Conference 7.286::home_work

    I'm Joe Tomkowitz, working on the Demand Print project for the Software
    MBU in Westminster.
    
    I bought my 1942 3-bedroom cape in Leicester, MA when I started working
    for DEC in 1981.  It's on 3/4 acre of land in a pretty rural area
    abutting a 1/4 acre duck-filled pond. 
    
    Since we've moved in, we've added a sunporch (unfinished as of yet)
    with a full foundation which is my workshop, had major landscaping
    done, a new septic system, new furnace and new hot water heater. The
    electrical service was upgraded and I personally helped add quite a few
    new circuits to the addition and various places around the house. 
    
    We redid both bathrooms, one of which was converted from a men's room
    and a ladies' room, since the house was a "social hall" in a previous
    life.
    
    Over the winter, we plan to refinish the oak floors and put down
    ceramic tile in the kitchen once we decide on a new floor plan.
    
    Most of the above was done by contractors, but we usually did most of
    the finish work after they left. 
    
    -joet

    Steve Wellcome, technical writer for RT-11.  Also an amateur
    machinist and general handyman, the latest in a long line of
    New England yankees.
    In 1976 I bought a house in Bolton, built in (about) 1820.
    It was rather the worse for wear and over 6 years I did a
    lot of rewiring, replaced the roof, remodeled the bathroom,
    put in a woodstove, built a concrete-block chimney, and other
    assorted efforts.
    I moved in 1982 to another house in Bolton, built (variously)
    in 1806, 1906, and 1968.  Projects in this house have included
    insulating the cellar and adding a new heating zone, reputtying
    windows, adding aluminum combination windows, and rebuilding the
    porch.  
    I did virtually all the work on the first house myself.  In my
    old age I'm less inclined to spend an entire summer working on
    a house - there are other things I want to do too - so I've been 
    hiring contractors to do pieces of the work that are more involved
    or lengthy than I want to deal with.  
    Upcoming efforts on the "new" house include reshingling (only this
    time I'm hiring somebody to do it; I did it once, proved I could
    do it, and that's enough) and "somehow" remodeling the kitchen to
    add some more windows.  I also need to replace part of the old
    foundation, and that's going to take a bit of planning.

    Al Sung, senior software engineer for Decision Support Products
    Group in Marlboro, the people who brought you DECalc, DECalc-PLUS
    and Xway.
    
    I've owned 2 houses so far, one in Ashland and I just bought a brand
    new one in Hopkinton.  The one in Ashland was only 6 years old,
    but it wasn't put together very well.  I think it was done by some
    Fafard contractors (if anyone's heard of Fafard before).  I removed
    the entire kitchen from that house and put in everything new from
    the floor up.  Also wallpapered,painted,insulated, major portions
    of the house and replaced the entire deck.
    
    In the new place,I just installed 600 *real* sq ft of oak hardwood flooring.
    Now all that's left is landscaping, TV antenna, mailbox post, appliances,
    garage door openers, wallpapering, window treatments, lights, fans,
    insulating the basement...Boy! don't you get anything when you buy
    a new house.
    
    -al

	Well I think this note was a great idea... And so is this file..
	So here's mine.....

	I'm Steve Couture and I'm a Principal Programmer Analyst for 
	Small Systems Mfg. in Littleton Ma.

	The house we own is approx 90-100 years old and we have been
	attacking it one room at a time. Each room has had the plaster
	removed, insulated and rewired. (It's interesting to note that
	as a DIY'er you see drastic improvements in the quality of
	work in each room as you get more experienced). I think that
	after 9 years of this if I had to make the decision to buy
	another old house or do it all over again, I wouldn't it again.

	I am in the process of finishing up the MAJOR project. The
	kitchen / bath / hot tub room. It's at the point where it
	is livable. I also (as others have done) contracted some
	of the work out. It took me 6 weeks to gut, wire, and prepare
	the room for cabinets and could not see spending another 6 months
	living out of boxes, while I installed the cabinets so I
	contracted out. I have done my own plumbing, electrical, 'rocking'
	roofing etc. It's worth the time for the $$$ you save to do
	most of the work yourself...


			Steve                                         

    (Wild) Bill Kilgore, software engineer on the VAXcluster Console
    System project in Marlboro.
    
    My first and only house is a gambrel in Townsend. Bought it eight
    years ago with an unfinished upstairs, and immediately began an
    intensive self-study course in home remodeling. Installed three
    bedrooms and a full bath over the intervening years. Now considering
    a face-lift in the country kitchen (island counter, better lighting,
    etc), and am in the process of rough-finishing the basement (studded
    and cheaply-paneled walls, unfinished ceiling) for laundry, play
    and workroom use.
    
    Future possibilities include an addition to provide a family room and
    a sun room (with a hot tub). Also looking for nice ideas for a
    front entrance (said ideas seem to be pretty scarce for a gambrel - since
    it looks a lot like a barn, I suggested a silo, but the SO nixed
    it).
    
    Thanks and a hat tip to joet for hosting this money/time/life-saving
    conference.

    I'm Roger Bowker, a manager from the IVIS Engineering organization,
    now in LJO.
    
    It's nice to know there's lots of others out there in the midst
    of hardly able construction.
    
    I'm in the midst of too many projects, as usual.  The present house
    is in Harvard, Mass and is a modified Royal Barry Wills saltbox
    done in conventional framing with interior handhewn chestnut beams
    pulled from an old barn in Petersham.
    
    First project was to cut about 30 large pines that were keeping
    the place in perpetual darkness and starting the roof to rot.  I
    tried to get Parlee Lumber to take the logs (for free yet)..when
    Henry didn't get off the dime, I had a portable mill come in and
    it generated 3000 bd ft of pine boards, lots of slash (since burned),
    and mounds of sawdust (given to the horsey set in town).
    
    Present projects are finishing up a 2 1/2 story  3 bay garage/barn.
    The foundation was in when I bought the house, 28' x 40' and 1 1/2'
    off square... a big parallelogram.  Built it to the foundation,
    skewing everything accordingly.  Just finished the siding and have
    been futzing with the stain.  
    
    Just installed perimeter drain around the house last weekend.  The
    stone wall I had built (no more rock lifting for me) went on top
    of the old one.  During the heavy rains this summer, the water backed 
    up UNDER the window wells and into the cellar.  
    
    Raised bed herb garden going in.  Bed edges from 'reject' granite
    quarter curbing.  Crow bar and roller work.
    
    Lawn going in next weekend.  Got a small front end loader/tractor
    lined up and 30 yds of loam coming in.  Hope it's not too late.
    
    Winter projects:  
    	o finish blue board on the entry way so it can get skim coated
    
        o get the 100 amp sub panel hooked up for lights in the barn
    
        o figure out how to hook up switching for the generator I just
          got running
    
        o start thinking about moving a downstairs bath around to get
          a laundry room out of the cellar and onto the first floor  
    
    gee, and the #2 Kid is due in April... time to hustle.
    
                                   / roger
    

Great idea Joe.

I'm Paul Weiss, I work in the RSX development group up in Spitbrook Rd in 
Nashua.  Right now I'm working on a system to have a PDP-11 coprocessor in a 
MicroVax II.

In 1983 my wife and I started to look for something to buy instead of rent, and 
were heading towards a 'handyman special.'  We soon found that these specials 
were not usually very cheap, and one real estate agent said: "Why not start 
from scratch? Then you don't have to spend half your time ripping things apart."

In September '83 we bought about 3 acres of land in Windham, NH, and spent the 
winter designing a house to sit on it.  For some reason we weren't content to 
start with a simple cape or something, we wound up with a design for a two 
story house with a 28'x8' two story solarium.  We had contractors come in and
excavate a hole and pour a foundation in it, and in June 1984 we started 
building the house ourselves.  By coming in real early to work every day we 
were both able to be out working on the house by late afternoon.  Before the 
snow flew, we had the whole frame up with the roof on and the windows in (no 
siding).  

Next spring we dug into it again, and started working on the siding and 
interior.  We also got pregnant in the spring, so the race was on!  We wound up 
having the plumbing and sheetrock done by contractors, mostly because we were 
running out of time.  My wife (Ellen) did all the electrical work (except the 
main panel) while I did the chimney.  It was perfect work for her at the time, 
since she was about 7 months pregnant and couldn't lift much.  We planned to 
move in the last weekend in October, and it was touch and go.  I got enough of 
the kitchen cabinets in (yes, we're making those too) to put in the kitchen 
sink just the week before we moved in.  

And then of course, the night before we were going to move in, Ellen wakes me 
up at 3:00 AM - "You'll never guess what,"  so a few friends did most of the 
moving while we went off to the hospital to have Benjamin.

In the year since then, we've done a lot of trim work and painting, finished 
Ben's room (except for the floor), put down a hardwood floor in the living room,
custom built doors to go between the house and solarium, built a shop in the 
basement, and we just had the topsoil spread out in the yard and we now have a 
lawn sprouting.  Projects for the winter include tile floors for the kitchen 
and hallway, and insulating shades for the windows.  Then next spring we tackle 
the garage.

It's kept us busy, but by doing all the work ourselves we only have a $50,000 
mortgage on the house.

If I were only going to look at one notes file, this would be it.  I get (and 
am able to give) more good information in this file than anywhere.  Thanks 
again, Joe.

Paul

I'm George Pagliarulo, a new products qulity engineer in LVM on 5-4 of the 
Mill.

	Last August my wife and I moved into our first house the day after
we were married.  It was a real trip planning a wedding and closing at the 
same time.  The house is an 18 yr. old cape in S. Nashua.  The first thing we 
did was to take out some evergreens in front that were overgrown and leaning 
against the house causing some rot around the windows.  In the Spring we
repaired the broken shakes and painted the whole house.  The project I'm just 
finishing up is the conversion of a deck into an enclosed 26X12 porch and 
mudroom.  The only thing I have left to do is the painting. 
	Winter projects include putting up a wall to divide the cellar into
a shop, laundry room and play room.  I'm also  going to rewire the cellar 
to add outlets and lights.
	Future projects involve the upstairs - wallpapering, painting, 
ripping out the wall to wall and refinishing the hardwood floors that are 
underneath.  The kitchen could also use some work.  Next summer will be spent
landscaping (especially if I buy that piece of property talked about in an 
earlier note).  

Then, who knows?  That porch faces directly south and would sure make a nice
greenhouse....maybe a hottub. Hmmm... if I do that then I can wrap the 
bedroom around the other side of the porch/sunroom and put in sliding glass 
doors...upstairs dormers would be nice.........maybe a gazebo in the back 
yard.....next to the pool.......

Scott Blessley, I'm a Technical Support Consultant for communications "stuff" 
in the OEM Tech Support Group, MRO3. My home is in Hudson, MA (very near HLO); 
it's my first. 

I'm still working to counteract the bizarre things the previous owner did to 
this house (ref: the red shag rug found in the kitchen, and his fetish for 
concrete block construction). I'm finally (with the help of contributors to
this file) beginning to believe that "Gee, maybe I _CAN_ do <whatever> myself". 
I am now convinced that HOME_WORK is 70% confidence, 10% competence, 10% 
common sense, 10% dumb luck. 

Thanks to all who have donated the wisdom of their experiences to this file.

-Scott

Hi, I'm Chris Petrovic with the RSX Development group in Nashua. We
bought a small ranch in March '84 that has since had a new bathroom
(from the studs out), a new roof (with added sheathing), a 16'X18' deck
off the same size family room and now in the process of putting red
cedar shingles over T-111 siding. Oh, I almost forgot...we also had an 
asphalt drive put in. Interior work on the kitchen as well as building 
a darkroom in the basement are next on the list...

I do ALL the work myself...I don't trust anyone (and I can certainly 
screw it up cheaper!). Sort of a hobby that's gotten out of hand...

Goal...to have nothing to do in the summer other than play with the 
kids, wash the cars, mow the lawn and drink beer! Getting closer each 
year...

BTW...this is one of my favorite conferences...thanks JoeT...

    Ed Gosselin, Product Assurance Engineer for MAP Engineerng.
    I'm in my second house since I found renting the wrong way to go.
    It is a garrison 1 yr old. I'm spending alot of time adding things
    I never had the contractor do since his prices were very high. I
    find doing the work myself very enjoyable and rewarding, plus I
    can do alot more with what it would have cost if a contractor had
    did the work. This notes file is excellant!
    

    Barry Tannenbaum, Software Engineer for Display Systems Software in
    Spitbrook, working on TPU.  I bought my first house last year, about
    the same time that this notesfile opened (P&S signed, 11/06/85; what a
    birthday present!).  It's a 3 bedroom raised ranch in the S. Nashua
    DEC-ghetto off exit 4. 
    
    So far I've ripped out, replaced and retiled a bathroom floor, built a
    deck, painted, added track lights, etc.  This winter's project is
    builtin bookshelves for my small bedroom/computer room-library.  Plans
    for the summer are landscaping (my ambition is a lawn-free front yard -
    no more lawnmower!) and a 2-car wide driveway.  But I'll probably have
    the driveway contracted out.  There are limits to my craziness... 
    
    I have to agree with the person who said that DIY is 70% confidence.
    And this notesfile has certainly helped my confidence.

    	- Barry

    My name is Scott Harvell, I work in the WPS-PLUS development group
    in Spitbrook.  I live in Merrimack about five minutes from the MK0
    plant.  My early experience comes from being a "gopher" for my dad
    and their 150+ year old house.  That is a three story colonial with
    a very large attached two story barn and a detached two car garage.
    Lots of work has gone into that place.
    
    Well I got married last year in October and we closed on our brand
    new house three days before we got married (to .10, I'll bet that
    our wives could swap some interesting stories!).  The house is a
    28X44 foot split on an acre of land with very little landscaping
    done.  Projects to date have been quite a few when I look at it.
    first we tried to make some kind of lawn out of the place, right
    now it dosn't look to bad but it still needs alot of work.  Then
    off to the major work.  The house had a unfinished downstairs so
    plenty of room to work in.  First thing I did (with my fathers help)
    was put in a 3/4 bath downstairs.  Did everything ourselves, also
    found out how much I dislike putting in linoleum.  Next it was on
    to a 20X25 foot family room, we have full size windows and a walk
    out basement so its just like a room in the upstairs.  The room
    is finished in a Tudor style with rough cut barnboard and stucco
    on the walls.  The ceiling is done in drywall to preserve the 8'
    height.  I also installed a brick hearth and S/S chimney so that
    we could put is a Efel wood/coal stove that we just purchased. 
    Just finished the room last month my wife and I did all of the work
    on this room except for the carpeting.  Forgot to say that I also
    insulated the floor by putting in 1x3 straping with foam insulation
    between them and underlayment on top, this makes the floor both
    warmer and soft to walk on.  No more plans for the house this winter
    except to sit back and enjoy the warmth of the coal stove while
    I drink a cold beer.
    
    Plans for next year are to put in a cement walk with inlaid flag
    stone and finish doing alot of yard work.  Distant future plans
    include a sunroom and a large deck off the lower level maybe a garage
    some time in the future but thats a long way off.
    
    Well I guess thats enough writing, I don't write much in this notes
    file but I sure do enjoy reading it.
    
    Scott

    I'm Tony Priborsky, working in Secure Systems on the Security Kernel.
    
    My wife, two kids, and I moved to New England from Colorado in January
    of this year.   After getting over the shock of the cost of housing,
    and getting severely depressed about it for a while, I found a builder
    that was building in Gardner for under $100,000.   The basic house
    (for that price) was unfinished on the second floor.   There was
    rough plumbing.
    
    We closed on Valentine's day, and moved in the following Monday.
    I spent until April getting the downstairs like we wanted it.  Ceramic
    tile around the tub, etc.
    
    Then, I started upstairs.   I've done everything myself (except the
    plumbing, but you've probably read about that by now) until this week
    when I had someone install the skylight (I don't like 45� roofs).   
    
    The house is a cape with two dormers, and we're finishing it with three
    bedrooms and two baths upstairs.  (Actually, what we in the west called
    a 3/4 bath - the master bath just has a shower).  All the rough
    framing, wiring, insulation, sheetrock, taping, sanding and painting
    are done except for the bathrooms, a small area in the hallway where
    the skylight went.  I installed two regular windows too.  Next after
    the hallway wallboard is finished is the doors and trim.   The hallway
    is "open" around the stairs, so a railing has to be put in too.  After
    the doors are on comes the heating.   Hopefully, we'll be moved in
    before the snow flies, but I'm not holding my breath. 
    
    There is a light at the end of the tunnel, and now that I can see it,
    we're getting a little anxious.   You're tempted to take shortcuts.
    About the only one I'll consider now is having someone put up the
    railing (and maybe hardwood flooring in the hallway, if we decide
    to do it.)      
    
    I'm no stranger to this  (my father is a contractor/architect,
    and we remodeled a house while I was in high school).   Major DIY
    jobs can be done by most everyone, if you have the requisite extra
    back for the big jobs, and don't try to hurry too much.   The biggest
    stumbling block is getting the courage to start.   Once started,
    you'll find it isn't all that hard.

    Ellen Germann, sales support for the NAAD district.  Yes, there
    are females who work on their own homes, too!!
    
    I have a 66 year old colonial in Manchester, NH with a granite
    foundation and lots of horsehair plaster.  Since I am a single
    parent, I get to do lots of the jobs myself, or with the help 
    of my kids (who are getting better every day).
    
    I am currently repapering the bath, replacing fallen tile, and
    putting in a new tile floor (thanks you note 412 and note 66).
    I will also be redoing my kitchen when the bath is done.  That
    will entail removing the upper cabinets so I can have open
    shelves and show off all my nice pans and dishes, a new floor,
    new counters (tile or wood), a new stove (gas is lots cheaper
    than electric, especially if Seabrook goes online), painting
    the walls and wondering if I can restore the tin ceiling that
    is above the plasterboard.  THEN, I will paint, redo the
    hardwood floor, and put new drapes in my sunroom (soon to
    be office).  
    
    I have done a number of jobs already at the house.  I also have
    a friend who is just getting started in the paint contracting
    business, so I have copied lots of the notes for him.  Thanks
    everyone!!!
    
    
    

	Gary Simon....Manufacturing Quality Engineer in Burlington, Vt.

	My wife and I built our CordWood house two summers ago and are
	still working on completing it.  We did all the work ourselves
	with the exception of hiring a block mason (whom I worked with 
	as a helper) and a roofer to complete the roofing while I got
	the insides liveable before first winter's snow.

	I had really never tackled any big projects before, but found
	out that you can really accomplish just about anything you want
	if you try hard enough and ask the right people the right questions.

	The house is a 32 x 28 saltbox with 1 1/2 floors.  The upperfloor
	still isn't in.  That's one of our jobs for this winter.  I am
	currently finishing off the kitchen.

	Some of the things we did last winter involved hardwood floors,
	ceramic tile,  tongue and groove wood panelling, etc....

	Other jobs this winter involve a spiral staircase,  moving plumbing
	stuff to the basement (hot water tank, pressure tank),  and other
	stuff that my wife has on a list about a mile long. 

	After the winter we will hopefully get around to our central heating
	system that will utilize wood, passive solar, and a gas or oil
	backup.

	We still have lots of landscaping and other outdoor things to do 
	as we have 8 acres with wood, meadows and a 1/2 acre pond.

	-gary

	p.s.  Since I live in VT, I was able to do all of my own plumbing
	      and electrical work.  Codes???

    I'm glad someone started this note....

    	I'm Ralph Palmer and I'm an Engineer working on Multi Chip
    Packaging in Andover MA.
    	This notes file has been a real life saver for me.  This is
    the first time that I've taken the lead in DIY projects.  I spent
    much of youth helping my Dad fix our house and working on wooden
    boats.  My house is a six room Queen Anne Victorian that is about
    125 years old.  I was a bit nervous about an old house at first,
    but this file gave me the courage and the advice that I needed.
    The house is in pretty good shape but my wife and I have many projects
    planned.  The first is to winterize the place by adding insulation
    and replacing some rotted and painted shut windows.  Our big winter
    project is to take the kitchen to the studs.  Next year we plan
    to add a second bath.  On a scale of 1-10 I'd rate my skills at
    about 6 for general work and carpentry, 2 for plumbing and 1 for
    wiring.  I'm sure you'll see many more naive notes from this handyman
    in training.  Thanks for all your help and advice so far.
    
    						=Ralph=
    	

    Hi.  I'm Pat O'Hern and I work in Marketing in Marlboro.
    
    My husband and I have re-done numerous houses in the past, and are
    now working on the biggest challenge we have ever undertaken.  We
    bought a 25 room 100+ year old Victorian in Newton about three years
    ago because we wanted the Newton school system for our kids and
    this house was the only thing we could afford (tells you a little
    something about the condition of the house!).  The house was in
    relatively good shape structurally but was not-so-affectionately
    known as the 'dog of the neighborhood' (I have a newspaper article
    to prove it!) and was being used as a boarding house for numerous
    not-so-reputable types.   The sewer backed up and we had the
    roter-rooter folks doing their thing the very day the movers showed 
    up with our furniture...an omen of things to come!
    
    Three years later, we are still alive but our list of projects is
    still long!  We have insulated the attic (150 bales!) but still
    have no storm windows (58 odd sized windows requiring custom storms).
    We re-configured our gas furnace to cut down on heating bills, but
    need to get a wood/coal stove.  We have completely re-done the kitchen,
    but are still sharing one VIOLET bathroom between 2 adults and 2
    teenagers!  We removed the exterior siding from 2/3 of the house
    and painted/stained the exterior but the contracter ran away before
    the job was finished--and other critical projects have re-prioritized
    our finishing the job.  I could write a book on what we went through
    to decide on the colors for our house--we had more serious fights
    over the color of the house than anything else in our 18 marriage,
    and ended us hiring a color consultant!  It took us two years to get
    in a new driveway because we couldn't find a reasonably priced
    contracter (when you live in Newton,
    everyone assumes that you have $$$$$!  Not true!), but although
    we are now using the wonderful, new driveway, we have to dodge a
    tree at the exit/entry point because the city made a mistake with
    our remove-the-tree petition and cut down the WRONG ONE!  We are
    knee deep in city politics on that one!  This summer we enjoyed
    our nice big wrap around porch for the first summer (we also live
    near a lake so the breeze was wonderful)--and discovered that our
    porch roof was leaking!  The project list is endless!  This spring someone
    in our community nominated us for a preservation society 
    award,
    and we were surprised and thrilled to learn that we were the only
    private homeowners (ie. people who do the work/fund the projects
    themselves) to win the 1986 Massachusetts state award.  The Globe and 
    3 local newspapers even did stories on the house and our renovation
    efforts--then one of our neighbors protested our 'right' to the award 
    because only 2/3 of the outside was finished...and even called the papers
    to suggest their doing a story on corruption in local politics and
    the payoffs made to get us the award!  Imagine!  
    
    I do not think we will ever be done with the house; we have been
    so busy with the major projects that there hasn't been time to start
    some of the cosmetic jobs.  I would love to restore the inside to
    Victorian colors and wallpapers and only just recently completed
    my first 'splurge' ( ie. non-essential) project and stenciled the kitchen 
    walls!  They turned out nicely.  The house has been placed on the
    National Historical Register; it no longer looks like the 'dog
    of the neighborhood' and is beginning to feel like home and not a 
    perpetual hobby shop!   Meanwhile, the projects continue.
    
    
    
    
    We are actively involved in various old-house groups and
    preservation/restoration groups.  Although we are not restoring
    the house, we are being very sensitive to the appropriateness of
    various modern materials/styles/methods and are trying to be 'period
    typical' in our renovation efforts.  
    out furniture 

    My name is Steve Nigzus and I am presently working on house numbers
    3 and 4 in Harvard.  I didn't plan it that way but I can't complain.
    
    I built my first house 6 years ago from the ground up; this translates
    into clearing the wood lot (:==wood chips in eyes), discovering
    that foundation sealer can't be removed from your car seats and
    that insulation means never having to say your sorry.  After 3 years
    of bliss and being delirious from urethane fumes, I sold it.
    
    I then bought a 'Steve Gold abortion' as local brokers described
    it. Steve was a camera salesman turned builder.  It didn't work.
    I bought the house figuring I would be better off in a completed
    (5 year old) contemporary and the price was right.  I should have
    known something was wrong when the oven door fell off 2 hours
    after closing.  I managed to stay in this house 9 brief months
    before I sold it.  In the meantime, the house got lots of presents
    from me:  a new stove, new kitchen cabinets (the old ones just
    about fell off the wall), a new boiler, a sump pump (to protect
    the boiler, of course) and insulation.  When the dining room wing
    appeared to be ready to disengage from the main house, I sold.
    
    At that foolish point, I began my new project.  I knew that I could
    build a house again.  That was 2 years ago and I am still working
    on my own design: a center entrance colonial with thousands of feet
    of oak flooring.  I didn't realize that you could hit your fingers
    in so many places with a rubber mallett!  My landscaping is
    best described as mud on rainy days and the dust bowl other times.
    I really LOVE this house;  I am beginning to think of it as a person
    with a mind of its own.  I estimate that I may finish the interior
    next year.  (Maybe I can start an addition just to keep me in shape.)
    
    Meanwhile, on a bet, I bought a 300 year old farmhouse with a buddy
    in hopes of renovating it and turning it around quickly for a tidy
    sum.  My definition of quickly has now become measured in quarters.
    Old houses redefine all previously accepted facts.  I think that
    some chestnut beams stay in place simply as a courtesy to the
    clapboards since there are no support beams under them!  I am
    wrapping this project up now and hope to sell it within a few months.
    
    Anyway, this has been a rather long intro but I hope you enjoyed
    it.  I thoroughly enjoy this notes file and can relate to the
    frustration that experience the first time you undertake a project.
    
    Steve

   Im Ron Ginger, a product manager for High Performance Workstations
    in Marlboro. 
    
    ALthough my recent interests have been wood boatbuilding I have
    designed and built 2 post and beam houses from the ground up- I
    was even dumb enough to do the concrete work on the first one. I
    have built a couple garages, several porches and a post and beam
    sunspace.
    
    In a past life- while working my way through college 20+ years ago,
    I was an inspector for the city of Detroit ans a Journeyman Electrician
    in the IBEW.                          
    
    I have promised my wife for the past two years to build a new bedroom
    and bath on our current house but cant seem to get started. I still
    expect to get to it before winter hits this year!
    
    I add my 'thanks' to the contributors to this file, in particular
    the 'why did they EVER do that'
    
    Ron

    
    Dave Marra, Diagnostic Engineering for VAXstations (II, GPX, ???).  
    We make sure they work the way they were designed...
    
    Bought my first house in March of 85 in Nashua NH.  It was
    purchased at pre-constuction time, is a Split Entry, and a
    condominium at the same time.  I have a nice chunk of land I can
    call my own, and have all trees behind me. 
    
    First thing I did when I moved in was to collect all the 2x6
    pieces they were throwing out so that I could build a solid 2x6
    work bench in the back of the garage, while at the same time I
    re-landscaped the back yard, made it a little bigger and seeded it
    with about 50 pounds of Kentucky Blue grass.
    
    Now I am in the process of finishing off the downstairs into
    a family room with a fireplace, a wash room (and future bathroom),
    and two closets.  The wiring went well, no fires yet.  The
    heating ducts are going in this and next week, then someday
    the wallboard will go up (when the funding gets supplied).
    
    I have no idea what I want to do for the next house.  New
    construction has been good to me, yet the idea of rebuilding
    an older home is still intriguing.
    
    						.dave.
    

Tim Fennell, Software Engineer for HPSCAD group in MRO.

I agree about this notes file.  It is very useful to get all the tips and
gotchas out in front, rather than at 11:30 at night on your own.

We bought our house in December of 1984.  It is a gambrel with a two car
garage underneath.  It is in Milford, near the Hopkinton border.

The house is set up on a hill so outdoor projects have included trying to
plant some sort of ground cover on a very steep bank to keep the front yard
out of the road.  Most of the lot is woods, both in front and in back so I
don't have too much landscaping to do.

The people who lived there before us did a lot of work improving the
ghastly interior decorating of the owner before them.  Most of the work came
out okay, although I am currently stripping stucco off of the walls in the
dining room (Okay - I started in June, this is an easy one to put off!).
We pulled up wall to wall (Rust color) in the den and put down a hardwood
floor.  We gutted the bathroom downstairs and started over (BTW Kitchen
Associates in Leominster is good for vanities as well as kitchen cabinets).

Next year I need to remove a concrete and flagstone porch (10'x10') which is
breaking up (more quality work!)  and am thinking about putting in a much
larger deck.  

							Tim   

    Brian Brosnihan here....tech support for Product Engineering @ HLO
    
    Love this file! I could have used it a few years ago when my 
    wife and I bought a ~65 year old 6 room dormered   cape.  We 
    gutted the complete house to the studs. In two months we had
    the whole house insulated, sheetrocked, and new bath/kitchen
    thanks to friends!
    
    In the summer we enjoy the front porch and the pool, and  in
    the winter we have wine by the fireplace.
    
    Now I need a roof! ...and the paint is in good shape but  we
    don't care for the color. Then sliders off the  dining  room
    to a deck... then a finished basement........thats all!

    Tom Austin. Moving to OIS 11/1/86. Buying new construction in Nashua,
    NH in Parrish Hill section (Security Homes = Builder). This will
    be my third house.
    
    Selling (via Home Equity or someone who buys it first) a 2700 sq
    ft colonial in Westboro MA. It was new when I bought it (1/80) and
    I have done LOTS to it.
    
    My first home was a small split level (real split level, not split
    foyer) in Gaithersburg MD. Also new construction.
    
    I expect to move into my new house in Nashua (2800 sq ft Colonial)
    around 11/20...and have plenty of work in store for me, including
    (1) expanding the garage, (2) building a game room in the attic/3rd
    floor and (3) building a darkroom.
    
    Great file!

Frank Foster  --- Instructor, Ed Services, Bedford, MA


Moved to a 4-bedroom split-foyer (oops, I mean split-entry) in
Merrimack, NH in August.  Have done nothing to it *yet*, except
buy (not use, yet) paint for 2 bedrooms, put up a few shelves
and cut the grass.

However, this 1966-built home has original everything, so
our work is cut out for us -- new kitchen, wall-to-wall
in the downstairs, refinish the hardwood upstairs, paint, paper,
etc.  Also needs a garage, bigger kitchen (tiny kitchens must have
been all the rage in the 1960's), screened porch, heavy-duty
weed control and other landscaping, woodstove, and a deck around the 
above-ground pool.  Money and time are the only things lacking.

Previous homes include 2 1977-built homes in Maryland which needed
paint and paper but not much else.  

In college, I lived in an old (1900-1910) townhouse and worked for 
my landlord in the summer refurbishing a lot of old townhouses -- 
panelling, lighting, paint, linoleum, etc.  He was into funtionality and
economy, not esthetics.

In all the above work, I have learned that the first rule of home work
is to HAVE THE RIGHT TOOL FOR THE JOB!!  It's all downhill from there.

    Bruce Stoller, Principal Sotware Engineer, Merrimack, NH
    
    Moved into a Garrison in April 85 in Milford, NH.  The builder went
    out of business shortly thereafter.  Leaving us with a vinyl siding
    that was put up totally wrong and is now warped all over the place.
    Ah well...
    
    We are looking to finish half of the basement, add a two car garage
    attached with a pantry and a 3/4 bath.  With a room above the garage.
    The house came with a 12 by 12 deck that we want to convert into
    a screened in porch as well.  Then next week we want to push out
    the front of the house to make the living room larger and make a
    master bedroom suite out of our master bedroom.  Adding a whole
    house fan would be nice and of course remove the infamous non-bearing
    wall mentioned in another note.  Of course removing the wall will
    require redooing the floors. The wall is part of a hard wood floor
    and a congoleum floor...
    
    All in all it looks like a busy and hopefully not TOO expensive
    couple of years coming up.  This file is great.  Thanx to you all
    for your advice and support now and in the future.
    
    -Bruce

    I'm Sid Snyder, a software engineer in Storage Architecture in
    Colorado Springs and devoted follower of this conference. 
    
    I purchased my first house in March of this year.  You all seem to
    have nice names for what kind of houses you have there in New
    England and frankly, I don't know what the hell any of them are.
    The only name I can think of to describe my house is 'old' (1909).
    Actually, 'decrepit' isn't too bad, either. 
    
    So far, we have replaced floor covering in four rooms (the floors
    themselves are pine, very soft).  Pulling the old floor coverings
    was like a journey into styles of days gone by. One bedroom had
    three layers of carpet over two layers of linoleum. 
    
    We have had our bathroom in various stages of disrepair for two
    months now and hope to have it done in another month or so.  The
    kitchen is next. Actually, the windows are next (there is
    beginning to be a bit of a nip in the air).  There is nary a scrap
    of insulation anywhere in the house. 
    
    We've fenced both yards and done a fair bit of landscaping.  We
    upgraded the electrical system to bring it into the 20th century
    (barely).  Some painting, some wallpaper removal (yuk), lots of
    general repairs.  If I worked (at work) half as much and earned
    twice as much, I might be able to do half of what I'd like to do
    with house.  My tool collection is abysmal. 
    
    With a little luck, I'll be able to sell it next summer and move
    to a neighborhood with a better elementary school (which is a shame,
    since I really like the house, despite the disparaging remarks). 
    
    Sid

    Bill Gordon - Business Development Manager - U. S. Country Software
                  Services, PKO3-2 - Maynard
    
    On house #3 (of a series of three, I hope).  The first one was sold
    with all my mistakes in tact, the second house was a flight of fancy
    on a house too small for one person to live in and maintain sanity
    (700 sq.ft.), the present house is a factory-built (National Homes)
    tri-level front-to-rear split (you enter onto the middle level -
    living room and kitchen, go down to garage and workshop or up to
    the bedrooms and bathrooms).  The house was high style in 1961 and
    had not even been redecorated when I bought it six years ago --
    needless to say, it was a disaster.  On the lower level, I combined
    the unfinished family room and one stall garage into a single 16'x44'
    workshop/garage with code-board wall, lots of lighting, lots of
    peg board, and lots of power 110/220.  On the second level (which
    share the same ceiling plain with the third level - therefore 12'
    foot ceilings on the second level) I changed the layout from
    Livingroom/Dining Room and Kitchen to Livingroom and Country Kitchen.
    The bedroom level has two full bathrooms which are in the process
    of being redone in 'cultured onyx'.  I installed 5 ROTO skylights
    last fall when I had the roof reshingled.  The exterior is now white
    cedar shakes, was aluminium vertical crap!  All the old metal framed
    windows have been replaced with a variety of styles (fixed over
    awning, swinging patio, green house (4'x5'), and double-hung). 
    The original entry of the house was under a 8' overhang which ran
    the entire 44' length of the front of the house -- now this entire
    area is filled in to make a sun-room/entry.  I added decks (about
    900 sq.ft. of them).  This summer I've been concentrating on the
    yard and driveways and am ready to tackle 90-100 tons of gravel
    to finish up the driveway.  The finishing touches on the entry are
    the next indoors project.
    
    
    

I'm Mark Seger and am currently living in my second house in harvard, mass.

I bought my first house almost 10 years ago and since living there have 
only had a plumber out once (after sawing into a water pipe!).  All the 
rest of the work I've done myself including building a fairly large 
addition, screened in porch, completely residing the house with 
hand-split shakes (= lots of slivers!), building railroad tie walls 
(over 50 ties @ about 150 lbs/tie) and doing a lot of landscaping.  The 
list goes on and on...

Anyhow, we sold and bought a fairly new house in town last year and 
although it was virtually brand new (7 years old, but no kids or pets 
and the people were spotless), I've managed to stain it, add a bunch of 
extra electrical circuits, redo the kitchen counters, start building a 
playroom in the basement and that list too goes on.

When we had first bought the house people couldn't believe I'd want to 
leave after putting in all that work in the first house.  My standard 
reply was that I ran out of things to do.  When asked what I liked the 
most about the new house that standard reply was the big cellar!

This certainly is a great notes file (and someday I'll get around to 
testing that strange outlet in the kitchen (some earlier note)).  

Something that has occured to me is that as people post their addresses
I notice several who live in the same town as me.  There are also others 
clustered in other towns.  There are times (not too often), when it 
would sure be nice to have a lending hand.  I'd certainly be more than 
willing to occasionally swap some time with others when getting in a 
bind.  Is this a good idea?  Any way to organize such a list or is it 
best to just contact people "off-line"?

-mark

    Bruce McCulley, presently softwa re-engineering in the RSX-11
    development group after various other former incarnations.
    
    Hoping to move into the first house of our very own (well, not counting
    the bank's share) as soon as it's finished.  We are having a custom-
    designed contemporary built on 33 +/- acres in Troy NH, it is in the
    final finishing stages (in fact we had hoped to be moving either this
    weekend or next, but the septic system is still unfinished).  The
    design is my own work, with help from a friend who happens to be a
    civil engineer specializing in passive solar designs - he turned my
    ideas into prints, and solved a few problems along the way. Framing
    started on Monday, June 23, after our daughter Katie (our first child!)
    was born on Friday June 20 so it's been a memorable summer! 
     
    The house is 32 x 36, basically rectangular in plan except for a
    rounded SE kitchen corner (8' radius) - the SW corner is an integral
    sunspace with a cathedral ceiling up to celestory windows above the
    second floor family room on the NW corner.  So the second floor
    bedrooms are both on the east side, and the western end is one large
    open space including both levels.  The greatest part of the whole
    building process has been seeing that it is actually turning out
    to be what I had envisioned, so long ago....

    Vic Hamburger, Operations Consulting group, Internal Software Services
    in Marlboro.
    
    Have been in this note for some time now, see 147.27 for my entry
    of why did they EVER do THAT.....and other opinions of how I would
    hack up the job in various other notes. Have a 9 room Gambrel in
    Westboro, house is 18 years old now, I have been in it just 10 years.
    Have completely rebuilt the kitchen and one bathroom, redecorated
    1 and 1/2 other bathrooms, done all the usual decorating and fixup
    stuff as well. Outside, I found the sheathing under the clapboards
    to be rotten in many spots due to poor caulking by previous owners,
    so I have replaced clapboard siding and sheeting underneath on 2
    ends and the back. The 3 front dormers have been repaired as well,
    the rest of the front is ok.
    
    Projects for the future include stripping off a very,very dark
    stenciling job in the master bedroom and repainting/stenciling in
    there. Also, refinishing the woodwork and doing other minor fix
    ups so that room will be done for a few years. The bath that was
    rebuild needs to have some tiles reset, but that should be a minor
    job as well. 
    
    For the new homoeowners, I could tell you that all my major projects
    are done and the house is just the way we want it....But I won't!
    After ten years, we are well on our way to having things our way
    but anything/everything could go to hell tomorrow and i would be
    back to major repairs at any time. The master bedroom redecorating
    should be our last big room for a while with no known repairs to
    go with it, but time will tell. 

    Rich Rosenbaum, software engineer in Distributed Systems Services
    (formerly Local Area Systems), Littleton, LKG.
    
    In this notes file, you may have seen my name associated with water
    problems, plumbing, water problems, electrical work, water problems,
    putting up walls, and water problems.
    
    Bought my first house (new) last year in Pepperell, MA. Lots of small 
    projects.  One nice (?) thing about new houses is finding out how many 
    ways contractors can forget to do things.
    
    My big project (next summer?) is to turn our swamp/mosquito breeding
    laboratory into a real pond.  Experienced pond-building comments welcome.

       Howard Pierpont   Computer Resources SEG HL02

   Currently in my second house. Spent many years in apartments doing
minor fixup. Spent a lot of time helping friends do their projects. 

   We bought the current house last Aug and moved in the weekend before
Hurricane Gloria. We have a 2000 sf house with a 900 sf attached apt.
We had to move into the apt first, wife, three kids, bird, furniture, 
and everything because the house wasn't vacant, but we had closed
on our old house. 

   We spent 2 weeks in the apt before being able to move into the main 
house. I will never do that again. You need the new house to be EMPTY
before you move in so you can take care of some things before you move
everything in on top of the problems.

   The house was built in 1820 with a major addition/renovation in 1974.
The house was 16' x 32'. The previous owner had torn off the back wall,
extended the roof line up so that it was in line with the back wall and
then built an addition 16' x 32' behind the main house.

   Move In Condition == We are tired and you can move in and take over.

Projects

   The second week the sewer line from the apt to the septic system
collapsed and had to be replaced. 

   The line from the well to the house cracked in the foundation and pumped
8" of water into the basement.

   The detached 2 car garage needed collar ties and the front doors
had to be replaced. {I'm an expert with CannonBall Track, now.}

   The barn had windows but no glass. So I am replacing those with 
used ones from the Classifieds.

   The previous owner didn't like the porch in the front of the house,
so when they did the interior work the sheetrocked over the door and window
openings. You could only get to the porch [with its' 11 windows facing east
by going outside.] New Stanley door last weekend. 

   Reside the parts that need it.

   Re-roof the 1/2 of the garage that didn't get done.

   Rewire the electric for the garage and barn. The dishwasher was on a 
#10 extension cord that ran thru the basement.

   Set the phone wiring up to handle 2 lines. [I can use the terminal
and folks can still call. Cheap at $11 a month]

Future

   Finish the downstairs bath. 8' x 10' with just a toilet. Need to do a 
sink and shower.

   Repaint in colors that we like.

   Built 2 decks so I can sit outside during the summer and enjoy my labors.

I may just get this one where I want it and then by another one. 

The biggest part of DYI is knowing when you can't. 
    

	Hi,
        
        I'm Bob Lockridge and I work in MK2 for CSSE doing GSG projects and
        products. 

        Since moving into my house almost nine years ago, I have (or had
        done) replaced all of the aluminum sash windows with insulated
        glass wooden sash windows, removed the mouse maze in the basement
        (five small rooms - the previous owner had the basement divided in
        half the long way besides in the center so one side had two rooms
        (long and narrow) and the other side had one long room and two
        smaller rooms).  I removed the long wall and started to make a rec
        room on the larger half of the basement and had it all done except
        for the floor when I started to install my pipe organ.  The 'Rec'
	Room want away and the organ now takes up over half of the basement 
	and is still growing. 
        
        I removed a small bedroom to double the size of my living room. My
        6'6" grand piano is at one end of the 'music' room and my four
        manual console is at the other (the two manual console that currently
	plays the organ is in the basement).  Built a closet into the garage 
	off of the living room to house my stereo equipment. 
        
        I upgraded the electric service from 60 amp to 200 amp and
        installed a filtered cold water system to the kitchen and bath (for
        drinking water only). Also re-did (read corrected) some of the previous
	owners wiring and broke up several large circuits into smaller ones.
        
        I enclosed a porch off of my garage to use as an extension of my
        shop.  I need to finish insulating it now (for about three years). 
        
        Future projects include removing the walled in bathroom window and
        filling the hole with insulation and then covering it with aluminum
        siding (only been doing this for 8 years now), a new roof (which I
        will have done) and I plan to build a storage/wood shed. Wood as in
        boards, not fire wood that is.  I have such a collection of lumber
        that I need a place to store it so that I can get to it (it's now
        in about six different locations between my shop, my 'shed', my 
	garage, and another garage I rent to store organ parts).

        -Bob (let's-cram-another-set-of-pipes-in-the-basement) Lockridge

    Lee Timmons, Process Engineer for External Manufacturing Org of
    FSL, located in So. Lawrence.
    
    I bought a 1960'ish Cape in Haverhill Ma, back in 1968.  It is in
    a residential area, quiet and a nice neighborhood for raising
    kids (1 son, 3 daughters).  It is on  1400 sq ft.  When bought,
    it had a full 4 ft chain-link fence, mucho shrubbery and other
    growing items, an added-on porch, 2 bedrooms and an unfinished
    upstairs.
    
    Since moving in, I have done the following:
    
    Built two bedrooms and a storage area upstairs.  This included
    heat (forced hot air extended), wiring, flooring, walls, ceilings,
    modification to stairs, and the decorations.
    
    Converted the porch to a dining room.  Insulation, flooring, removal
    of some windows, replaced one door with a slider, ceiling, heat,
    electrical.  Left a small part of the old porch as a mud-room.
    
    Remodeled bathroom, no fixture changes.
                                                                       
    Refinished hardwood floors, and must do again soon.  
    
    Still in process of adding/changing cabinets in kitchen from light
    plywood-door pine-cases to light birch.  Have replaced fixtures,
    both water and electrical.
    
    Put on new roof some 10+ years ago.  Learned a lot, especially
    to NOT DO IT AGAIN MYSELF!!  I'm older, slower and wiser, so
    I'll hire the next time, which doesn't seem to far away from the
    looks of the North side.
    
    Rebuilt the side porch, remodeled the base of the porch to match
    the house.  House was aluminun sided when bought, changed the porch
    base to equal size wooden clapboards, mixed paint to match.
    
    Removed various growing things in yard, added some trees.  Originally,
    had to go around 27 living obstacles when mowing.  Now, down to
    a respectable 13.  Primarily, removed rose bushes, crabapple tree,
    2 small pine trees and an aluminun tressle.  Added a birch, a pine,
    moved a Chinese Red Maple.
    
    Recently built an 8X12 storage shed, on patio block foundation.
    Not wired, just for storage.
    
    Have restored a few antique items, dry-sink, clock, book-case.
    
    Still to try for the first time - Carpeting, mason work, plastering.
    
    Lee

    
    Kevin O'Brien VAX hardware support engineering Burlington Vt.
    
    Got my first 'tool' 7 years (skill saw).  Spent a year sending it
    back to the factory to get it calibrated (wouldn't cut a straight
    line.)  After that moved into a new house that was partially finished.
    First project was to do all the landscaping.  Then Added an Atrium
    door and a 12 x 12 screened porch on brick piers.  Then added a
    1/2 bath, fixed a few things like chair rail in the dinning room.
    After that I started doing this sort of work with friends for a
    little extra cash.  Did all sorts of things like plumbing, wiring,
    building garages etc.  So last year when my wife and I decieded
    to buy a new home, we talked the builder into letting us sub back
    some of the work so we were able to get more home than we could
    really afford.  On this home we did all the painting and staining
    (inside and out) I did the parkay(sp) floor.  I've since done the
    landscaping, started a sun room off the kitchen and wired my shop.
    Also my friends and I have started a business (please don't call
    for estimates we are too busy).  Framing is ok but I enjoy finish
    work more.  I'm currently making wood doors and will be retrofitting
    my house as funds become available.  Looking forward to this conference
    and hope I can contribute as well as pick up some good ideas.
    
    
    					KO

    Mike Bibeault, software engineer in FORMS/OLTP in Spitbrook. I live
    in "the house that Mrs. Ledoux built" (more on *that* in "why did
    they EVER do that?"), a 3 bedroom ranch in Dracut.
    
    So far I have: (in chronological order)
    
      o repainted the master bedroom (the newest addition to the
        house and the one needing the least work) from shroud purple
        to blue, the ceiling from yellow with gold specks to white,
        and covered the asphalt tile floor with carpet (also blue,
        fancy that!)
    
      o gutted the bathroom, replacing two wire with three wire,
        cannibalizing a closet from a bedroom to get the bathtub
        (which originally had no shower) from under the window,
        replaced all fixtures, added two vanities with lights, and
        added electrical outlets (there were none, I had to run an
        extension cord from the living room to shave; the primary
        reason I grew a beard)...
    
      o converted a back porch which was unusable as a porch to a
        dining room off the kitchen...
    
      o gutted the kitchen, and I do mean gutted, the walls, ceiling,
        and all but the subfloor came out and everything that they
        enclosed, reinsulated, rewired, (and in the process converted
        from a fuse box to circuit breakers)... all new ceiling, floor,
        walls, cabinets and appliances... what a joy!
    
    current project:
    
        fix up cellar to be more usable as a workshop (previously
        used whatever room wasn't being worked on, or the driveway)
    
    near future:
    
      o convert secondary bedroom (large) to a den with cathedral
        ceiling and much window space...
    
      o gut living room and replace...
    
      o convert tertiary bedroom (small) to library/study/office...
    
      o paint house...
    
    not so near future:
    
      o get rid of the &%@##$@ gravel driveway and put in a real
        one!
    
      o replace falling down rotted shed...
    
      o there's bound to be more...
    
    Note: As each room is gutted the insulation wiring and windows
          are replaced (except in the case of the den, there IS no
          insulation to replace! I'll add it...)
    
-mikey

    Jim Lukowski, Marlboro CSSE.  Just bought my first house two months
    ago in Shrewsbury.  It's small but it's a start and it sure beats
    renting.  I've been reading this file for a couple of months and
    I must say that it is a goldmine of information.  I'm new to
    home-ownership and DIY around the house but I am certainly willing
    to learn and help others when I can.  There are a lot of things
    I want to do for 'this old house' (pun intended) but will have to
    prioritize the list based on my needs/time/money.  A partial list
    includes re-doing the bathroom, building a room in the basement
    and re-wiring the basement.
    
    

    
    Jim McQuide from burlington, vt.
    
    
    I am an accountant who just started reading notes about one month
    ago.  naturally, i have already finished and banged up two decks,
    a boardwalk, concrete pad in my garage, an attic above the garage
    and last but not least, completely refinished our basement into
    a 
    family room with an office for me.
    
    we had our house built for us about 3 years ago and since it is
    our first house was amazed at what a contractor considers "completed".
    
    
    anyway, my wife hates the winter cause not only does she **not**
    ski, but gets nervous when i am in my office drawing plans for my
    next spring project.  one of which is putting in a drain for our
    uneven garage floor.
    
    i think this notes file is great

    Brian McCarthy (mac)
    
    	I don't own a house yet.  I rent the second floor of a two family
    house from my parents for low rent in exchange for some "improvements"
    I will be doing.  These include rewiring, plumming, gardening.......  
    I don't really mind I just wish that it was my house (really, I do
    want to own one some day) :-).
    
    Backround:
    	Worked and payed for most of college (except for those loans!)
    by working as a baker and then electricans apprentice (alot better
    money).  Did that for almost two years summers and weekends and
    I am still called upon when he gets a big job to work Saturdays
    (hell I can use the extra cash).
    
    Current:
    	Software Engineer working for CADSE in Andover.  Commute from
    Quincy each day.  Started ripping an "extra" wall down last night
    (my wife loves the plaster dust!).
    
    P.S.
    	Great notesfile.  It took me about a week to catch up after
    I added it to my notebook but I left alot of markers!

It's been over a year since anyone introduced themselves here, and I suspect a
that we've gotten a few new readers since then.  Plus some old readers who
never quite got around to posting here.  So who are you and what are you up to?

Paul

	Brad Smith,  Software Specialist at VAXworks in Parker Street, Maynard.

	We bought our first house (new construction) two years ago in Orange, 
Ma, which is a 112 mile round trip commute each day.  I have come to the basic 
conclusion that most contractors are idiots, I am still fixing their screwups.
Some of the projects we've completed over the last two years include:

	seeding about a half acre of lawn
	transplanted about a dozen trees out of the woods
	transplanted about 50 plants from my parents house, and
		planted about 20 store bought plants
	bricked up a 24' foot chimney and installed a woodstove in the basement
	cut out a hole in the basement foundation wall to install an 
		egress window for a  bedroom downstairs (it's a split-entry)
	framed in an office, family room, bedroom, hall, bathroom, and laundry
		room in the cellar

	currently wiring the basement

	future projects include:
		finish guttering the house
		fence in the yard
		finish the basement up by next summer
		paint house
		build garage

	then retire from diy'ing until we buy the next one...

Brad.

    Patrick Miller, Logistics, San Francisco Office.
    
    I've really enjoyed reading/replying to this notefile.  It has really
    been informative and entertaining.  
    
    I'm not in the home-buying mode yet, but I will be looking thru
    this file in the future for DIY advise.

    Alan Cramer
    
    At present I'm an MIS type with Internal Audit.
    
    Before getting into computers 9 yrs. ago, I was a professional
    nail banger (carpenter) and have experience in most all kinds of
    carpentry. 
    
    We're on our second house and between the two of them I've 
    -remodelled two kitchens including new plumbing and electrical
    	(except running the new 50 amp line from the box)
    -stripped and re-roofed a 12 pitch cape.
    -added a laundry room (shortening the garage in the process)
	
    -built in cabinets 
    etc. etc.
    
    Don't know much about masonary and won't get fancy with the electrical
    work. As far as DIY I love to, but, have decided that paying a pro
    is perfectly kosher 'cause a) my time counts too, and b) there's
    plenty more for me to do.
    
    Alan

    Gary Feldman, software engineer in Spit Brook Road, Nashua.
    
    I recently moved from a 50+ year old house in Clinton, where about
    all we did was to paint and wallpaper, though it needs much more
    work.  Stripping five or so layers of old wallpaper is interesting,
    if nothing else.
    
    I'm now the proud co-owner of a house in Townsend, MA, along with
    a colleague and partner in grime.  When house shopping we narrowed
    our choices to a 10-year old house, which needed fair amounts
    of maintenance work (paint, replace rotten wood, boiler with signs
    of leaks), and the 3-year old house we bought.  This house was built
    by the previous owner, who is a finish carpenter, and as the saying
    goes, his is the last house to be finished.  While the foundation
    is coming up on its fourth birthday, some of the cabinetry is only
    three months old.  We decided we could be more enthusiastic about
    finishing things that need to be finished than repairing things
    that never should have been allowed to get that bad to begin with.
    
    Minor projects that we'll handle ourselves include venting the dryer,
    installing a fan and vent for the bathroom, water filter, reseeding the
    lawn, some gardening, improving the attic ventilation, staining the
    deck, and so on.  If we get ambitious, we may put up sheetrock over the
    small amounts of exposed insulation in the basement.  So I'm not too
    afraid to tackle jobs I've never done before. 
    
    Major projects to be contracted out include erecting a garage --
    we currently have the foundation, but nothing over it -- and converting
    from electric to oil heat.
    
    I tend to be very methodical and inquisitive.  I'd rather spend
    a lot of money on books, to learn to do things myself, than to contract
    them out.  I don't know whether I'd go quite so far as .45, but
    I am apprehensive about dealing with contractors.  I do need to
    watch myself, however.  While I am reasonably competant with hand tools
    and small power tools, I know very little about construction,
    carpentry, etc., and can easily get in over my head or screw things
    up royally if I'm not careful.
    
    I'd like to contribute to this conference as much as I take out
    of it, but I think it will be some time before I reach the level
    of some of the more experienced DIY'ers.  I'm deeply grateful to
    those of you who share your expertise with us.
    
       Gary

    
    Chris deHahn, senior CAD engineer, Shrewsbury
    
    I have been reading this file from the beginning (it took 4 1/2 months
    to get through it all) and have learned a lot from you folks. Hope to
    put some of the advice to work soon.
    
    I bought my 24x38 ranch in Oxford, MA 3 years ago December, before the
    big boom really hit. I sold all my toys and closed with $500 left to my
    name. It was about $10K under market, because it was an abused home.
    There were holes punched in EVERY luan door. There were huge cracks and
    holes in the blueboard/plaster walls from where the nutcake that I
    bought it from beat his girlfriend and her kids. He never mowed the
    grass, the realtor rented a sickle bar mower just to show me the place.
    He let the oil tank run dry, and the cold water pipes burst in the
    cellar. He just shut off the water. The realtor, again going above and
    beyond their call of duty, rented a pump to get the 6" of water out of
    the cellar. However, the structure was solid as a rock, and had great
    potential.
    
    Things I did/ have been doing
    
    install new doors throughout, including both entrances, to the casing
    replumb all the bad cold water lines in basement (don't tell on me)
    remove all carpets (took the bugs with them)
    strip all 6 rooms of wallpaper, up to 8 layers each
    patch all blueboard and replaster, living room took 40 hours by itself
    repaint all rooms and recarpet the back half of the house
    install new lighting fixtures throughout
    completely remodel the kitchen, inc new sheetrock,subflooring,cabinets,
      had to move 1 outside window 18" to put it over the sink
    refinish the hardwood floor in the livingroom/dining area
    install new Beckett burner
    remove 60' pine tree in front of yard (1/4 acre) and stump
    fix abused/overgrown landscaping
    
    It started out as a pseudo-colonial style with dark paneling throughout
    and dark stained pine cabinet kitchen, and is finally shaping up into
    a clean, modern contemporary ranch. I plan to add an outside bulkhead,
    finish the landscaping, and upgrade the 60 amp service, among other
    things. Ever wonder when these things will ever finish?
    
    CdH
    

    Bob Marchetti-Concord, MA
    
    After living in our house for 4.5 years and occupying ourselves
    with correcting what previous owners had done, we had to choose
    between move or remodeling. 
    
    Well, we love our location, so we are currently turning our split
    entry ranch into a split entry gambrel colonial (if there really
    is such a thing).  It was about 4 months ago when the roof was ripped
    off, and we're now about 2 months from completion (HA! what an
    optimist!).
        
    I've really enjoyed this file for the last 6 months, and continue
    to marvel at the amount of expertise available.  The moderators
    do a terrific job keeping it all organized.
    
    Bob

    I'm Dave Vedder and work in Salem, N.H.  We moved into our
    house in April (Newport, N.H.).
    
    Only three things I can say for sure are:
    
     		1.  I have 11 million household "chores" left on
    		    my "things to do" list.     and
    		2.  I have absolutely no idea of what I'm doing.
              	3.  Tools and I are not on a first name basis.
    		    i.e.  I tend to bleed alot.
    
    Aint life grand....
    
    
    Dave

I'm David Larrick, a software engineer in the Desktop Systems Group in
Maynard (soon to move to Westford :-( ).  I live in an 11-room Victorian in
Maynard. 

I _love_ electrical work, and chose to be the electrician on a major addition 
we recently had built.  Good move - it kept me on-site, watching over the
various subcontractors on a daily basis, in touch with the job and its
progress.  It also ate up most of the vacation time I had saved up... 

For the story of the hardwood floors I installed in that same addition, see 
403.18 ff.

I'm an avid reader of the Old-House Journal, and an adherent to its
philosophy of respecting structures that have stood the test of time. 

Another interest of mine is community theater, including its construction-
like backstage aspects.  I enjoy lighting a show in much the same way that
I enjoy household wiring work.  And building scenery for the stage is an
absolute blast: 
    - it only has to hold up for a week or two
    - it only has to look good from 40 feet away
    - somebody else pays for the materials

I'm a NOTES junkie, and HOME_WORK is one of the best conferences around -
both in content and in style.  As a co-moderator, I'm doing what I can to
help keep it that way. 

	......I've been reading and contributing to this file   since its
  inception but never said anything about me.  Since you asked--- 

	I'm Mike Connell and I'm a Mechanical Designer in the Mid-Range 
  Business Systems group.  I've lived in Gardner MA for the past 16 years.

	13 of those years were in a very small house. That was just fine for my 
  wife and I, but when the 2 kids came along it was time to expand.  The 
  housing market being what it was (is), we decided to build a 32' x 32' 
  addition.  It's 2 stories-- 6 rooms (3 bedrooms, large living room, loft,
  mud room, � bath).  We went from 756 ft� to 2800 ft� and we love
  it....nothing like having room to stretch out!  With the exception of the
  poured foundation and the carpeting, I've done every stitch of work myself. 
  With a small amount of pride I'll say that I've received many compliments on
  the professional look of my work.  It's been a long process, but I've taken
  my time and tried to do things right. 

	Would I do it again?  Yes, if I could work on it full time.  No, if
  it had to be a weenight/weekend/vacation/everyspareminute ordeal.  Do I
  regret starting it?  No way!  It's been a great experience in learning and
  "the satisfaction of doing-it-yourself"!

	This file has been a great source of info and fun (air-shredders and
  whole house rotators?!?!).  I salute Paul Weiss and Dave Larrick for their 
  good work and infinite patience.  Thanks, too, to JoeT for hosting.

		See you at the lumber yard.....		--Mike

    I am Sal. I've been reading and participating in this conference
    for over two years. My biggest accomplishment is finishing the second
    floor on my cape. I still have a few things to do, but I suspect
    it is a never-ending process. That's why I plan on staying tuned
    to this conference. I have read here some of the best advice and
    some of the funniest stories. Keep'em comming!

   I'm Steve Johnson, Component Engineer for DRAMs in MOO (Marlboro).

   My wife Linda and I just bought a 90 year old Victorian house in 
   Upton, Mass.  It needs a new kitchen, new bathroom, new porch, insulation,
   storm windows, and new wallpaper everywhere.  Someday I want to strip off
   the ugly vinyl siding and restore the house to its original grace and charm.

   But it will take time.   Also, I plan to replace all the wiring, refinish the
   hardwood floors...........................................................

    Hi,
    	Im Chris McCabe, a Hardware Engineer in HPS in Marlboro. I used
    to work in the construction field on a framing crew, some general
    contracting crews, and a few jobs of my own. My Father and I build
    our house in Marshfield and I have added on to the house in Milton
    several times. We added a shop/garage and a large family room. I
    have had no problems with building inspectors, having done some
    jobs with and without permits. I am a firm believer that you can
    not beat a craftsman at his trade, but you can do a job equally
    as well or maybe even better,but it will take more of your time.
    My wife and I bought our first house last year, a cape that had
    been owned by a DIYer, who was not very good. I spent the first
    few weeks fixing the wiring, this guy had no concept of the code.
    half of the outlets were wired with the polarity reversed, all of
    the lights had the neutral switched instead of the hot lead. To
    turn on the lights in the kitchen you had to first walk through
    the dark kitchen and then reach over the stove to find the switch.
    The first big project I did was to raise the roof  on the house.
    There was a half shed that I converted to a full shed. I added
    a cantelevered deck, pressure treated rails mahogany decking off
    the new master bedroom created by raising the roof. I have a set
    of french doors opening up onto the deck and a Roto roof window
    over the bed, lots of light and air. I added a half bath in the
    bedroom and am just now putting up the sheetrock for the bathroom.
    I hope to be all finished by October. The house is a typical engineers
    house, remote control everything, whole house stereo, video in every
    room, security system, the works. The main reason I love to build
    is I love tools. The way I figure it if I build a $15,000 addition
    and it costs me $5,000 that means I have $10,000 to spend on tools.
    I am big into Makita, I own every cordless tool they make and many
    of the corded tools as well. I have a few non DIY tools as well,
    air nailers, dump truck...The main thing I need , as most of you
    do is time and money. I have million dollar ideas with 50 cents
    in my pocket. I enjoy this notes file and wish all of you good
    luch with your projects.
    
    							Chris
                                                             

    
    Hello Fellow Homeworkers,
    
    My name is Therese ("Th�r�se" to those of you can read DEC MCS). 

    I am the proud (some would say "foolish") owner of the
    Baldwinville Money Pit (stay tuned for "Money Pit 2").  It's a 90
    year old Colonial revival, which used to be a hospital, and is now
    a 2.5 family.  I call it a 2.5 family because a studio was carved
    out of the second floor apartment.  For those of you who are not
    familiar with Baldwinville, it is a small village in the Midwest
    (of Mass), just west of Gardner and very near New Hampshire. 

    Through the modern media (TV, radio, telephone, etc.), I have
    learned that there are drought (or at least dry) conditions
    throughout the country this summer.  Not so in Baldwinville, where
    it usually rains every other day, although occasionally we have
    had 3 day stretches with no rain. Unfortunately, this has made
    roof repair and exterior painting somewhat difficult.  I bought
    some paint for my porch in June, and thus far I have only been
    able to get on one coat of paint, due to the climactic conditions
    of Baldwinville.  The tropical climate has bread the most vicious
    mosquitoes north of Africa.  One evening at dusk I killed about 20
    of the blood suckers that landed on my leg during a period of less
    than 2 minutes. 


    My projects have included: 

    Ripping out the flea-ridden wall to wall carpet in the living room
    Replacing air vents on steam radiators
    Thawing frozen pipes
    Ripping the wood-look masonite paneling off the kitchen walls
    Steaming and scraping off the 4 layers of wall paper covered by 2 layers
       of paint in a bedroom.
    Ripping out a bathroom on the second floor 
    Painting the front porch
    Replumbing and installing fixtures in said bathroom.
    Replacing broken door hinges
    Replacing my thermostat with a new 7-day Robert Shaw setback
       thermostat.
    Tree killing
    Weed ripping
    Installation of clothes lines
    Ripping off the garage roof
    Undoing radiator conections and valves that must be 50 years old an
    Moving radiators (builds muscle, destroys back)
    Digging trenches in the lawn
    

    My future projects will include (but are not limited to) the following:

    More heating system work
    Replacing rotted boards on the garage 
    Re-roofing the garage                             
    Painting the front porch
    Sealing off a crawl space from wind, water, and long-toothed rodents
    Filling the trenches with gravel and dranage pipes
    Insulating my crawl spaces
    Putting finishing touches on the bathroom
    Figuring out how to work my new thermostat
    Making custom radiator reflectors
    Painting the bedroom, with the stripped wall-paper.
    Replacing old door locks
    Refinishing the floors
    Replacing cracked window panes
    Replacing a bathroom floor
    Replacing some of the ancient copper plumbing

    
    Projects on the wish list (which in all likelyhood will never be
    done) include:
    
    Building garage doors
    Remodeling the downstairs bathroom
    Building storm windows
    Restoring the green house/sunroom that existed on the house 
       40 years ago.
    
    --tm
    
      

Tom Beaudet
Government Systems Group - MKO2

My dad was a DYI from the word go. He either built or remodeled everyplace
we lived. I guess I learned a lot from helping him.

My first home was purchased partially finished. It was framed, had some
interior walls completed, partial electrical, cold water, a working toilet, 
and that was about it. I finished it. From the plumbing and electrical to
the hand built front steps.

We then bought a brand new house 'cause we were sick of living in the middle
of construction. Figured it's new no work needed right? I've now been working
on the "new" house for 12 years. Of course not all that time was on the house.
I built a 24x36 barn, added to that, built another 12x24 barn, and just
finished a third 8x16. All of these are pole construction.

The house now has a 4th bedroom, and a finished family room. To do this I had
to move the furnace to the other end of the house along with the oil tank.
The family room is done and now I've just finished installing a water softener.
That required re-doing almost 60% of the original plumbing.

Lots of other projects over the years, built a cinder-block with a friend once.
I'll always do it myself before getting involved with contractors.

Next projects include:
Remodel bathrooms.
Remodel kitchen - installing a window in a blank wall Soon.
New siding  and windows - most likely will use cedar.
Thinking about an addition but by the time I get it done I won't need it.
(Kids will be gone!)

I also maintain 3 vehicles for regular use as well as 2 push mowers, 1 rider,
1 snowblower, and I just acquired a Sears 10hp tractor to "fix-up".

I find this conference one of the best managed and the info is useful.
Hopefully I can find time to contribute more in the future.

/tb/
    

    
    Charlie (Cal) Calcagni
    
    Currently Manager of Information Systems at Parker st.
    For more info see Whoareyou 600 something.
    
    Before getting into Computers I worked in the trades Landscaping,
    Framing houses, heavy equipment, asphalt paving and as a mechanic.
    
    Have had two houses and love to putter around on the weekends doing
    projects.
    
    Just finished redoing the bathroom and restoring the hardwood floors
    in the kitchen....IF I ONLY FOUND THIS FILE BEFORE!!
    
    The kitchen had wall to wall carpet on top of tile and heavy black
    glue.  I worked for 3 weeks every day scraping this stuff when one
    day the baby, at the time, spilled jucie on the floor. That's when
    I found out it was water soluable! Ha.
    
    Lot of projects to do!!  ;^)
    
    Cal.
     

Five years ago some friends and I bought a newly constructed house.  Other
than landscaping, we didn't do very much to the house -- not because it
didn't need it but mostly because I found it psychologically hard to tear
out new construction.  So we contented ourselves with installing extra
pre-made cupboards in a corner of the kitchen and installing shelves
and storm doors/windows.

As of this summer, I own a 60+ year old cape, and have no such inhibitions!


    Projects completed:
	Refinish the maple floor in one room

    Projects in progress:  
	building two closet complexes containing 6 closet doors
	adding lots of electrical outlets, including GFCI
	fixing wiring done by the last residents 
		(see "Why did they *ever* do that" for more on this one)
	
    Projects planned for the next year:
	Design and build an 8x12 garden shed
	Have built a 2 story garage/workroom (unless I take a
		leave from Digital, don't see how I can do it myself)
	Dry out the basement and insulate the basement ceiling
	Install a bulkhead (haven't decided between DIY and contractor)

    Projects planned for 5 to 10 years from now:
	Raise the roof, converting a cape into a colonial and
		eliminating all dormer ceilings (I'm 6'3" tall).
	Refinish the rest of the maple floors


Hobbies?  My house is now my only hobby!

	Enjoy,
	Larry

	HL2-1/J12 (Hudson)
	dtn 225-4077

    Hello there.  My wife and I bought a 60 year old colonial style
    house in Reading, MA.  I like to think of it as semi-distressed.
    I can't tell you how pleased I am to have found this notes file.
    It's great!!!  
    
    The one thing I've discovered with fixing an old house is the "Domino
    Effect".  The Domino Effect says you set out to fix one thing but
    it leads to fixing 5 other things along the way.  Each project we
    have embarked on has been a victim of the domino effect.  For example,
    we want to refinish the hardward floors.  This has led to ripping
    up wall to wall carpeting, installing a shoe rail (the baseboard
    was installed first leaving gaps between the edge of the floor and
    baseboard), and replacing two door thresholds.  
    
    Or the one where I fixed a leak around the chimney only to discover
    the stack above the roof line needs to be completely rebuilt and
    there is no flue above the roof line.  What started out with a $4
    bucket of roof cement will end up costing hundreds of dollars.
    
    Oh well, DIY'ers gotta love it or we wouldn't be in the game.

Hi. I'm Scott LeDoux and I'm pleased to be reintroducing myself now that
I'm a bonafide homeowner with a lot of fix it up stuff to do.  Just bought
a solar contemporary ranch in the hills with lots to keep us busy through
the winter.  The previous owner just left and let everything freeze and
come spring, the pipes burst leaving standing water all over the kitchen
floor.  Leaky skylights.  Peeling wallpaper.  Soaked sheetrock.  The house
is a mess (but we love it!).  Kudos to the moderators...

Projects:
	Near future:
		1) new kitchen floors
		2) new "" cabinet doors (the *(#$*@ took his with him)
		3) reseat/seal the skylights
		4) repair/replace the interior walls
		5) insulate the garage
		6) build one of those fancy kitchen center islands...
	Midterm future:
		1) wire up the 16x20 workshop
		2) move and wire the 12x16 cottage away from my house
		3) repaint deck, its a bigun, wraps right around the house
		4) clean (repair ? replace ?) some of the stucco exterior
		5) paint and strengthen the decking
	Long term:
		1) Playroom over garage
		2) ????
		3) sell it and get rich(?), start over again.

	Ah, the dreams of youth.
	
Scott (1st time homeowner and fledgling DIYer).

    I just recently joined DEC and was pleasantly surprised when I stumbled
    upon the notes, especially this one.
    
    I live in a ~150 year old colonial revival house in Framingham,
    which my wife and I bought to fix up and live in while not paying
    the shirts off our backs.  The house is very simple but, in spite
    of that, will require every room to be renovated, some of which
    I have done already and some of which I will do within the next
    2 years.
    
    I redid the bathroom entirely, including all new feed and waste
    pipes, two electrical circuits.   Oh well, you know, everything
    went out 'cept the tub.  One thing my wife convinced me to do (and
    I will forever praise her foresight) was to install a double sink.
    It sures makes for good marital relations. 
    
    I've also done a vestibule (removed wallpaper, finished the plaster
    to a smooth coat, new trim and paint, stenciling, new lamp), a dining
    room (new ceiling {sheetrock with skim coat}, smooth plaster walls,
    new moulding), and the hallways (smooth plaster walls, new moulding).
    One thing I can say is that all this practice has made me a fairly
    decent plasterer (though I'll admit, it was tough going in the
    beginning).
    
    This summer I'm planning to take the family room (added to the house
    sometime in the 1940's, sits on a slab) and rip out the ceiling
    joists, put in a cathedral ceiling, some skylights, new double hung
    windows, and a new full bath.  I'll be planning this thing throughout
    the winter/spring and I'm sure I'll ask for advice.
    
    

    Bruce Ramsey
    
    Two years ago I bought a single story ranch built 33 years ago.  The
    previous owners were a divorced mother and her two teenage kids.
    They had neither the money nor the inclination to maintain the house
    little alone upgrade it.  Being short on money and brains, I bought
    the ever popular Handyman Special.
    
    I had helped my father around the house while growing up.  The summer
    I was eight we moved into a new neighbor hood and watched 95% of
    the houses being built.  I would rise with the sun and go home 1
    hour after the workman.  No formal training other than 1 high school
    shop class.
    
    I thought I knew enough to work on a house until I bought this one.
    Since then I have learned much thanks to this wonderful conference
    and necessity.  
    
    Some of my projects have included:
    Replumbing all supply lines for the house (in 2 weekends!!!)
    All new facets and sinks
    New shower facet/shower head
    Reventing the Stack
    Replacing the vent flues for Furnace and Water Heater
    Painting the entire inside.
    Sheetrocking
    Pulling up the Burnt Orange wall-to-wall 
    Polishing the hardwood floors
    Wiring the bathroom (new lights, fan, GFIC outlet)
    New vanity and medicine cabinet
    Insulating the attic/crawl space
    Installing Washer/Dryer area
    Landscaping
    New electric line for Stove 
    New phone lines through out house
    Relief value for water heater
    Replace attic pull down steps
    Putting down decking in attic
    Turbine vents for attic   
    Lights for Carport
    Line closets with cedar
    Wrap joints and insulate FHA ducts
    Vapor Barrier in crawl space
    Reglaze half of the windows
    All new door knobs
    All new window locks
    etc...
    
    To do:
    Upgrade from 60 to 200 amp service
    Remodel kitchen
    Put up wall between kitchen/dining room
    Enjoy living without HAVING to work on the house
    etc...    

        P.S.  The moderators of the this conference deserve a BIG Thanks
    for keeping it useful and on track.  This is by far the best moderated
    of all notes files.
    

Greetings...Just wanted to say farewell as I am leaving DEC.

The advice I have received from this file has been invaluable. In
fact, I can attribute several thousand dollars of savings to specific
advice from this file.  A credit to the participants of the best
notesfile on the network. 

But after 8�+ years, I'm going off to try a change.  However, I am
neither relocating (certainly not after all I've put into the
house!!!!) or dying, so I hope to keep in touch as always.  We'll
still be in Sudbury, and I will be on USENET.  Send me mail before
Friday if you want my USENET address. 

Again, regards to you all, its been fun, and should you happen upon 
a question "entered for a friend" late some night....

/j 

                                                                               
    Hi, I'm Joe D'Eramo, a marketing communications person from Media
    Communications Group, currently on assignment in SWS. 
                  
    I've really enjoyed this file over the past two years or so, and
    thought it was about time to enter my resume, so to speak. 

    I've been involved in DIY projects for about ten years now. In my
    pre-homeowning days, my energies were spent on repairing and
    refinishing furniture. Today they're mostly spent on my circa 1900
    8-room Victorian in Maynard, which was purchased in November 1985. 
                                                                     
    Major projects completed:                                        
                                                                     
    Removing wallpaper in the 4 bedrooms and the upstairs bathroom. Found
    unpainted plaster which I restored and painted room by room over the
    first year and a half in the house. I didn't want to tear down the
    plaster and put up sheetrock.                                    
                                                                     
    Upon completing the bedroom walls and ceilings, I refinished the wide
    pine floors (using Watco wood floor finish; Watco Danish oil is my
    preferred furniture finish).                                     
                                                                     
    Had a 25' x 30' area excavated to street level for use as a driveway.
    Spent most of the summer of '86 building a dry stone retaining wall
    around the perimeter. Take great pride in the granite stairs leading up
    out of the driveway. More than one person has asked, "Were these here
    before?" (Which is exactly the effect I wanted.)                 
                                                                     
    Used excavated material from the driveway to fill in a smaller driveway
    ("the pit") and regrade another area.                            
                                                                     
    Built workbenches and storage for the basement.                  
                                                                     
    Converted an enclosed porch (at the back of the house) into a 3/4
    bathroom/laundry and mud room. I hired a plumber, and did the remaining
    work myself. Included moving the back door, installing windows,  
    sheetrocking (never do it again), laying ceramic floor tile, and lots
    of small but time consuming tasks. Got lots of help from this file. 
                                                                     
    "Built" back steps out of large granite slabs (gift from neighbor).
    Note: I think I have a fetish for old cut granite. My wife calls our
    side yard "the graveyard" because of all of the slabs I've collected
    there. Someday these will be used creatively in or around a patio or
    garden.                                                          
                                                                     
    Installed cedar fence (joint project with neighbor)              
                                                                     
    Planted lots of bulbs/bushes.                                    
                                                                     
    Refinished dining room and foyer floors.                         
                                                                     
    Almost completed painting house -- spent lots of time preparing  
    surface/ replacing clapboard.                                    
                                                                     
    Replaced old basement door with insulated steel door.            
                                                                     
    Replaced many newer light fixtures with older light fixtures (that go
    better with the house).                                          
                                                                     
    Major projects to come:                                          
                                                                     
    Replace the footings, joists, and decking on my 26' x 6' front porch.
    I'll be saving the columns and railing/balusters. That's planned for
    this spring.                                                     
                                                                     
    Finish the attic. I plan to have this project coincide with a new roof
    (not DIY).  I can get a 17 x 13 room out of the front half of the
    attic, and still have the back half for storage. I'll be putting in
    skylights, new windows, perhaps a hardwood floor, perhaps a bathroom.
    I'll probably do this in 1990.                                   
                                                                     
    Someday we may build a garage behind the driveway.               
                                                                     
    My wife wants a family room on the first floor. This would mean  
    building an addition. I'm hoping the attic will make her happy.  
                                                                     
    Undoubtedly, I'll be looking to this file for more advice, and
    hopefully passing along some of my own experience. 
                                                                     
    Joe                                                              
                                                                     

My name is Mark Parenti and I work in the Ultrix Engineering Group.
I have been reading this file since there were 5 notes and have
gotten a LOT of useful information. I own an 80 year old Victorian
farmhouse in Milford, NH that occupies my "free" time.  The previous
owners had knocked out the end wall of the house and put part of
the kitchen in the attached barn.  When my wife called me and
said she could she her breath in the kitchen I knew my days were
numbered.  Since then I've gutted the existing kitchen, put the
wall back, removed a 5x8 bow window and generally built a kitchen.
One of the most interesting projects has been building the cabinets.
I bought 1500 bf of ash at an auction (for .30/bf!) and have been
planing(with my AP10) and building my cabinets from that stock.
All I have left to do are the doors! 

I second all the previous kudos about this well run conference.
DYI is easy when you have a couple hundred experienced consultants!

Mark Parenti

P.S.
This note is entered from the xnotes program running on Ultrix.
Kudos to Matt Thomas for this excellent "midnight" software

    I'm Bob Early, and I've been with DEC for a few years now, and watched
    with "amazement" the growth and helpfulness of this conference.
    
    My "fixing" up talents originated by working with my father as a
    teenager (on real jobs and getting real money). In later years (still
    as a teenager) I managed to work with a few local contractors on an
    "as needed" basis, when between jobs. 
    
    I've always been "handy", and  did the usual painting of apartments and
    rental houses until I came to NH and got my  first "older" house. 
    
    On one fateful Thanksgiving day, when I blew a 60 amp MAIN cartridge,
    is probably when I began DIY in seriousness, as I needed to rewire most
    of the house; put in a water tank; finish a concrete floor; fix up
    (prune, cut, plant) an overgrown yard; raise a "too steep to use"
    driveway 5 feet (one end); roof it; paint it ,etc. 

    Well, today I got my own real "old house" (have had for about 4 years
    now). The only major renovation completed (so far) was to had a
    "housewife" (in 1987); and since then we began the furnace system;
    paint (repaint ?) the whole house, sheds, garage (in progress ... its a
    3-year plan that got extended to 5-years); Adding a 2nd floor heating
    system (FHW); added a Electric Hot Water heater from scratch (sub panel
    to main run, etc); a couple of additional 20 amp circuits for "Washer
    room"; progressively reGlazing all 33 windows (6 over 6); Roof on barn
    needs to be done; indoor "outhouse" needs to be converted to
    "something" (eventually); 60% of the yard (3/4 acre) needed trim,
    prune, relocated, thin, replant, cut, slash, burn, cut down, cut up ..
    whew ... 
    
    Many projects remain in the "project book" ... and in the words of
    friends: "There's lots of possibilities" ... ;^) 
    
    And in my own words: "If someone buys a Second old house; they don't
    deserve any sympathy ! " 

    My personal ethic is: Anything  conceiveable is possible; try anything
    reasonable; and be careful about  what you don't understand. This
    file, like Consumer Reports, isn't always right; but at least there's
    enough to ask questions; references to be found; and the conditions
    it was tried with; and if all else fails, one can always higher an
    "Expert!" .. (Experts are them that gets paid to take the chances
    the owner won't do for free, Hmmm ?). (Dark humour, there !)
    
        
    Bob E. 

    Greetings from the Field.
    
    My name is Kevin Carpenter, a Sales Rep from Albany, NY covering
    the area colleges and universities.
    
    My interest in DIY projects began in 1987 when my wife an I bought
    a summer camp in the Adirondacks in the town of Lake Luzerne.  This
    waterfront property had a lot of potential, but had been abused
    for many years.  Two years, and a lot of sweat equity, later, we
    have a three bedroom weekend retreat with a huge deck, floating
    dock, and boat launch.  The only professional to work on this place
    was an electrician, after I nearly fryed myself installing some
    new outlets.
    
                                 

	I'm Mike Ryan, my wife Denise and I bought our first house last
	week in Pepperell MA. Her father's a carpenter, so she has basic
	tools experience, while I basically know how to handle a hammer
	and screwdriver. We'll be learning quickly, as you can see below...

	Our house is a three-bedroom Colonial, 138 years old, with a large
	two-car garage. The previous owner bought the house in 1933,
	it was well-maintained (but not much upgraded) for most of the
	time, it's been empty a couple of years and probably not as well
	maintained the last few years she was there. Our agenda for the next
	couple of years (in no particular order):

	- Gas boiler (steam heat) is at least 50 years old, it seems to run
	fine but we'd like to replace it if only for increased efficiency.
	Ditto on the water heater (about 30 years old). Plumbing in the
	immediate area is a bit leaky.
	- Large (and not very healthy-looking) tree hanging over the garage -
	the trunk leaves the ground on the other side of the fence, so
	we may need to practice our neighborly relations.
	- Termites/carpenter ants - apparently no major damage done, seller
	is paying to have treatment done before June (ASAP as far as we're
	concerned).
	- Install shower in upstairs bath.
	- Install washer/dryer hookups in rear room (other side of wall from
	half-bath, should be easy to do washer hookup).
	- Insulate rear room (50-year old addition to house, never insulated
	as far as we can tell), ventilate crawl space underneath and put
	plastic over ground.
	- Repair or replace gutters (a couple of downspouts missing, at least
	one leak, look a bit rusty).
	- Seed lawn (torn up to hook to town sewer last August).
	- Maintain lawn/gardens/frog pond (I've added PICA::GARDEN to my
	notebook, and already asked my first question).
	- Railing on stairs to garage loft.
	- Replace back door (cracked, old lock).
	- Refinish living room/dining room floors (maple, I believe).
	- Tear down wallpaper and paint in bedrooms.
	- Caulk and/or weatherstrip windows.
	- Block off basement fireplace (vented to same flue as gas boiler)
	- New electrical outlets, replace oldest wiring
	- Fix/replace/add phone jacks

	Long-term possibilities:
	- Upgrade downstairs half-bath to full bath.
	- Renovate rear room, make half into laundry room and half into
	pantry (off of kitchen).
	- Heat finished part of basement (maybe redo it completely)
	- Install ceiling lights in dining room, upper stairs, upstairs
	bathroom.

	That's all I remember off the top of my head, there's probably
	plenty more on our current list (and I'm sure we'll be discovering
	more to do as we settle in).

	Mike

    Hello!  I work in Product Marketing Strategic Programs
    (Marlboro).  I have a house in Hudson right now.  My fiancee and
    I are planning to build somewhere west of 495.  We've found a few
    possible locations, and are now starting to look for plans and/or
    a designer.
    
    This NOTES file looks like it will be a great help throughout our
    project!
    
    Barbara Chapin
    

    
         Intro:
    
               Paul Leonard, GSO (Greenville, S.C.) Printed Wire Board
         Manufacturing M.I.S.
    
         Enjoy all forms of house and yard work. (Even more now after
         a 4-1/2 year stint in an apartment where cabin fever set in)
    
         Recent purchases...   7-1/4 acres of good land to build our
                               dream log cabin on
    
                               Dremel scroll saw for craft work (deluxe
                               model) and want the lathe to go with
                               it.
    
         Current projects...   Building a 9x24 deck onto the house we're
                               currently in.  (Got the wood REAL cheap)
    
    
    
                    Really looking forward to sharing experiences with
                    the noters here.
    
                             Thanks Mr Moderator for establishing this
                             conference.
    
                                             Paul
    

    
    
      INTRO:Been here for 10 mos. or so. Didnt realize we had an intro
    note.
    
    
           Bob DiCastro  MRO Field Service/Networks
    
    
                recent projects:
    
                        2 yyrs ago, added 1,000 sq. ft. addition
                        w/ cathedral ceilings, roof windows,
                        lo E galss everywhere, a loft, exposed
                        beams etc..   did all work myself w/
                        exclusion of foundation, frame, rough
                        plumbing, and staircase.
    
    
                        2 mos ago: replaced entire kitchen, 
                        stripped to studs,and floor joists.
                        Added additional joists for stregnth
                        to support tile floor.Installed new
                        electrical,cabinets, lots-o-glass.
                        Appliances etc...
    
                           Love the conference,
                           happy noteing...............

    Patrick Dornan
    
    Just found out about this note on a random search.  I am the epitpme
    of the "Do it yourselfer."  
    
    Just finished a deck (350 sq ft) on our new house.  Will finish
    the basement this winter (have already done 1 room, but without
    electricity because its a weightroom).  I also build/refinish
    furniture, and basically using woodworking to relieve job pressure.
    
    I've been at it since I was a kid.  Even came within a inch of winning
    the Soap Box Derby in 1976.  
    
    -Patrick

Hi, I just purchased a townhouse and I am looking forward to doing a few
projects myself.  But first I want to fix some minor things. That's
why I tuned in to "HOME_WORK".  

	Minor fixes include:
		Leaking icemaker cable under kitchen sink,
		Leaking handle in small bathroom,
		Weird sound from toliet in large bathroom,
		and changing shower heads in both bathrooms.

	Then there is the painting, wallpapering and installing 
	hardwood floors in the living/dining area.  
I plan to read alot and ask lots of questions seeing that I am a
semi-beginner do it yourselfer.  I helped my Mom wallpaper, paint and
strip/sand/vanish wood molding before I left home.  

My first question is which do-it-yourself book for beginners is recommened?

Thanks
Loretta

    
    ..... I am getting itchy fingers again.
    
    ..... I spent about 6 years doing a top-to-bottom, side-to-side,
    front-to-back renovation of a Victorian farmhouse, enjoyed it for
    4 more years and then Digital moved me. Moved to a house that needed
    nothing doing to it, hence the comment above.
    
    Besides, I need a bigger garage and workshop (now that's what I
    call setting priorities!)
    
    Who am I?  Dick Clements @RDL (Queens House, Reading, England).
    DTN is 7899-5777, mail is CLEMENTSD::CHEFS
                     
    PS .... lived in Tennessee and Maryland for almost 5 years and never
    could get used to dry wall and frame construction...... I must be
    the only person in the world who never mastered the art of fixing
    to dry-rock walling!         
                                 

    PS if any noters here are into Model Engineering, see SILK::ENG_IN_MINIATURE

    	I didn't know this topic existed until I saw Dick's reply.
    My name is Cary Boudreau, I am a master electrician (it should be obvious
    by some of my other replies) working at SHR facilities. 
    
    	My last project was to convert my two stall garage into a Preschool
    (not Day Care) for my wife. This included removing a block wall 30'
    long, adding 2 1/2 baths (sink and toilet), sewer ejector, sump pump,
    framing in a fireplace (concealed with a removable wall), 900 sq ft of
    suspended ceiling, a gym set (made out of PT 4x4's & 6x6's), 130' of
    wood fence (as required by the Office For Children), and I tried my
    hand at exterior stucco. 
    

    	Future project(s) for this summer include: a 20' x 50' deck with roof
    and open sides, cement around my pool, build small shed in pool area
    (20x20) to house the pump and misc yard stuff on the back side, and a
    pool side bar (complete with hot and cold water, fridge, the works) on
    the pool side. Also I plan to add power to my front yard island,
    add some fill to my back yard, add a slide to the gym set, and a
    host of other things that will come up before September.
    
    				Cary

    My wife and I bought some land to build a house on.  This was not our
    original goal but after looking at houses for almost a year we decided
    we really did not like any that were in our price range.  Having lived
    in NYS all of my life, my handyman tasks have been limited to changing
    light bulbs.  Now that we live in the "country" (I work in the Mill),
    I quess I'll get the chance.
    
    Anyway, I've decided to look through this file (I'm trying to read it
    all) so that I can figure out what to look for and consider when hiring
    a builder.  We're thinking about trying to do some of the work
    ourseleves, but then again, we have to live with our mistakes.
    
    Any advice on reputable builders would be appreciated.  We'll probably
    start construction in the spring.
    
    Mike

    	I work as a software engineer here in Shrewsbury.  My latest
    DYI projects include building a full-shed dormer for a buddy in Fitchburg,
    (I have another friend in Fitchburg who's waiting for warmer weather
    and we're going to do his!) and a trestle table like the one shown in
    Norm Abram's book "The New Yankee Workshop".
    
    	The trestle table was my first attempt at building furniture.
    I've got 7 years experience (prior to working at DEC) as a builder/
    remodeler, but I've never done furniture.  Lots of fun!  I don't have
    NEARLY the amount of tools that Mr Abrams has, so it was a real
    challenge to make the thing with the tools I have!  (A radial arm saw
    and a chisel! ;-) )
    
    	This summer, Lord-willin'-and-the-crick-don't-freeze-over, I'm
    going to replace my house-trailer with a house!
    
    						Don Arey

    I've been a sometimes reader of this conference for a couple of months,
    and enjoy much of what I find here.  
    My wife, Brenda, and I are embarking on a major addition to our house
    this spring...nearly doubling it's size by adding to the rear (not
    going up).
    
    I am most immediately interested in finding a local (Concord, MA.)
    contractor who will do the foundation for me.  We plan to do the rest
    ourselves. 
    
    We are also going to start building a log cabin in VT, after we get the
    addition to our home framed in and weathered.  It's gonna be a long
    hard summer/fall/winter/spring for us!
    
    tony

    I've got a 40-year old full-shed cape in Arlington, MA that needs a lot
    of work.
    
    	kitchen cabinetry, lighting
    	upgrade electrical service from 60 A fuse to 200 A breakers
    	install/replace electrical wiring as needed for new outlets, more
    	  current, balanced load
    	replace rotted siding
    	replace roof
    	insulate attic crawl space
    	insulate walls (1" mineral wool batts now)
    	stain/paint in fancy colors our decorator gave us
    	install outside lights
    	replace garage door	
    	waterproof the cellar
    	deal with the 10 units (microcuries?)of radon in the cellar
    	extend living space to cellar
    	fix my fireplace so it doesn't smoke
    	and a whole lot more
    
    Just waiting for the loan to be approved.
    
    -- Kenny House - in the Mill

    
    	Contract to Product Acoustics Group in the Mill since '78
    Bought land in Harvard when it was under $4000/acre, built (rough
    frame) Acorn in '70. Spent 'til '84 finishing it (nobody with a family
    would/could be so casual). New addition last fall/winter, also rough
    framed. Plan to get this chunk (as big as original house) done a bit
    faster. 
    	Old part of house was 80% use, 20% storage.  New part is 40% use,
    60% storage space.
	Gonna hire someone to do drywall this time. - Chris

    Hi I am Sandy Peth, field service engineer, Pittsburgh,PA.
    My husband and I started with a 35 year old ranch that grandma used to
    own. A lot of things were let go for several years after granpa died.
    We started with a new 200 amp breaker box and spilt up some circuits.
    Then to the bathroom to remove the orange wallpaper that just didn't go
    with the pink tub and blue tile. We went to repair some tile that was
    coming loose around the tub and found the wall was rotten and full of
    ants. And then there was the retaining wall that was about to go, and
    three huge trees in the yard (1/4 acre lot). So just for fun we bought
    ten acres four miles away and started planning our dream home. Now,
    seven years later, we live in a new energy efficent cape-cod styled
    story and a half. All we need now is a lawn, landscaping, a deck and
    then there is the machinery shed 24x60 that my husband wants to build
    for his high-lift, backhoe, dumptruck, and trailer to live in. And he
    is not in construction, he said he needs the equipment to do the
    landscaping! Its going to take a long time to dig through this file, so
    I started by reading the intro. note.
    

    I am Art Gumbus, a Sales Support person in the Connecticut District. My
    wife, son and I currently live in a 1940 Williamsburg Cape with 4 end
    fireplaces on 1.3 acres of land, a barn and detached 3 car garage
    (attached to the barn).  The cape is post and beam construction and was
    custom built 50 years ago by the owner of a local lumber yard (for
    himself).  The posts in the house are chestnut and the living room is
    totally wide-board wormy chestnut panels laid horizontally below the
    chair rail and vertically above.
    
    The Barn is quite old and is also in chestnut with all posts, sills,
    beams and girts carved with roman-numerals where they meet.  The pins
    are oak.
    
    Our prior home was a 1790 Saltbox which we restored, room-by-room, over
    a period of 12 years.  We loved the house when there were only two of
    us but when the baby came we became aware of the traffic, which prior
    was not a concern.  1790 houses are where you find them, not where you
    want them!
    
    I fish salt water for Striped Bass and Tuna and have a hobby of
    building custome fishing rods for wealthy clients. I also build things out
    of wood in my fully equiped work shop and am well versed in cabinetry 
    skills and old house restoration techniques and matters.  I like tools 
    and own a bunch, both hand and power.
    
    See Ya In the Notes!  

    
        I think I'm the only one from the west coast who has an entry or
    reply in this particular topic. What I had in mind would be kinda
    different to you guys out there since most of you who replied on this
    conference are from the east coast. That's all said and done, let's
    get into the introductions.....
    
        I'm Bob P. Ilustre working as a Process Intense Manufacturing 3-
    a Fab Operator in other words here in the Cupertino site of DEC in
    California. It never ceases to amaze my of how owning a house could
    cost so much but provide an endless comfort of mind and body. Since
    my family moved in our house here in Sa Jose,CA. last 1985, remodelling
    this house is an endless job. When we moved in, my dad & I installed
    shelves in the garage along with the garage door opener. 2 years later,
    my mom had our house insulated as according to the building codes here
    in CA. The landscaping of our garden is still going on since we moved
    in. About 2 years ago I just finished remodelling one of our bathrooms
    and then painting the whole inside of our house. There might be some
    other remodelling projects that we've done but I just can't remember
    them all. Right now I'm in the middle opf doing at least 3 projects
    since spring & summer is just around the bend & I just don't know
    where to start. First of all , we got to have our roof replace this
    summer. Then our fence needs to be replaced also since it's almost
    falling. Right now we are also planning to put a deck and patio
    in our backyard so as to finish our landscaping project there. I guess
    I just have to do it one at a time probably with the deck to go up 
    first and then we'll have to work on the rest. It's a never ending
    job but we are always bound to do it.
    
    -bob-

  Hello,

       My name is Tom Fee IV.  I am a technician with the material acquisition
  lab in Shrewsbury.  I have been reading HOME_WORK for some time now but
  have not had anything of value to input up until now.  I have just
  received my construction load and will be breaking ground next week on the
  cape that my wife and I will be building (subbing it out ourselves).  The
  house is going to be approximately 30 x 36 with a full dormer in the back and
  two "A" dormers in the front.  It will have three bedroom upstairs and two
  full baths, one up and one down.  We are going to have a an atrium door in
  the dinning room and have not decided whether to put on a deck or have
  a couple of stairs come down to a patio.
    We have been looking forward to this for some time now and are very excited
  that or dreams are soon to become reality.  You'll be hearing from me again
  I'm sure.

                                     Tom

    Although I work in Nashua, NH at NUO, I moved into my new husband's
    house in Stoneham, MA last November.  The house is converted to a 
    two-family, and we live downstairs and rent the upstairs out.  We 
    vacillate between a) taking over the whole house when the tenants'
    lease expires and b) selling the house to move closer to my work.
    This summer's project is painting the exterior.
    
    The house is 130 years old, bought cheap as a derelict during the
    last owners' acrimonious divorce settlement.  The design is 
    unusual.  It began as a narrow-front Colonial, an addition was
    added to make it L-shaped, then finally filled in to make a
    box.  There's an interesting double roof line, and what's called
    a Mansard flare between the stories.  One of the owners at some
    point standardized all the exterior and interior trim: the 
    wooden beams inside are beautiful - Scott thinks they are gum
    wood.  The people next door own a house built by the children
    of the folks who built our house, and they've told us some
    of its history.
    
    The house totals 2800 square feet.  When Scott bought it, the
    bottom sashes to the attic windows were gone and the furnace
    flue was leaking carbon monoxide into his bedroom.  He has replaced
    attic and kitchen windows and the furnace, tiled the sun porch and 
    bathroom floors, and had some rewiring done.  If we decide to stay 
    a few years, we'll take up the carpeting, refinish the wood floors, 
    and replace all the wallpaper, for a start ...  I hope that this
    notesfile will help us avoid some costly mistakes.

    Time to re-introduce myself, since I just took over as a moderator of 
this conference. I will be assisting Paul with his various chores and 
housekeeping duties from time to time. For those of you who know me from 
mod'ing Woodworking, I don't impose on your style too much, but this file 
clearly needs better watching than some I moderate. 

    I know Paul has done a lot of work moderating this file over many years 
and I want to publicly applaude him for that effort. I volunteered to help 
mainly because I knew he needed help and I occasionally made mail comments 
about things to do and problems I saw. He finally got even by asking me to 
help do the stuff I thought needed to be done.

    Vic Hamburger

I'm located in the Kanata campus (outside of Ottawa) and currently working on
my second house.  Still on the quest for more power and hand tools so that I
can complete more of those DIY projects.

I have always enjoyed building and/or repairing various items and derive great
pleasure when the project turns out as expected or better!

My wife compliments me in that she has that "decorative flair" and colour
sense which I so sadly lack.  As a team,  we work well together and our current
house reflects the care we give it.

I work in the Worldwide Trade group in Kanata.... import/export of 
international shipments.

Kanata is located approx. 10 miles from Ottawa,  4 season weather with plenty
of snow in the winter.

Roy Parker

	Good day

	Looks like I found this note about nine years later than I should have.
   However it will be useful since the house projects are still in progress or
   remaining to begin.

	10 years ago when DEC re-located me, my co-handyperson Linda and I,
   bought a 80 year old house that required some attention. Looked good with
   the previous owner's furniture.

	We've performed ( US ) the following improvements and/or fixes as 
   needed and on occasion had someone else do the work ( NU ). Sorry if it's
   long but this is the condensed version.

	- New windows first and second floors; second floor has triple pane
	  aluminum windows while the first has double pane vinyl windows
	  NU

	- Insulated the entire house from the inside; blow-in.
	  US

	- Replaced the bulk head to cellar
	  US

	- Rebuilt a bearing wall that the previous owner had removed to stop
	  the second floor from coming into the first floor. Did this twice;
	  the first time had an open half wall, after fours year replaced it
	  with a solid wall.
	  US

	- Repair the many leaks caused by brass piping aging. Bathroom and
	  Kitchen sink; even the day I removed the piping in the kitchen I
	  had a leak that would not stop immediately.
	  US

	- Refinished all the wood work on the second floor to the original
	  cherry stain; ie.. stripped, sanded, stained, polyurethane all the 
	  mop boards, door and window frames and the five panel doors.
	  US

	- Re-skimmed all the second floor walls to repair and smooth the
	  walls
	  US

	- Replaced the main server line to the electrical service box
	  NU

	- Installed Gas hot water tank
	  US

	- Wired the second floor giving all bedrooms ( 3 ) and bathrooms
	  6 outlets each with ceiling lights on switches; house had only 1 
	  outlet for five physical rooms on the second floor
	  US

	- Wallpapered the bedrooms
	  US

	- Converted a room that was 13 by 5.5 feet into a private bathroom
	  and a closet. Required moving of doors to other locations.
	  NU - plumbing since the stack had to be cracked
	  US - carpentry, electrical, ceramic, wallpaper, demolition

	- Enlarged closest space in one bedroom and installed a linen closest
	  for the two bathrooms
	  US

	- Installed ladder access to attic
	  US

	- Re-surfaced the chimney in the attic 
	  US

	- Installed new ceilings on the second floor
	  US

	- Refinished the hardwood floors on the second floor
	  NU - He lost money on the deal. 

	- Consolidated the Butler's pantry, dining room and living room into
	  one large dining/living room
	  US

	- Rewired all the lights on the first floor
	  US

	- Rewired all outlets on the first floor
	  US

	- Installed new smooth plaster ceilings on the first floor
	  NU - plaster, US leveling and prep work

	- Replaced porch roof - 30 by 9 feet, floor 28 by 9 feet and new
	  columns
	  US

	- Reduced the size of the mud room to enlarge the kitchen area
	  US

	- Installed two sets of glass sliders to back yard, one from dining 
	  room and the other from the kitchen
	  US

	- Installed a new kitchen consisting of counter tops, cabinets, sink,
	  dish washer, disposal, wiring - work remaining - installing the 
	  floor, wood trim and wallpaper.
	  US all except the plumbing NU

	- Installed new clapboard back of house first floor
	  US

	- Stripped all paint from the outside of the first floor and painted
	  US

	- Re-surface the driveway
	  NU

	- Installed lighting, retaining wall and two walkways in the front
	  US

	- Installed small deck from kitchen sliders to backyard
	  US

	- Reclaimed the back yard from the forest and previous owner's personal
	  dumping grounds
	  US

	- Installed an above ground 27 by 4 foot pool
	  NU - dug the whole, trucked in gravel ( 18 yards ) and stone dust
	  US - installed the pool ( twice since the first time it settled
	  unevenly due to poor drainage, that's why we had to have gravel
	  placed under the pool

	- Work in progress now	  US
	  o Began stripping remaining paint from first floor wood work 
	  o Began to refinish the original front door
	  o Began closest in the foyer
	  o finish work in kitchen
	
	- Remaining work not yet started:
	  o Wash room with a half bath off the kitchen
	  o Railings on the porch
	  o Vinyl side the entire house unless I can talk wife into cedar 
	    clapboard; after stripping the first floor she hates the maintenance
	    required for wood
	  o Wallpaper the rooms on first floor
	  o Wallpaper the stairway leading to the second floor
	  o install new hardwood floors first floor
	  o install the wood work around the doors and windows on the first
	    floor; all wood word removed from demolition has been saved and is
	    being stripped for re-use;
	  o begin to do only cosmetic maintenance ( the good life )

Bob Carlin ( and Linda )

    Well, I started asking questions, so I'll let y'all know who I am.
    I'm MadMike located in the North Georgia Mountains, in Dawsonville.
    I'm a software specialist at the CSC in ALF, but I telecommute so
    distance isn't a big deal.
    
    This is my 2nd house.  It has everything my 1st one didn't have and then
    some.  I have a 2 car attached garage, land, 2000 sq. ft.  This is
    a country style cape, I guess.  I guess you'd call the terrain
    "rolling", not flat, but it's not terribly steep either.  There are
    2 bedrooms upstairs occupied by my two boys, my wife stays mainly on
    the ground level (lr, dr, master bed/bath, laundry, big open kitchen)
    and I hang out "downstairs". 
    
    I finished the basement myself, it now has an office, spare room,
    computer/communications closet, a clean shop, and walk in access to my 2 
    car  garage which houses only one car.  My truck and other car are out back.
    
    My main deal now is mainly maintenance, light repairs, and I want to build 
    a small barn out back.  I want to make my house "self sufficient" so
    I can survive without (county) utilities for up to a week.  I also want 
    to hit the lottery. (but I don't play it).  :^)  Glad to hang out
    with you folks.
    
    Regards,
    MadMike                                    

    
    Well, I still have the same house. The kitches was successfully
    face-lifted. The basement is still in progress (never seems to get to
    the top of the list for very long) and now I have to replace the entire
    main cold water pipe because of pinhole leaks. We had an addition
    (extension of den coupled to a new 16x20 family room with a cathedral
    ceiling and lots of windows) rough finished a few years back and I
    completed the inside work. Added an a/g pool with a nice little
    deck.
    
    Still no luck on ideas to spruce up the front entrance, and I guess
    I'm not going to get them from this conference, 'cause I'm out of here.
    Good-bye to all my fellow HOME-WORKers of many years and many notes,
    and thanks for all the help.
    

    
    
    	Well......I guess since I've asked for some advice and am
    	now a happy, but poor, homeowner and will most definitely
    	have questions in the future...... I should introduce myself.
    
    	I'm Judy Morrissey, known in the NOTING community as "JJ" or
    	as in the case with SOAPBOX, by my personal name.  =)  I prefer
    	Judy or JJ, however.
    
    	My fiance and I just purchased a home in Milford NH, built in '95
    	and was partially unfinished when we looked at it.  We put in our
    	own kitchen and dining room floors (with a lot of help from friends
    	and my dad), and did a couple small ceramic tile jobs as well. 
    	As soon as Old Man Winter decides he's really going to disappear,
    	we'll start to working on getting the driveway paved, a front walk
    	put in, and starting our landscaping.  My better half would
    	eventually like to put on a two car attached garage with a room
    	above it and turn what is currently the garage, into his studio
    	space (he's a drummer).  That's quite a few years down the road,
    	unless we win the lottery.  =)
    
    	We currently share our abode with 4 animals of the feline
    	persuasion.
    
    	I guess that'll do it for now.
    
    
    	JJ
    

Ok, me too...

Tom Randolph, MRO1. My wife and I just built a small 6 room cape in Barre,
Ma. We tiled the kitchen and 1 1/2 bath floors ourselves. I'm glad that's all
we did, cuz the headaches of moving were more than enough without having lots
of building work to do!

Other stuff... the electrician was a prima donna (seems to be a common
problem), so anything that wasn't absolutely perfect and easy for him to work
on didin't get done. So I installed the Tiffany over the kitchen sink and the
chandelier in the dining room. Oh, and one of his guys forgot to wire our
hall light. Normally I'd bitch to the general contractor, but we've had
enough of dealing with his majesty and would just as soon not have him back.
I put deadbolt locks on all the doors. Most of the subcontractors didn't
bother to give their keys back, so I changed all the doorknob locks too. Lots
of other little stuff that goes with a new house...

Coming projects... get the yard cleaned up, plant some grass. Mud is bad. Fix
the drainage at the cellar door, although I think this will be less of a
problem after the grass gets established. Install the woodstove. Build a
deck. Make some storage space in the basement.

    Seems to be a trend here...
    
    I'm Mike Foley (SYO, not ZKO) and I've been following this conference
    for quite some time now.
    
    My wife, two daughters, 4 rabbits and cat live in Bundyville, NY, just
    south of Lake Ontario.
    
    Our house started life as a 3 room store in Minetto, 2 miles north and
    across the river, and was moved in the 1920's by two brothers, who hand
    dug a cellar and hand-poured 16" walls for the foundation. They then
    built "up and put" and we now have 4 bedrooms, two dining rooms and
    two living rooms. It seems that everyone who has owned the place has
    added on something, so far I've added an 8'x16' "mud porch" (where the
    bunnies live) with skylights and a cathedral ceiling. The kitchen is
    26'x11' with 32 doors/drawers, all handbuilt in the 1960's by someone
    who really knew what he was doing.
    
    So far I've replaced the furnace and all ducts (cold/hot), run two new
    lines to the near well, new jet-pump/tank, all new water lines, new hot
    water heater, installed natural gas (I cut/threaded/installed all the
    black iron), built new treated windows for the cellar, replaced the
    four south facing windows (only 22 more to go!), new roof (plywood
    too!). There's more, but just listing it all makes me tired. :-)
    
    The house is situated on 3 acres, and there is a 3 car garage, the
    original 2 car garage is my workshop (~16'x20') which is covered with
    tin from old billboards, and I installed a steel roof a while back(did
    the garage too).(no rfi in here!) My summer project this year is fixing 
    up the barn - a 40'x40' old timer that dates to the late 1700's - no 
    nails here! It's all post and peg construction and strong enough to park my
    company car in! I cleaned out the knee-to-hip-deep horse manure from
    the cellar and spread it out, now you can almost hear the grass grow in
    what we refer to as the "muck pit" that was the "corral" for the
    horses.
    
    And if that isn't enough stuff to maintain, there is a 10'x12' "shed"
    that I fixed up as a playhouse for the girls when they were younger.
    
    We've been there almost 11 years, and plan to be there for many more.
    For a picture, check out
    http://www.dreamscape.com/mtfoley/myhouse640.jpg
    
    .mike.