Remodel in progress

[eflyersteve]

Update: Getting ready to pull the trigger on the window order. HD has a sale on Anderson custom order windows for 15% off (expires on 5-15). 9 ea new construction, single hung, low-E windows with grids came to slightly over $1200.00. This includes a couple of 72" tall windows on one end and a couple of 46x54 windows.

If anyone is interested in ordering windows, now might be a good time.

[eflyersteve]

Windows are in! I'll pick them up and store them until the big install day. I promise I'll add photos of the progress soon. Of course I'm stressing about how to keep them from breaking on the drive home. Need something akin to giant book-ends for the bed of my truck to keep them vertical.

The laundry room is nearly complete having finished the archway opening and all the walls textures and painted. Vinyl flooring is installed and washing machine and utility sink are installed. Just need to run dryer vent and power (this weekend I hope) and then add baseboard and crown trim.

Only major expense left is the 50 or so sheets of panel siding, the house wrap and the steel roofing, trim and insulation. Getting close.......

[eflyersteve]

Update:

Roofing ordered. 26ga, 40yr warranty. Ordered panels, eve, gable and ridge cap as well as custom skirting top trim. Total, with screws, tax and all was just over $1800. One of our bigger expenses. Should pick it up Friday. Of course I'll still need insulation and furring strips.

Question: On securing the furring strips to the rafters. Options are exterior grade screws or ring shank exterior nails. Which would you use?

I'll hopefully be able to soon post some progress photos that we've been taking.

[Steve-WA]

I say screws - trailers don't like being banged on

[ponch37300]

I would use screws just because they have more pull out resistance to high winds. Not sure if that would ever be an issue or not but that would be my choice.

Do you have a nail gun that will shoot ring shanks? Otherwise a screw gun will be much easier to install all the fasteners.

[eflyersteve]

I do have a nail gun that will shoot ring shanks. I'm leaning toward screws too for the reasons outlined above. Since that is what anchors the new roof to the old, I don't want to take a chance on loosing a roof in one of our 70+ mph wind storms in Oklahoma.

The furring strips will be attached to the 2x4 rafters which are 16" o.c.

[eflyersteve]

Weatherman is reporting two weeks of dry (and hot) weather after today. Couldn't happen at a better time.

Yesterday evening was spent removing the front porch (with a reciprocating saw) and trimming some shrubs so that we can remove the existing siding. Inside I removed more of a wall separating the living room and kitchen that also surrounds the furnace we will be removing. Tonight's work is the back of the house where a larger porch will be removed and another bush trimmed. Plans are to move the back porch to the front and connect the two. Back door will get a simple set of steps and a concrete patio sometime later.

Always having to worry about something, my latest worry is having to walk on the new roofing which will only be supported by 1x4 furring strips 24" OC. Will I end up bending my new panels if I only walk where the furring strips are? These are similar to an R panel and I wonder if I couldn't use a 2'x4' piece of plywood over the ribs as a work platform?

Busy busy

[eflyersteve]

Well I didn't get much done last weekend. Saturday we started with a corner of the house that we knew likely had some water damage. I found about 2 feet of rim joist, sill plate and floor rotted to nothing. Sooo, I moved to the opposite end and began removing the siding, window, etc.

This end has a small bathroom window (to be replaced with a slightly wider one) and the door to the water heater. Sunday was spend applying house wrap, new Z trim above the skirting and flashing and installing the window. Monday evening, after work, we installed 3 sheets of siding and trimmed around the window and caulked it.

Tuesday = Wed I didn't do much because of the heat and work.

Yesterday I installed the siding to the corner and made a removable door for water heater access. I am using the smartside trim and it's really nice to work with as are the panels. They cut well and are pretty strong even when cutting an opening near an edge. I'm using 2 3/8" ring shank round head nails in a framing nailer. That makes short work of installing and really holds things well. Power tools in use are: Table saw for cutting panels to proper width or length, Circular saw for same purpose when cuts are smaller. Jig saw for electrical box/window openings, a miter saw for trim and stud cutting (I borrowed this tool and it's my favorite so far), air framing nailer and misc. drills and impact drivers.

I did find that I'll have to tuck the siding under the edge of the roofing where it rolls over the top gable/eve. Putting the siding over the top of it caused a noticeable tilt in the siding at the top. At least tucing it under makes for a more water tight structure. I'll be going over the eves and gables with steel trim before the roof. We had custom eve trim built to give us a bit more overlap after adding a 1x4 furring strip.

Tomorrow begins my week off and the forecast calls for much cooler temperatures with a few days that have slight risks of thunderstorms. I've purchased a 20x30 tarp and some anchors and we plan to only work on 10 feet at a time in case rain pops up. I'm hopeful that I won't find a great deal more rot. I've purchased a couple 2x6 (rim joist) and 1x4 (sill plate) to repair anything I find. On the first long side that we start on tomorrow, I'll need to delete one existing window and re-frame for a taller door, but it should go faster as we will be installing only full sheets down the side without the hassle of the top portion on the gable end.

Some observations:

There is no such thing as square on this home. Where the frame and perimeter is level, the walls lean a bit toward one way or another at the corners. Hopefully trim will hide all of this.

There are about a million staples that hold the metal siding on. Most are over 2 inches long. That in addition to the half million screws that hold the metal to the furring strips

The staples holding the furring strips down are monsters and typically pull through the OSB strip when removing it. Visegrips make short work of them but there are a ton of them.

The staples holding the existing steel roof down are even larger. Not difficult to remove, but again, there are a bunch of them.

The first window opening that we encountered was fairly square and level. However this was on a window that I had to re-frame for. I'm hoping the other windows are just as square but won't hold my breath.

Working on the exterior makes me realize how easy the interior was to remodel. We have a lot more interior to go and am looking forward to getting back to that.

The part that we have finished so far looks soooo much better than what we had. When it is all said and done, we will have a new looking home.

[ponch37300]

You're finding out what all of us MH owners have found out, the words plumb, square, and level do not exist in the MH factories! I'm doing my kitchen cabinets right now, something that pretty much relies on things being plumb, level, and square but it was a struggle getting the new cabinets installed and the countertop ordered.

Glad to hear things are going good. About the only thing I can say positive for MH, or negative depending on if you are remodeling or not, is that they use plenty of fasteners and staples! It amazes me where they cut corners but use millions of staples in each MH. I guess staples are cheap but it amazes me that they cut corners everywhere but will use a ton of staples.

[Greg S]

I realise I am some what late in posting but as a renovator of mobile homes it is my personal opinion, especially if you are planning to stay in the place, that vinyl siding is 1000% better to use than any type of fake wood panels to upgrade a home and add the max in curb appeal. I have done several and considering the majority of quality new homes use vinyl it is the only choice.
The quality of the end result will match any $300,000 home and last for the life of the home.
If you chose smart siding your home will always look like a mobile home but for about the same cost with more labour you will put your home over the top in appearance with vinyl.
For me it is the difference between ending up with a home that still looks like a trailer or one that looks like a house.

As I have stated I have done several and when you stand back and take in the curb appeal when completed you will know you made the right decision with vinyl. If you plan on staying long term I would go the extra mile but that is only my opinion.

[eflyersteve]

Thanks for the replies.

Greg - I completely agree. The choice for smartside panels was purely financial. Cost is about half after you add sheathing and the cost of vinyl. I've installed vinyl siding and like its looks and ease of installation.

Ponch - The kitchen is the next big thing on the list. As soon as we get the siding and roof on to rid us of leaks that would otherwise ruin the new flooring that we have on hand.

Saturday and Sunday I had some help from my girlfriends brother and of course my son. We managed to finish up the gable end, install about 50' of siding, trim and 3 windows (including re-framing one for a larger window) on one side and about 20' of siding and trim on the other side. Today we are taking off to resupply and purchase a new front 36" front door. We already have a new 32" for the back but are at a stopping point until we have the front door ready.

I'll also be exchanging some screws for the roofing for some shorter ones unless anyone here suggests otherwise. I am going to use 1x4 furring strips over a radiant barrier and the screws supplied are 1 1/4" which would protrude through the furring strips and into the existing roof. I'd rather not puncture the existing roof any more than necessary. Thoughts?