Home Improvement Today?

Replaced the deck on a friends house. Here's the before picture. It was literally falling apart and sketchy as hell to stand on.



Here's the progress part way through. Raised the deck up so that it's nice to just step outside. It is 1/2" below the code level requiring a hand rail. I installed the newel posts anyway so it will be easy to add them when the budget allows.


Doggy approved

 

Pup approved

 

I fixed up my Taco's bedroom over the weekend. New house only a year old, and the epoxy paint is already peeling in the garage.
No use in repainting as it would just peel again. Plus it was slick as hell when wet. Funny how it only peeled under where my wife parks her SUV.
So down with a new floor! I'm doing the back mower nook the same this upcoming weekend.

 

Interesting what did you use?

 

Nitro Vented tiles from Garage Flooring inc. Got free shipping and they were delivered in about 3-4 business days

 

Looks good, but I have 2 questions:

How old was the epoxy?

What happens when you pull in when it’s raining outside? Will the water just puddle underneath it and eventually evaporate?

 

The epoxy was 1 year old. Whenever we pulled in wet, the water would puddle under where my wife parks her SUV. It would stay wet for 2-3 days until it evaporated.
In the 1st pic you can see a floor dryer(blower) and a mop where I tried to dry the floor quicker. Even tried a leaf blower. The standing water caused the epoxy to bubble and eventually fail.
I put landscaping fabric down just a sound barrier to quieten the tiles when walked on against the concrete floor.
So yes, when it's raining outside the water will just puddle underneath as before.
But now, no puddles to step in. And maybe I wont bust my ars as I have on the wet epoxy a couple of times.

 

What did it cost and how do you clean it?

 

106 degrees today or roof would be further along. loaded woodshed up. Need to get a couple more cords.

 

The tiles are $1.99 sq/ft. They gave me a discount.
I got 400 sq/ft plus about 6 extra tiles in each color and the front ramp edge tiles.
Including tax and free shipping for $798.00.

As far as cleaning. Just blow em out with a leaf blower. Damp mop like any other floor.

 

Oh nice. It looked like they were like a mesh and stuff would fall through and get stuck in and under them forever. Thank you for explaining.

 

I'm sure this is off topic. Has anyone here bought land and then built a home on it? Any advice or suggestions aside from finding a reputable contractor, utilities on site, ect? I'm considering a half acre to build a vacation home/mountain cabin and I feel like it's a can of worms to start something like this.

 

I can only say you’ll regret if you don’t do it. The journey is a great experience.

win - lose - draw you’ll be glad you took the chance.

 

I have 10 acres in VA waiting for me to do this. Looked into it 15 years ago. Haven’t started yet. Might buy my sister’s lot first. Or just sell. My local contact has a nice 2nd gen and I think a 1st gen too.

Part of me wants to just go out there and build it all myself and learn the hard way but life, kids, work, all conspire against that.

 

We did a couple years ago. Well worth it…we designed our own floor plan (with some helpful input from the TW crowd) and hired a local GC to build it. That we still like our floor plan after a few years is pretty satisfying.

Yes, it is a can of worms.

1. When considering contractors, if at all possible, talk to people who have had homes built by them and have lived in them for a few years.
2. When budgeting, plan on needing a healthy slush fund.
3. For utilities, if it’s a utility you can’t live without, call them and make sure you can get it there before you buy the land. We did that with gas (no problem) and cable (wouldn’t even talk to us, so had to find different ISP). Didn’t bother with power because we already had power on our land for ag service, so we figured upgrading it for a home would be easy peasy. Nope…the pole that fed existing power no longer met the utility’s current standards, so they wouldn’t add service to it. The nearest pole that they would use was a ways away. Goodbye, $20k out of the slush fund.
4. Make sure you understand zoning, setbacks, easements, flood plains, well and septic permit requirements, everything that might affect what kind of home or even if you can really build there.

 

That’s a dream of mine, but sounds like we were in the same situation as you so we didn’t do it. Our new neighbors across the street did, they finished a few months after our home was done. They started several years earlier.
I gather, from them and others, that building inspectors get way more anal with DIYers than with contractors.

 

If you have the means, do it! Land isn't getting any cheaper and they aren't making any more of it. All the logistics of building will fall into place given your time/availability, local resources, land ordinances, etc.

 

I have done it 4 times, but I am the "contractor" and did a high percentage of the work myself

 

there could be a reason for that haha

 

I've done it once where I bought the land and then found a contractor to build it, and once where I bought the land/house build from a contractor. Both times it was a FUCKING HEADACHE! I can say with complete confidence I will never build another house. I just don't have the personality for it.