[DIY] Re: Renovation Living Arrangements
Yes, that is actually my next project...solving world hunger issues. But I can only take on one large project at a time, so I guess for now it is just remodeling. To answer and comment: we have no basement under the house (but that will change after the renovation...we are sticking one under the addition we are putting on), we have an unattached garage, but the space between the house and garage is where all the work is going to be done. Our water heater is electric. Can the water heater be put outside? I would think if it rained, or something one would have problems. Moving on... We will have use of our existing bathroom for a while, in what I like to call Phase 5 of the construction, we will be taking it out to make room for the larger kitchen, but at least one of the new bathrooms should be up and running by then...key words here: should be. We were planning on doing a good part of the demolition; but that came under debate with all the overtime my husband is working. I can do a lot of it myself, however with some tips on what NOT to tear off from the contractor, or if worse comes to worse, I can sub it out to my sister-in-laws out of work boyfriend (he does good work for cheap). I will have to use hubby's folks' washer and dryer for a while, and showering, but I am thinking more of hygiene as well as dishes. I supposed we could spend the extra money on plastic and paper tableware and wash any pots and pans next door. I spoke with a friend of mine whose father and brothers run an electrician/plumbing business and she gave me some pointers as well as a time frame to call and schedule them. So, that is where I am at today. Thanks for the advice, Michael. Kati
Thanks to everyone for your advice, 2 cents, and comments. An RV is not entirely out of the picture. The in-laws bought a fairly decent one last year. I am sure they would much rather temporarily part with it than have us running in and out all the time. My husband doesn't spend much time at home since he is working all the time. He probably figures that it would be no big deal for him since he is never here anyway. But he also likes to take a hot shower and veg out in front of the TV as soon as he gets home (for the one hour he is awake!). I am not really looking to visit the divorce court so I think hubby and I will be having a long discussion about this soon. Kati
Michael, The funniest part of your answer to putting the water heater outside was the description of the PVC pipe and fitting being temporary and easy, since that was what my husband used for a temporary fix to some plumbing problems we had. About 2 years ago. We live in Iowa and do have to worry about freezing until mid-spring. As for demolition, I agree...stress reliever, plus we plan on kind of making a party out of it. We'll see how well that works out, though! Thanks for the advice. Kati
It can, but you don't just stick it outside like a refrigerator on the porch. You build a small structure on the side of your house. It needs a door large enough that a water heater will go through; this so you can replace the water heater without tearing out a wall. You then construct a platform for the water heater to sit on--it only needs to be about six inches high. Before you insert the water heater, be sure to insulate very, very well--R-49 wouldn't be out of line. This will lower your utility bills. You could insulate after the unit is installed, but it's much easier without it. After you insert the water heater, plumb the temperature/pressure relief valve and the drain valve to pipes running through the wall. This is better than having the unit in the house; if your T&P valve pops, the outside of your house gets wet. Which happens anyway. If you're thinking of installing a really massive water heater, like an 80-gallon, this is a nice way to go because bringing an 80-gallon water heater into the house is no fun at all. -- --jmowreader