Oh, I just a-door you.

We recently got done installing new siding, and we also had the house painted (before the dead of winter sets in.)

Our old front door (atrium door), which was always intended as a temporary door, suddenly started looking quite shabby.  Turns out it was pretty rotted too.

I had recently read how well this project turned out over at Redneck Modern, so, I asked if Hunter would come do mine as well.  I liked the idea of just replacing the door, instead of having to mess with the glass around the doorframe.

There were a couple of challenges - like discovering that the doorpost 4x4 was no longer fastened to a wood pad in the slab, and was just loose.  I was tempted to replace the rotted wood with some PT, and fasten the 2x4 to it, but Hunter wisely suggested anchoring an L bracket to the post, then filling the hole with cement.  We dropped a tap con screw anchoring the bracket to the slab as well.

A nice surprise was discovering that the electric release for the door still works, and even better, fits and works perfectly with the new lock mechanism.  We now have an electric release for the atrium door (assuming the deadbolt is unlocked, of course).  The buzz it makes reminds me of visiting my grandfather in his Yonkers NY coop apartment.

Old door

New door in place

New locks

Curb appeal.  Or is that curb a peel (get it, orange?)

The door turned out great, the color is perfect, and Hunter is extremely meticulous in his work.  As he joked, he makes all the mistakes on his own house, so that he can do it perfectly for everyone else.

Garage Door Hardware

Our siding project is almost over.  I'll post pictures once I get everything painted, promise.

In the end, I opted to have someone install the siding.  Yes, I could have done it, but lack of time, and dubious skill with a circular saw, combined with $100/sheet raw materials, made this the right choice.
Plus I still had inside work to do, beams to repair and refinish, etc.

Are you familiar with "scope creep"?  Ah yes, plan for the unplanned.

Three related projects that I wasn't planning (or budgeting) for crept their way in.

First, there was some minor rot behind the siding, in a few places.  I scraped out the damaged wood, and repaired with products from the Rot Doctor.

Second, the electrical panel, which I had upgraded in the last few months, was sitting on top of the old siding.  It made sense to instead recess it into the wall, essentially another whole service upgrade, though this time recycling the panel.

Before:

After:

Worth the effort, I think.

The last unplanned project was the garage doors.  We pulled the old doors, intending to replace the siding, and discovered that one of the rollers was completely missing.  I did some searching, and found a place in South San Francisco called Crown Hardware, who sells an almost perfect replacement.  At $100/pair (you need two pairs for two doors) it wasn't cheap, but I was thrilled that someone still makes it, and this version has modern bearings too.

Old hardware (notice the missing roller!):

New hardware:

This is the actual product.  Crown Industrial's part number is 4Z2R, #4 hanger.  Link

Oh, we also ended up rebuilding the door frames out of PT 2x4s because the old redwood had rotted out.

The other big fix was the center post.  Ever notice how on many Eichler E11 models, the center of the garage seems to sag?  The center 4x4 post sits on a piece of redwood, which in many cases rots out.  The post then sinks, causing the garage doors to sag and drag, and it also impacts the roofline.

The fix was to jack up the center main beam support with a floor jack, supported with 2x4s on each side, and replace both the rotted redwood floor plate with a new piece of 2x6, and a new redwood 4x4 post.  I put the post into a metal cup, so it wouldn't be in direct contact with the 2x4 under it (and also to give it some additional support).

Old frame:

New floor plate:

New frames:

Last word of advice - when you are replacing siding, it's a great time to:

• install seismic retrofits, such as oversized floor plate bolts
• run wiring for additional outdoor lighting or outlets
• install R13 insulation

If you've already done the above from the inside, well, great.  Even though I had done so, I still found cases where I realized I needed/wanted additional lights and outlets for example.

That's it for now.  I think this is one of those posts that will become very helpful to someone in the future.  I hope it is!

Full Circle

I got an email from a reader of my blog the other day.  He mentioned that he had just bought an Eichler, and was inspired by my blog to create his own, much as I was inspired by Redneck Modern.
You can find this new blog here.  He's well into making lots of changes and improvements.  Well done!

Side Work

Or better, siding work.
I've taken most of the summer to work on smaller projects inside the house, but now that Fall is here, it's time to get back to big projects.  And yes, I will put up interior pictures one of these days.

The siding on our house is in really bad shape.  Some of it is rotted, some of it is original, some is replacement MDO.  The biggest issue, besides the rot, is that a lot of the siding was hacked up by the former owners, who retrofit small AC units, originally designed as window units, and made them built in by simply cutting a hole in the wall.

On Friday, I took delivery of 40 sheets of Breckenridge siding from Jeff Nichols and on Sunday I began the process of priming the boards.  Jeff sells both MDO (think plywood with a wood grain facing) or MDO (think fiberboard and glued plywood.)  I chose the Breckenridge because it's the closest of the two to real wood.  The cost is just under $100/sheet for a 4x9 sheet, so a little over $4k just in materials.  Add to that primer, nails/screws, and you get the idea of why contractors charge around $400/sheet installed.

My first challenge was to decide on latex vs oil primer.  This being California, it's not that easy to find oil-based paint, but Home Depot and Ace sell a Zinsser product called Cover Stain.  I thought it would be good to have some oil in the siding, since it's going to soak right into the wood.  I bought a 5 gal pail and a 3/4" nap roller, and set to work.

About 5 minutes in, I called my buddy Hunter:
"Hey - this siding.  How do you get primer in the grooves?  Don't tell me you have to brush them."
"Yes, we brushed and rolled."

Arg.  I didn't like that answer, so later that day, I went looking for a coarser nap roller.  Found one at Ace, 1 1/4" or something ridiculous like that (HD has one too).  It works, but you still have to push really hard on the roller, which makes the sleeve come off the end of the roller, so it's a bit of an Abbott and Costello routine.  I later found a better roller at HD made by Wooster which has a clip on the end preventing the sleeve from rolling off ever 30 seconds.

Oh, the oil based primer.  It stinks to high heaven.  It's not as bad as working with BIN or Kilz, but it's still pretty strong.  I used the entire 5 gal pail on the 10 sheets, so I'm going to switch to Zinsser 123 for the next 10 sheets, and see how they compare.

Midweek update: switched to 123 for the second batch, seems to work just as well and smells far better.
Priming these flat is definitely the way to go.

Wires

OK, let me try to get back on the wagon.  I know I still need to post beautiful "reveal" photos, but the reality is we are still doing work and have boxes everywhere!

In a couple of places, I eliminated or moved walls, which presents a problem since in an Eichler, the wiring is run up and on the ceiling.  With a normal attic, you would simply pull the wires up to the crawlspace or attic, drill a new hole, and drop them down.

But, with these houses, especially if you have a foam roof, it's much more involved:
- cut through waterproof layer
- cut through inches of foam
- cut through original tar and gravel
- find wires underneath protective metal brackets, and if needed cut brackets

I used a circular saw and tons of razor blades to cut through to the metal, then a Dremel to carefully cut the metal to the point where I could bend it.

If you're thinking of stripping your roof down to the tongue and groove wood, you can see how much work this is, and explains why the estimates I got for a total roof redo were almost double the cost of adding foam and recoating.

Being the nerd that I am, I had to run Cat5E and RG6 to every room (in some cases multiple runs per room).  I ran these over the roof and had them foamed in when the roof was done:

Back it up

Clearly I've falled off the wagon on the blog.
Things got really busy with the final push towards move-in, so every minute counted.
Despite that, there's still work underway, so I haven't been motivated to post final pictures, because, well, we're not done yet.

I decided if I don't start posting little bits, I'll probably never finish this blog, so here's a first step back.
Let me recap the timeline:
Jan 2, 2011: bought the house
Jan 3, 2011: began demolition of the interior.
May 9, 2011: moved in

What happened in between?  A high level checklist, which I will detail later:

• demolition.  Ripped everything out to the studs.
• beam repair/replacement
• pulled up old tile flooring and wet sanded to the slab
• repaired radiant heat leaks and installed new boiler
• installed structural improvements
• roughed in bathrooms and kitchen plumbing
• replaced 90% of all electrical wiring, installed new circuits, upgraded to 200A service
• ran new gas line overhead to kitchen
• relocated water heater and laundry to the garage, installed new Eternal tankless water heater
• installed porcelain tile in every square foot of living space
• installed insulation (R13) and sheetrock 
• installed new Milgard aluminum double pane doors and windows
• installed new kitchen cabinets and counters
• installed new interior trim
• installed bathroom fixtures
• installed new Rheem 16SEER rooftop package HVAC and new ductwork
• had roof refoamed and recoated
• had bathroom shower and tub surround tiled
• wall prep and painting
• repaired sprinkler system

And we're not done yet.  But it's heck of a lot better than it was on January 2nd.

Once the interior is done, we'll move on to the exterior.

More posts, pictures, etc coming soon.  Promise.

Lessons Learned

At some point, I will return to this post and add some pearls of wisdom.
For now, let's start with #1.

1) Not all the pros are competent.
I had a GC build and rough in the shower for me.  His other work was solid, but when I posted pictures up on the John Bridge tile forum, they said it was a redo, for several reasons.  I couldn't believe that a 20 year pro could possibly not know what he was doing, but he clearly didn't.  We came to an agreement about the issue, and I hired a different person to redo the shower walls and pans.  Since we're now a week away from movein, I also had him tile the walls.

Consider this a sneak peek of the gorgeous Heath Ceramics tile.

Yes, we're alive

I've been furiously working on the house as well as spending way too much time at work, so I haven't had time to post blog updates.  Look for a detailed catchup post soon!

More, more, more

Everyone keeps asking to see more pictures and updates.  The thing is, the progress is pretty slow, so there isn't a whole lot to show!  But the pace will be picking up very soon.
Here are a few updates.

Master bathroom roughin.  Tiny shower expanded to full length, drain relocated, shower pan built:

All bedrooms now tiled in the same almond linen porcelain tile as the MBR.  You can also see new electrical, and the ugly white vinyl sliders deleted (new windows will go here instead):

Not much going on in the living room/kitchen main area, but it's prepped and ready for next steps:

Next up:  kitchen install, bath tiling, more electrical, sheetrock, trim, paint.  And that's just the inside.

Labor

It's important to have good help, even if you are DIYing:

Lucas absolutely loves his new work gloves.  When I told him he could pull all the old nails, he was ecstatic.  Yes Mom, I will make sure he doesn't hurt himself.

And here's a sneak peek at what the kitchen will look like.  No, this is not a period correct Eichler renovation, but rather, a modern interpretation of one.  Or at least as modern as our budget will allow.

Windows

I'm still planning out my window replacements and need to decide soon.

I've gotten estimates on Milgard aluminum replacements for around $12k (windows only) and labor estimates of $13k and $16k.
I'm having a hard time swallowing that cost for what is essentially a block fit of the windows.
Remove stops, pull old window.  Clean, caulk, set window.  Replace stops, caulk, prime and paint.

Someone commented that he/she had Blombergs installed.  Can you let me know what that ran?
I have a feeling that $25k is about the right ballpark for the entire project, at least in Milgard.
Blombergs run about 2x the price of the Milgard, at least from Palo Alto Glass.  I didn't even ask them about their labor costs, assuming they wouldn't come up to Walnut Creek, but maybe they do.

Earthquake Planning

With the earthquake in Japan, people in CA are thinking more seriously about earthquake planning.
A recent article in CA Modern Magazine is quite timely: http://www.eichlernetwork.com/spot_earthquakesafe.html

I had already planned on doing these structural upgrades, long before the Japan earthquake.
The contractor I chose to do this work (Frank at Larco Construction, 925-595-3180) told me that he's had 5 different requests for estimates from Eichler owners in the last week, so clearly others are thinking about it as well.

Besides the safety factor, think of this as a good excuse to do a remodel (see tax assessment info in the article above), especially if you are opening up the walls to replace the original thin panelling.

Support straps:

Way beefier anchor bolts and oversized washers:

Automatic gas valve:

Stabilizer straps:

Such a small world

(not my actual car)

I've been shopping for windows, and since this is an Eichler, aluminum windows are the only thing that looks right, in my eyes.  I work a long way from home, in the South Bay, so a vendor there directed me to a house in Sunnyvale, to which they had sold Milgard windows.

I did a driveby, but couldn't see much due to a high fence, so I left the owner a note.

She was nice enough to call me back, and after several days, we were able to make arrangements for me to stop by to see how the large picture glass windows would look with a thin aluminum frame (for the record, they look fine).  I gave the owner one of my business cards, and she thought she recognized my name, but neither of us could recall the other.

A day later, she emailed me again, and asked if I had ever owned a Volvo or lived on the East Coast.  Turns out this fellow Eichler owner and I have in fact crossed paths before.

In 1999, shortly after the birth of my first daughter, I decided to get a safer car, and bought a used Volvo, sight unseen, on eBay.  I flew from NY to Miami, picked it up, and drove it home.

The seller is the very same person that has the Eichler in Sunnyvale.   How bizarre is that?

To make this post a bit more Eichler-relevant...  there are two good choices for aluminum windows: Milgard, or Blomberg.  Neither is sold with a thermally broken frame in CA, so both are subpar choices IMO, but aluminum is really the only thing that looks "right".

I had Eichler Solutions out who proposed vinyl, which kind of shocked me.

Still pricing, deciding, but leaning towards just doing it all now.

Tiled, so very tiled

Been tiling away, not much time to blog, sorry.  Here's a peek at the action...

Kitchen and dining area:

Master Bedroom:

Lots more to come in the next few weeks, stay tuned!

ABCs of flooring

A box of tile is really heavy.
Because tile installers charge $8-10/sq ft which is $8000-10000 I don't want to spend.
C See Dan busting his hump to install tile.

Yes Hunter, you told me so.  VCT would have been the same price and so so much easier.
But sometimes, I have to go my own way.

After scouring the South Bay (where I work) for deals on tile, I went into Import Tile in Berkeley expecting the usual Berkeley fruitiness and not much more.  I told the salesguy Tom that I was sick of shopping for tile, but that I was looking for a modernish 12x24 porcelain tile.  Several photos, 3 samples, and 24 hours later, I had about 1000 sq ft of grey Italian tile headed to my house, at a whopping cost of around $2/sq ft.

Laying tile is pretty easy, really.  The hard part is:

• planning
• prepping the floor
• marking lines
• mixing thinset
• keeping the tiles level and straight
• cutting the tiles around obstacles

More on the specific tools and techniques later.  The work below is about 7 total man hours, all done in the evenings after my day job and 1+ hour commute each way.  No wonder my back and knees are killing me...

This particular tile will be used in the "bonus room" which I have now opened up to the main living room (shown below) and carried into the living room, kitchen and hallway.  I think we'll do a different tile for the bedrooms.

Once the tiling is all done, it's on to the remaining projects:

• finish planning kitchen layout
• finish electrical wiring for the kitchen and baths
• rough in the bathrooms
• structural upgrades (the walls are open, why not?)
• sheetrock, tape, prime the walls
• install kitchen and baths

That all sounds doable by May 1st ish right?  Oi...

Beam me up Scotty

Once again, I've been too busy to blog regularly, so here's some catching up.

Captain's log, stardate 20110208.
The electrical has been upgraded to 200A service, and a new panel installed.
This was more of a safety upgrade to eliminate the rusty and fire-prone old FPE (Federal Pacific Electric) breakers and panel.  Dave from Beckert Electric did some nice work and was very creative:

Now, about those beams.  Recall that the old beams had rotted on the outside, which allowed water to penetrate the beam, and from there to the uprights.  A total of three beams needed to be replaced, and two of the uprights.

It's a fallacy that the beams in an Eichler run the full length of the house.  They generally don't.  The beams are supported by the upright posts, and the beams meet on some of those uprights.

It's still a massive job, but I found the right man for the job (Frank at Larco Construction, 925-595-3180).

His method (from my observation) is to:

1. Support the ceiling on either side of the beam (so you can safely remove the beam) using a temporary wall made of 2x4s.
2. Cut the beam into small chunks and pull the chunks down.
3. Cut away the many, many nails holding the beam to the tongue and groove wood ceiling.
4. Replace the uprights (if necessary).
5. Carefully measure and cut the new beam to size.
6. Lift new beam into place.
7. Screw the new beam into the ceiling for extra support (and to prevent twisting).

The new beams are the closest you can find to the original, but as Tony points out, today's wood is nothing like the old growth wood used in those Eichler beams.  Hold a piece of the new beam vs the old and you will notice a huge weight difference.

OK, onto the photos.

Here's the bracing on either side of the (now removed) beam:

Old beam in chunks on the floor:

Hhighlight of the extent of the dryrot at the front of the garage beam.  Protect the tops of those beams!

Another little Eichler thing.  The tongue and groove ceiling is not all one straight shot.  Seams are staggered slightly for strength behind the beam, but you'd never notice it when the beam is in place:

Finally, a small very cool Eichler find.  The "E11" here refers to the model of this particular home, written here by hand on one of the upright supports.  At the bottom it also says "Walnut Creek":

That's all for now.  Full speed ahead to the next small project.

A sneak peek at the floors

This is what the floors look like with the mastic removed.  Here's a sort of before and after:

Here's the kitchen, mostly cleaned:

I should have all the floors in this state by the end of the weekend.

Losing steam

I am, not the house. The house has steam. Or boiling water, anyway.
Here are a few updates.

Inside, everything is down to the studs. Also, the ugly awning over the atrium is gone:

We've got heat. We went from this old clunker, to this, thanks to Anderson Heating:

The new space-age boiler is a Triangle Tube 110. Besides looking cool and taking up a lot less space, it's far more energy efficient, so it's a good long term investment, whether for operating costs or future resale. Notice I said "investment" which is a tip that this thing is about the price of a decent used car.

The water heater is being relocated to the garage. I considered tankless, but the cost is high, the benefits (other than reduced space requirements) are questionable, so this was a good compromise.

We also had to fix a few radiant leaks (5 in total) in the hall, hall bath, master bedroom and master bath:

Glen of Anderson has a helium detection system which can pinpoint the tiniest leaks. Leaks 4 and 5 were found only late in the day, after we thought all the leaks had been fixed.

Finally, I found some time to start removing the mastic on the concrete floors with a wet grinder.

I realized too late that this is a two person job, so I didn't make as much progress as I had hoped. Thanks to Hunter for rescuing me with a hose adapter when the rental unit adapter broke.

Oh, I was interested in mapping out the heating grid to see where the elements are.

Since I had the floor wet and the heat was on, I was able to see the grid drying out.

Curiously, it matches the same pattern you see in the mastic area above on the right.

I had assumed those were tile marks, but it looks like the effect of the heat grid on the mastic was to fade it in those areas.

Next up: replacement of 3 beams and 2 uprights (I'm having a pro do this of course).

Plan electrical and low voltage (RG6/Cat5E) and once that's done, begin wall insulation and sheetrocking. Oh, and kitchen design. And bathroom design. And the other bathroom. Doors and windows.