Basement Remodel: Painting The Exposed Ceiling White

We all have that breaking point when it comes to renovations.  You know that moment when you just want to quit? When you look around and feel like there's no progress? The moment when you feel like the finish line is so far away and yet you've already clocked hours and hours of hard work?  The point when you just want to cry and have a little pity party? Or maybe just want to plant a "for sale as-is" sign in the front yard? I hit that point last week. 

For the past two weeks, I'll get home from the money-making job around 5 and go right to work in the basement until about 10, 10:30...sometimes 11pm at night.  I swap out the heels for my paint jeans (which were formally my favorite pair of jeans that I tried to do quick paint-work in...and now they're my favorite paint jeans), and go right to work.  After two weeks of those long days I hardly see an improvement.  And I was about to crack.  So I took a weekend off. That's right, I didn't do a thing in the basement all weekend.  I may have had family in town and couldn't work on it anyway, but it was a good vacation from the work and I'm ready to get back at it. 

First, let me catch you up...

Beautifying a basement is hard work when you're working with a very tiny budget.  The exposed ceiling rafters in my 1926 basement are especially ugly.  There is no better word for it.  And most of it was now exposed since I removed the dropped ceiling that previously covered all the ugliness with it's own form of ugliness.

I seriously considered just covering up the entire ceiling so nobody ever had to view those rafters again.  Or atleast until someone was brave enough to remove a ceiling I was considering to install.  I was drooling over the idea of installing a beadboard ceiling similar to what I did in my kitchen:

Or maybe a pallet or barnwood ceiling, like this idea from This Old House:

While these are all beautiful options (which I will store in my little basket of ideas for maybe...a future house) let's remember that I'm trying to beautify for as close to free as possible.  Therefore, in the interests of staying to the smallest budget possible, I decided to paint the ceiling.  Paint would only cost $40 and I really like the look of a two digit number when it comes to spending.

Here are some exposed ceiling ideas I was considering:

(click the pictures to be taken to the original source)

 I love the cozy, comfortable feeling of the bright white ceiling above.

And black ceilings make all the ugliness disappear - the pipes and electrical are hidden in those dark rafters. 

I like the idea of painting the basement ceiling a different color, something unexpected, but still neutral...like a charcoal gray or a warm, chocolaty brown, or maybe the green in the picture above. 

When I started thinking of what style would be the most cohesive with the rest of the house the decision was obvious.  The design of the basement is planned to be the same as the rest of the house...so painting the ceiling white made the most sense. 

Before I could paint the entire ceiling I had to remove a very old ceiling (I hope it wasn't asbestos) covering a 12 x 10 area.  The old ceiling was installed in sheets and was a fiber material that was flaking and crusting.  A nail every 6 inches held the board in place flush to the joists.  At one point, this ceiling must have covered the entire basement because Justin and I pulled 4 million nails out of the rafters that no longer served a purpose.
 

Here is a better look at the fiberboard ceiling.  If it's asbestos...I don't want to know.

  

The backside of the ceiling (facing the rafters) was almost pure black because of the dust build-up over the many years this baby was in place. I also had a ton of duct work and plumbing to work around (this may be why it was never removed). I even found an old galvanized pipe for plumbing that was no longer in use still hanging around (but not connected to anything). Not knowing what could be lurking above that old ceiling I carefully ripped the ceiling down chunk by chunk with my crow bar.   It took a few hours to remove the fiberboard because I didn't want to snag electrical wires or other mechanicals.  Once the ceilling was down and the dust had settled in my lungs, I removed all the nails nails and oddities found hiding behind that fiberboard (stray wood boards, old telephone wires, hooks, old pipes, oh...and a mouse skeleton - EEK!) - but it was done and it was ready for paint and I felt better that there was less gross stuff in my house.

Using my Graco TrueCoat Paint Sprayer* (which is one of the best tools ever), I sprayed on 2 coats of flat ultra white latex paint, giving about a two hour dry time in between coats. I went through 5 1/2 gallons of paint to cover my 500 sq foot ceiling area. This was a time consuming and exhausting task because I would have to refill the teensy-tiny paint supply cup. One cup allowed me to put one coat of paint between the joists. Count the joists.  Multiply that by 2.  That's a whole lot of refillin'. Most jobs that I've done with the sprayer only require a refill or two...  But it was still quicker than taking a paint brush or roller to the ceiling.

Here is what it looks like now.  I actually organized all my tools and moved everything over to the official "workshop" area (in the storage area that will be closed off) and replaced the desk with my workbench that has been sitting out in the garage.  I also painted the floor.  Why?  Well, because there were some missing tiles (which are probably the bad, scary, asbestos kind) and I wanted to encapsulate any of the adhesive so it wouldn't release while I was working in the area.  Justin is convinced that I will have mesothelioma one day from working with all this old stuff, and this helped put his mind at ease (it probably didn't do a thing).  Well, I guess it's a good thing I have him to take care of me :)

This little nook area will end up being the designated workout space.  There is plenty of room for a treadmill and a yoga mat.  It may also be a future office area if I should ever need to transform the office space upstairs.

For the larger living area, all I had to do was paint it since I had already cleaned up the ceiling joists at the beginning of this project.  Here is a reminder of what it looked like before I moved in and before we took down the dropped ceiling:

And here is after taking down the fluorescent lighting and dropped ceiling:

 

Everything in the rafters was painted...cable wires, electrical, exterior of the can lights, HVAC, spiders, and dead mice yet to be found.

Ignore the whole furniture shuffle I have going on.  Spraying a ceiling is a messy job so everything has been shuffled, covered or boxed up to keep it from getting dusted with paint.  If you've been paying attention, you'll notice that some drywall work has been done (I'm always behind in posting progress).

The white ceiling has already brightened up the basement.  Okay, so maybe there has been a little progress.

Here's another look at the before and progress pictures...

I could stare at these updates all day...wondering where my sweat and hard work went.  I'm only partially kidding. 

I love projects that are done in a few hours and this definitely isn't one of those projects.  These overhauls wear on me...and I don't wear well. Just ask my parents, who had to endure a full kitchen renovation with me. They're saints. Really. It's a good thing I'm stubborn and I won't stop until the job is finished. It's always worth it in the end. 

I'm assuming a renovation is much like dieting and working out.  You work your butt off, sweating it out in the gym every day and watching every calorie.  There's little to show for it after week 4.  You just have to keep the focus on the end goal.  There's a big difference between -5 lbs and -50 lbs.  I think I'm right about at -25 lbs.  And those last 25 lbs are a b**** to lose.

Here is the budget breakdown so far.  Thank goodness I don't charge for labor...

- Lighting and installation---> $180
- Paint -------------------->  $40

Okay, so maybe it looks like $220 in updates so far.  I promise that there are good results coming soon.

Have you ever hit a mid-renovation crisis? It's the worst!  Thank goodness for before and after pictures to keep me sane.  What have you done to help cure the mid-reno crisis? Yoga, maybe punch a wall?  Do you keep on trucking or have you set down the hammer? 

Thanks for reading!

Mary

*A good paint sprayer is a great investment when you have a lot of paint projects planned. They help cover a large area in a very short period of time. While there is thorough clean-up involved of the sprayer and pump, the process of painting is at least 5 times quicker than a roller or brush. I purchased the sprayer 8 months ago with the idea that I would be painting the kitchen shelves (done), spraying a brush-stroke-free finish on moulding (done), spraying a basement ceiling (done), painting all interior doors (done), staining the privacy fence (sprint time), and many other projects to come - it was worth the investment. I would've spent this much just to rent a sprayer for the basement ceiling!

Just in case you missed previous steps and find out why I am completing a basement renovation, you can find that all here:

What Started It All: Electrical Permit Letter From City

Step 1: Electrical Inspection

Step 2: Basement Plan of Action

Step 3: Electrical Approval

Step 4: Adding Light to the Basement

Step 5: Remove Dropped Ceiling

Step 6: Painting an Exposed Basement Ceiling

Basement Remodel: Lighting

The electrical violations were fixed, and while I was awaiting inspection I was also getting anxious to see some progress in the basement. I can't sit still. So I took advantage of the electrician while I could to install the new lighting. I hated the fluorescent lighting that weighed down the old dropped ceiling so I quickly cleared out what I could.

The ceiling was removed in a matter of an hour with Justin and I working on it. We then spent about 3 hours with a hammer and a shop vac all up in the exposed ceiling. It wasn't pretty - hundreds of nails that held a past ceiling in place and those all had to be removed... One nail at a time. Then there were at least a hundred random hooks and nails in the joists that served no purpose and had to be removed. After everything was clear I vacuumed every nook and cranny hoping to clear out any hibernating arachnids.

Here is the "living area" of the basement with the dropped ceiling removed...

And a look back at the old lighting....

My plan was to install recessed can lights to help bring the basement into the 21st century. I chose to install 8 lights in the main area (there were previously 3 large fluorescent lights), two inbetween each ceiling joist and four rows in the living area. 

The can lights are nailed between two joists so they require the space between the joists to be completely clear.  This means that I had to design the lighting around the openings that had mechanicals running through them (hvac, plumbing, etc).  The joists closest to the basement entrance would be the only issue being that the first 4 ceiling joists had either an hvac system or plumbing running through them.  This area turned out to be a bit shadowy but it's not dark enough to cause a problem.  I am hoping that the design of the basement will lighten up the room enough that the shadowy corner isn't an issue.

Once I designed the lighting layout, I measured out the spacing and nailed the light fixtures into place. It took the electrician less than an hour to wire them. 

The lighting isn't quite complete as each can is waiting for a true recessed light bulb and the deflector.  Both of these will be the last step completed in the basement.  I need lighting in the basement to work, so I just installed the cheap standard bulbs so I can safely paint, sand and create a mess with out worrying about ruining a pricey bulb or deflector.  The lights look a little intense in the picture above for this reason.   

 

Still pretty ugly right?  It is.  I promise it gets better (I'm behind in posts so the basement is further progressed than what I'm sharing right now). 

It was definitely worth the efforts to change the basement lighting.  I think the improvement in lighting alone is a big move in the right direction. We are on our way to a beautiful basement!

Mary

Just in case you missed previous steps and find out why I am completing a basement renovation, you can find that all here:

What Started It All: Electrical Permit Letter From City

Step 1: Electrical Inspection

Step 2: Basement Plan of Action

Step 3: Electrical Approval

Step 4: Adding Light to the Basement

 

He Put a Sticker On It!

Want to know what makes me a happy girl? A big green sticker that says "APPROVED!"

Remember when I described my little electrical situation here? I had 10 days to fix the violations.  The electrical work that was required by my city was actually completed almost two weeks ago before the holidays by my electrician.  With this being a busy holiday season, today was the first day that was open for the city inspector to schedule a visit.  Apparently they don't care that it's the end of the month for me and the end of the year and I have my own quota to hit. 

Here is what the electrician did:

1) Install neutral insulation kit in sub panel
2) Install a larger lug on ground bar of sub panel
3) Install bonding screw on neutral bar at main disconnect
4) Separate aluminum & copper wires at main disconnect
5) Install grounding kit at main disconnect
6) Install cold water ground to within 5' of water meter
7) Bond hot, cold and gas lines
8) Bond water meter jumper
9) Furnace outlet must have GFCI protection
10) Install bonding bridge

In addition to what was written down as violations, we also fixed a few other things including running several wires through joists (rather than stapled to the bottom of the joist), added 2 additional breakers (two wires were running to one breaker), removed unnecessary wires, and bundled some wires up so that they weren't hanging down.

And here is what it cost me:

City permit for 6 circuit, 1 furnace electrical work - $150.00 (he gave me a break)
Parts from Home Depot - $210.00
Parts from Ray Electric - $60.00
17 labor hours (only one electrician hired) - $680.00
Total cost to fix all electrical violations - $1,100

This cost me about $400 more than what I would've expected.  Thankfully, I inflated the budget for the basement renovation to account for miscalculations.  As always, I worked with the electrician so that he didn't have to hire an assistant (that I would've paid extra for).  I did the dummy work...pull out old wires that were not being used, remove the dropped ceiling, clean up ceiling joists, measure and nail recessed can lights into place (I did not include the purchase or install of the can lights into the budget above...it did only take him an hour to wire all 8 lights) and clean up his mess (he didn't ask me to do this...I just can't stand a messy job site - especially when there are two curious pups sniffing around).

And because I don't yet have a beautifully renovated bathroom to show off...here are some of the new additions to my abode.

See that shiny new copper wire running from the sub panel through the wall? That is running to the main disconnect to ground the main disconnect.

 This is the gorgeous copper wire bonding of the gas, and hot and cold water line.

This copper ground jumps the meter then runs across the ceiling to the sub panel to ground the meter.  A great addition to any house... 

 And here is the beautiful GFCI for the furnace.

Maybe I'll have you all over to celebrate the new copper grounding straps. 

When you schedule an inspection you have to call the building and permits office between 9 and 9:30am and find out where you happen to be on the inspectors schedule that day (otherwise they leave you with cable guy hours "we'll be there sometime between 9am and 9pm").  I was first.  Of course.  I was also about 50 minutes from home about to walk into an appointment with a customer that would last at least 2 hours.  And now I had to explain to the inspector (who holds my fate in his hands) that I knew of my inspection today, and I also booked an appointment 40 miles from home and could he please please please push  me to the end of his day? I hate to inconvenience anyone, but the city doesn't open until 9am and it's the busiest time of year for me...I couldn't wait until 9am to find out what my work day was going to look like.  Thankfully, the inspector pushed me to the end of his schedule and said he would be there after noon.  I was crossing my fingers that his "end of the day" wasn't at 12:01pm. 

My appointment ran late.  I'm 40 miles from home.  It's noon.  And it just started to snow.  Great.  Of all people, I definitely don't want to piss off the city inspector.  Thankfully, the snow only delayed my usual 50 minute drive only about 10 minutes.  I pulled in the driveway as soon as he arrived at 1pm. 

I was already nervous for this inspection because of the money I've poured into this little unexpected snafu.  But I was especially nervous because I've already had to have the inspector switch around his schedule for me this morning and we were a little nervous about some of the violations.  See, there are several ways to skin a cat, or do electrical correctly.  The inspector requested that the furnace have a GFCI.  He didn't elaborate on this.  We installed a GFCI outlet.  If the inspector wanted a GFCI breaker rather than a GFCI outlet it would cost me an extra $80 for the city inspector to tell me this, $45 for the GFCI breaker and 1 hour labor for my electrician to install the breaker.  And that's just one of the violations we were concerned about.

I definitely had some luck on my side.  The inspector was in a fantastic mood (I would be too if my work day started at 9am and ended at 1pm) and he checked off all boxes on his approval sheet to state that all violations are corrected.  He also mentioned that he was very impressed with the quality of workmanship my electrician displayed, (I trust my electrician, but he could tell me that the wireless ground needed to be removed and greased, and I would probably believe it...so it just puts my mind at ease that a city inspector is impressed by the quality of work).  I knew my electrician was good, but I also know I pay him a fraction of what a contractor would charge me so I did always wonder about the quality of his work.  The electrical has been approved...with a big green sticker to prove it!

I have learned one huge, large, ginormous lesson here... when buying a house GO TO THE CITY OFFICE AND ASK FOR A HOUSE FILE BEFORE MAKING FINAL NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE SELLER (whether its a homeowner or the bank).  The house file will show all or any permits that have been opened on the house, when they were opened, and if/when they were approved and closed.  It is the liability of the permit-opener (whether it's the homeowner or contractor) or current homeowner to make sure all permits are approved and final.  I hired a good home inspector.  However, there were at least 8 items shown as violations by the city that my home inspector did not find.

Let's just say that I'm happy that I've made friends with my plumber and electrician who I have major trust for.  I have a brother who is a roofing inspector, and a future father-in-law who previously owned an HVAC business.  I will be utilizing them all (as well as a regular home inspector) to scour any future house I plan on owning.  And I will make a trip to the city office to pull a house file.  I've never been a fan of surprises....especially when it comes to home ownership surprises.

Mary

Just in case you missed previous steps and find out why I am completing a basement renovation, you can find that all here:

What Started It All: Electrical Permit Letter From City

Step 1: Electrical Inspection

Step 2: Basement Plan of Action

Step 3: Electrical Approval

 

Basement Rundown

The basement renovation is a work-in-progress.  I'm sure it will take a while to finish since I can only dedicate nights and weekends. Minus the holiday parties, family time, Christmas, New Years, and the busiest time of year for me at work - I might find an hour or two to cross some more projects off the old to-do list.  For now, I need to focus on getting all the presents wrapped and preparing for a holiday party Thursday night, hosting Justin's work holiday party on Friday (yeah!!), and another holiday party Saturday.  The electrician will be back Sunday morning to finish up the lighting and electrical situation.

As I said before, the basement renovation was always on my long, projected to-do list.  I attempted to create a design for the basement about 8 months ago.

I measured the dimensions and laid it out on graph paper.  I didn't get very far.

It's time to get serious!

Before even planning a renovation it's always a good idea to set a budget.  Setting a budget ahead of time will allow you to design with price in mind.  The design, surprises and finishes can spiral out of control very quickly when you don't have an idea of what you want to spend overall.

Why am I renovating?  With a major, and even minor, renovation, it may be important to get a return on investment.  In other words you should ask yourself if/when you sell your home, will the renovation add equity? If so, how much?  This is important to me, which is why I do a lot of the work myself.  The return on investment for a mid range basement remodel is Michigan is 66.8% (based on this 2011-2012 cost v. value report from Remodeling Magazine).  In fact, a basement remodel has a higher ROI than a major kitchen remodel!

Although I won't be putting in an upscale basement, I want to make it a comfortable area to hang out.  So the ROI isn't the #1 reason I'm finishing the basement.  The most important factor to me right now is to have another space in my home where I can entertain and maybe actually enjoy doing laundry.  My house is small, so finishing a basement to add more entertaining space can double my current space!

My budget for the basement is $5,000.  I actually think I will spend much less than this.  I'm just keeping an open mind when it comes to those costly surprises.  My basement should actually be considered an update rather than a renovation...it's already partially finished.  I will use my electrician, plumbing, and drywall resources, and mainly my DIY abilities (because I'm cheap thrifty like that).  The timeline I am estimating is 3 months.  I am not too concerned with finishing it immediately because it is not a main living space in the house.  I've lived with out it for 18 months and I can continue to live with out it for a while, as long as I have access to my laundry area.

I plan on working with the existing paneling to help keep the budget low, and I would like to add a few walls to separate a few different areas. My current basement has one wall going directly down the center of it separating a "living space" from the storage, laundry, toilet, and mechanical area.  The drywall on the separating wall looks like it was added as an afterthought.  And it was never finished.  I will probably remove all of it (along with that weird built-in) and replace with a full wall of drywall and add a soffit to hide the HVAC.  And that gross carpet that was GLUED directly to the lovely 9x9 tile will be removed and replaced with...something.

The mechanical, laundry and work area are all on the opposite side of the living area wall in one big open space. The furnace and HWH are conveniently in the dead center of my basement. Who was the genius that ever created this trend? And the laundry area is kiddie-corner from the mechanical near the water closet, and across from the storage room. I have a sump pump in each corner of my basement on the mechanical side. The current layout is actually pretty workable - which is why I think I can do this renovation under my budget. While the furnace/HWH are in the center of the basement, I will work around it to avoid having to move anything - which would be costly and not in my budget. 

The storage area is already enclosed in a nice little walk-in room accessible through the mechanical side of the wall. Directly on the opposite side of the storage area (facing the living space) is that funny little built-in which I can't wait to remove. I am hoping that once the entertainment center is removed, it will allow me to expand the storage area and place an access door from the living space rather than the mechanical space. The toilet is also on the mechanical side of the wall and is enclosed....but has no sink. Luckily, the laundry tub is directly on the other side of the water closet wall - which should make it easy to expand the toilet room to include a sink. This will make it a true half-bath. And while not fancy, it's workable and will come in handy when completing the bathroom renovation.  Oh, and that lovely 9x9 tile is adhered with an asbestos compound. It hasn't been tested, but based on my research it is definitely asbestos. And the best thing to do in this case is to leave it right where it is and encapsulate it, or learn to love it.  I chose to get creative and paint it.

I already planned on creating a workshop and have already purchased the peg board a few weeks ago.  And I am in the process of rehabbing an old workbench handed down to me by my grandfather, and wanted to make room for my workbench and tool box in the workshop. My original plan was to place the workshop in the area that I would now like to be dedicated to an exercise area. But I have new plans.   

Here is what I would like to have in my basement:

- Play area (my parents have a beautiful Foosball table they would like to dump on me)
- Comfortable seating area with "built-in" entertainment center (I'm thinking of the custom-ikea kind)
- Bar area (I don't need a bar, but if Justin and I move in together then this is "his" space, and I want him to have a bar...this will probably be a craft area until then)
- Exercise area
- Storage room
- Half bath
- Laundry room
- Workshop

I am still working with colors and designs.  My biggest challenge is tying it in with the rest of the house.  I want it to feel like an extension of the other rooms so I plan to carry the same color scheme downstairs.  Any input is welcomed!

Mary

Just in case you missed previous steps and find out why I am completing a basement renovation, you can find that all here:

What Started It All: Electrical Permit Letter From City

Step 1: Electrical Inspection

Step 2: Basement Plan of Action

 

Bathroom...er, Basement Renovation: Day 1

My basement transformation began at 8am this morning.  The electrician reviewed the list of violations and began to tackle each item.  These are first priority since they will need to be complete in 10 days.  While I didn't have an opinion on when to complete the electrical issues, I did decide to just do the full renovation since I will be working downstairs anyway.  I might as well focus all of my DIY nighttime/weekend energy (and a little of my savings) on it until it is done.  This way, while I have the electrician here anyway he can work on cleaning up all electrical.

Get ready for a budget-friendly and pain-free basement renovation! 

The to-do list is growing at a rapid pace. We got a little jump start on it today...

- Fix all electrical violations
- Remove dropped ceiling
- Toss fluorescent lighting
- Clean up ceiling joists (so it is free from unnecessary wires, nails, hooks, spider webs, etc)
- Map out new floor plan
- Install new lighting (needs to be flush with bottom of floor joist to give me max ceiling height)
- Paint ceiling (floor joists)
- Put up new framing
- Hang dry wall
- Paint walls
- Install access doors to water heater/furnace and both sump pumps
- Select all finishes (flooring, trim)
- Paint asbestos tiles (yes, PAINT!) in new laundry room
- Expand existing water closet to include sink
- Create workshop with pegboard
- Expand storage area

Here is a before picture of the living area.  This picture was taken before I moved into the house...I currently use it as a work area and that carpet is used as my drop cloth :)

While I am still working through the details of the renovation, I do know that I need to remove the dropped ceiling.  This was removed in less than an hour and thrown set nicely at the curb.  The ceiling tiles were sagging from moisture, only covered about 320 sq feet, hung 5" below the floor joists making the ceiling height a mere 6'5", and they were ugly.  Besides, I could regret this, but I wanted to know what lay beneath that old ceiling.  Thankfully, other than 4,389 nails and 13 lbs. of spider webs, there wasn't too much damage.  The electrician cleaned up a few wires and prepped it for new lighting today.

Here is what she looks like after 7 hours of work today.  Including a bunch of electrical work you can't see.

While it may look like the basement took a big step backwards, I assure you it is a step in the right direction.

I will update as I work through the ideas and details of the basement renovation.  Thank you for looking! 

I am mostly thankful that I was able to remove 20 years of spider webs.  I will sleep well tonight!  #spiderfreeisthewaytobe

Mary

Just in case you missed previous steps and find out why I am completing a basement renovation, you can find that all here:

What Started It All: Electrical Permit Letter From City

Step 1: Electrical Inspection

Step 2: Basement Plan of Action

 

Doomsday Came Early This Year

Last week I mentioned that I received a letter from the City of Berkley stating that there was an electrical permit pulled on my house that needed to be closed.  The permit was pulled in 2005, and after speaking with a representative from the city over the phone, I learned that during the inspection 6 violations were found.  A follow-up inspection was never scheduled by the homeowner at the time, therefore, the permit was never closed.  The letter was requesting that the city of Berkley complete another inspection so they could close it out.

I  had big plans to begin my long-awaited bathroom renovation this month and this could easily put a big kibosh on that project.  So, as one might expect, this is where I start sweating bullets and become a nail biter.  Inspection day was scheduled for Wednesday.  First thing in the morning I called the city to see where my inspection was on their schedule and was told I was first.  Gulp.  I sure hope his wife was nice to him this morning.

The inspector was an older man who was a retired electrician and he kinda reminded me of my dad (+15 years).  You know, 5'9", white hair, white moustache, red cheeks, and a little beer belly.  I have my dad wrapped around my finger and I was hoping that the inspector also had a soft spot for a nice smile.  I may have to work this later.  Anywho, as I led him through my newly renovated kitchen I was hoping he wouldn't mention anything about it.  You don't need a permit if you're not moving walls or changing electrical.  Regardless, if he said something about it I would get really nervous and start rambling on about the renovation and why I don't need a permit and then I would say something stupid that would probably get me in trouble.  He didn't say anything.   

The inspector started inspecting, looking first at the subpanel, and mumbled something about not needing to start his day like this.  I'm guessing that were not off to a great start here.  Thankfully, he mentioned that some of the "big" violations had been taken care of...like the installation of a main disconnect (which is a commercial sized disconnect and overkill for my 1,000 sq foot bungalow...but it works.  Whew), and a large tubular thing the size of my wrist (I'm using the technical terms here) that goes into the subpanel had been installed.  These are both costly items and he stated that I was "lucky" they were complete.  However, he did find 10 violations...and here is what I heard:

1) Copper and aluminum can't be next to each other because of blahblah and it could cause blah blah blah, so we need to install a large extender thingy to move them over on the other side of the sub panel
2) The main disconnect had the same issue as above
3) I need a grounding screw in the main disconnect

For the most part, I just stood there with a very worried look on my face and took notes quietly.  Even though I really wanted to say "so, you're saying that you're writing up a violation because I need a screw.  In that little hole.  Right there.  One stupid screw." Fast forwarding to today for you - my electrician said that the main disconnect is already grounded, but if the inspector wanted a screw for no reason he will put a screw there.  This is what you do...you don't argue with the inspector.

4) The water meter needs a grounding strap that runs from the meter to a ground (whatever this means)
5) The water meter needs ANOTHER strap that jumps the meter thing
6) A ground needs to connect the hot water line, the cold water line and the gas line. 
7) These wires need to be moved from here...to here (2 inches away)
8) Staple bundle of wires up to the wall. 
9) Furnace needs a something-higher-than-what-I-have volt
10) Install bonding bridge


He stopped here.  Told me I have 10 days to complete the work and then explained that I have to go to the city office and pull a permit in my name.  I understand that I need to fix this electrical issue - it's important to me that it is done correctly and I wouldn't sell my house knowing that I had these issues.  However, I was confused why I had to pull a permit and pay the city MORE money when I wasn't the idiot that pulled a permit and did a crappy job in the first place.

This is where I stopped him...and said something like this "Look, I got this letter in the mail that stated that SOMEONE else opened a permit on my house to do electrical work, and they did a horrible job.  I understand that I'm the owner and this is now my issue.  I will take care of it, I will do it right and you are welcome to come back in 10 days and check my work. But why do I have to apply for a permit when there is already a permit on this issue open?"  I may have also said "I could've just ignored your letter and fixed the violations that were already open and you would've had no idea whether it was the previous owner or me."

Well I guess because the permit isn't in my name.  And since I am now liable for the work and making sure it gets done correctly then I have to pay the city $200 to get a piece of paper saying that I am the new homeowner.  He suggested that I could sue the responsible party/parties(he named a list of people who were currently liable for this issue - with a signature to prove it).  But suing someone really isn't in my nature...

So I took a minute to think.  I set my emotions aside and realized that in the whole scheme of things, this really isn't a big deal.  I'll do what the city wants (open up a new permit) and then we'll be past it and my house will be better for it.  When I went back to the inspector to let him know that I would apply for a permit right away, he did offer a nice little gesture when he said that there were other violations (and he pointed them out) that he didn't write me up for - he just asked that I have my electrician fix them.  This was his way of being kind and helpful.

Overall, the inspection uncovered some items that will delay my bathroom renovation.  However, I am thankful that he pointed out the violations so I can make it right.  I don't like to do anything halfway or incorrect.  And honestly, I wanted to renovate my basement anyway.  It's just going to happen sooner than I planned for.

As with anything in life, there are many things that happen that we don't expect or plan for.  We just have to make the most with what we got.  Party at my place once this thing is dunzo!

Mary

This Is Not A Letter From Santa

With owning a home comes making some big decisions, including determining what is important and what is less of a priority. For example, let's just say that you have been saving for a bathroom renovation, and then you get a letter in the mail that could potentially delay that said bathroom renovation. Do you ignore that letter? Yes, folks. This is reality.

There is always a huge gap between needs and wants. At least when it comes to owning a home. Let me just say that I have very blessed that I have been able to purchase a home on my own, and I am incredibly proud of this. I love owning a home and I really wouldn't want it any other way.  I've done a good job in the past handling the needs and wants.  I put a new roof on my garage before I budgeted for my kitchen, I fixed a water leak before I finished the hardwood floors.  So, once again, I will have to do the practical thing.

I felt as if I did my homework when first purchasing my home.  I ordered the proper home inspection, had my brother check out the integrity of the roof, checked for moisture and past water damage in the basement, and called the city to see if there was ever a fire.  There were some things that needed attention, but overall, it was a stable home.  So when I received this in the mail on Monday I was confused.  And scared.  I have never opened a permit for electrical work on my house.

 

I'm not proud of this moment, but I honestly debated about ignoring this letter.  But then I realized I shouldn't mess with the city - they know where I live.  So I called the city, and sure enough, the homeowner in 2005 applied for an electrical permit to have a generator hook-up installed - which didn't pass inspection.  There were 7 violations that were found that day with the main disconnect and the subpanel and a follow-up inspection was never scheduled so the permit remained open.  7 violations.  This got my attention.

I figured that if the violations were found that day, maybe they still exist.  I knew there were 2 electrical related concerns that came up on my home inspection report done before I purchased the house.  But, it was the other 5 violations that concerned me, the ones I didn't know about. 

There is a typo on the letter above.  This is actually a homeowners work permit, not a contractor permit.  Which was the one part that scared me the most.  I've seen the work that this homeowner did...because I've had to fix it.  Now I'm not saying I'm a professional, but I am saying that I do it right, and if I don't know how to do it I hire someone who does.  If the flooring in my kitchen, the "walls" in the basement or the carpet installation is any indication of this "weekend warrior's" ability then I am in t-r-o-u-b-l-e.  Big time.

Psh - I wanted to blog about FUN projects.  Not boring mechanical replacements.  Who wants to read about an HVAC update or a cable installation.  Please accept my apologies.  You're going with me on this adventure.   

Inspection day is going to be a stressful one.  Bathroom renovation delayed until further notice.  Think positive thoughts :)

Mary