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remodel time....house DONE!!!!

5" with rebar should be plenty, but also need to make sure you have a good gravel base beneath the concrete. We put a good 8" stonepac base beneath the roughly 5" concrete floor on our new workshop. The stonepac we used is a mix of 3/4" and smaller stones / dust. I'm guessing you don't have that good of a base since the two left squares have a large crack that looks continuous. If the squares are independent with the wood isolating each of the squares, I don't think it would be too likely that the cracks would line up like that unless the base beneath was compromised.
 
Just as important as the thickness and preparation is the mix used. There are lots designed to do and function in different ways. Like everything, you get what you pay for. My drive (as seen in my avatar) is now 15 years old. Not a crack. None of my neighbors can make that claim. More than few have already had to tear out and re-pour. Here in the Midwest, where the cover the roads in salt each year another big issue is spalling. All the freezing/thawing caused by not just the season but also that salt in the mix really wreaks havoc on the surface. My drive is still basically perfect. Partly because I seal it periodically but also because of the mix used. At the time it was being designed the contractor explained all to me and advised I use the type of concrete we eventually settled on. It lived up to the claims he made about it. In your environment it probably isn't as crucial but there is always good/better/best. Go the best route.

You cannot beat the curb-appeal of it either. Much better than pavers and surely less maintenance.
 
When the time comes I'm getting a professional (not somebody's brother-in-law) so I'll make note of all your advice. Guy across the street just had his driveway done with pavers. I park the F250 on the driveway and I'm guessing I'd have depressions within a year if I went that route.
 
KBMWRS said:
When the time comes I'm getting a professional (not somebody's brother-in-law) so I'll make note of all your advice. Guy across the street just had his driveway done with pavers. I park the F250 on the driveway and I'm guessing I'd have depressions within a year if I went that route.
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No worries with that baby truck. Now if you had a real truck it might.




Mark
 
You guys' comments on upgrading the windows are interesting to me - I have been looking at houses around here in Austin and almost all of them in my area are built in the 60s-80s and still have the single pane windows. I asked my realtor about replacing them with dual pane energy efficient windows and she told me that the cost of replacing the windows was higher than the amount that you would save on your energy bills even long-term. Seemed kind of crazy to me given that we live in Texas where the outside temp is frequently about 40* higher than inside temp! But I guess windows are really expensive.
 
They are crazy expensive. I have several friends who put in new windows but had to do it in stages to afford it.
 
Kelly_H said:
You guys' comments on upgrading the windows are interesting to me - I have been looking at houses around here in Austin and almost all of them in my area are built in the 60s-80s and still have the single pane windows. I asked my realtor about replacing them with dual pane energy efficient windows and she told me that the cost of replacing the windows was higher than the amount that you would save on your energy bills even long-term. Seemed kind of crazy to me given that we live in Texas where the outside temp is frequently about 40* higher than inside temp! But I guess windows are really expensive.
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Kelly, in your situation a lot would depend on how much glass is exposed to the sun and for how much of the day. Rather then looking at dual pane windows which have good benefit in northern climates you should be looking at E-glass or other methods of reflecting the heat of the sun away from the interior of the house. There are many ways to improve the efficiency of the windows that cost much less than full replacement.
 
Sometimes in the hot areas of the country you don't replace them for the money savings, you replace them because the house is more comfortable.

We did it for that reason in Brawley. We got dual pane low E windows. Our house didn't have as many hot zones.

In the cold areas I've lived and in CO I miss dual pane in winter but in the summer it was nice to have the draft.

Mel

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk
 
Kelly_H said:
You guys' comments on upgrading the windows are interesting to me - I have been looking at houses around here in Austin and almost all of them in my area are built in the 60s-80s and still have the single pane windows. I asked my realtor about replacing them with dual pane energy efficient windows and she told me that the cost of replacing the windows was higher than the amount that you would save on your energy bills even long-term. Seemed kind of crazy to me given that we live in Texas where the outside temp is frequently about 40* higher than inside temp! But I guess windows are really expensive.
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Taking construction advice (yeah just knock down this wall, easy) from a realtor is questionable at best. Even if you don't realize the dollar investment at resale, the fact the YOU enjoyed better living conditions while there should count for something. Milgard windows provides lifetime glass replacement. I just had 4 windows replaced because there were rainbows in the glass or moisture between panes. And I first installed the windows 15 years ago. I did not pay a cent for replacement glass nor labor.
 
So we started the process in Sep18. Had some designs done. Heavy rains in Dec-Feb delayed start. March 1st it all started with demo.
A few weeks of time went by waiting on certain delays. Then we got the plumbing leak and decided to re-pipe the whole house (in copper) rather than steel pipe (original). Waited until remodel was finished to start though. Its done now. Just waiting on water softener to be installed on Monday.

So here it is....new front and full paint job...new pipes too.



 
Really like the "modern" craftsman type styling. Great details too with the choices in lighting and the house number. Making the chimney match up with the stone color also well done.
 
Looks real good Mike. You just added another zero to the value of your home. You went from a million dollar home to a 10 million dollar house. :cool:

We are doing a little work here as well. No more house payment allows for some upgrades. Just had some cement work done and a new patio cover is going to be built the end of the month.

fd
 
Nice. Very nice ! Good color choice ! Give your home a younger appearance. Well done.
After 30 years I hired a company to clean and impregnated my rooftiles.
Its like new ! Didn't remember the color as it was dirthy and full of moss on one side ( N.E )
Should last for another 20 years and then its someone elses problem.
Again. Good choice !
 
KBMWRS said:
That's the reason we DO remodel. If you move you get the property tax of the year you buy. By remodeling your prop tax stays approximately the same. Mine is based on the year we moved in...1986 :p
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Seriously?
Our property taxes go up every year. And when we get a permit to remodel or any upgrades they reassess the value and raise the taxes.

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