Laundry Room Refit

[Sneakers]

Started ripping down the laundry room, needs a remake badly. A while back, I had a leak in the washing machine and it damaged the floor and baseboard. The floor was just press-and-peel vinyl tile over cement, so no big deal, but the base and walls need help. The room was built way too small originally back in the 70s, so it's getting expanded quite a bit, ceramic floors, cabinets, countertop, pocket door, updated electrics and lighting.

Interesting to see how things were built back then, shortcuts, mistakes. Sheetrock came in 2x4 foot sheets. No pressure treated wood for direct contact with the cement floor. Composite fiber board was the outside "wall" with red brick veneered directly to it on the outside. And then there's the weep holes. Whoever built this house knew weep holes were needed, but screwed them up royally. Found two weep holes a foot apart, 6 inches above the floor, but below grade outside. So guess where the water goes.... in not out. They did the same thing at my fuse box. Weep hole 5 feet above the basement floor, but below grade outside, and directly behind the breaker panel. Main breaker rusted shut, had to replace the entire breaker panel. Plugged that hole, not a problem anymore. Good news is that there is no sign of termites.

 

[vraiblonde]

That's what I always hated about home improvement projects: they always uncover more chit.

One of my ex husbands was tasked with repairing a piece of drywall in our master bathroom while I went out of town for a 3-day weekend. When I came back the whole bathroom was completely stripped - all drywall and all fixtures - and my dining room that shared a wall with it was demolished as well. Turns out the moisture that screwed up that piece of the wall also took out the floor joists and part of the adjoining wall as well.

And while he had the wall torn out he decided to make a built-in china hutch for the dining room.

 

[Sneakers]

And while he had the wall torn out he decided to make a built-in china hutch for the dining room.

Yeah, you've mentioned that before...

I knew what to expect, what I was getting into when I started this. As of now, there is nothing I see that was unexpected.

 

[Gilligan]

That's what I always hated about home improvement projects: they always uncover more chit.

One of my ex husbands was tasked with repairing a piece of drywall in our master bathroom while I went out of town for a 3-day weekend. When I came back the whole bathroom was completely stripped - all drywall and all fixtures - and my dining room that shared a wall with it was demolished as well. Turns out the moisture that screwed up that piece of the wall also took out the floor joists and part of the adjoining wall as well.

And while he had the wall torn out he decided to make a built-in china hutch for the dining room.

Ex husbands...sheesh..they're the wurst.

 

[PJay]

They were fun times here..kinda miss them. This place was smoking back then.

Just recently finished redo of laundry room here...so much better. Have fun with yours! Bet will look really nice when done!

 

[SamSpade]

Ours was built in the 70's. Some things were no surprise - almost no insulation whatsover - drywall over furring strips attached to cinder blocks with brick on the outside. Admittedly, I've seen worse for insulation but damn. I once lived in a house where, when we replaced the roof - and I mean, took the roof totally off - we noticed that the boards were planks of different shaped wood of different trees and different thicknesses, and looked rough hewn. The neighbors said the entire neighborhood had been built very quickly after WW2 and most of the wood used was from the very land it was built on. They cut down trees and milled them right there, on site.

But the most interesting thing was downstairs we had to pull open a closet - and inside a space of drywall - a tiny little mouse skeleton, completely stripped of flesh and all white - like a lab specimen. It must have been there decades. Poor guy got walled up 40 years ago.

 

[GURPS]

Ours was built in the 70's. Some things were no surprise - almost no insulation whatsover - drywall over furring strips attached to cinder blocks with brick on the outside.

sounds like mom's house built in the 1950's .... the wiring is scary to work on, it is cloth covered rubber the falls a part when you touch it

 

[Sneakers]

almost no insulation whatsover - drywall over furring strips attached to cinder blocks with brick on the outside.

Much of my house used paneling instead of drywall, but was constructed just like yours; furring strips over cement covered with paneling. In the basement, they used Styrofoam sheets for insulation, maybe 1/2". Plastic sheets over everything kept the moisture in the wall. The black streaks are termite tracks. It was a mess. All ripped out, cement walls treated with UGL DryLoc, real 2x6 walls and insulation with 1/2" drywall.



What is really puzzling... the main house had squat for insulation, but this laundry room had a full 4" of fiberglass batting in all the 2x4 walls, walls inside the garage. Making progress, got a lot torn down, but have to wait now on weather. Have to move the truck out and move stuff around in the garage before taking down the last wall. And again, weird construction... same thing I found in the kitchen and living room, 2x4 sheets of drywall with plaster over that, and a skim coat on top of the plaster, with chicken wire on all of the corners. Makes an incredible mess.



New wall will come out to just about where the front bumper is on the truck. Peeled the tiles up from the floor, but lots of glue left behind. I keep forgetting, stepping in it, and get stopped dead in my tracks when my shoe gets anchored to the floor.

 

[General Lee]

Leave the truck where it is, attach a strap or chain to the bumper and wall and back up. Whala! Wall removed .

 

[Sneakers]

Leave the truck where it is, attach a strap or chain to the bumper and wall and back up. Whala! Wall removed .

Oh, you're a big help......

 

[Gilligan]

sounds like mom's house built in the 1950's .... the wiring is scary to work on, it is cloth covered rubber the falls a part when you touch it

That's exactly what we ripped out of the wing of our old clubhouse that we're renovating. It was built in 1952. Hard to believe it never burnt down..

 

[Gilligan]

Much of my house used paneling instead of drywall, but was constructed just like yours; furring strips over cement covered with paneling. In the basement, they used Styrofoam sheets for insulation, maybe 1/2". Plastic sheets over everything kept the moisture in the wall. The black streaks are termite tracks. It was a mess. All ripped out, cement walls treated with UGL DryLoc, real 2x6 walls and insulation with 1/2" drywall.
View attachment 151435 View attachment 151436


What is really puzzling... the main house had squat for insulation, but this laundry room had a full 4" of fiberglass batting in all the 2x4 walls, walls inside the garage. Making progress, got a lot torn down, but have to wait now on weather. Have to move the truck out and move stuff around in the garage before taking down the last wall. And again, weird construction... same thing I found in the kitchen and living room, 2x4 sheets of drywall with plaster over that, and a skim coat on top of the plaster, with chicken wire on all of the corners. Makes an incredible mess.
View attachment 151437
View attachment 151438 View attachment 151439

New wall will come out to just about where the front bumper is on the truck. Peeled the tiles up from the floor, but lots of glue left behind. I keep forgetting, stepping in it, and get stopped dead in my tracks when my shoe gets anchored to the floor.

Take more pics. I'm looking for some of the tools you borrowed.

 

[Sneakers]

Hmmmm.... don't remember anything about no tools....

BUT, giving these away if anyone wants them. Metal base mount for a shop tool, traveling hardcase with wheels, set of tires. The tires are a few years old, but have less than 500 miles on them. Steel belted radials, aluminum rims, P185/70R14, 5x4 (or is it 4 1/2?). 1st PM gets it.

 

[General Lee]

At least you're motivated to get stuff done. This summer with the rain and super humidity I just can't find motivation.

 

[Sneakers]

At least you're motivated to get stuff done. This summer with the rain and super humidity I just can't find motivation.

I didn't all summer either. A real couch slug. But now the weather is starting to change and I'm feeling more motivated. Even called Stepping Stone to get an estimate for some yard work.

And having an a/c in the garage helps.

 

[General Lee]

I didn't all summer either. A real couch slug. But now the weather is starting to change and I'm feeling more motivated. Even called Stepping Stone to get an estimate for some yard work.

And having an a/c in the garage helps.

I used Stepping Stone 3 years ago and was very pleased. Decent people to deal with. They did work in July and it was HOT. Hardest working crew I've seen. I would use them again.

 

[Sneakers]

I used Stepping Stone 3 years ago and was very pleased. Decent people to deal with. They did work in July and it was HOT. Hardest working crew I've seen. I would use them again.

I've used them before, Agree on all.

 

[Sneakers]

Can you say, "after thought"? I knew you could...


Found my first unexpected. And it was more of a WTF than anything else. When they put up the wall, it was just resting in place on the ceiling sheetrock. Problem is, there was absolutely nothing above the sheetrock to nail it to, but that didn't stop them from driving a bunch of 3-1/2" nails up there. I cut the wall studs and the top of the wall practically fell down on it's own. The ceiling joist was just 2 inches away.


Pretty much done with the deconstruction. Next will be to figure out where the new wall goes, paying mind to find something to nail to in the ceiling. Then replace the sill plate and build a knee wall with pressure treated wood.

 

[General Lee]

To bad the laundry room has to be there, thats some nice extra garage space!

Also is that a HVAC vent in the upper right on the brick?

 

[Ken King]

To bad the laundry room has to be there, thats some nice extra garage space!

Also is that a HVAC vent in the upper right on the brick?

Just a guess but probably dryer exhaust vent.