Putting up drywall is difficult and an art- I would pay someone to do that. Painting is easy, especially if you haven't put down permanent flooring yet.
The Great Louisiana Flood of 2016
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- #102
That's exactly what we were thinking to. Plus I can always point to a contractor if there are issues later or to show someone that may buy at a later date that renovations were done by someone reputable.
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I'm glad to hear that FEMA came through better than expected and so quickly. It's good to see that they are trying to get something done down there.
I agree. I've put up drywall but it took me months for one room.
Painting is easy and probably the best way to save costs. Unless you don't have time because you're dealing with other flood related crap!
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- #105
We just paid the contractor a small deposit for some of the materials and I actually feel okay about it.
I guess I was wrong about the qoute...it also included an allowance for cabinets and counter tops. That makes me feel a lot better. We might go with a different guy for those though.
Today is a "no work day." There is plenty of college football on so distractions all around.
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I guess I was wrong about the qoute...it also included an allowance for cabinets and counter tops. That makes me feel a lot better. We might go with a different guy for those though.
Today is a "no work day." There is plenty of college football on so distractions all around.
Sent from the Danger Phone
My thoughts as well. I would say though that new drywall needs to be primed which might be a part of why the contractors price seems high. I'm a 56 year old white collar guy but I've never hired a painter yet. A good place to put in some sweat equity if you are even a bit handy.
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- #107
We were thinking the same thing. If the quote for painting was marginal we were going to have the contractor's crew do it. But since it was a lot we will seek other options or do it ourselves.
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Which quote done the plaster work? Is it part of putting the dry wall up or under the painters quote.
I'm not familiar with the type of dry wall sheets you use there but I have put dry wall sheets up here. While it can be a PIA it is not too bad.
The plaster work on the other hand is a real pain IMO.
I would take the job up to smooth wall ready for you to seal and paint.
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- #109
No plaster needed here. Just drywall. The drywall work is reasonable enough it was the painting that was really expensive. Plus if we do the drywall ourselves it will take a lot longer. We are trying to get back in to the house as soon as possible.
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- #110
I would like to thank a member here at Badger & Blade for his kindness to provide me help and comfort. Shawn [MENTION=88203]sfeile[/MENTION] sent me a box full of useful items that you don't realize you need until you actually need them. In addition to these items...Shawn was able to purchase a limited run shave soap by Mystic Waters that I had been salivating over for several months. Shawn was able to get me a tub of the long awaited, much sought after, and now sold out Mystic Water Coconut Sandalwood shave soap. Thank you Shawn for your selfless gift. I really appreciate your kindness in this "rough patch" I am going through.
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- #111
So I discovered the other day that one of my razors that I thought was still good may not be properly aligned. I have a Shavetools STSS 6 that I like to shave with. It's a three piece and is mildly aggressive. Just perfect for me. The other day I popped in a new Voskhod blade and went to town. During the shave I noticed that the shave was unusually rough, especially for such a smooth blade. After the shave (a few weepers and one cut) I inspected the razor and to my surprise the head and base plate seemed to be not aligned properly. A closer inspection revealed that it had fallen at some point in time and dented in the side. So I checked my 1972 Gillete Super Adjustable and it also appears that the bar is not aligned. I might be able to fix that but I am not overly confident in my razor fixing abilities. So it looks like for the time being that it is the Merkur 23c Long Handle Razor (my first one) will be what I am shaving with until I can buy another. Not complaining, because I know things could be a lot worse...I could be shaving with a Mach 3 
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- #112
So the good news is that we have two of our exterior doors ordered and our front door paid for and brought home. We did have some bad news. We were denied our SBA loan. I have no idea why and they don't tell you. If I had to guess it is because of student loans. The wife is an attorney and so has a ton of student loan debt. But other than speculation...we don't know. My in-laws were denied their SBA loan also...they are retired, so it might be because of that. I guess we get put back into the FEMA system now....no idea what that means either. I am really hoping that Congress authorizes a disaster package like during Katrina, Sandy, and other disasters. But I know that won't be for six to eight months. In the meantime...here is a picture of our new door.
Glad to see things are moving along, Don. You really have your hands full.
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- #114
Got a quote on our floors yesterday. Actually it came a lot sooner than expected. The guy came out yesterday and took measurements and early in the evening we had our quote. The wife and I thought were going to do stained concrete because it has been something we have been talking about even before the flood. The price we were quoted actually seemed very reasonable (for today's prices...stained concrete a few years ago was about half the price). The quoted us between $5 and $6 a square foot. Like I said...very reasonable. But the wife and I talked it over and we are going to go a different route. We have an "in" on some high quality laminate at about $1.35 a square foot and we have a then numbers for a couple of different people who do flooring for a living that might be able to lay the flooring on the side. We figured that this will save us anywhere between $1,500 and $2,000, whic is much needed to get the kitchen in order. We still have to plan stuff out, but we think this just might work for us.
We meet with some cabinet people today for an estimate. We have a number in mind and we hope they are somewhere close to it. We will see.
We meet with some cabinet people today for an estimate. We have a number in mind and we hope they are somewhere close to it. We will see.
Keeping my fingers crossed for your cabinetry. Quality Laminated flooring is really really nice and is often used up here because you put a thin layer of foam under the flooring which gives a little insulation.
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- #116
Just bought our laminate yesterday. Put it the house and are lining up a person who puts down flooring for a living, but is going to do this on the side for us. This helps us out a ton. Also, the contractor came buy yesterday and asked if any insulation had been delivered. I told him I hadn't seen any yet and he told me that he was hoping that it was going to in the walls already. I think they came late yesterday afternoon but I will have to confirm this morning. Very nice to see things moving along. Here are some pics of the flooring we bought.
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- #117
Walked into the house yesterday morning to do some cleaning on the concrete and tiles and also to finish pulling nails and screws from the studs and was surprised to see my walls had insulation in them! A couple hours later a knock came on the door and two guys dropped off sheet rock/drywall...about 50 sheets of it. The estimator came by a few minutes later to check up on things and said that his sheet rock hangers would be by today to put them up. This is happening quicker than I expected. I believe once we see walls in the home, the wife will relax a "little." She hasn't don that well through this ordeal. She is a person who has to see every step of the way, and when she can only see a step or two ahead, she doesn't do well. Anyway, here is a pic of the sheet rock.
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- #119
Yes, it most definitely taking the stress off a bit. I know we have a long way to go yet, but at this rate, we will be in the house quicker then expected. We really got on the ball with the contractor and we have been really pleased. They wanted to make sure our house's moisture levels were well below where they needed to be and the estimator and owner have been in constant contact with us. Could we have paid less and had our work done? Yes we could. But we checked around, had a a couple more estimates, and these guys are not the most expensive by any means. The cost of redoing a home is just very expensive. Plus it makes me feel better that a good contractor is taking care of things.
I think you're on the right track. Slow and steady. Lots of prayers to you both.
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