Home Improvement

[RobbieB]

Makes me ache just thinking about it. Good for you!

 

[4legsgood]

Ceiling work - removal, retexture and paint will be done by pros. Thirty eight hundred bucks for the whole house about 1200 sq-ft which is minus the kitchen and bathrooms.

I think you'll like this improvement. I was shocked by how much better things looked when I had popcorn removed. The house looked brighter and the ceiling seemed higher without all the shadows.

I remember as a kid in the 60's going to friends' of my parents newly remodeled house. They'd had popcorn sprayed onto their ceilings, with sparkles in it! That, and the new grass green shag carpet, made a perfect back drop for us kids to lie on our stomaches on the floor watching Star Trek.

 

[RobbieB]

The painter gave us a good idea too, instead of going pure white flat paint put a wee sheen on it like egg shell, just one sheen above flat. Said makes look larger and easier to clean.

 

[Breedlove]

Before we sold our house in Houston , we were told by the real estate broker to paint the interior a Sherwin Williams color that was a grey eggshell color. We found a painter an old hippie type guy but a good painter . He told us to go to HD and use Behr paint from HD . The paint was cheaper and the painter explained easier to apply . We paid .50 per foot plus we supplied all paint , No woodwork . He rolled it , no sprayer took him 4 days for all work . He also did some sheetrock repair.

 

[RobbieB]

Yeah, greys are all the rage right now. Neither of us like them so we're going with earthtones.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Yeah, greys are all the rage right now. Neither of us like them so we're going with earthtones.

Ugh...gray, gray, gray. It's all over the damn place and I am sick to death of seeing in every single house on the market!!!

 

[W2R]

I think grays look really cool. But for a house I am going to live in, I prefer earthtones. I think they are supposed to be outdated but I don't really care about that.

 

[HI Bill]

Ceiling work - removal, retexture and paint will be done by pros. Thirty eight hundred bucks for the whole house about 1200 sq-ft which is minus the kitchen and bathrooms.

Excellent! Almost all popcorn ceilings have asbsestos in them. I had to remove a very small amount (about 8 square inches), and it was super easy, but I was very worried about making those fibers go airborne! I did wet it down copiously, and caught all of the 'fallout'.

 

[JoeWras]

Excellent! Almost all popcorn ceilings have asbsestos in them. I had to remove a very small amount (about 8 square inches), and it was super easy, but I was very worried about making those fibers go airborne! I did wet it down copiously, and caught all of the 'fallout'.

No. Depends on the date. Perhaps before 1979 "almost all" qualifies. After that, it depends.

I had mine tested before I did the scraping. I also had my mastic glue holding down the parquet floor tested.

There are plenty of late 80's early 90's houses around here with popcorn and you can say "almost none".

 

[RobbieB]

The screen/security door is in looks good and works well. Just need to extend the threshold a bit as I had to build it out so the handles wouldn't hit. A plate was provided I just have to build the support.

I really like this thing. It looks just like a screen door but has a strong frame with heavy duty SS mesh that will never need to be replaced and a triple latching lock. Doesn't have the "prison bars" look at all.

Pic after I get the threshold done -

 

[HI Bill]

No. Depends on the date. Perhaps before 1979 "almost all" qualifies. After that, it depends.

I had mine tested before I did the scraping. I also had my mastic glue holding down the parquet floor tested.

There are plenty of late 80's early 90's houses around here with popcorn and you can say "almost none".

Thanks! I've done a fair amount of asbestos sample collection, but all on older structures, so it's always present in those (at least all that I tested). Good to know that after '79, you may be safe, but regardless of the date, I'd have it tested if you're trying to avoid abatement costs!

 

[Hermit]

When you remove the popcorn, does that increase the echos in a large room with a cathedral ceiling?

 

[RobbieB]

I think so. They are also called "accoustic" ceilings.

I don't mind them, I think they are kinda cool but Kelly hates them so...

 

[JoeWras]

When you remove the popcorn, does that increase the echos in a large room with a cathedral ceiling?

I can't comment on cathedrals. Only 8ft ceilings. For 8ft, I'd say "little to no effect." The acoustic properties are there, but they were oversold. The real reason they used this stuff was to take short cuts in building. Ceilings are difficult to finish. They show everything. For this I say Robbie's finishers have great confidence to put a little gloss on the finish and it makes his quoted cost even a better deal.

Like someone else mentioned, the 1/8" of popcorn appears to lower the ceiling by more than 1/8". Something about shadows. When I removed it, the 8 ft. ceilings suddenly looked much higher. I curse this stuff! For a while, it was new, so it was all the rage. Once people lived with it (and had to repair it!), the downsides were realized and now it is one of the most hated features of older homes.

My house is from 1980 and in that transitional window, so I had the popcorn tested for asbestos. It is easy to do. You just send off a sample and get your answer in a few days. The cost was very modest to test.

 

[tmm99]

No. Depends on the date. Perhaps before 1979 "almost all" qualifies. After that, it depends.

I had mine tested before I did the scraping. I also had my mastic glue holding down the parquet floor tested.

There are plenty of late 80's early 90's houses around here with popcorn and you can say "almost none".

Our house was built in the mid 80's, and we did get our popcorn tested before scraping also and found no asbestos.

 

[Hermit]

I can't comment on cathedrals. Only 8ft ceilings. For 8ft, I'd say "little to no effect." The acoustic properties are there, but they were oversold. The real reason they used this stuff was to take short cuts in building. Ceilings are difficult to finish. They show everything. For this I say Robbie's finishers have great confidence to put a little gloss on the finish and it makes his quoted cost even a better deal.

Like someone else mentioned, the 1/8" of popcorn appears to lower the ceiling by more than 1/8". Something about shadows. When I removed it, the 8 ft. ceilings suddenly looked much higher. I curse this stuff! For a while, it was new, so it was all the rage. Once people lived with it (and had to repair it!), the downsides were realized and now it is one of the most hated features of older homes.

My house is from 1980 and in that transitional window, so I had the popcorn tested for asbestos. It is easy to do. You just send off a sample and get your answer in a few days. The cost was very modest to test.

I am leaning toward not doing the popcorn. Every house I have owned since in the seventies has had the stuff. I had to patch a hole in the last house and getting the patch to look reasonable was a real pain. The home theater is getting major sound proofing, but no plans for popcorn cieling. Only a nice popcorn popping machine!

 

[RobbieB]

Security screen door installed by yours truly;

 

[Jerry1]

Nice!

 

[RobbieB]

Thanks! I think so too. Was a lot of work, I had to build out the trim so the handles would clear. They included a long threshold plate that worked well to finish it off.

Got some 1 inch quarter round molding ordered up to give it that "finished" look. When that comes I'll paint and install and paint the space between the doors too.

 

[USA]

Thanks! I think so too. Was a lot of work, I had to build out the trim so the handles would clear. They included a long threshold plate that worked well to finish it off.

Got some 1 inch quarter round molding ordered up to give it that "finished" look. When that comes I'll paint and install and paint the space between the doors too.

Nice choice and nice look. You are on fire with your improvements!

 

[txtig]

I’ve got about 15 guys crawling all over the inside and outside of my house. Doing a whole house window replacement on my 25 year old house. Twenty four insulated glass windows, upstairs and down. I’m amazed at how quickly they are progressing. Should have the whole thing finished today.

Next up, all new window coverings. DW wants Plantation Shutters. Will also be ordering a new front door unit with side lights and transom above.

Blow the dough!!

 

[txtig]

This is what it looks like now.

 

[Bestwifeever]

Gorgeous, txtig!

 

[RobbieB]

Sounds like a good investment for a good house!

I've only replaced one window (sliding glass door) with the low e double pane, but it was big and very leaky. Saving lots of energy this year -

 

[Carpediem]

Next up, all new window coverings. DW wants Plantation Shutters.

Plantation Shutters = Blow that dough for sure, especially for 24 windows! Will look great though.