Nalley Street - A Work in Progress: Laundry Room

Let's take a look at another room's progress - The Laundry Room

When I first entered the house, I found that some years ago the laundry room had been used by a homeless person.  A mattress had been brought in and signs of drug use were found.  The previous owner figured this out and put a more secure lock on the back door.

The walls and ceilings were stripped of the paneling and old insulation.  The carpet and all signs of the homeless shelter were removed.

The room was too large for a utility room so I decided to erect a wall in the middle and use half of the room for a master bedroom closet and the other half for the laundry room.  Two windows became door openings - 1 for a closet in the master bedroom and 1 for the new entrance into the kitchen.  A window was enclosed for the closet.

Now the drywall is up and a new laundry room emerges.

Nalley Street - A Work in Progress: Bonus Room

The past couple of weeks have been slow in the progress but finally things are picking back up with the hiring of a drywaller.  So the next couple of post will be progress pictures of several rooms.  Let's start with my favorite room and one that's adding the most value to the house: The Upstairs Bonus Room.

The Upstairs was split into 2 rooms.  It had 70's panel and blue carpet.  I thought I was apart of "That 70's Show" set.  The ceiling height was less then desirable.  My contractor's head almost went into the rafters.

The junk was removed, the paneling taken down and the wall between the two rooms removed.

New Stair access was created at the back of the room.  The ceiling was raised so taller individuals could enjoy the room.  The walls were re-studded to make drywall installation easier. 

The correct R30 Insulation was added in the ceiling.  The previous insulation was R13.  A far cry from the required insulation to pass inspection.  Note to everyone:  Hire someone else to do the insulation.  Removing all that R13 was the pits and my lungs are still coughing up fiberglass.

Now drywall is up and the room is taking on a life of its own.   Recessed lighting is being used so nothing can obstruct the room's height.  With the addition of window trim, paint and carpet, the room will be ready for living. 

Nalley Street - A Whole New Look

It's amazing what a little color will do for the look of a house. This week the vinyl siding and trim as well as new double hung/double pane windows were installed on my project. I chose a Harvard Slate sliding with white trim. The results were unbelievable. It looks like a totally different house. Things are progressing nicely.



Front View - Before and After

An additional column was added to the front porch for better balance and shows off the front door. Decision now is what color to paint the front door so that it pops. It's all about the curb appeal. It's hard to tell in this picture but the gable vents match the same half round that is in the doors.



Back View - Before and After

Two windows were removed from this side of the house. The single window on the bottom was closed in for the closet in the master bedroom. The double window on top became a single window because of the new stair layout.



Side View - Before and After

The antenna and shrubs came out for a cleaner look. You'll also noticed another window missing at the back. It was removed to make room for more wall cabinets in the kitchen.




Side View - Before and After

The middle window was the bathroom. It was removed to rearrange the bath and make room for a closet in the second bedroom. You would never know that windows were removed. The siding covers all signs of their removal. Also a door was installed to the crawl space. No more homeless shelter under the house.




Inspections for rough-in plumbing, structure, electrical and HVAC are tomorrow. Once those inspections are completed, Drywall can go up and the inside starts it transformation. I can't wait to begin those inside touches.

Nalley Street - Raise the Roof

Time to raise the roof. The question to replace the roof was up in the air. Originally I was not going to replace it but after consulting the Realtor and Contractor it was decided that it needed to go. That ended up being a good decision. When the original shingles were removed, we found that felt lining had not been used so the roof decking was not protected from the weather elements.




The roofers had an opening this past week so the contractor was able to get them on site sooner then expected. They finished the job in a day and a half. Great job guys.



Noticing anything different in the last picture. Yep. The chimney is gone. Spent half a day getting that down past the roof line to save some expense. No need for flashing or possibly leaks around the chimney.

Nalley Street - The Closets

2nd problem that needed correcting in this house was the lack of closet space. The house had only 1 closet and it was being used by the staircase to the attic bonus room.

Here's the solution:

The master bedroom had a window looking out to the utility room. The utility room had plenty of space to be divided. Part of the space would remain a utility/laundry room. The other part would become a closet.



The window was expanded into a doorway.



And now a new walk-in closet is created for the master bedroom. A huge mirror from the attic room will be used on the wall opposite the door for that extra touch.



Once the stairs to the attic were moved, there was plenty of space to either enlarge the bathroom or shift the bathroom and add a closet for the 2nd bedroom. The choice was easy - add the closet.



The old staircase came out. The bathroom was shifted. A new closet for the 2nd bedroom emerges. Bifold doors will be used to hide away everything. It makes a big difference in the use of this house.




On a side note. I was able to pick up a electric water heater at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore for $125. They had several that came out of Army base housing in NC. My contractor looked them all over and picked out the best one. Brand new would cost from $300-$500. What a steal!



Up next. Time to raise the roof.