Full Sheets of Drywall

I couldn't believe it when I saw the post.  Full Sheets of drywall!  The guy had recently finished his basement and had leftover drywall.  He lived in one of those outlying towns that many people think are "way out in the country" when in reality they are merely the outer edge of the metro area.  In other words, one of those towns that will be overlooked.  I told him I couldn't come until the next evening.  Someone had already asked for it but failed to show.  He offered it to me.

Sorry for the boring picture.  Drywall is not very photogenic.

So we took a little family drive and picked up some drywall.  It is not easy to transport full sheets of drywall, plywood, or anything that comes in a standard 4 foot by 8 foot sheet.  The inside of my minivan was purposefully made to be a tight four foot width!

It worked out, though.  We stopped for ice cream on the way home.  Later, I unloaded six full sheets of drywall in the blazing August heat, carrying them downstairs, around a tight corner, and stacked against the wall.

He also gave me a few cut-offs and partial sheets.  Don't laugh- they will go farther than you think they will!

By the way, if you have ever wondered what is the real name for this stuff- "drywall" or "sheetrock" the answer is, drywall, or even gypsum board.  Sheetrock is a very popular brand of drywall, which, because of its popularity, has become a common term of reference.  (Kind like folks in Oklahoma who refer to any kind of soda pop as "coke."  Seriously, a coke Sprite?)

Remodeling Is Expensive, Part 2 - The Bathroom Remodel

 We really love almost everything about our house.  Before we moved in we painted several rooms, and then of course, decorated and painted others within the first year.  But most rooms needed little more than a fresh coat of paint in a contemporary color.  The upstairs bathroom, however, needed more.  The floors featured a brown linoleum that was intended to look like parquet.  Unfortunately, vinyl just never looks like real wood.  The walls were a cloudy light blue, with a terrible boarder touching the ceiling.  Behind the door was what looked like a sad attempt at a linen closet, but with no doors, just really narrow open shelves.

Ugly Vinyl!

So, we decided to dive in!  A friend told me that installing tile was not hard.  I practiced with simple 12" X 12" square pattern in our master bathroom (the one guests never see).  And my friend was right- it was not too bad!  So for the main bathroom, I decided to try a pattern with multiple sizes of tiles. For a couple hundred dollars, we could have a new bathroom!

For this project, I really tried hard to budget correctly.  We kept the bathtub, planned for only a fresh application of stain and polyurethane on the existing vanity/sink, and used a white toilet that we had in our basement.  I made a full list of materials and priced them before we dove in.  We figured out how to pay for the project within our budget.  I estimated that it would cost at least $350 in materials.  So we gave ourselves $400.  Then we dove in!

The project went well.  I wasn't exactly sure how I would enclose the wannabe linen closet, but luckily I was able to enclose the bottom half and then install permanent open shelves in the top half- using mostly leftover materials from other projects.  (You see, we really will use that extra piece someday!)  The tile-setting went well, and I didn't break or mis-cut too many pieces, creating unnecessary waste.  However, as I began to mix the grout, I realized I had picked the wrong color.  Too late to return it, I had to buy another bag of grout.  Oops.  Setting the toilet turned out to be a challenge and required a few extra pieces.  Oops.  In the end, we were spent $535 on the materials.  $135 over budget.

Then came the decorating part.  Before starting the project, we purchased a large print of a couple of wooden boats on a beach.  We really liked it and decided to use it as the focal point for our decorating.  A great shower curtain, wood blinds a modest rug, and sink accessories added a little more to the cost.  And then there were the baskets.  The final pieces to complete linen closet 2.0.  Constrained by size, we found nice brown baskets, and just had to pay the price.  Total cost for the decorating items, not including the picture:  $175.

In the end, a little over $700 gave us a new bathroom.  I love the new bathroom!  The tile pattern looks good.  The colors look good.  Sure, there are a few things I could have done better, but most people would have to look closely to find them.  But in the end, it was pricey- at least for this cheapskate!  It was definitely not a couple hundred dollars!  No Way!  But hey- remodeling is expensive!

The final version includes a door on the bottom and baskets

 on the shelves.

Get Real: Remodeling Is Expensive! Part 1

As I written in the past, I am horrible when it comes to estimating the costs of home repair and remodel projects!  I mean well, and I don't mean to lie to myself, but when I know what something will truly cost, I won't do it!  I am just too cheap.  But when I am half-way through a project and already over budget, I am motivated to just pay for it because, well, no one wants to live inside a remodel project!

But this ready, aim-a-little-bit, fire, and aim-again process is stupid!  And expensive!  And marriage-straining!  And definitely not Dave-Ramsey-Approved!

Deep Thought:  why do we make excuses when we go $1,000 over budget, but we scream at a contractor who goes $10 over his bid?

I think there is something in us that kicks against the reality of what things cost.  I was surfing the web for bathroom layout and design ideas, and one page featured the samples and suggestions of one professional remodeling company.  The site claimed that $1,000 spent on your bathroom will get you no more than new paint, a new shower curtain and maybe a professional tile cleaning.  But any substantial improvement to your bathroom will cost well over a grand!  Are you serious?  Yes.

At that point I ask my, "what if I do all the work myself?  I could save a bunch of money, and yes, I will probably screw up a few things and have to go back and fix them.  But I will save a bunch of money!"

However, I need to remember this: I will still spend far more on materials than I first think I will.

In my next 2 posts, I will share with you the real costs of 2 of my recent projects:  a large main bathroom remodel, and a very small project of installing 2 doors to our basement storage area.