Home Remodeling Forum

Hey all,

What I love about the internet is that I can find places like GRM forums with real folks doing real stuff and helping others.

I am about to embark on a home remodel that will have me living in a dump while I completely renovate it. I'd love to find a sort of serious DIY type board/forum for folks talking about home remodeling projects. I see a couple out there, but they seem to be mainstream stuff sponsored by TV shows and the like.

Does anybody know of anything like what I want? With a target member that's a few steps above "Home Improvement Warehouse Customer" and not quite "Remodeling Contractor." I know there's lots of folks out there who are pretty much remodeling gypsies (move from project to project, house to house, renovating as they go) so it seems there would be quite a demand for this sort of thing...who knows?

It would ideally be like GRM. Exept a topic like "Advice on replacing floorboards in my British Roadster" would be along the lines of "Advice on supporting the floorjoists in my bungalo."

;)

Clem

Every time I work on a home project, I wish I knew of a GRM for home improvement.

Ditto, I wish I could find a home remodeling forum like GRM is to cars or garagejournal is to shops. It isn't home remodeling, but it's slightly more in line than GRM is:

http://www.garagejournal.com/

There's talk of load ratings, windows, code requirements, etc. but most of it is (understandably) related to garage work. Of course, many of the places are liveable, but that's another topic of discussion. Those guys might know of a good home equivalent to garagejournal....maybe ask them?

Bryce

You know, I post crap on here from time to time about home projects, and the people on here are pretty skilled at answering....

give it a shot...

some folks are contractors and some are hacks(me!)

I don't think you can really get good at this kind of thing from reading about it.

You really need to learn hands-on.

In the days before the internet and big box centers, one would go to the local hardware store and ask. I worked in one of those ma-pa hardware stores for many years, and between all the folks who worked there you would get good info and instructions about your project, and the stuff to do it with. I sure do miss the neighborhood hardware store..

Miata.

Yes, I'm a contractor.

What you want is available in an email list called shoptalk. Directions for subscribing/unsubscribing folllow:

This mailing list is for the dicussion of just about anything to do with tools, techniques, garages and such for working on our favorite toys, whether old trucks, show-quality MG Midgets, autocrossing Allards or whatever.

The topics of discussion are intended to be along the lines of "What sort of pipes should I use when plumbing my shop for air?" "Where can I get a left-handed Whitworth Crescent Wrench?" "What should I use to paint my garage floor?" "I want to build a parts washer, what do I do?" "Will one of those 12 volt mini-compressors run my sandblaster?"

To subscribe, send a mail to Majordomo@autox.team.net with the following command in the body of your email message:

   subscribe shop-talk

NYG95GA wrote: I don't think you can really get good at this kind of thing from reading about it. You really need to learn hands-on. In the days before the internet and big box centers, one would go to the local hardware store and ask. I worked in one of those ma-pa hardware stores for many years, and between all the folks who worked there you would get good info and instructions about your project, and the stuff to do it with. I sure do miss the neighborhood hardware store..

I'll clarify. I'm already perfectly capable of doing anything in a home remodel. However, just like I'm perfectly capable of doing ANYTHING with a car, it's nice to have others in the same situation to lean on for discussion and consideration.

Sure...I can rivet some duct work together...but it might be nice to talk to someone with more experience than me about sizing the duct work, especially if I'm doing something non-conventional like exposed round ducts in a residential home...

I'm not much of an electrician...but I can do it with a little bit of clarification from someone in the know.

Forums like this where you can post a photo and say "What do you think I should do with this...here's what I was thining." are just invaluable.

I did the "subscribe shop-talk" thing, Jack...thanks.

I'll have to check out garage journal also...I haven't spent any time there, but I think I'm about to start ;)

Clem

I think this exact post has come up on Garage Journal recently, in fact. there's a lot that can be gleaned from that site, but as mentioned, you need to be able to convert garage-specific knowledge to house-building/renovation knowledge. There are enough folks there that are neck deep in building their own structure, though, that somebody can probably answer your questions, unless you're doing something really specific. There's also a pretty decent home improvement forum attached (oddly enough) to the VWVortex/TheCarLounge communities.

I've been joking forever about how my Grassroots/project house has taken over for my grassroots/project car.

Whatchoowanna know? I have done a lot of stuff over the last few years - more, actually, than I have to my car.

Go to http://www.taunton.com/finehomebuilding/ and click on "BREAK TIME" (far right at top) to register for their forums.

Taunton's does several magazines, from cooking (Fine Cooking) to swingin' hammers (Fine Homebuilding). All are what I would wish to be able to do if I were covering that subject matter--"Fine" is not just a name. Their forums are equally excellent.

Margie

Yeah...I spent a little time on garagejournal today...I'll be spending plenty of time there, I'm sure of it now.

I don't have anything specific now...but no matter what the DIY situation (Cars, houses, etc) I always have times when I just want to bounce ideas off others. You know...

Heck...I'll get started (and jinx the closing) by showing a little of what I'm in for. This is a 624 square foot little house.

How about that Curb Appeal!

First things that need done are to dig a french drain around the perimiter of the foundation, as there's water standing in the crawlspace currently. Then I have to pull up the floors in the majority of the house because it seems that the floor joists along the north side of the home have let go (probably due to the moisture noted above). Fix the joists and put the flooring back in (with insulation and plumbing under the flooring first).

The majorest thing to do is to rip off the roof structure and put a 12/12 roof on with metal roofing. This will allow a 1 bedroom 1 bath house (With formal dining room!...originall) be turned into a neat 3 bed, 2 bath home...with a very efficient footprint. It'll be small, but it'll be cost-effective and eco-friendly living!

High efficiency HVAC, Tankless water heater, lots of insulation, new windows, cases of caulk, recycled materials...it's going to be an interesting project.

Clem

What I do have going for me is that the house I live in now (and the ex is moving back into) started out exactly like this house. We were intimately involved in its renovation (it was done to our specs by the seller...we didn't do the work so much, though).

So I can take my current house and evolve the next one into something even cooler...

Clem

Marjorie Suddard wrote: Go to http://www.taunton.com/finehomebuilding/ and click on "BREAK TIME" (far right at top) to register for their forums. Taunton's does several magazines, from cooking (Fine Cooking) to swingin' hammers (Fine Homebuilding). All are what I would wish to be able to do if I were covering that subject matter--"Fine" is not just a name. Their forums are equally excellent. Margie

Thanks Margie!

That site rocks...though I can't access the forums from work :(

Great articles though!

Clem

624 sq ft with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms? I'm having a hard time picturing it with a kitchen, dining room, closet, etc. Sounds like quite a challenge!

Bryce

I think it's 624 now... gonna be more like 1200 finished, right?

Glad you liked that site.

Margie

SVreX wrote: Miata. Yes, I'm a contractor.

ditto.

a very busy remodeling contractor here.

Yeah...it's 624 as-is.

Probably about 1021 after the roof gets repitched (there'll be two bedrooms and a bath in the upper 377 square feet).

I like small...yes, I own a miata (kinda...it's smashed).

Clem

I lived in a really old 725 square foot house once, and it was pretty amazing how well they used the space when setting it up. It actually seemed very roomy.

I just moved from a 863 SF SOG ranch built in 1956 to a 1874 SF cape cod on a full basement built in 1998 and while the previous house was our first home I don't miss it a bit!

And I don't know about forums but we subscribe to Family Handyman and enjoy it - although I may not renew it, too many "honey-do" ideas for the wife!

There is the Saint Louis Rehabbers club. They don't have a forum but they do have a list serve. http://www.rehabbersclub.org/

And I don't know about forums but we subscribe to Family Handyman and enjoy it - although I may not renew it, too many "honey-do" ideas for the wife!

Family Handyman is very good, I just downloaded about 15 plans for stuff I want to build from their site. We get that one, as well as This Old House magazine. It's a little more on the "oh I might do that $$$$$$$ project if I was Lo-ho-hoadedd" side of things, but still is very educational.

Given your description of your abilities, I'd give a thumbs down to Family Handyman, and a BIG thumbs up to The Journal of Light Construction.

It's a trade magazine- pros giving real world tips to pros. Best articles, reviews, etc. around.

Hey all,

I've been working painfully slowly on this project...so thought I'd revisit this thread and post up a link to the blog I started.

http://www.408alexander.blogspot.com/

I hate that blogs read from newest to oldest :grrr:

Clem

Two year old canoes are cooler than new canoes.

Clemsparks, how is this going?