.
Good luck getting your work done, imafan. There seems to be many if us who are in the same boat. I think about what the apartment dwellers have to endure living next door to meth lab neighbors and then all the maintenance work that I have to do doesn't seem so bad.
Good luck getting your work done, imafan. There seems to be many if us who are in the same boat. I think about what the apartment dwellers have to endure living next door to meth lab neighbors and then all the maintenance work that I have to do doesn't seem so bad.
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applestar
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I like getting on the single story garage roof -- I do feel a bit of thrill when I look directly down, but I enjoy looking over my garden beds from the higher perspective. DDs and I sit up there sometimes, and they take turns handing up tools when I clean the gutters and the down spout.
I've never tried getting up to the top of the two story house roof, though I often think we might be able to see the local fireworks from up there. I think I'd love to have a widows walk type access from the inside....
I've never tried getting up to the top of the two story house roof, though I often think we might be able to see the local fireworks from up there. I think I'd love to have a widows walk type access from the inside....
Actually, I have been up on the roof, that part did not bother me, but I could not get back on the ladder to get down again. I ended up yelling until my neighbors came to rescue me. I needed someone to hold the ladder. Every time I tried to get back on it from the roof I could feel it shifting. I have also fallen off a ladder when I was home alone and I landed on my back and I was really scared because it took a long time before I could get up.
Well, I started to move some things out of the house. I finally took the two old computer towers that were under the desk, some old curtains that was in the storeroom, some posterboard displays and and a few odds and ends I could fit into the car. I could not get the pet screen in the car, so that will have to wait until bulk pick up next month.
Today is my day for the community garden so after I made the trip to the dump, I pulled 3 bags of weeds and took that down to the composting facility.
Now, I am waiting for my bedding to come out of the dryer and having lunch.
After this I have to go to my mom's house. I have been looking for a car to replace my 25 year old Accord, and my nephew had a minivan that might work. What I need in a car is a reliable vehicle with good mileage, not too expensive to insure, a good maintenance record, 4 doors, auto transmission, that can carry dirt and has a good suspension system.
I drive at the garden where there is no paved road and I have a problem with depth perception so I have a problem with jumping curbs which only the Honda has been able to tolerate. All my parents said was that the car had electric windows and was very clean. I don't need electric windows, a radio, or air conditioning. it would be nice but those things are the first things to go in an older car and dirt and air conditioning is not a good mix. If this car works out it ain't gonna stay clean carrying dirt.
Well, I started to move some things out of the house. I finally took the two old computer towers that were under the desk, some old curtains that was in the storeroom, some posterboard displays and and a few odds and ends I could fit into the car. I could not get the pet screen in the car, so that will have to wait until bulk pick up next month.
Today is my day for the community garden so after I made the trip to the dump, I pulled 3 bags of weeds and took that down to the composting facility.
Now, I am waiting for my bedding to come out of the dryer and having lunch.
After this I have to go to my mom's house. I have been looking for a car to replace my 25 year old Accord, and my nephew had a minivan that might work. What I need in a car is a reliable vehicle with good mileage, not too expensive to insure, a good maintenance record, 4 doors, auto transmission, that can carry dirt and has a good suspension system.
I drive at the garden where there is no paved road and I have a problem with depth perception so I have a problem with jumping curbs which only the Honda has been able to tolerate. All my parents said was that the car had electric windows and was very clean. I don't need electric windows, a radio, or air conditioning. it would be nice but those things are the first things to go in an older car and dirt and air conditioning is not a good mix. If this car works out it ain't gonna stay clean carrying dirt.
[quote="imafan26"]Actually, I have been up on the roof, that part did not bother me, but I could not get back on the ladder to get down again. I ended up yelling until my neighbors came to rescue me.
Therein lies the rub for a lot of folks. It is so much easier to climb the ladder and step off of it to the roof than walking down the roof to the ladder to climb back down. Now you're looking down at the ground and like you mentioned, getting back on the ladder will often cause it to shift along the edge of the roof, especially if the ladder is resting on gutters.
I use to be a fireman for over 20 years and the highest I ever was on a ladder was 7 stories up on a public housing facility that caught fire many years ago. Getting off that ladder to the landing, and back on it to come down was a test of faith in the equipment and my nerve. Luckily I didn't have to carry anyone down that time.
Therein lies the rub for a lot of folks. It is so much easier to climb the ladder and step off of it to the roof than walking down the roof to the ladder to climb back down. Now you're looking down at the ground and like you mentioned, getting back on the ladder will often cause it to shift along the edge of the roof, especially if the ladder is resting on gutters.
I use to be a fireman for over 20 years and the highest I ever was on a ladder was 7 stories up on a public housing facility that caught fire many years ago. Getting off that ladder to the landing, and back on it to come down was a test of faith in the equipment and my nerve. Luckily I didn't have to carry anyone down that time.
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HoneyBerry
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rainbowgardener
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To deal with your rusty door there is paint that turns rust into a protective coating. If the door has holes in it from rust you can use JB Weld to fill them in, just sand it down after it dries.
It never ends having a limited income and not being able to do the work your self must make it hard. I have so much to do and my list would include construction of out buildings and a new greenhouse, remolding, painting, logging, road building, landscaping and on and on; but the good thing is I can do it all myself. plus I have most every tool I will ever need, I sort of love tools.
It never ends having a limited income and not being able to do the work your self must make it hard. I have so much to do and my list would include construction of out buildings and a new greenhouse, remolding, painting, logging, road building, landscaping and on and on; but the good thing is I can do it all myself. plus I have most every tool I will ever need, I sort of love tools.
tomf wrote:To deal with your rusty door there is paint that turns rust into a protective coating. If the door has holes in it from rust you can use JB Weld to fill them in, just sand it down after it dries.
It never ends having a limited income and not being able to do the work your self must make it hard. I have so much to do and my list would include construction of out buildings and a new greenhouse, remolding, painting, logging, road building, landscaping and on and on; but the good thing is I can do it all myself. plus I have most every tool I will ever need, I sort of love tools.
Tom, you sound a bit like me. I too am a "do-it-yourselfer" and there's not much in the way of repair work, construction, mechanical, I can't do, or try to do, myself. I have the tools and know how to build a house from the ground up, finish it, then build the furniture to go in it.
I don't have heavy equipment as far as large yard machines for building roads or logging, but I would think if I was in a place I needed them, I'd likely have them too. Not much use for tractors in the middle of a city.
Well Marlingardener, that was a long time ago when I was younger, thinner and in much better physical shape than I'm now in. That ladder was one of the Aerial Ladders I worked on and those are some of the easiest ladders to climb to be honest. They are built very strong, have great footing on the rungs and have rails that come about 18 inches up on both sides of the ladder so you can climb in a more comfortable position. The only caveat is you have to leave them about a foot or so away from the building on their top end and as you climb the ladder, the top moves closer to the building as you make your way up the ladder. They will bend toward the building as you get higher due to your weight. Once up to the top you get off it and as your weight leaves the ladder, it moves out away from the building. You can then radio to the guy operating the ladder and let them know they need to allow it to come closer in case you have to use it to come back down.
That was a piece of cake when compared to the couple days I worked 3-5 stories up the side of a building on a "Boson's Chair" installing some heavy gauge steel venting for a commercial restaurant kitchen hood back in the late 70's. Nothing like being on something that is basically a backyard swing with a rope hooked to a large pulley system on the roof and being raised and lowered by one of your fellow workers. Talk about trust. The pucker factor was working overtime till I was back on the ground.
That was a piece of cake when compared to the couple days I worked 3-5 stories up the side of a building on a "Boson's Chair" installing some heavy gauge steel venting for a commercial restaurant kitchen hood back in the late 70's. Nothing like being on something that is basically a backyard swing with a rope hooked to a large pulley system on the roof and being raised and lowered by one of your fellow workers. Talk about trust. The pucker factor was working overtime till I was back on the ground.
I have tried some projects before but it has always taken more time than anticipated and I was never good at it.
When I got my first apartment, I bought a microwave oven cart kit and assembled and varathaned it. All the pieces were cut and it just had to be put together. It still took me over a week to get it done. I know it took me hours to just put it together and I had to let the varathane dry between coats. I still have the cart but after all this time, the slats are getting loose because the carpenter glue is giving up. I have reglued some of the loose slats.
I built a pull out drawer in my kitchen cabinet for the pots and pans. I installed the drawer slides and built the box. This was before I discovered angle bars. The box worked but I could not really build it square. I cut it with hand saw so it wasn't really straight and I nailed it. I had to take the box out of the cabinet and cut it down again because when I measured it It did not account for the thickness of the sides of the box and I could not close the cabinet door until I cut another inch off the depth. I should have used screws instead of nails. I had to periodically tap the sides back together.
I did put together the park bench kit. I still have the bench but the slats are starting to rot after 30 years
It took 2 days to put together a trellis. I did replace the 2x4 posts and it needs to be replaced again since after 20 years the bottom of the post is rotting.
A ten foot rain gutter took several hours to put together. It should have taken less than an hour to do.
When we built the extension, I did the interior painting and the painter gave me some tips like he told me not to push so hard since I was using my back instead of letting the roller do the work. He also told me on the ceiling and walls. the lighter color overlaps and the other color goes up to the line. You can't try to just go edge to edge from color to color. He also told me to always use the best paint and good brushes. Cheap paint doesn't last or cover well and cheap brushes will make good paint look bad..
When I got my first apartment, I bought a microwave oven cart kit and assembled and varathaned it. All the pieces were cut and it just had to be put together. It still took me over a week to get it done. I know it took me hours to just put it together and I had to let the varathane dry between coats. I still have the cart but after all this time, the slats are getting loose because the carpenter glue is giving up. I have reglued some of the loose slats.
I built a pull out drawer in my kitchen cabinet for the pots and pans. I installed the drawer slides and built the box. This was before I discovered angle bars. The box worked but I could not really build it square. I cut it with hand saw so it wasn't really straight and I nailed it. I had to take the box out of the cabinet and cut it down again because when I measured it It did not account for the thickness of the sides of the box and I could not close the cabinet door until I cut another inch off the depth. I should have used screws instead of nails. I had to periodically tap the sides back together.
I did put together the park bench kit. I still have the bench but the slats are starting to rot after 30 years
It took 2 days to put together a trellis. I did replace the 2x4 posts and it needs to be replaced again since after 20 years the bottom of the post is rotting.
A ten foot rain gutter took several hours to put together. It should have taken less than an hour to do.
When we built the extension, I did the interior painting and the painter gave me some tips like he told me not to push so hard since I was using my back instead of letting the roller do the work. He also told me on the ceiling and walls. the lighter color overlaps and the other color goes up to the line. You can't try to just go edge to edge from color to color. He also told me to always use the best paint and good brushes. Cheap paint doesn't last or cover well and cheap brushes will make good paint look bad..
Imafan26, I have built good bit of cabinets in my time and drawers are one of the things that tend to take the longest. It sounds like you butt joined everything and nailed it together. It would have been better with screws since they offer more hold over plain nails. I, on the other hand, tend to go overboard with dovetail joints front and back and glue all joints together. There are no nails or screws in drawers of my pieces, just good, tight joinery and good wood glue. But then, I do have the tools and shop to do this in without much trouble. The bottoms are inset in dado joints and made out of varying thickness of plywood, depending on the size of the drawer and what it's being used for.
I've also done tons of painting, both exterior and interior and that painter gave you some good advice. If painting walls and ceilings, I paint the ceilings first and let that paint lap just a bit down the wall surface and then paint the walls and cut that line clean to the corner of the ceiling and wall where they meet. You get a much better job like that. And I too believe in the quality of the tools you use and the grade of paint do make a big difference in the final results. I can't tell you how many times I've gone behind do-it-yourselfers who thought nothing of painting their interiors and have me re-do it. They go to Home Depot and get a fist full of cheap brushes and try to do nice work with inferior tools, then don't know how to properly clean the brushes between coats to keep them in decent shape.
Most people don't know how to do proper prep work when painting and I don't care if you are applying $100 a gallon paint, the meat of the job is in the proper prep work. The finished product is only as good as the effort put in to get things right the first time.
Sounds like a lot of things you are tackling are just results of time, wear and tear. Loose slats on an older, "some assembly required" microwave cart and rotting slats on a 30 year old bench are all part of normal wear and tear and not a sign of poor workmanship.
I've also done tons of painting, both exterior and interior and that painter gave you some good advice. If painting walls and ceilings, I paint the ceilings first and let that paint lap just a bit down the wall surface and then paint the walls and cut that line clean to the corner of the ceiling and wall where they meet. You get a much better job like that. And I too believe in the quality of the tools you use and the grade of paint do make a big difference in the final results. I can't tell you how many times I've gone behind do-it-yourselfers who thought nothing of painting their interiors and have me re-do it. They go to Home Depot and get a fist full of cheap brushes and try to do nice work with inferior tools, then don't know how to properly clean the brushes between coats to keep them in decent shape.
Most people don't know how to do proper prep work when painting and I don't care if you are applying $100 a gallon paint, the meat of the job is in the proper prep work. The finished product is only as good as the effort put in to get things right the first time.
Sounds like a lot of things you are tackling are just results of time, wear and tear. Loose slats on an older, "some assembly required" microwave cart and rotting slats on a 30 year old bench are all part of normal wear and tear and not a sign of poor workmanship.
Gumbo I have made some furniture and it came out quite nice despite myself. My dad was in construction and ran a crew so I started working construction at age 14 making shopping malls, buildings, houses, and remodels. I also worked as a plumber. Although I have not made a living doing construction for a long time I have bought and remodeled some houses, and built a few small buildings.
You are so right prep work is the biggest part of painting. I hate using a brush so I got a pro paint sprayer, the painting part goes fast, it is all the prep work that takes time.
You are so right prep work is the biggest part of painting. I hate using a brush so I got a pro paint sprayer, the painting part goes fast, it is all the prep work that takes time.
Marlingardener wrote:Gumbo's and tomf's comments on prep work reminded me of when we renovated an 1870 house. We would spend a month scraping, sanding, mending, and preparing the walls and woodwork, then in three days the painting was done and the wallpaper was up. It always seemed like an anticlimax.
Wow, a house from the 1870's. That thing had to have so may layers of paint, most of it lead based, that I can only imagine how long it took to get it prepped.
The house I'm currently living in is a huge 2 story, all wood clad with abut 24 inches of exposed rafters and tongue and groove sheathing on the eaves. It has 31 double hung windows and all of my upstairs windows have working shutters. There's also 2 porches on the 2nd floor, one in front and one in back. It took me over 3 months of 8 hours a day work to prep the house and I took it down to the wood the first time I painted it. I re-glazed all the windows with proper glazing, not that caulking compound called "Handy Glaze" that doesn't last that long. Like you found out, it took me about 3 weeks to paint the entire outside the 5 colors that were chosen. The body was a tan/gray color called "Olde Silver", the windows and trim were painted white and the shutters were dark green. The porches were gray with light blue ceilings.
I was so glad to finally get that over with and it held up fine for over 13 years until Hurricane Katrina flooded the downstairs. I had to re-paint the bottom portion of the house, so I decided to do it all over again. Only, this time, it just needed a good cleaning and a light sanding-------much quicker than the first time. It's been 9 years now and the paint still looks good. I'll be 63 in another week and I may have just 1 more paint job left in me if everything stays relatively the same for the next couple years. OH JOY!!!!!
applestar wrote:Wow! you are all AMAZING!
I often dream about being able to do stuff like that, but, alas, I don't have what it takes -- skill, patience, energy, tenacity, ...did I mention skill?
...but I admire people who CAN and LOVE hearing about stories like this.
Applestar, I look at it this way. I'll either have to pull the green stuff out of my pocket and pay someone else to do my work, or go the "Sweat Equity" route------------I choose the latter.
For example, the first paint job I put on my house in 92 would have cost me $20,000+ to have someone come out and do it like I did. I did it over a 4 1/2 month period at a cost of about $1200 in materials. I looked at it like it was a job for a client and worked it accordingly. There were days I didn't want to climb that ladder and eat paint dust for hours at a time, but it was what needed to be done. That is where the average Joe says, "Nope, let someone else do it because this is just too nasty."
My next door neighbor is currently adding 2 wings on his house that increases his living area by about 1200 sq. ft. One area is a kitchen/dining area and the other is a huge master bedroom with his and her walk in closets and a large bath with Jacuzzi. They also put a new roof on the entire house and are in the process of having the exterior painted. They are going to spend between $170-200K by the time they are done because they are having workers do everything.
Owning a home is always a work in progress since there often seems to be something that needs fixing, cleaning, painting, etc.
I have found the source of the toilet leak. Good news, bad news. It was not the flapper, but I changed it anyway and it is not the wax seal
It was leaking from the tank. I recently changed the toilet seat and I can't see the bolts under the toilet and accidentally loosened up the tank bolt instead of the seat bolt. I thought I tightened it back up, but the bolt is definitely wet. I drained the tank and there isn't any more water on the floor when I flush the toilet with a bucket. Bad news. I hope the tank isn't cracked, or I will need a new toilet. I am waiting for my handyman to come back to check that out and make sure the bolt gets tightened without cracking the toilet or leaking. Unfortunately, the ceiling downstairs still has to be fixed.
I am taking on the piles around the house a little at a time.
Unfortunately I have more expenses coming up as well as this repair. My car is 25 years old and more of the 25 year old things are breaking down, so I have been looking for a car for a few months. My nephew has found a minivan that is 13 years old and in my price range. I checked out the insurance and it will cost about what I am paying now. It is getting checked out by the mechanic now. It will give me more space after I take the extra seats out, but being a van it has no trunk, so I will have to cull what I keep in the car now. That is hard since, I keep a lot of stuff in the car and they don't have another home. It is mostly garden tools and things I need like repair parts for the sprinklers which I don't need everyday, but I need it when I need it.
It was leaking from the tank. I recently changed the toilet seat and I can't see the bolts under the toilet and accidentally loosened up the tank bolt instead of the seat bolt. I thought I tightened it back up, but the bolt is definitely wet. I drained the tank and there isn't any more water on the floor when I flush the toilet with a bucket. Bad news. I hope the tank isn't cracked, or I will need a new toilet. I am waiting for my handyman to come back to check that out and make sure the bolt gets tightened without cracking the toilet or leaking. Unfortunately, the ceiling downstairs still has to be fixed.
I am taking on the piles around the house a little at a time.
Unfortunately I have more expenses coming up as well as this repair. My car is 25 years old and more of the 25 year old things are breaking down, so I have been looking for a car for a few months. My nephew has found a minivan that is 13 years old and in my price range. I checked out the insurance and it will cost about what I am paying now. It is getting checked out by the mechanic now. It will give me more space after I take the extra seats out, but being a van it has no trunk, so I will have to cull what I keep in the car now. That is hard since, I keep a lot of stuff in the car and they don't have another home. It is mostly garden tools and things I need like repair parts for the sprinklers which I don't need everyday, but I need it when I need it.
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applestar
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When you switch from enclosed trunk to open cargo space like minivan or suv, you have to be creative about storing things that can become a projectile hazard in case of an accident.
Most SUVs and minivans have tie-downs that I consider are for child seat strap but maybe they were originally meant for cargo. I keep a covered milk crate of things secured with bungee behind the back seat.
Most SUVs and minivans have tie-downs that I consider are for child seat strap but maybe they were originally meant for cargo. I keep a covered milk crate of things secured with bungee behind the back seat.
That's a good thought Applestar. I never thought of that. It is a problem now because most of the things I use regularly is in the back seat now and when I stop or turn sharply, things do shift. I am thinking of putting a storage tub in the back, but I will have to think about how to secure it. Or, I will have to put most of the common things I use in 5 gallon buckets, but I will have to think about what I need everytime I go out. I will still have the problem of things needing to be secured.
My handyman came yesterday and he tightened the bolt on the toilet a little more and he put up the new screen door. He helped me cut out a hole in the ceiling so it can dry out and to make sure nothing else was leaking. It is good now, no more leaks and it is nice not to have to use a bucket to flush the toilet everytime or have to go downstairs in the middle of the night.
I have to finish cutting out the rest of the ceiling and get the type X drywall board. I also have to move more stuff out of the room. Then I have to call him back and schedule the repair and decide if I want to do another popcorn ceiling or a textured ceiling. Popcorn is harder to do and messier but if it is textured then the other half of the room will have a popcorn ceiling. I don't want to touch that side of the room because, that is in the original house built in the 70's and that means it does have asbestos. The side that leaked was part of the addition we built in 1991 so it does not have asbestos.
My handyman came yesterday and he tightened the bolt on the toilet a little more and he put up the new screen door. He helped me cut out a hole in the ceiling so it can dry out and to make sure nothing else was leaking. It is good now, no more leaks and it is nice not to have to use a bucket to flush the toilet everytime or have to go downstairs in the middle of the night.
I have to finish cutting out the rest of the ceiling and get the type X drywall board. I also have to move more stuff out of the room. Then I have to call him back and schedule the repair and decide if I want to do another popcorn ceiling or a textured ceiling. Popcorn is harder to do and messier but if it is textured then the other half of the room will have a popcorn ceiling. I don't want to touch that side of the room because, that is in the original house built in the 70's and that means it does have asbestos. The side that leaked was part of the addition we built in 1991 so it does not have asbestos.
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applestar
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Maybe you could put a moulding to divide the ceiling visually -- maybe even hang a valance-link fabric or, if you have asian-decor, oriental carved wood cutout design soffit kind of thing (do you know what I'm talking about?).
If you rearrange to also functionality divide the room, if would look like you intended it that way.
If you rearrange to also functionality divide the room, if would look like you intended it that way.
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HoneyBerry
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My neighbor worked hard day after day after day digging a very long trench all the way from the back yard to the street trying to locate a leak in the water line. Turned out it was just the toilet tank mechanism that was leaking. I think it must have been karmic pay back by the universal gods for putting grass clippings in his neighbor's garbage cans. The neighbor in back was complaining about that and then soon after I caught him putting grass clippings in my garbage can. I wanted to install a spring loaded device in my garbage can that would scare him if he tried to open the lid, like a jack-in-the-box. I guess there are worse things than putting grass cuttings in neighbor's garbage cans.
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applestar
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That's a funny neighbor.BirdLover wrote:...it must have been karmic pay back by the universal gods for putting grass clippings in his neighbor's garbage cans. The neighbor in back was complaining about that and then soon after I caught him putting grass clippings in my garbage can. I wanted to install a spring loaded device in my garbage can that would scare him if he tried to open the lid, like a jack-in-the-box. I guess there are worse things than putting grass cuttings in neighbor's garbage cans.
I think I would have set up a compost bin on our property border and asked him to put all the grass clippings in there.
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applestar
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Wow. I know a couple of my neighbors drag their yard waste out back where our properties back up to the municipal green zone and recreational park and dump them -- this includes grass clippings and leaves, etc. (No they are NOT making intentional compost piles). One neighbor also used to dump used motor oil in the very beginning.
But these neighbors who dump stuff in/on other neighbors' properties are pretty brazen.
That reminds me --- I used to find really weird stuff on my side of the fence alongside a neighbor with teenage kids -- especially after parties. After 3rd such find, I couldn't take it anymore and collected them and showed their mother. I told her I was embarrassed to even handle them and have to throw them out in my own trash. After that, I didn't find any more tossed-over junk.
(Imafan sorry about the OT
)
But these neighbors who dump stuff in/on other neighbors' properties are pretty brazen.
That reminds me --- I used to find really weird stuff on my side of the fence alongside a neighbor with teenage kids -- especially after parties. After 3rd such find, I couldn't take it anymore and collected them and showed their mother. I told her I was embarrassed to even handle them and have to throw them out in my own trash. After that, I didn't find any more tossed-over junk.
(Imafan sorry about the OT
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HoneyBerry
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A neighbor used to dump stuff in my bamboo grove. It was irritating. It was like he was using that grove to expand the storage capacity of his yard, which was full of junk, old cars, etc. He was a hoarder type. We found the front end of an old car in there once. When asked he insisted that it wasn't his, that he didn't put it there, even though it was obvious that it was his piece of junk. So we told him that we were going to take it to the dump, since it wasn't his. When we checked the next morning, the old piece of car was gone. It disappeared mysteriously in the middle of the night. Funny how things go sometimes.
I hate people dumping garbage at my house. I find cups, candy wrapper, and cigarette packages stuck in my hedge and plastic bags in my yard. Somebody once went to church, came out and cleaned their car and dumped everything on the curb including used baby diapers. When the neighbors were moving out they dumped all of their trash in my can. I usually take out an empty can and fill it in the morning and there wasn't any room for my trash, a 13 gallon bag.
Usually my neighbor lets me borrow space in his can. Usually he only has grass in it. I asked for a second can. I can fill a can in an hour especially at this time of the year when I have to do the tree pruning or heading off. I try to put out at least one can on green day. Most of the time it isn't because I don't have enough trash or space in the can, but the time to actually go out there and fill it.
At the community garden plot, I usually spend about 3 hours there watering and weeding. I can fit 3 large bags in the back seat of my car (about 80 lbs) and I drive it to the composting facility about 10 minutes away. If my friend comes and I get an early enough start on Sunday, he has a truck and I can get more bags filled and loaded before they close.
At the community garden my plot is on the outside. I have leaf mulch that has been dumped right outside my gate, so have to park the car a little farther away. This stuff should be gone fairly fast. In the past people have dropped off bags of weeds and logs and palms which are not wanted. I usually have to take the time to scrape them away and repile them so I have a place to park my car.
Usually my neighbor lets me borrow space in his can. Usually he only has grass in it. I asked for a second can. I can fill a can in an hour especially at this time of the year when I have to do the tree pruning or heading off. I try to put out at least one can on green day. Most of the time it isn't because I don't have enough trash or space in the can, but the time to actually go out there and fill it.
At the community garden plot, I usually spend about 3 hours there watering and weeding. I can fit 3 large bags in the back seat of my car (about 80 lbs) and I drive it to the composting facility about 10 minutes away. If my friend comes and I get an early enough start on Sunday, he has a truck and I can get more bags filled and loaded before they close.
At the community garden my plot is on the outside. I have leaf mulch that has been dumped right outside my gate, so have to park the car a little farther away. This stuff should be gone fairly fast. In the past people have dropped off bags of weeds and logs and palms which are not wanted. I usually have to take the time to scrape them away and repile them so I have a place to park my car.