O.K, here's a posting - Roll Call

[Justin]

I thought maybe some of us renovators could compare notes on what we are up to right now. Me, I'm doing up our first house, a brick veneer built in 1948 with NOTHING done to it until we shifted in almost six years ago.

So, amongst other things we've restumped, rewired, replaced the HWS and some of the plumbing, polished the floorboards, resealed the roof, demolished and rebuilt the bathroom and kitchen, and on it goes.

Right now I'm building a deck out the back, taking refuge outside to get away from the inside for a while, where all the fiddly and not so fiddly finishing off jobs patiently await my return......architraves& skirting boards, tiling, paint touchups etc etc. Does it ever end ?

I've used tradeys for stuff that needs permits and licences, and done other bits (like most of the kitchen) myself. Anyway, I know I've added a truckload of value to the place, and as I say to my wife when she gives me a bit of (well intentioned)curry about the latest tool purchase :

"Would you prefer that I was one of those losers hanging out at the pub with my mates all the time ?"


Cheers,

Justin.

[Badger]

Well after building the previous house the home boss reckoned she wanted a FINISHED house this time – can you believe it!!. Just because I only got round to the eave linings and front door strike plate when we put it on the market (it was less than 12 years old)!

Anyway, this time we bought a beautifully restored 1940s weather board that doesn’t need a thing done inside.

Fortunately it has an old outhouse that the boss wants turned into a potting shed – the order is for windows everywhere and French doors opening off one side – bit posh for a potting shed but there you are.

The real project is to turn a big 9m x 8m barn into a workshop for myself – now there’s a project I can REALLY go overboard with. Bull nosed veranda, remake the front doors, line inside, wood heater …………

Pity I have to do the potting shed first


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Badger - A gruff short tempered animal that sleeps most of the winter

[Iain]

Bought my first house in 1975, it was almost new but ex wife wanted wall,paper, wallpapered every room. God I hate wall papering, next house was a couple of years later and needed rrestumping, not too bad and just put wedges on the existing stumps to bring the house up. The septic was a problem and needed fixing, fixed that but never again, what a revolting job and no friens for a month or so.
Next place was an old weatherboard in the Dandenongs, ripped off all the old rotted weatherboards and replaced with WRC, then commenced to gut the place and fit built in robes and a coonara heater. That one went well but took a while. Sold for a substantial profit. I was in the public service then and was transferred to Shepparton where we bought an old farmhouse, very solid but in need of a serious facelift.
Pulled the whole place apart and refiited new internal walls, two coonara heaters and put on a 40 x 18 foot extension at the back, big job but well worth it, the 40' wall had 35' of glass and we then had to fit a 2hp airconditioner to save us in summer.
Finished this and moved to Gippsland with public sefvice where we lived in a shed while we built a large mud brick, this was really good and had everything we wanted, just started to settle in and the bloody public service moved me back to Melbourne.
Bought our existing castle and I'm still going on this one, put in a new bathroom that took 5 years to complete and a transfer to Beechworth saw this completed in three days. The house went on the rental market and the bastards destroyed it, I got fed up with moving and came home and am back into renovating again as well as cleaning up their mess.
We are now looking at selling and buying a bigger place, new wife (19 years, marriage not her) seems to think I enjoy this and is looking at old run down properties that I can have fun fixing.
The only things I won't touch are major plumbing and electrical, and I find that glass cutting is a bit of a black art.
The one question I do have, if anyone knows how, is how do you re point a roof as all my mortar is starting to fall out, I'm sure that this is a job I can do myself.

[John Saxton]

Ring Doorstop

[Rod Smith]

G'day
Climb up on roof many times, removing ridges, cleaning up old mortar, mix up some mortar, add pva, some oxide to suit, trying not to fall off the roof. Try to do a neat job.
OR. Do as I did and pay an experienced proffessional (cash) and sit back and have a beer.
Bee udifull.
Cheers
Rod

[Iain]

Tried the pva oxide and beer, tastes bloody awful

[Glen Bridger]

I thought Doorstop's comments about home renovators were a bit rough.
Actually I'm just kidding I couldn't help having a good olde' laugh about how stupid some people can be. I'll give any job around the house a try. There are so many sources of informations these days that you can tackle most jobs. However I do try things on a small scale or on test pieces before I totally destroy things and spend a fortune on materials.
If I realise that its beyound my ability I'll usually work out another solution then if that doesn't suit the job I 'll get someone in to do it.

Glen