OP
The devil's in the utilities.
Renovating my house in the suburbs
- Thread starter Muhammad
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OP
Remember that staircase?
I don't really know if there is a "right" way to do this but I knew I wanted to bend some thin plywood to form the curve. So what I did was draw the curve zi wanted on the wall under the stairs, then cut out the sheetrock. From there I just built like an inverse staircase with no particular rules other than make each row straight and strong enough to hang from. It wasn't pretty but should look good once it's all covered up.
I don't really know if there is a "right" way to do this but I knew I wanted to bend some thin plywood to form the curve. So what I did was draw the curve zi wanted on the wall under the stairs, then cut out the sheetrock. From there I just built like an inverse staircase with no particular rules other than make each row straight and strong enough to hang from. It wasn't pretty but should look good once it's all covered up.
OP
Always a good feeling when you draw the line and start closing things back up.
Also running a line in the kitchen for power to the center island.
Also running a line in the kitchen for power to the center island.
OP
Doing all the sheetrock and mud myself... often at 10 or 11pm. Scrambling to get this place livable. We're suppose to move in on the 29th. At this point we're at July 16. Making my calculations on how to get this all done in a week...
OP
Not far at all from Westfield UTC... my wife used to live in La Jolla and to be honest if we had the money we'd probably live down there. They're doing tons of work at UTC. I think $400 million already went into it and now another phase. That's not counting all of the massive apartment complexes, medical, research, university, and biotechnology being built.
As for my building skills I tinkered as a teenager and then learned by watching people I hired the last time I renovated a place. I usually found things to be simple and felt I could do just as good of a job myself and save all the labor cost.
OP
Well... July 18... baby came early. Wound up in the hospital for three days.
I think I should have saved this suit for painting.
Healthy baby girl 7lbs 4ozs...
I think I should have saved this suit for painting.
Healthy baby girl 7lbs 4ozs...
OP
Back in the house... topping mud. Love working with this and a 12" blade. I barely need to sand after the last coat. 
thclimer
Veteran Member
Wow, you certainly have taken on a big job at a busy time in your life but it looks like you have a pretty good handle on it, I'm impressed. Keep going you are going to have a nicely updated house when your done, can't wait to see the final pictures.
OP
Got myself into a bit of a mess here. I started prying away at this gas fireplace trying to get some of the trim pieces off, in hopes of disconnecting the insert from the chimney so I could put a new insert in. But that led to basically destroying the entire insert unit. I really dislike these because they don't look very good and only serve one function... this one looks like it was not used much.
Anyway, in the process of two hours of prying and tugging and disassembling this thing I finally lost patience and busted out the sawzall when all the screws I found still didn't loosen the insert from the chimney. If you know much about these, you know where this is headed.
Once I literally cut the chimney off of this (I was at the point of no return), I tugged the insert out... then the entire chimney sleeve just came crashing down into the space where the insert was. Mission failure, total failure.
I spent the better part of a day almost depressed about this fireplace situation as we have a two day old baby at home and I'm trying to figure out if I can get a new insert, or build a masonry fireplace... but we don't even plan on using this, just wanted to do something decorative.
My wife suggested a fake fireplace and I got to digging on Amazon and found an electric fireplace. Eureka! It'll look like a fireplace and even have fake flames but none of the other trouble.View attachment 670321
Anyway, in the process of two hours of prying and tugging and disassembling this thing I finally lost patience and busted out the sawzall when all the screws I found still didn't loosen the insert from the chimney. If you know much about these, you know where this is headed.
Once I literally cut the chimney off of this (I was at the point of no return), I tugged the insert out... then the entire chimney sleeve just came crashing down into the space where the insert was. Mission failure, total failure.
I spent the better part of a day almost depressed about this fireplace situation as we have a two day old baby at home and I'm trying to figure out if I can get a new insert, or build a masonry fireplace... but we don't even plan on using this, just wanted to do something decorative.
My wife suggested a fake fireplace and I got to digging on Amazon and found an electric fireplace. Eureka! It'll look like a fireplace and even have fake flames but none of the other trouble.View attachment 670321
OP
Framed out both fireplace surrounds. At this point I'm only planning to finish them with drywall, and the one with the curve will get a small wood mantle. That one will also get a tile interior as it's a masonry fireplace and actually functional. We're not big on fireplaces here in San Diego so I'm just looking for anesthetics at this point. 
