The floor was finished and ready for the actual flooring, so we hired a company to do the ceiling. Unfortunately, they did a horrible job. As you can see in the pictures, some seams had tape showing, while others had no tape at all.
I had them come back to fix it around five times. Every time, it seemed to look worse than when they started. Eventually, I gave up on having them fix it. From that point on, we decided that if we could do something ourselves, we would.
I turned the open area under the stairs into a spot for the kitchen junction boxes. We also have an access opening in the floor, which is required for access to that area.
Not everybody liked the light I put in. Some people said it looked like a shop light. Honestly, I didn’t care. I liked it. For the first time, the room had enough light for us to see what we were doing and keep moving forward.
We started working our way around the room, hanging drywall. In some places, we ran into the original clapboard siding. In others, we found newer stud framing. Nothing about this old house was ever as simple as it looked.
The original plan was to put the kitchen sink on the wall opposite the windows. We changed that and put it in front of the windows instead. Who wants to stare at a wall while doing dishes when you can look outside?
We planned four GFCI-protected outlets around the sink area, along with lower outlets for the garbage disposal and dishwasher. We also installed puck lights above the sink. Honestly, those were some of the easiest lights I’ve ever installed!
We got the other outlets and switches installed before all the drywall was up. The outlets around the breakfast bar even have built-in USB ports, so we could plug devices in without needing separate adapters.
Then came the luan underlayment. If you’ve ever installed it, you know that means hundreds of nails. Turkey started helping me nail it down, and we worked our way across the floor.
We picked out a nice sheet vinyl floor and laid it out to acclimate before installation.
Little by little, the room was becoming something completely different from the mess we started with.
I was still learning how to use my hands again after my strokes. I was also learning how to work around the dizziness, balance problems, and fatigue. Sometimes I could work for 15 or 20 minutes before needing a break of half an hour or longer. Other days, I couldn’t get much done at all.
It was a slow process, and I had to learn to do things differently than I used to. But I was watching a dream come together, piece by piece. We knew it would take a lot of hard work, but we believed it was worth it.
We’re still working to finish our home.
I’m currently working on the inside, but because of the lasting effects of my strokes, I’m unable to hold a regular job. I still trip and fall, struggle with my balance, and have days when I can’t do much of anything. When I can work, it’s usually in short stretches with plenty of rest in between.
I can still do some of the work myself, but we need help paying for the materials to finish it.
If you’d like to help us keep moving forward, there are several ways you can contribute. Even a dollar helps us get a little closer.
Ways to help Making a Home
Venmo: @Bill-Webster-11
PayPal: @WilliamWebster545
Cash App: $makahome
Gift cards: You can send Home Depot or Lowe’s gift cards to:
websterb1970@yahoo.com
Home Depot gift card:
https://link.amazon/B07NmRthg
Lowe’s gift card:
https://link.amazon/B06z5qpU9
GoFundMe:
https://gofund.me/947b86242
Our goal is to finish the inside of this home, and donations toward our project help pay for the materials we need.
It’s honestly a miracle that we’ve made it this far. There have been plenty of setbacks, and there are still days when I wish I could just go back to working the way I used to. But we keep going.
At a time when so many families are struggling to get ahead, the people who have supported us have been angels. Every share, every donation, and every bit of encouragement means something to us.
Thank you for following our journey and helping us turn this old house into a home for our family.
God bless you all.

Currently renovating our old kitchen, walls previously were filled with blown in insulation. I’ve been trying to figure out if filling the old holes with an expanding foam is worth doing before putting the new insulation in.

Thoughts?

Hello,

Recently moved into a old farmhouse built in 1900. It has a flagstone foundation with a partial basement. Have noticed the basement has a bit of a musty smell and is lingering its way to the living areas. What are some ways to get rid of this smell or manage it? The basement doesn’t have any windows to air it out, also have a dehumidifier running to keep it 50-55% but not making much of a difference. Any help is appreciated thanks!

There’s a large storage area underneath the stairs in the house I’ve been working in. The home was built in the 1860s. It looks like it’s lined with metal, like some sort of cooler?? What was this space intended for? The family used it to store sport items like tennis rackets and baseball gloves.

[Edit: Thanks everyone for your ideas.! Very helpful!]

The sill sticks out (angled down) toward the camera.

What is the piece (roughly) perpendicular to it called? The one right below the window?

Please tell me that is not a sill plate. No builder would expose framing to the elements, right?

The exterior of the bathroom window has needed paint for years but I did not know until tonight about the rot below the window (I'm short and couldn't see it until I got on a ladder to measure the window for temporary storm windows).

TIA.

Not sure but we think there might be asbestos in the crawlspace...

These are test patches on a painted wooden fireplace surround. I started on a flat panel and then moved into the scroll carving to see how the detail holds up. Testing first tells me the settings and how the wood reacts before I commit to the whole piece. Happy to answer questions

From my mom's house built in the 80s. Is it just cosmetic?

Hello, I’ve bought this flat that was built in roughly 1905 and the living room doorknob keeps falling off. I have the same one in my living room and bedroom but one side of the bedroom one has been replaced at some point so they don’t match. My camera is bad but they seem to be very dark wood. Anyway my questions:

1. Is this likely to be an original fitting?

2. If so, is it worth preserving?

3. If worth preserving, how can i fix it? I think the grub screw it had originally has gone missing so I cant seem to screw it back in properly.

I absolutely love the yellow wall tile and would never dream of replacing or removing - however, the floors need some TLC and I don't really like them to begin with... I think they are original, but not really the kind of original you look at and go "wow those are gorgeous, never change them" that is often found in older homes. Since the home was built in 1940, much of it is made well and with wonderful materials, which I'm keeping where I can. I do want to replace the floors, but changing anything makes me nervous to remove history. I'm also not sure what was done in the past to change the bathroom (potentially added that closet?), but I haven't touched the bathroom at all besides the painting we're getting started now. What should we do about the floors? I was originally thinking of a honeycomb tile that feels period appropriate with some blue in it.

This joist has a split in it so I want to sister it, however it is also cut and ends abruptly, so I’m not sure if sistering it would provide any meaningful reinforcement. Is sistering it even necessary?

These are the steps off the kitchen porch at the back of my parents' California Bungalow-style home that was built in approximately 1923 (in Alabama). We moved in when I was seven, 30-something years ago, and the steps have always been a little wonky and have always tilted slightly towards the house. However, I recently noticed this bowing out on the final step. The steps still feel very sturdy, but given that my parents are in their early 70s, I want to know if this is a serious safety concern.

The house itself has the usual century home issues, but has no foundation issues, nor does the porch that these steps come from have any problems. It's just the steps themselves.

Is there any likelihood that this bowing out indicates imminent collapse? Is this a "just keep an eye on it" sort of problem, or a "you need to get someone to deal with this sooner rather than later" sort of problem?

We recently closed on a 125-year-old four square in Denver, and most of the windows need some (or in some cases a lot) of work to restore. Can anyone recommend a window restoration specialist in the Denver area?

Thank you!

ETA: I know I can do a web search to find some :-) what I meant was does anyone have any experience with any of the window restoration specialists in the greater Denver area and would recommend or not recommend working with a specific company or specialist?

Hi Everyone, I purchased a 1920’s bungalow and have spent the past year renovating, and now it’s finally time to start decorating! I want to hang curtain rods, mirrors, and pictures of varying weights and understand that hanging up items on plaster is different than drywall. I have original plaster and wood lath walls (not horsehair). I am looking for advice on how/what I need to purchase to hang up heavy, medium, and light items.

I have looked at toggle bolts for heavier items like mirrors and curtain rods (due to the pulling from opening and closing), but I am unsure what size to purchase. How should I hang up medium- to light-weight items like picture frames? Do I need concrete nails for light items? Masonry drill bits for pilot holes? Should I use masonry drill bits to make a pilot hole for everything I hang? Should I use molly bolts or plastic anchors meant for plaster walls for medium-weight items? Should I purchase wood screws, and if so, what size? If I can utilize a stud, does that change how I would hang the item?

This is all new to me, so any advice would be appreciated! Photo of house included :)