Given a 1972 Regent..

[feeeeline]

Hi everyone!

I needed a quick place to live, and someone gave me a 1972 Regent. It's 12' X ? (doesn't really matter, probably).

In it's former life it was a dog kennel (smell!) and a grow operation (legal in goofy Michigan). Yikes. Mold. Lots. And some damage to the floor. Did I mention the smell? Kind of.. well, a cross between a dog bed and just plain rotten. I was hoping pulling up the carpet would help, but after reading a while, I guess I'm not so sure. Maybe we're dealing with wet insulation?

The previous owner replaced the electric hot water heater without replacing the damaged floor first. With a strong back, a knowledgeable electrician, and some time, I'm thinking it could be done. The water heater will need to be removed, the floor cut out and replaced, with a hole left in the floor for the overflow pipe... Uuugh. Has anyone else tackled such a thing? What am I forgetting, or is it possible that it could be this simple? Just to make it more fun, the water heater is in the cabinet under the kitchen sink (to the side of it).

Also... there is a "vent pipe to nowhere" under the kitchen sink. Not surprisingly, the kitchen sink drain isn't working... It almost looks as though it were sided over, or, at least, I can't see where it's going past the wall. They wouldn't have put the roof-over on top of it, would they??? (Oh... well... I suppose anything is possible).

The good news is... someone, somewhere along the line loved this place enough to do some nice improvements on it. The drywall is well done, there are replacement windows in the kitchen (also nicely done). There is a roof-over (shingle) that only worries me slightly. And someone put up siding.

I'm hoping that there is hope for this little project, as, quite frankly, I don't really have anywhere else to go, and no way to get there if I did.

Anyway... thanks for any insight you can give, and I'm sure I'll be back with more question as time passes.

[Spydrweb1977]

I would say the smell is probably just in the carpet and padding, so ripping that out should take care of that. The water heater should not be too hard to tackle, just may be a bit of a pain due to the space constraints. The vent that leads to no where may have been a combustion intake tube for fresh air if that water heater was once a gas fired unit.

I would say since you got the place for free, see what you can do to fix er up a bit, just be as frugal as possible lol..

Good luck!

Pics would probably help to get some better advice, pictures tell a thousand words, but descriptions only go so far

[Greg]

Hi & welcome. Water heaters through the floor, All too common (check under the bath tub too) It is an easy fix. Drain as much out of the heater as you can, disconnect it, cut the old damaged floor out and replace it with PLYWOOD or at the very least OSB.

Kitchen vent was most likely a check ball type that got removed. Most home centers have them.

Don't forget to check the Articles section of the site, lots of information there too.

Like I tell people, ASK questions, that's why we're here.

Greg

[bobfather99]

Free is good!! Make sure the home is water tight, caulk around windows and doors. Pull up the old carpeting and discard, might help with the smell. Then check the floorboards and see where you need to repair. As Greg posted, use plywood and NOT particle board. If you can, post pics and ask questions. Lots of great knowledge/experience here!!!

[feeeeline]

Free is good!! Make sure the home is water tight, caulk around windows and doors. Pull up the old carpeting and discard, might help with the smell. Then check the floorboards and see where you need to repair. As Greg posted, use plywood and NOT particle board. If you can, post pics and ask questions. Lots of great knowledge/experience here!!!

Bob... on my budget, free was perfect. Lot rent is $325 a month. My older sister and younger brother also live in the park, so when I'm completely desperate, I have a place to shower before I head to work.

OK! New question... does it need it's own thread?

The roof over... Good GOLLY it's nice for the age of the place. However, I know a tiny bit about the older trailers, and quite frankly, I'm concerned about the weight of it, plus a fat ole' crazy cat lady up their examining for leaks. There IS evidence of previous leaks (light fixture in hallway), though we did have a very heavy rain recently and careful interior examination didn't really reveal anything getting wet.

It appears, even though there have been some modifications on the interior, that nothing weight-bearing in the original design has been altered. How in heavens name do I check the roof for safety before I actually get up there? I know there are several things that are going to need attention. At the very least, I'd like to make sure I've got no major leaks around the bathroom vent (the kitchen stove hood is a vent-a-hood... doesn't go outside).

If I'm getting too wordy, just stop me.

Does this forum have a thread or gallery for posting pictures of projects? I'll include them in the appropriate thread, but this is such a grand adventure, I'm just dying to share my abject horror and despair (and occasional success).

SO, incredibly, humbly grateful to have found you all. I am BEYOND grateful for your information and insight.

(On a lighter note, I've got a skilled DIY electrician in my youngest kid, who lives with me. I had the gas checked by a profesional.. I know we can't address these topics here. When I was shopping for professionals, I should have found one to look at what's the matter with my head, while I was at it. )

[feeeeline]

Ooops... there are no onions in the roof. Just gaps where the water can come in. LEEKS? LEAKS?

[Greg S]

You have definitely taken on a up hill battle. Between the kennel smell and the potential health issues related to mould from a grow op I would consider it best suited to a renovation by fire.

[feeeeline]

You have definitely taken on a up hill battle. Between the kennel smell and the potential health issues related to mould from a grow op I would consider it best suited to a renovation by fire.

Greg... the good news is... my lungs are already fried from sarcoidosis. See? No one better suited.

The other good news is... there is literally no place else for me to go. Local homeless shelter won't take me and three cats. Local battered women's shelter is full-up.

I don't qualify for much help... I'm the working poor, and by gum, I've got more guts than brains.

Point taken, though... and you weren't the first to suggest this route. I humbly agree except, there are no alternatives.

[feeeeline]

The vent to nowhere

[feeeeline]

The water heater that needed a floor (it does work... but the faucet in the bathtub is busted off, so it's only on when I'm actually using it.

[feeeeline]

I'm on my way out to get a snake (the one I have isn't flexible enough), and a boca vent to replace the vent-to-nowhere. Hoping it will work.

[Greg S]

Point taken, though... and you weren't the first to suggest this route. I humbly agree except, there are no alternatives.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

There are always alternatives but often people can not see past the one directly in front of them. They then mistakenly take it for their only option regardless of how bad a decision it may be.
You have likely taken on a money pit that will not only consume your money but eventually your spirit as well. I have seen this many times.
Owning a home becomes a anchor that pulls you down, drains your financial and emotional resources and prevents you from moving forward.
I view life from a realists perspective.

[JD]

Kinda dark & gloomy there, eh Greg? Here, have a Snicker's bar.

[feeeeline]

_______________________________________________________________________________________

There are always alternatives but often people can not see past the one directly in front of them. They then mistakenly take it for their only option regardless of how bad a decision it may be.
You have likely taken on a money pit that will not only consume your money but eventually your spirit as well. I have seen this many times.
Owning a home becomes a anchor that pulls you down, drains your financial and emotional resources and prevents you from moving forward.
I view life from a realists perspective.

Greg... this isn't my first barbecue. I apologize for being flippant, and I genuinely appreciate and am taking to heart what you're saying... but with all due respect, you, like me, do not have enough information about the situation to go on. I concur that the task ahead of me is incredibly stressful. I also apologize for my choice of words "no alternative". Lets just say that the available alternatives, with the time and money constraints I was dealing with, my life experience/skills/resources led me to believe that this was by far the most attractive option that I could come up with.

I'm not sure, by what you wrote, that you think this is about "home ownership". If you were thinking along those lines, I assure you, that's not what this was about.


You've given me something to think about, and for that, my sincere thanks.

I'll forgive you blocking or ignoring the rest of my posts.

[bobfather99]

Look at it a different way, it was FREE. Id L O V E a free home, even if it needed tons of work.
Clean up, de-smellify, fix whats broken, decorate as you see fit.

First on the agenda, clean out the home and seal up the home water tight. No leaks from the roof, doors, windows. If you need to replace rotten floors, use the same thickness plywood and not particle board.
Second, get the electrical(your son can handle that) plumbing and HVAC working. You have some time before youll need indoor heating, even in Michigan.
Third, decorate/paint as you and your budget see fit. I love shopping around for ideas and good deals on materials. Craigslist may also help. Southern Lower Michigan/Northern Indiana is the Mecca of mobile homes....there are several Mobile Home Surplus companies that have great deals on stuff you may need.

Finally, keep trying, and keep asking questions. We support each other here, so ask away!!
Post some more pics as you go along, too. Its always cool to see progress.