All Forum Posts by: Just Don

thanks to all posters,,,
Aaron, To introduce you to this house it is built right after the WW2 era, late forties or early fifties. Salt box first little ranch design after the arts and krafts bungalows were built. Cheapee everything,,,never saw lumber with this poor quality,,,bad drywall is all gone. Was one bedroom, bath kitchen and utility room in 20 bye 30 feet,,,grand total of 600 gross small feet. Was a crawl space, house lifted and new full basement built,which is now sporting the hi efficient furnace,new ductwork and water heater. WILL be putting two more bedrooms down there to make a 3 bedroom which will be all new except for wall and roof studs and rafters. Front is half brick and all new vinyl siding,themo pane windows,new doors and most proudly its sporting a hangover,,,more specifically eaves and soffits,and rakes(end gable eaves).

After all your advice going to look at some 6 panel pine to paint white, oak seems like a waste to paint. They have some in the bargain bin in a neighbor town.

anyone built there own egress window wells? Actually building wooden window wells for egress is easiest part. Making a cover to keep every stray pop bottle and gobs of tree leaves is most difficult.

Was thinking plexiglass but size width is limiting factor unless I seam it or put wood extension next to house first then plexi. thinking 4 foot square.

Bought en wells and covers seem real pricey,,,but do look better.

Do I need to do anything to control heat inside the one on south face of house? Other is north side and gets some shade.

North side has additional problem of brick and house sticks out 5" more on top than bottom because of width of brick,,,plus angle of corbel block.

Drainage is assured since pure gravel all the way down to drain tile. Water doesnt hold in gravel much.

What can I do for a decent attractive cover that doesnt blow away in every breeze???

Doing a drastic gut job reno on new basement in a 'small' house.

Read where everybody now likes white doors and trim. I was going to buy 5(total amount of interior doors in whole house) 6 panel oak doors and oak trim and stain them light oak.

Primary for durability (oak) cause it doesnt ding and dent like soft wood,,,and 6 panel is LESS prone to fist damage/holes

If I were going to paint white maybe a 6 panel pine door would be just as effective and a little cheaper.

What style of door and 'trim' is in style these days?????,,,,I am SOOOO old I am 30 years behind the times

So do I stain light oak which I consider more timeless,,,or paint white??? What profile of trim both base trim and door casing???

TIA-cause IB just don

If you ever have drywall off for any reason,,,put 2 bye 10's or 12's or what ever is enough for the job screwed to the studs on each side. se if they can swing a door hard enough to send knob thru that after drywall is on...dents are easier to fix than holes. Nice touch on circle protectors.

Same goes for paper holders, towel bars, curtain holders.

When drywall is still there a scrap of plywood cut long and narrow that fits thru hole crosswise,,,use a screw and wire/ string to hold onto it,,,use pl400 to glue it to drywall and drywall screw thru good wall. Have had backed up double walls not fail again in 20 years.

Use 3/8 drywall for the patch on 1/2 " walls as you have 1/8 inch for tape and mud,,,,have also used caulk instead of tape,,,doesnt crack as easy.

Use of long screws in hinge side as well as latch side back into studs keeps frames from cracking when kicked or used as a fight shield.

on those sched. 40 drains do you use the ones with o rings and drains in bottom of trap? or without?

that small of park is questionable profitable/ worth it ratio. Are you on city water?or own well water? HUGE issue if on well you need certified operators to run that plus water testing is huge.

Now with major concern,,,,if you end up owning this put EACH house on there own meter,,,water,,,and make them pay the bill,,,plus put a limit on water usage or septic failure is next and most places they wont let you even fix those anymore,,,they want them gone.

IF this court is fronted by city/central water, and city /central sewer you can tie onto relatively cheap,,,maybe buy,,if not sounds like heartache about to happen for you. Other is IF you can expand spaces,,,meet local regs, stay okay friends with neighbors and not get that 'nimby' attitude from them.

lots of ifs. Plenty of headaches without what I already mentioned to keep you busy,,,dont buy more....by not realizing what those can do...

First septic that throws water on top of ground for ANY reason,,,they can and probably will shut down entire court,,,least wise here,,they dont like them,,,get rid of at drop of a hat,,,already got rid of 4 in short period of time. Dont ask how I know

And then failed to pay for years of back personal property taxes comes in to play,,,here you get to pay thousands and haul trailer to dump in pieces assuming its asbestos free.

So another check,,see how taxes on trailers are paid in your area and see status of how much is paid and unpaid!! And dont believe them when they say its not your problem. They will MAKE it your problem so it is not their problem any more

In Nebraska they are called real estate taxes on real houses,,,mobile homes pay personal property taxes which is the same thing. Problem is they fail to collect them here.

So when a mobile owner in somebody elses court doesnt pay for several years no mandated by law, action by the sherrif occurs cause they say they are too busy.

Mobile becomes old and worthless and needs torn down,,,county thinks its as good as new and taxing heavy. Before it can be moved or torn down taxes have to be paid.

No mobile owner as they are gone in the wind...So city and county says mr. court owner you have to get rid of that dangerous old health hazzard or lose your license. So court owner gets to pay all back over charged taxes and pay to have house torn down and hauled to dump. Darn expensive!!!

Any ways to prevent this from happening??? Policing all tenants in a court to pay their taxes on time and as due would be a full time job. they get a sticker to put in window like a license plate sticker but few ever do so

so yes years of unpaid personal property taxes add up quickly when they add penalties and huge interest charges,,,and they do!!! Careful diligence needed on this point!!! AND court owners,,dont let them move one saying they will pay them next week,,,or YOU will!!!

on the 'old' style flat shingles it worked but you could count on shorter shingle life cause they dont lay as flat. That is exactly why they dont do it with the modern textured shingles,,,they dont lay well at all.

if your removing all the cabinets replace by taking necessary drywall off, or all drywall if rough shape. Use mold resistant for that application. Replace all plumbing in that wall also. Can then reframe to any window size you want and design cabinets around it!!I would get that window gone too in an upgrade!! Poor excuse of designed window,,,guess it was cool back when

my experience with window air conditioners is not positive. Even if it is there own. They take out window screens which mysteriously disappear or get damaged, both equally as bad as find someone to repair these days or try to replace,,,often impossible.

They damage the windows or the walls putting them in and out.

OR as the last disaster. Most responsible tenant put ac in window,,I didnt see it for a few years, until the WHOLE wall window occupied fell apart, sheetrock gone,,sheathing rotten,,,sill rotted,,siding BAD shape. Window air leaned toward window and all condense water ran down my wall and ruined alot of 'structure'

For me no window a/c's allowed period...went to all central air,,,everyone around here expects that anyway. Can charge a bit more for that and makes property more valuable. Runs 2 to 3 times cheaper than window,,so tenants have less utilities...happier,,,easy to maintain.,,,lasts 20-30 years,,,its a no-brainer

Houses here dont require appliances but are easier to rent sometimes. Problem is you have them,,they have there own,,,you have to 'move' yours someplace. Next tenant needs them,you move back in,,then dont work for non use. Appliances are a pain,,better off if dont furnish them as older ones require constant repair,,,some more than do it yourself.

when you do get the door knob rash on the wall,,,repair it by putting as big as possible piece of plywood behind drywall ( cut a slot if necessary) with PL400 and dozen sheetrock screws and patch the rock like normal. Wont happen again on that door unless they take half the wall with it. 10 X stronger than pure drywall.

If your renoing a house plan where door knobs will hit and put short 2 bye lumber between the studs as a backer board. You 'might' get a dent, but no holes.