Projects/Home Improvement Thread

[Irish#1]

I've been told you'll never get the smell to go away until you replace the baseboards. My grandparents had a cat lose it's mind and it completely destroyed the floors on the main level. Had to rip out baseboard and replace before working on finishes. But, if that's not in the budget or timeline, try multiple applications of whatever recommendations you can find. Wood is hygroscopic so if you flood it with enough liquid cleaner, in theory it should soak in and neutralize some/all of the smell

The problems with flooding the floor with neutralizers are the one that work are only available commercially and soaking too much with a liquid can lead to warping.

 

[Rockin’Irish]

Has anyone ever had the joy of trying to eliminate the delightful aroma of cat urine? Long story short, my mother’s ex-tenant was a cat lady, and she left the house smelling worse than Florida State's offense. The place has Pergo floors, and I'm pretty the piss parties were concentrated on the floors, but I'm betting the baseboards and walls got some love too. Truly sickening.

I’m planning to prime the walls with odor-blocking primer before painting, but the thought of ripping up and replacing the floors makes me want to play in traffic. Has anyone ever had success using an ozone machine to eliminate pet odor? I’ve already gone down the internet rabbit hole, but the reviews are all over the place.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

Using a vinegar spray is pretty effective in removing cat urine odors on flooring. I would start with the normal 5% white vinegar and dilute it with water (roughly a 1:1 solution). You can increase the strength if you find it hasn’t completely gone. If necessary, you can buy a higher concentration of vinegar (I’ve used up to 45% which is very acidic) but it is cost effective when diluting. Applying baking soda afterwards, letting sit for a time and then sweeping it/vacuuming it up will neutralize the vinegar odor (and it also helps in neutralizing any lingering ammonia smell). If you have any urine stains on the wood trim/baseboards, hydrogen peroxide is very effective although you may have to reapply a number of times to completely remove it (and it can take 2 or 3 weeks). As far as the drywall…..I’m not sure but I’m guessing 99.9% of the smell would be on the floor or under the baseboards depending on where the cat (or cats) were spraying.

 

[Veritate Duce Progredi]

The problems with flooding the floor with neutralizers are the one that work are only available commercially and soaking too much with a liquid can lead to warping.

For sure, that's why it'd be an onerous process to apply liquid in smaller amounts repetitively in an attempt to save some money/work. It might work and it might not warp but most everyone who does this professionally suggests replacing if the odor is that bad.

Using a vinegar spray is pretty effective in removing cat urine odors on flooring. I would start with the normal 5% white vinegar and dilute it with water (roughly a 1:1 solution). You can increase the strength if you find it hasn’t completely gone. If necessary, you can buy a higher concentration of vinegar (I’ve used up to 45% which is very acidic) but it is cost effective when diluting. Applying baking soda afterwards, letting sit for a time and then sweeping it/vacuuming it up will neutralize the vinegar odor (and it also helps in neutralizing any lingering ammonia smell). If you have any urine stains on the wood trim/baseboards, hydrogen peroxide is very effective although you may have to reapply a number of times to completely remove it (and it can take 2 or 3 weeks). As far as the drywall…..I’m not sure but I’m guessing 99.9% of the smell would be on the floor or under the baseboards depending on where the cat (or cats) were spraying.

We've had excellent success with hydrogen peroxide so that's another option if you can apply broadly and let it soak in.

 

[Wild Bill]

Thank you boys.

 

[Irish#1]

Have fun!

 

[BleedBlueGold]

Finishing our basement:

Budget uknown at the moment. Just because we don't know if this is a $25k job or a $50k job. The higher the price, the less likely we are to be able to afford this in 2025. Average cost is about $25/sq ft last I heard. Closer to $35/sq ft with full bathroom and bar area. Calling tomorrow to start getting bids, just so I can have a ballpark range. EDIT: Apparently my avg cost price per sq foot is extremely old data. I was just informed basements WITHOUT full bath and bar are around $75 per square foot now. Goes up from there. (Compared three companies with in-house design and project management built into the cost. But still, they were all almost the same.)

Need some ideas; dos and don'ts; must haves; regrets; lighting; wiring; plumbing, etc. Projector versus TV? Wet bar versus Full bar versus no bar? Kitchenette?

1000 square feet, half basement with crawl space. It's a linear shape meaning all rooms will be in a line, which limits design. Rough plumbed for a full bath already. Egress window for a bedroom. Primary usage is family living, movies, sports, entertaining. Then with left over space in the back, make a small bedroom for re-sale purposes down the road. Can be used for storage or exercise equipment in the meantime.

We have two main ideas, but they're dependent on crawl space storage. Has anyone "finished" a crawl space? Dug one out? I have a hope/wish that we can dig out about 2 feet of a 10x10 area. Just to give some more clearance. If it's possible and cost efficient, it'd free up a sizable chunk of space to be used for living space instead of storage. I have my doubts though. Even if it can be done, structurally speaking, I have a feeling it's gonna cost a fortune to do even a minor dig. I think I estimated that to be about 7 tons of dirt removal. Yikes.

Any tips, ideas, photos will be useful, but primarily looking for the regrets, must-haves....the intricate detail type stuff. For example, my neighbor said he regrets not planning for access points in the ceiling to various main floor plumbing.

Thanks for any help.

 

[ab2cmiller]

Obviously there has to be a budget, but if you are really on the fence about anything, I would try to get it done and make it work financially. I would say you only get one shot at this, but obviously that's not true. But it's a ton cheaper to do it the first go around then to go back and do it as part of a remodel.

Ours was only plumbed for a half bath, I was kind of on the fence but we ponied up the money to bust up some concrete and make it a full bath setup. Won't ever regret making that choice.

In regards to the "bedroom", if you build it with any space that could remotely be considered a closet, it has to have egress which costs a pretty penny. You could build it without a closet area or I suppose you could not pull a permit, but I suppose both of those could come back to bite you. I went ahead and did the egress, just for some peace of mind and the fact that I can legitimately call it an additional bedroom when it comes time for resale.

We aren't big drinkers, but we do have lots of family gatherings. We elected for the kitchenette for that reason. We found a "display" cabinet setup at Menards for a cabinet line that was being discontinued and probably saved $6,000 - $8,000 in the process. Since the line was discontinued, I couldn't add any extra cabinets, but it was a nice small setup that was perfect for a basement kitchenette.

Insulation we did the rigid foam board coupled with "normal" batts of insulation for maximum comfort. Only thing I pondered that I almost wish I did was radiant floor heating, but at some point the money does run out and it got cut from the project.

 

[BleedBlueGold]

Thanks for this. I was on the fence about half bath versus full bath earlier. I reached out to a realtor who knows our area. The bedroom will be legit with closet and egress window. So the full bath is worth it. In terms of warmth, I hadn't considered heated floors, but I am considering one of those electric fireplaces. We recently had to replace the main floor furnace and knowing the basement project was on the horizon, I planned ahead with a dual zone system. So hopefully we won't have much of a need for extra heat beyond that. I also may have figured out a work-around for storage that doesn't involve digging out any crawl space. It will, however, mean digging and re-plumbing the bathroom, but only enough to move the door location. Ultimately allowing me to build out closet space near the crawl access door. Calling tomorrow to begin bids. We redid our kitchen a while back and the worst part for me was seeing the projected number. Once we eventually pulled the trigger though, it all felt worth it. If I have to wait another year or two to keep saving so we can do what we want, so be it.

 

[BleedBlueGold]

Any home audio/video nerds on here who are into surround sound mini home theater setups? I've exhausted my non-IE options and still haven't gotten a straightforward answer regarding the following question.

We do NOT have a dedicated movie theater room and we do NOT have room for in-wall surround speakers, unfortunately. With that said, we can buy in-ceiling speakers that are angled at the sofa to help get some similar effects. Won't be "perfect" but will still get the job done. The question is this: When it comes to rear channel speakers, ideally they are behind the couch at ear level, and since I can't do that, I'll be putting them in the ceiling and angled towards the sofa. How does this effect Atmos speakers? Is it a one or the other option; rear OR Atmos....not both? If it is one or the other, is it better to set them up as Atmos as opposed to rears since Atmos is more of a height speaker and rear is more of an ear level speaker? I'm genuinely confused by this stuff.

I can't find a straightforward answer to this on reddit or any AV forum. And the local sales people keep telling me to just add more speakers (spend more money) and so I'm annoyed. I know we can't get a true 3D sound stage w/o ear level surrounds, so I just need to know what is the best way to setup surround with ONLY in-ceiling speakers.

 

[BleedBlueGold]

Obviously there has to be a budget, but if you are really on the fence about anything, I would try to get it done and make it work financially. I would say you only get one shot at this, but obviously that's not true. But it's a ton cheaper to do it the first go around then to go back and do it as part of a remodel.

Ours was only plumbed for a half bath, I was kind of on the fence but we ponied up the money to bust up some concrete and make it a full bath setup. Won't ever regret making that choice.

In regards to the "bedroom", if you build it with any space that could remotely be considered a closet, it has to have egress which costs a pretty penny. You could build it without a closet area or I suppose you could not pull a permit, but I suppose both of those could come back to bite you. I went ahead and did the egress, just for some peace of mind and the fact that I can legitimately call it an additional bedroom when it comes time for resale.

We aren't big drinkers, but we do have lots of family gatherings. We elected for the kitchenette for that reason. We found a "display" cabinet setup at Menards for a cabinet line that was being discontinued and probably saved $6,000 - $8,000 in the process. Since the line was discontinued, I couldn't add any extra cabinets, but it was a nice small setup that was perfect for a basement kitchenette.

Insulation we did the rigid foam board coupled with "normal" batts of insulation for maximum comfort. Only thing I pondered that I almost wish I did was radiant floor heating, but at some point the money does run out and it got cut from the project.

My biggest stress-factor during this project has been the fear of overlooking something and a few years later having regrets or realizing that we forgot to do (or elected not to do) something we may eventually come to need/want. I spent a ton of time just trying to forecast a bunch of scenarios. In the end, I had to stop analyzing things and just make decisions.

We opted to prep the full bathroom for future build out. The quotes we got were insane compared to the rest of the basement. I eventually found someone who is reputable and reasonable who can come and finish the bathroom later this year or into next. Easily saved us 65%, no lie. Especially since framing and electrical are already in place due to good planning.

We opted for a future kitchenette too, but eliminated the rough-in plumbing for a wet bar. The cost to break slab and run drainage, plus water to that part of the basement was pretty expensive. We're also not very big drinkers and the idea of "needing" a sink in the kitchenette area seemed like an easy line item to eliminate for savings. Our house isn't big...go upstairs to the main kitchen if you need a sink! Ha.

I did finally find a solution to the surround speaker problem. Whatever money I saved not doing a sink, etc, I spent on speakers. Wife approval was an added bonus. We opted for a 7.1.2, which is seven surrounds, one subwoofer, and two dolby atmos. They put the atmos in ceiling but also put the rear channel speakers in the ceiling as well. Pretty solid setup. Top Gun Maverick never sounded so good!

I'll try and add some photos later once everything is furnished and set up.

Anyone looking to hire out large projects, be prepared to sell both kidneys, both lungs, and maybe a child to help pay for it. Costs are insane.

 

[Irish#1]

My biggest stress-factor during this project has been the fear of overlooking something and a few years later having regrets or realizing that we forgot to do (or elected not to do) something we may eventually come to need/want. I spent a ton of time just trying to forecast a bunch of scenarios. In the end, I had to stop analyzing things and just make decisions.

We opted to prep the full bathroom for future build out. The quotes we got were insane compared to the rest of the basement. I eventually found someone who is reputable and reasonable who can come and finish the bathroom later this year or into next. Easily saved us 65%, no lie. Especially since framing and electrical are already in place due to good planning.

We opted for a future kitchenette too, but eliminated the rough-in plumbing for a wet bar. The cost to break slab and run drainage, plus water to that part of the basement was pretty expensive. We're also not very big drinkers and the idea of "needing" a sink in the kitchenette area seemed like an easy line item to eliminate for savings. Our house isn't big...go upstairs to the main kitchen if you need a sink! Ha.

I did finally find a solution to the surround speaker problem. Whatever money I saved not doing a sink, etc, I spent on speakers. Wife approval was an added bonus. We opted for a 7.1.2, which is seven surrounds, one subwoofer, and two dolby atmos. They put the atmos in ceiling but also put the rear channel speakers in the ceiling as well. Pretty solid setup. Top Gun Maverick never sounded so good!

I'll try and add some photos later once everything is furnished and set up.

Anyone looking to hire out large projects, be prepared to sell both kidneys, both lungs, and maybe a child to help pay for it. Costs are insane.

You've pretty much explained why I've done so many projects myself. It may take a little longer, but the savings is great.

Given you did so much planning and thinking through things before starting, it sounds like you'll get just what you wanted with no regrets.

 

[Rockin’Irish]

Any home audio/video nerds on here who are into surround sound mini home theater setups? I've exhausted my non-IE options and still haven't gotten a straightforward answer regarding the following question.

We do NOT have a dedicated movie theater room and we do NOT have room for in-wall surround speakers, unfortunately. With that said, we can buy in-ceiling speakers that are angled at the sofa to help get some similar effects. Won't be "perfect" but will still get the job done. The question is this: When it comes to rear channel speakers, ideally they are behind the couch at ear level, and since I can't do that, I'll be putting them in the ceiling and angled towards the sofa. How does this effect Atmos speakers? Is it a one or the other option; rear OR Atmos....not both? If it is one or the other, is it better to set them up as Atmos as opposed to rears since Atmos is more of a height speaker and rear is more of an ear level speaker? I'm genuinely confused by this stuff.

I can't find a straightforward answer to this on reddit or any AV forum. And the local sales people keep telling me to just add more speakers (spend more money) and so I'm annoyed. I know we can't get a true 3D sound stage w/o ear level surrounds, so I just need to know what is the best way to setup surround with ONLY in-ceiling speakers.

What kind of channel setup are you planning? For the sake of discussion, I’m going to assume, exclusive of subwoofers, you will have two front channels (L & R) with a center channel and two rear surrounds. Depending on your A/V receiver/processor, you actually have quite a few options on the set up of your surrounds. Ideally, the main surrounds should be at ear level and to the sides of the listeners. Have you explored the idea of using dipole/bipole “on wall” or mounted to ceiling to get a better sound dispersion? I think this would give you a better experience with the Atmos processing. Can you provide more about your room shape, ceiling height and where your sofa is located in the room? You may be able to use other walls (even with in ceiling mounts) to reflect the sound to ear level and with a bipole/dipole speaker you have even more flexibility to get the best Atmos experience. Have you already purchased your in ceiling speakers? If so, can you share the model/brand? I know my “sort of” answer is all over the place but let me know on my questions and I may have some additional suggestions that are more specific (I was kind of writing out loud).

 

[Wild Bill]

How high are your ceilings? If they’re just under 8 feet, be careful with the lighting. Too many can lights can make it feel like an incubator. Well-placed wall sconces on dimmers might work better, depending on the layout.

I put in vinyl plank flooring and epoxy in the utility areas in my basement. If I could do it over, I’d epoxy the whole damn thing. I don’t even love the look of epoxy but it’s so durable, and you stop worrying about water or moisture. I'm not a fan of floating floors either.

 

[Rockin’Irish]

My biggest stress-factor during this project has been the fear of overlooking something and a few years later having regrets or realizing that we forgot to do (or elected not to do) something we may eventually come to need/want. I spent a ton of time just trying to forecast a bunch of scenarios. In the end, I had to stop analyzing things and just make decisions.

We opted to prep the full bathroom for future build out. The quotes we got were insane compared to the rest of the basement. I eventually found someone who is reputable and reasonable who can come and finish the bathroom later this year or into next. Easily saved us 65%, no lie. Especially since framing and electrical are already in place due to good planning.

We opted for a future kitchenette too, but eliminated the rough-in plumbing for a wet bar. The cost to break slab and run drainage, plus water to that part of the basement was pretty expensive. We're also not very big drinkers and the idea of "needing" a sink in the kitchenette area seemed like an easy line item to eliminate for savings. Our house isn't big...go upstairs to the main kitchen if you need a sink! Ha.

I did finally find a solution to the surround speaker problem. Whatever money I saved not doing a sink, etc, I spent on speakers. Wife approval was an added bonus. We opted for a 7.1.2, which is seven surrounds, one subwoofer, and two dolby atmos. They put the atmos in ceiling but also put the rear channel speakers in the ceiling as well. Pretty solid setup. Top Gun Maverick never sounded so good!

I'll try and add some photos later once everything is furnished and set up.

Anyone looking to hire out large projects, be prepared to sell both kidneys, both lungs, and maybe a child to help pay for it. Costs are insane.

Sorry, I didn’t see this until later 🤘🏼💀

 

[Irish#1]

How high are your ceilings? If they’re just under 8 feet, be careful with the lighting. Too many can lights can make it feel like an incubator. Well-placed wall sconces on dimmers might work better, depending on the layout.

I put in vinyl plank flooring and epoxy in the utility areas in my basement. If I could do it over, I’d epoxy the whole damn thing. I don’t even love the look of epoxy but it’s so durable, and you stop worrying about water or moisture. I'm not a fan of floating floors either.

LED would keep the heat down. I put some ceiling LED lights in my bathroom that are so thin you can install them where a rafter is located. Allows you to keep an equal distance between all of them or put them in pattern you prefer.

 

[Some Irish Bloke]

Anyone looking to hire out large projects, be prepared to sell both kidneys, both lungs, and maybe a child to help pay for it. Costs are insane.

You aren't lying...I also did my basement this past year and we are finally almost done. Easily went $10k over our best bid. Material prices have been steadily increasing, and we also had to deal with a flood last summer (street flooded in front of our house, city issue, and the drains backed up), so I opted to install a couple of back water check valves to prevent that from happening. Luckily that was before we had put down flooring or trim, and we used metal studs to frame the unfinished areas of the basement, so the damage was minimal.

It has been a process. But we just had our first kid last year and are panning for more, and our house isn't very big. Doubling our living space, with a 1000+ sq ft basement of open space was a must. Glad we did it, but man, it's been way more expensive than I thought, and we haven't even looked at sectional couches yet lol.

Good luck the rest of the way. Just remember, although basements don't normally get a 100% return on equity, we are drastically increasing our home values, particularly for a ranch style home, and I'm sure you'll enjoy the space. I know I will. Can't wait to have it ready for fall Saturdays.

 

[BleedBlueGold]

How high are your ceilings? If they’re just under 8 feet, be careful with the lighting. Too many can lights can make it feel like an incubator. Well-placed wall sconces on dimmers might work better, depending on the layout.

I put in vinyl plank flooring and epoxy in the utility areas in my basement. If I could do it over, I’d epoxy the whole damn thing. I don’t even love the look of epoxy but it’s so durable, and you stop worrying about water or moisture. I'm not a fan of floating floors either.

9 foot ceilings. Two zones of 5 LED cans each. Both zones on dimmers. We have the same ones in our kitchen and they're amazing.

We're doing LVP that matches the main floor. Won't be as durable as epoxy, but gets wife approval, and isn't carpet.

LED would keep the heat down. I put some ceiling LED lights in my bathroom that are so thin you can install them where a rafter is located. Allows you to keep an equal distance between all of them or put them in pattern you prefer.

This. The new LED cans are pretty great.

You aren't lying...I also did my basement this past year and we are finally almost done. Easily went $10k over our best bid. Material prices have been steadily increasing, and we also had to deal with a flood last summer (street flooded in front of our house, city issue, and the drains backed up), so I opted to install a couple of back water check valves to prevent that from happening. Luckily that was before we had put down flooring or trim, and we used metal studs to frame the unfinished areas of the basement, so the damage was minimal.

It has been a process. But we just had our first kid last year and are panning for more, and our house isn't very big. Doubling our living space, with a 1000+ sq ft basement of open space was a must. Glad we did it, but man, it's been way more expensive than I thought, and we haven't even looked at sectional couches yet lol.

Good luck the rest of the way. Just remember, although basements don't normally get a 100% return on equity, we are drastically increasing our home values, particularly for a ranch style home, and I'm sure you'll enjoy the space. I know I will. Can't wait to have it ready for fall Saturdays.

We haven't bought our sectional yet either! haha.

You'll be happy to have the extra space. Especially with a growing family.

We're finishing just shy of 1000 sq feet. "Zone 1" is an open concept media/theatre/family room, separating the next is a bar height counter behind the (eventual) sectional, "Zone 2" is a TBD area. We left it free for kids to play in at the moment, but it'll eventually be where the kitchenette, table, and a couple games can go. Lastly is a bedroom w/ egress that we will use as a workout area. We designed the basement to also have 1) adequate closet storage 2) hidden crawlspace access and 3) hidden water valve access points. We wanted to avoid it "feeling like a basement" as best we could.

Here are a couple renderings:

 

[BleedBlueGold]

What kind of channel setup are you planning? For the sake of discussion, I’m going to assume, exclusive of subwoofers, you will have two front channels (L & R) with a center channel and two rear surrounds. Depending on your A/V receiver/processor, you actually have quite a few options on the set up of your surrounds. Ideally, the main surrounds should be at ear level and to the sides of the listeners. Have you explored the idea of using dipole/bipole “on wall” or mounted to ceiling to get a better sound dispersion? I think this would give you a better experience with the Atmos processing. Can you provide more about your room shape, ceiling height and where your sofa is located in the room? You may be able to use other walls (even with in ceiling mounts) to reflect the sound to ear level and with a bipole/dipole speaker you have even more flexibility to get the best Atmos experience. Have you already purchased your in ceiling speakers? If so, can you share the model/brand? I know my “sort of” answer is all over the place but let me know on my questions and I may have some additional suggestions that are more specific (I was kind of writing out loud).

Definite splurge fest on the speakers. 7.1.2. Focal surrounds/atmos and SVS PB2000 sub. Sony Straz 3000 8K AVR. Sony Bravia 98"

Everything wired to one of our closets in a server rack that includes PS5.

Legit cannot be more excited about this setup. I don't think my wife realizes what she signed off on. haha!!

A friend of mine used the same company to install a 5.1.0 system. LCR are behind his projector screen and he has two surrounds in the ceiling. It sounds "fine" for hanging out and enjoying tv or a game. Movies are "okay" because 5.1 is better than nothing. But his surrounds being in ceiling can sometimes have a weird effect on spatial audio. They aren't ear-level obviously. It's not the end of the world, but I've been in home theaters with true surround positioning and it can make a big difference in certain movies.

 

[Rockin’Irish]

Definite splurge fest on the speakers. 7.1.2. Focal surrounds/atmos and SVS PB2000 sub. Sony Straz 3000 8K AVR. Sony Bravia 98"

Everything wired to one of our closets in a server rack that includes PS5.

Legit cannot be more excited about this setup. I don't think my wife realizes what she signed off on. haha!!

A friend of mine used the same company to install a 5.1.0 system. LCR are behind his projector screen and he has two surrounds in the ceiling. It sounds "fine" for hanging out and enjoying tv or a game. Movies are "okay" because 5.1 is better than nothing. But his surrounds being in ceiling can sometimes have a weird effect on spatial audio. They aren't ear-level obviously. It's not the end of the world, but I've been in home theaters with true surround positioning and it can make a big difference in certain movies.

Sounds like a great set up and all that matters is that you love it! I have several SVS subs and I’ve been very pleased by their reliability, performance and the company customer service. I generally use 2 subs in all my surround setups, you may end up exploring that option in the future. In the meantime, enjoy auditioning your system……it will make you want to go back and rewatch movies to see just how much the experience has been upgraded.

 

[BleedBlueGold]

Sounds like a great set up and all that matters is that you love it! I have several SVS subs and I’ve been very pleased by their reliability, performance and the company customer service. I generally use 2 subs in all my surround setups, you may end up exploring that option in the future. In the meantime, enjoy auditioning your system……it will make you want to go back and rewatch movies to see just how much the experience has been upgraded.

Absolutely. Thanks! Definitely considered two subs but figured I'd start with one and see how it sounds. I'm not a true audiophile (yet) so anything is going to sound better than nothing (which is what we've had). Give me some time though. haha

 

[Some Irish Bloke]

9 foot ceilings. Two zones of 5 LED cans each. Both zones on dimmers. We have the same ones in our kitchen and they're amazing.

We're doing LVP that matches the main floor. Won't be as durable as epoxy, but gets wife approval, and isn't carpet.



This. The new LED cans are pretty great.



We haven't bought our sectional yet either! haha.

You'll be happy to have the extra space. Especially with a growing family.

We're finishing just shy of 1000 sq feet. "Zone 1" is an open concept media/theatre/family room, separating the next is a bar height counter behind the (eventual) sectional, "Zone 2" is a TBD area. We left it free for kids to play in at the moment, but it'll eventually be where the kitchenette, table, and a couple games can go. Lastly is a bedroom w/ egress that we will use as a workout area. We designed the basement to also have 1) adequate closet storage 2) hidden crawlspace access and 3) hidden water valve access points. We wanted to avoid it "feeling like a basement" as best we could.

Here are a couple renderings:

View attachment 3058895

View attachment 3058894

Looks great! We are going to be doing something very similar with the bar seating behind the sectionals, to allow for more seating for big game watches or family gatherings. We also went with the black ceiling, just ripped out the old drop ceiling and had a guy spray it black. saved us a fortune and looks great, IMO. We have a longer, rectangular area that's going to be billiards, workout and then the bar, with a wet-bar and TV, then the other area is a square room that will be the sectional. I spent hours staining and painting down there, finally just about finished there.

Cheers man, enjoy the new space!

 

[Irish#1]

Absolutely. Thanks! Definitely considered two subs but figured I'd start with one and see how it sounds. I'm not a true audiophile (yet) so anything is going to sound better than nothing (which is what we've had). Give me some time though. haha

Given the setup, I think you are. lol

 

[BleedBlueGold]

Looks great! We are going to be doing something very similar with the bar seating behind the sectionals, to allow for more seating for big game watches or family gatherings. We also went with the black ceiling, just ripped out the old drop ceiling and had a guy spray it black. saved us a fortune and looks great, IMO. We have a longer, rectangular area that's going to be billiards, workout and then the bar, with a wet-bar and TV, then the other area is a square room that will be the sectional. I spent hours staining and painting down there, finally just about finished there.

Cheers man, enjoy the new space!

That sounds awesome. Cheers!

 

[Irish#1]

A compilation of IE DIY'ers working on the projects.

 

[SDIrishFan]

So, I'm kicking around the idea of starting a couple side hustles. And if it goes well, maybe turning them them into my main hustles.

The first would be starting a handyman services, specifically targeted at the senior crowd. I live in a pretty popular retirement area and I know there's a lot of seniors that need help with small projects that a normal contractor would never take the time for. Basically anything that requires getting on a ladder, safety things (grab bars, smoke detectors, light bulbs), cleaning gutters, yard work, wall repairs, furniture, lifting/moving things, small decks, minor plumbing, minor electrical, basic carpentry, etc.

The other is small renovation/design projects. I've included some pics below of work that I've done around my house including design, tile work, cabinets, shelving, decor, electrical trim, plumbing trim, smaller construction stuff, etc.


I'm curious if anyone on here has done anything similar, what are the dos and don'ts? Pitfalls to avoid? Does this even make sense, etc? This would be way outside my comfort zone. I've had a white collar job for 20 years and wanting a change and this might be it.

 

[BleedBlueGold]

So, I'm kicking around the idea of starting a couple side hustles. And if it goes well, maybe turning them them into my main hustles.

The first would be starting a handyman services, specifically targeted at the senior crowd. I live in a pretty popular retirement area and I know there's a lot of seniors that need help with small projects that a normal contractor would never take the time for. Basically anything that requires getting on a ladder, safety things (grab bars, smoke detectors, light bulbs), cleaning gutters, yard work, wall repairs, furniture, lifting/moving things, small decks, minor plumbing, minor electrical, basic carpentry, etc.

The other is small renovation/design projects. I've included some pics below of work that I've done around my house including design, tile work, cabinets, shelving, decor, electrical trim, plumbing trim, smaller construction stuff, etc.


I'm curious if anyone on here has done anything similar, what are the dos and don'ts? Pitfalls to avoid? Does this even make sense, etc? This would be way outside my comfort zone. I've had a white collar job for 20 years and wanting a change and this might be it.

Add Christmas light installation and storage to that list. The market for this has exploded in recent years. I have a friend who does about 20 houses in one neighborhood alone. His pricing is considered cheap at $500/house for single level, depending on number of lights. I've noticed the same trend in my neighborhood over the last couple of years. All two-story homes and pricing is $700 and up.

 

[SDIrishFan]

Add Christmas light installation and storage to that list. The market for this has exploded in recent years. I have a friend who does about 20 houses in one neighborhood alone. His pricing is considered cheap at $500/house for single level, depending on number of lights. I've noticed the same trend in my neighborhood over the last couple of years. All two-story homes and pricing is $700 and up.

Interesting. That's something I don't have a ton of experience with other than the casual lights I put on my own house.

One thing I have become very adept as is, there's endless resources online that teach you how to do things. I'm generally good at finding those things and being able to apply it.

 

[Ndaccountant]

Add Christmas light installation and storage to that list. The market for this has exploded in recent years. I have a friend who does about 20 houses in one neighborhood alone. His pricing is considered cheap at $500/house for single level, depending on number of lights. I've noticed the same trend in my neighborhood over the last couple of years. All two-story homes and pricing is $700 and up.

Is that the labor alone or does it include light rental?

 

[Some Irish Bloke]

Based on my experience watching my BIL do something similar getting paid was as much a chore as doing the work. People can very easily just falt out not pay you after the work is done and it ends up not even being worth it to get a lawyer or small claims court involved for a $200 install of a ceiling fan.

Maybe since its elders you might have better recovery of fees but he eventually gave up on it because he just couldn't get people to pay.

My old man has been a contractor for decades as well and he's had similar issues in the past few years, especially.

I'd say, where possible, best to get an hourly rate as opposed to quoting out a total for a job. Because then people will either complain mid-work and want you to re-do something, dragging out the project, or just flat out not pay you the agreed upon sum because they "aren't satisfied."

My best advice is to for sure get anything in writing. It's a shame it's the world we live in nowadays, but handshakes and a man's word just don't go as far as they used to.

 

[calvegas04]

Add Christmas light installation and storage to that list. The market for this has exploded in recent years. I have a friend who does about 20 houses in one neighborhood alone. His pricing is considered cheap at $500/house for single level, depending on number of lights. I've noticed the same trend in my neighborhood over the last couple of years. All two-story homes and pricing is $700 and up.

For $700 the lights better play and dance to the fight song everytime someone passes by