there Mom I fixed it

[Steve C]

we are getting back to normal...have barn but nothing to put in it, I put the new south wall on the house myself, 4 windows had to be replaced they cracked from the heat and the OSB was scorched. I now know more about insurance than I ever wanted to know. Now I just have to replace a 40 year accumulation of tools...wait..that is insane...I am almost 60...

 

[mrcaptainbob]

Nicely done, Steve. Must have been a scary experience.

 

[MarkV]

Glad to see you are getting back on your feet. Do you know what started the fire? It sure looks like it burned hot.

MarkV

 

[jas67]

I notice that you don't have an oil tank this time. Was the oil furnace part of the cause, or was it just that the insurance didn't let you put one back?

If you're looking for heat ideas, it looks like it is close enough to the house to run underground pex tubing from a boiler in the house. That is what I'm planning on doing to heat my shop.

Jay

 

[Iplayfarmer]

I'm surprised that the insurance let you do any of the work yourself. It seems lately they will only deal with their own approved contractors and the homeowner never counts as one of their approved contractors.

 

[Steve C]

The old barn didn't have electricity or heat in it. It used to be an amish wood shop, the oil tank was for the diesel engine that used to be in the bump out behind the tank. It ran a line shaft that was in a floor trench to run the wood working equipment. It was all removed when I bought the place, they just forgot to take the tank. Don't know what started it but the fireman said it looked like it started at the base of the power pole in the yard a couple hundred feet away, followed the fence line and spread into the barn because of the wood chips and sawdust that were stored in the east end bump out.

 

[Steve C]

I'm surprised that the insurance let you do any of the work yourself. It seems lately they will only deal with their own approved contractors and the homeowner never counts as one of their approved contractors.

The loss far exceeded the limits of coverage by about $40,000 so they just wrote out the check and let me figure out how to get it fixed. It cost me $24,000 to get the barn built, that was to large a project for me to do by myself, the insurance estimate to get the house repaired was very low, about 8 hours for labor plus the materials. There was no way I could have got all 4 windows replaced, the old siding removed, new house wrap and new vinyl siding installed by anyone I know in only 8 hours, so I just bought the materials and did it myself. I probably had 60 hours of my own time but the windows I bought were 4 inches taller than the old ones, I bought them because they were on clearance for $70 less than the exact size I needed, so I saved $280 on the windows, I was short on money so spent a little extra time reframing the openings. I estimate that a professional would have done the job in about 16 hours if he didn't have to reframe the windows or build a scafold to install them like I did but I have more time than money so I just did it myself. I had never installed siding before so it was a learning experience.

 

[valley]

Too bad you had to go through that but you sure did a great job.

 

[brin]

I have had 2 fires over the last 30 yrs. in rental properties and I know what it's like dealing with the insurance companies. You did a great job...House and barn look great !

 

[FxdGrMind]

Yup, I'll say, that's some mighty FINE!!! work you did there!

And you now have the pleasure of standing back and saying that YOU did the work yourself! Just got to love that! Money and Time well spent sir!

Congrats and Way to GO!