Monday, July 26, 2010

Hardwood Flooring Installation

I was following this series of Post on One Project Closer:
http://www.oneprojectcloser.com/how-to-install-hardwood-flooring/

Great information for a beginner or a refresher for those more seasoned installers.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Submission

Here is my submission for One Project Closer's annual Before and After Contest. This may look familiar to all you blog readers, but it is a condensed version of the many many posts.



This past spring my wife and I tore down the original deck that was attached to our house. It was 8x10, large enough to fit a table and chairs but no grill and not much else. While this isn’t a reason to tear down a deck, the rotting wood, untreated lumber and Carpenter Ant infestation really put the proverbial nail in the coffin (or in this case - the deck).

It was really bad. I am thankful that the person that previously built it did not attach it to the house for many reasons.
  1. They used untreated wood and sat it directly on the ground, thus creating a feeding area within easy reach of the wood eating insects.

  2. Supports (if you can call them that) sat directly on the ground, not below the frost line (which would be fine for a free standing deck, but not when you use wood not rated for ground contact)..

  3. After the Carpenter Ants ate through the main supports (2x12), they sistered some 1x6 blocks on the bottom of the supports. Which provides no support, but gave them an area to paint and “look” nice.
  4. I was really scared that it was going to just fall apart that I never let anyone on it except myself. The only thing holding it together was the 2x12 decking boards.

Here are some pictures of deck and destruction. That lean is not supposed to be there. If you look in the background, you can see that the insects have gotten to our fence as well (a future project).


Before Pictures and Deconstruction.




My philosophy is to build it right so you only have to build it once. This means going above and beyond “minimum code”. I really dislike the idea of attaching the deck to the house through the use of a ledger board, but because of the concrete pad (2” thick) attached to my house, it will be more trouble and work to build it freestanding. If I cut up the concrete, then I could create a problem with water in the future which the concrete holds back. If I make a hole large enough in the concrete to put my concrete form (12” diameter), then water may get around the seam where the old concrete meets the new form; thus creating a possibility of frost heaving or other problems in the future.


That leaves only 1 choice of ledger board. After reading this article entitled “Don’t Build Decks that Rot” , it gave me a great idea of using composite decking as blocks for my ledger board. This would create a drainage point as well as keeping the ledger board away from the house by about an inch but still providing the structural strength of a ledger board. It also gave me the idea of using a roofing membrane on every joist and at the post connection to prolong the life of my wood structure.


I also downloaded quite a bit on code for deck building. This includes span charts, joist sizing, beam sizing, etc… Can’t forget about the StrongTie handout for deck building connections that has all of the connections with pictures and uses.


AWC Code - http://www.awc.org/Publications/DCA/DCA6/DCA6.pdf
Multi-Level Decks - http://www.strongtie.com/ftp/fliers/diy-mldeck05.pdf
Strong-Tie Deck Fasteners - http://www.strongtie.com/ftp/fliers/F-DECKCODE07.pdf

The Lowe’s Deck Designer is GREAT for an overview and parts list. It allows you to do some great designs for decks with multi-levels and then shows you what your deck will look like with beams and everything. It was great and saved me a lot of time. Of course I tweaked the design a little bit and played with different joist sizes to see if the Live and Dead Load changes.
Lowe's Deck Designer (Need Account) - http://www.lowes.com/deckdesigner .


We re moved the electrical and water spigot until we have reinstalled the ledger board.
We removed the vinyl siding and cedar siding and then the sheathing After that, I saw the inevitable it seems for my projects. Carpenter ants decided to eat out some of my rim joist. I prayed that they didn’t cause too much damage. Luckily they only ate out about a 2 foot section of the rim board. They never touched any floor joist or even the sill plate.



I removed 6 feet of the rim board and replaced it with a PT board. I used (3) 3/8” Lag Screws per floor joist to secure it. It shouldn’t go anywhere J. I then put some Ice & Water Shield over the top of that.


We dug our 3 sonotube holes with a post hole digger 4 feet deep, 12" wide and laid 6 inches in the holes. We put in our sonotubes and used 5000 psi concrete. We waited a couple of hours for the concrete to start curing before we could put our ½” x 12” anchor bolt into the form.





For those that are interested in soup-to-nuts information. Here is the information needed to submit for a permit to add the deck to the house. I have removed all information distinguishing location and address, but you get the idea.

You need quite a bit of information. Then there are the fees. My city charges .01 times the cost of what you are building. In the case of my deck, the cost of materials is $2500, so it is a $25 permit fee plus a standard $25 application fee.


We installed the first 2x12 where the ledger is to be installed as a spacer board to bring the wood up to the same level as where the vinyl siding currently attaches. On top of that we installed ice and water shield. We went up about 12-18”, even behind the vinyl siding and down about 12” below the bottom of the sill plate just to keep things tight. Don’t see a need to cut off the bottom, it will be behind the deck anyway.

On top of the ice and water shield we installed vinyl flashing. On top of that we installed composite decking spacers every 16” on-center.

Then we attached the ledger board. We used 5” LedgerLok’s in a staggered pattern.


I have never had to pull a permit for a deck before. I hadn't realized that the first inspection was after digging your post holes…OOPS! Lucky for me, the inspector was VERY understanding and just made me dig down the side of one of the posts to verify depth. He approved my posts on Tuesday and so we are officially ready to go! The next inspection will be at the completion and then hopefully we get the Certificate of Completion!

This weekend, it will actually start to look like a deck!!










Next, I ran a string to a batter board so that I could figure out the height of my post. I leveled the string with a string level and then measured down 22 3/8” which was the actual distance of my 2x12 joist and 6x12 beam added together. The first 2 posts were almost the same at 5 5/8”.


I originally was going to go with the composite decking, but decided upon cedar. I found some at the local big box store for $1.22/linear foot! Nicer looking than composite, safer than Pressure Treated and naturally insect repellant. Of course, that means maintenance, but sealing the deck every year is not that difficult. I can roll it on relatively easily.


I refuse to use anything but vinyl railings because painting every spindle is ridiculously time consuming…and pressure treated railings are more likely to splinter and I don’t want to worry about that with children…even if they don’t use Arsenic/Formaldehyde anymore.

We cut the 6x6 posts and attach them to the post bases. Then we stack the first half of the beam and cut it to length (about 12 feet long). Then the 2nd to be stacked on top of that one. Then we use ½” x 12" lag bolts to tie the beam together. Then we do the same for the 2nd half of the deck at about 7 feet long. We ice and water shield the posts and attach the beams to the posts. We then cut 2x6 boards to keep the beam from rocking front to back. The beam is SOLID!


We attach the joist hangers at 16” OC (on center) along the ledger board and hang the joists and cut them down to size We attach our Rim Board with ¼” x 3” lag screws. We install the railing posts with 2-Deck Post Ties per post. We install ice and water shield on top of our joists, square up the stringers and block the sides of our posts to reinforce the connection. The final thing to do before we were finished framing was to install our dryer vent. It is located in the middle of the ledger board, so we had to use a 4" hole saw to cut a hole so that we would still have our dryer vent.






We finished half of the decking boards. We started in the middle of the deck. You are probably wondering why. Well, we were going to start on one of the ends, but we couldn't tell if the board was straight. I am more worried about the board looking straight to the eye, than of it being square.

So, we started in the middle at the middle post and it looked perfectly straight. The problem we ran into is because it is wood, as it dries it warps, bends, etc. We started with the straightest board we could find. Then we used clamps to persuade the other boards to stay straight. We had to do some minimal shimming to make the boards even.

The problem with the clamp is that we started overtightening it and causing our spacers (8d nails) to cause impressions on the sides of our cedar decking. We used some laminate flooring spacers which helped, but they kept getting stuck. We finished about 5 rows in about 5 hours...not good progress at all!

So, I decided the clamps had to go and since they are 4 foot clamps, we were going to reach their limit very soon. I use ratchet straps in the truck all the time to tie things down, so I figured it was worth a shot. I set up 4 straps across the length of the deck and we ratcheted the boards down and it worked like a charm. Plus, we didn't have to move the straps which moved things along quite nicely.



We finally completed the decking. This totally transformed the deck into a new beast. It made all of the previous pain worth it. We finally had a 260 sq. ft platform to walk on. After finishing the decking, we moved to adjusting the stairs.








Railings:


I purchased 100" vinyl post sleeves because I knew that I would be able to cut them in half and therefore buy half as many. We cut them all at 43" so they would all be the same height. Then we started unpacking the railings. Since the railings had been out in the rain the past couple of weeks, the labels were pretty much stuck on there. We spent an hour with goo gone removing the labels. We didn't get them perfect because we didn't want to be stuck doing that all day. We then started the first railing closest to the house so that we could make mistakes and they wouldn't be as noticeable. Things went pretty smoothly from there and by 1PM we were finished the railings on the main part of the deck. We took a break for lunch.

Then we started the stair railings. Since I am obsessive about perfection, it took us about 5 hours to install the 2 stair railings...constantly making adjustments. Since this is finish carpentry, it takes me longer. This is the part that people will see no matter how much time and energy you spent on the subframe. If it looks funny, it will haunt me the rest of my life.

After completing the railings, I was happy with the deck.


Besides being safer since we have little ones; the finish height of the deck in some areas is 32" so code says we need to have railings (anything over 30"). Since it was a holiday weekend, I waited until Tuesday to call the inspector to tell him I am ready for the final inspection. He comes by while I am at work and leaves. Tanya finds the paper inside the door.

It says, "failed". The 2 reasons are:


  1. Deck not adequately attached. Needs to be attached every 3-4'.
  2. Stairs not uniform.

Ok...let me talk about #1. The ledger is attached every 16" with (4) 5" LedgerLoks as all of you know from my previous post. I e-mail him and asked him to clarify what he meant. He responds "Due to the limited angle for viewing I was unable to determine your means of fastening to the house." And that he would check upon reinspection of the stairs. So...because you couldn't see how the deck was fastened to the house, you failed it!!

Let me talk about #2. I knew the stairs were not uniform, but they are only off by 1". I have walked them numerous times and I don't see a problem. But I looked up the code and it says that the smallest rise to the highest rise shall be maximum of 3/8" difference. Well...they are definitely not that. And I guess he needed to come up with something wrong with the deck to justify his position (just a little bitter*).

But there are only 4 stairs and to me they don't feel that much off. But I don't make the rules and when you pull a permit you are at the mercy of the inspector.But this whole thing could have been avoided (#1 and #2) by having a framing inspection. The most important part of the deck is the framing.

He would be able to:
  1. Measure the spacing of the joists.
  2. The attachment of the ledger to the house.
  3. Fastening of joists to ledger and to beam.
  4. Beam connection.
  5. Stair uniformity.

So...although they aren't going to change the way things are done, I think they would have much safer decks if they did a framing inspection.

Well...this past weekend we spent quite a few hours fixing the stairs. We chiseled the concrete about 3 inches by 5 feet so we could sink the stairs a little further. They are now only .5" off. Hopefully he will say it is ok.

Well, I purchased the 2009 International Residential Code (IRC) book. It costs $90, but I probably could have avoided this by having the code book easily accessible. It will be useful in the future. And since my city is still using the 2000 IRC book, I think I should be safe with whatever I do.



HERE Is the Completed Masterpiece (before the lattice work was installed). My wife and I love. My wife, daughter and son use it daily in the summer





Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Restitution

The plumber finally called me back. He has been having personal problems the last 2 weeks and didn't get any of my voicemails or any of my calls.

He started off by asking if I wanted to have him install the sink and toilet this Thursday. I told him the whole story and he offered to reimburse me for those things.

I asked him to do that as well as fix one of the other issues in my house. The drain for the shower is copper connected to steel connected to cast iron. I would like the steel piece replaced with PVC. I am sure that the piece will be as caked with "stuff" as the sink one we replaced.

All in all I am happy with the resolution and that he is willing to work with me.

Monday, March 1, 2010

Grand Total

Total Cost for Bedroom - $4,807.36

Here is the breakdown of the cost for the bedroom. For some reason, blogger is putting my table all the way down at the bottom of the page. Scroll down to see table.












































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































Description Qty Each Total Notes
1/4" Industrial Couple (Female) 1 $2.68 $2.68 Air Hose End
Bathroom Door 1 $75.00 $75.00 Bathroom - Door
4" CenterSet Faucet 1 $88.20 $88.20 Bathroom - Faucet
3 Light Bronze Curvature 1 $48.60 $48.60 Bathroom - Light
PFJ Casing 3 1/2 x 8' 5 $9.22 $46.10 Bathroom - Molding
Almond Caulking 2 $3.58 $7.16 Bed - Caulking
100' Coax 1 $21.57 $21.57 Bedroom - Coax Cable
28x78 6 Panel Pine LH Solid 1 $153.00 $153.00 Bedroom - Door
13" Flushmount Lights - Bronze 1 $17.79 $17.79 Bedroom - Lights (2-Pack)
1x6 Poplar 22 $1.76 $38.61 Bedroom - Bed Trim
Rosette Door Casing 1 $11.57 $11.57 Bedroom - Bed Trim
351 Casing 4 $8.97 $35.89 Bedroom - Floor Trim
Pine Beadboard Paneling 6 $ 13.30 $79.80 Bedroom - Walls
Bed/Bath Doorknob 2 $7.62 $15.24 Door - Doorknob
8x1.5" Bronze Screws 1 $5.37 $ 5.37 Door - Screws
8x1" Bronze Screws 1 $5.37 $ 5.37 Door - Screws
Drywall Labor 1 $660.00 $660.00 Drywall - Labor
DryDex Quart 1 $5.34 $5.34 Drywall - Patching
1/2" 4x8 Regular 16 $5.38 $86.08 Drywall - Supplies
1/2" 4x8 Mold Resistant 5 $8.08 $40.40 Drywall - Supplies
Metal-Tape Flex Corner 1 $10.86 $10.86 Drywall - Supplies
USG Plus 4 Ready Mix 1 $12.98 $12.98 Drywall - Supplies
Dump 360 $0.08 $27.00 Dump - 360lbs
Dump 480 $0.08 $36.00 Dump - 480lbs
5 Pack Disposable Dust Masks 1 $2.23 $2.23 Dust Protection Masks
Pushin Conn Yellow 2 $1.78 $3.56 Electrical
Pushin Conn Assorted 2 $1.78 $3.56 Electrical
Pushin Conn Orange 2 $1.78 $3.56 Electrical
Voltage Detector 1 $8.98 $8.98 Electrical
HOM 20A AFCI Breaker 2 $31.47 $62.94 Electrical - Arc Fault Breaker
20CI Ceiling 1 $0.87 $0.87 Electrical - Bathroom Light
25CI Blue Ceiling 2 $6.09 $12.18 Electrical - Bedroom Lights
1 Gang White Midsize Outlet Plate 6 $0.40 $2.40 Electrical - Faceplate
2 Gang White Jumbo Outlet Plate 2 $2.04 $4.08 Electrical - Faceplate
1 Gang Midsize Plate 1 $0.40 $0.40 Electrical - Faceplate
HOM 20A GFCI Breaker 1 $31.46 $31.46 Electrical - Ground Fault Breaker
35CI 2Gang New Work 1 $1.67 $1.67 Electrical - Junction Box
20A 125 White Spec Switch 2 $3.89 $7.78 Electrical - Light Switches
22CI Blue 1 Gang New Work 13 $0.61 $7.93 Electrical - Outlet Boxes
20A Tamper Water Resistant White Outlet 8 $5.84 $46.72 Electrical - Outlets
LK100AN LugKit 100AMP 2 $3.37 $6.74 Electrical - Secondary Panel Tie-In
1 Gang Low Voltage 1 $1.69 $1.69 Electrical - Tel/Ethernet/Coax
12-2 Copper 250Ft 1 $52.18 $52.18 Electrical - Wiring
RJ45 Surface Mount Jack 1 $6.27 $6.27 Ethernet/Internet Wiring
23/32 2x2 Sand Pine Plywood 1 $7.41 $7.41 Fill in gaps in Subfloor
Wood Putty 1 $2.67 $2.67 Fill in Nail Holes
Floor 140 $0.71 $100.00 Floor - 140sq. Ft beech
Bamboo Flooring 23.81 $ 1.89 $45.00 Floor - Landing Area
Bamboo Stair Nose 6 $ 4.49 $26.94 Floor - Stair Nose
Plastic 9x12 2Mil 11 $2.98 $32.78 Floor Protection
Wood and Insulation (Lost Receipt) 1 $130.00 $130.00 Framing
2x4x96 Stud 61 $1.77 $107.97 Framing
1x3x8 Furring 2 $1.15 $2.30 Framing
1x4x8 Furring 4 $1.66 $6.64 Framing
1x8x4 Prem Wood 1 $3.45 $3.45 Framing
2x6x8 6 $3.75 $22.50 Framing - Collar Ties
12" Strap 10 $2.50 $25.00 Framing - Collar Ties
2x6x10 4 $4.48 $17.92 Framing - Knee Walls
Spray Foam 4 $4.86 $19.44 Insulation
R21 67.18SQ 6 $26.42 $158.52 Insulation
R13 40SQ 3 $6.92 $20.76 Insulation
R25 Comforttherm 5 $8.43 $42.15 Insulation
Blown-in Insulation 5 $24.28 $121.40 Insulation
R13 106Sq Ft. 1 $22.05 $22.05 Insulation
Gallon Valspar Interior Eggshell Paint 3 $19.78 $59.34 Paint for Bedroom and Bathroom
2" Frog Tape 1 $8.97 $8.97 Painting
3Pk 3/8" Teflon Rollers 1 $8.07 $8.07 Painting
2pk 3" Roller 1 $2.94 $2.94 Painting
2" Angled Brush 1 $11.22 $11.22 Painting
10.1 Oz Alex Fast Dry Caulk 4 $2.23 $8.92 Painting/Molding
Phone Jack 1 $4.58 $4.58 Phone
Plumbing Parts 1 $200.00 $200.00 Plumbing
Plumbing Labor 1 $ 800.00 $ 800.00 Plumbing
Marathon Round Front Toilet 10" Rough-in 1 $134.25 $134.25 Plumbing
Marathon Jr. Pedestal Sink 1 $89.50 $89.50 Plumbing
1/2" Copper Coupling 1 $0.36 $0.36 Plumbing
1/2" Type L Copper Pipe 1 $4.74 $4.74 Plumbing
Gallon Kilz 2 Primer 1 $13.22 $13.22 Primer
5'3" x 7'6" Windsor Beige Rug 1 $75.00 $75.00 Rug
2x8 Rug Pad 2 $7.18 $14.36 Rug Pad
2" Deck Screw 1lb 1 $7.10 $7.10 Screwdown Subfloor
18mm Birch 4 $13.74 $54.97 Shelving for Landing
1x2 Maple 8 $0.87 $6.98 Shelving for Landing
Wood Shims 4 $1.24 $4.96 Shims
Composite Shims 2 $1.33 $2.66 Shims
Demolition 1 $ - $ - Tear down to Studs and Disposal
Handle Mount Template 1 $2.66 $2.66 Template for Mounting Draw Pulls
1G New Work Low Volt 1 $1.37 $1.37 Thermostat Box
Thermostat 2 $19.44 $38.88 Thermostats for upstairs bedrooms
Epoxy 1 $4.48 $4.48 Tile - Fix delaminated Tile
Spectra Grout 2 $17.98 $35.96 Tile - Grout
Scrubbing Sponge 1 $2.70 $2.70 Tile - Grout Cleanup
Sponge 1 $1.77 $1.77 Tile - Grout Cleanup
SpectraLock Mocha 2 $3.53 $7.06 Tile - Grout Color
Penetrating Sealer 1 $10.31 $10.31 Tile - Sealant (3 coats applied)
Tile/Wood/Hardibacker (Receipt Missing) 1 $76.00 $76.00 Tile - Supplies
Canopy Kit Ceiling Fan 1 $4.48 $4.48 Trim for Keira's Room fan removal
Window 1 $50.00 $50.00 Window
4x33 Vycor Flashing 1 $8.05 $8.05 Window - Flashing
2018 PVC Lattice 1 $8.25 $8.25 Window - Trim under window
6" Recessed Lighting Can (Renovation) 1 $11.49 $11.49 Repair for leaking Tee Valve
Sharkbite 1/2" Tee 1 $9.00 $9.00 Repair for leaking Tee Valve
Joint Compound 1 $5.54 $ 5.54 Repair for leaking Tee Valve
Labor for A Better Handyman 2 $25.00 $50.00 Repair for leaking Tee Valve
Labor for A Better Handyman 3 $25.00 $75.00 Toilet and Sink Installation
1x2x8 Select Pine 1 $4.09 $ 4.09 Shelving for Landing
1x4x6 EWP Select S4S 2 $6.42 $12.84 Shelving for Landing
1x3x8 Select Pine 3 $6.08 $18.24 Shelving for Landing
Cordless Cell 60x72 Shade Room Darkening 1 $82.80 $82.80 Bedroom - Blinds
3/4" 2x4 Oak 1 $16.42 $16.42 Shelving for Landing
Multi-Pack Brushes 1 $13.48 $13.48 Painting
Satin Nickel Hinge Door Stop 4 $1.33 $5.32 Door - DoorStop
SQ-D 100Amp Ground Lug Kit 2 $5.13 $10.26 Electrical
SQ-D Breaker Blank Filler 1 $ 3.57 $3.57 Electrical
1x4x4 Select Pine 1 $4.58 $ 4.58 Shelving for Landing
1x3x4 Select Pine 1 $3.48 $ 3.48 Shelving for Landing
1/2 x 2 x 36 Select Pine 2 $1.67 $3.34 Shelving for Landing
1/2 x 3 x 36 Select Pine 4 $2.52 $10.08 Trim for Stairs
1/2 x 4 x 36 Select Pine 1 $3.30 $3.30 Trim for Stairs
White Oak Cove Molding 3 $2.98 $ 8.94 Trim for Stairs
Qt. Valspar Int/Ext Gls White 1 $13.48 $13.48 Painting
Forsyth Toilet Paper Holder 1 $17.98 $17.98 Bathroom - Fixtures
Forsyth 18" Towel Bar 1 $24.98 $24.98 Bathroom - Fixtures



$ 4,807.36

Updated Bedroom Before and After

This weekend was a flurry of activity. A Better Handyman came over and install the sink and the base of the toilet. We ordered the toilet and sink from HomeDepot.com. When he went to install the tank, the mounting holes wouldn't line up with the base of the toilet. The tank was 5.5" mounting holes, while the base was 5.75". GRR...another problem arises. Go to Home Depot and Lowe's but no one has a 10" Rough-in toilet in-stock...Special Order Only.

But, he installs the rest of the items which turn out great. The sink is secure, toilet is level and secure! Great and thanks!!

I installed the shelving in the landing area and all of the molding for the bedroom and landing area. We also painted the downstairs ceiling. Looks pretty good. You can't even see the spot we had to cut out.

I decided to try and install the tank on the toilet anyway and save myself the hassle of returning the toilet and getting the right one in. I was able to install it by putting both bolts in and tightening each side slowly. I would tighten the right side with a couple of turns and then the left side. This worked and the toilet isn't leaking and is secure. So, all is well and the bathroom is done.

After looking at these pictures, I honestly don't know how my wife ever agreed to buy this house. This is one of the ugliest rooms I have seen in a long time. I imagined it looking better, but I never imagined what it turned out to be.

Before pictures of the dresser wall.


After picture of the dresser wall. Small improvement :)


Opposite side of the room where the built-in bed is now.


After picture with the built-in bed.


Before pictures of the window


New Larger window. Got this $550 window off Craigslist for $50. Low-E, Argon Gas, Grills between the glass. The listing said it was a 60x60 window. When I got it home, I measured it and it was a 67 tall x 60 wide...almost didn't fit!!


New Entrance. We moved the wall 3 feet back so that we could add the bathroom from hell. Named that because of the problems it caused.

Bigger and better window!!

New 1/2 Bathrooom.


Shelving and stairway when we bought the house.


We now have the shelving I have been promising for 3 years. Looks good to me.