Green Light

One of our best friends Shari made some calls and through a friend of hers we found TBG Construction. Her friend Bill has been working with contractors for over 20 years and he gave them an excellent recommendation. He gave Shari his word that these guys were legit. When our friend Shari says that Bill's word is solid, it's solid and we got to witness that.

We set up a meeting and not only did the TBG team, Jesse and Jehovany Barraza show up, but Bill (whom we had never met by the way) also showed up to make sure we were taken care of. What??? Amazing right? He took time off of work and from his day to accompany the guys and introduce himself.

We ran them through all that needed to get done: Repairing the back room, foundation work, shoring up the house, electrical, plumbing, A.C., and remodeling the bathroom and kitchen. It was a long list and we waited nervously to hear back from them. We prayed that they would come within our budget because after meeting them, we couldn't imagine working with anyone else.

When we heard back from them they sent us a very detailed bid outlining all the work that needed to be done and what the work would cost, etc. We couldn't believe it when we got to the bottom line and the price was staring back at us. It fell within our budget and not only are we able to get everything done that we need but, The Mister and I don’t have to do a single thing. They are taking care of everything. How cool is that? I won't have to fear for The Mister's safety anymore.

What really sold us on this particular team was that they understood that we wanted to keep the integrity of the home as much as possible. When we told them that it was ok if they tore through our floors to get our plumbing done, their response was, "Why would you want to tear your original hardwood floors out?" Don't have to tell me twice ladies and gentelmen, I'm Sold!! If you can find me a solution, instead of saying it can't be done, The Mister and I will always go to bat for you.

They were so excited to get to work on an old home and for you cynics that will say that anyone getting paid will act excited, this team is different. They knew more about that house than we did. We didn't fall in love with this bungalow to completely change it. All we wanted to do was enhance it and update it and they got it. They really, really , really got it.

The TBG team readily provided us with references, copies of their insurance, and license information before we could even ask. They even invited us to go and see all of their other sites they are currently working on including a huge school, before we decided to accept their bid. We couldn't believe that they would be working on OUR project. We have never been so thrilled to sign on a dotted line and hand over a check. Watch out, we are officially working with The Big Guns.

Los Angeles Salvage Yards

We might have one or two we are not ready to share yet... but here are some of our favorites:

Freeway Building Materials Located in Boyle Heights. Alejandro is the owner and he is awesome!! They have amazing doors, and anything else you may be looking for. Give them a call before you head out to see if they have what you are looking for. So much inventory they have two lots. Prices were good.

Santa Fe Wrecking Co. This place has great selection of tubs and sinks. They also sell bath tub hardware and can get you old and new hardware for your tub. We dealt with Jerry and he was instrumental in giving us tips to refinish our tub. Heads up, they are moving locations so call ahead.

Olde Good Things I think they are way overpriced but sometimes you can find a good deal there. They have pretty cool pieces that are for the avid collector. You won't be disappointed but your wallet may be.

Silver Lake Architectural Salvage Bruce is who you will meet. He's not warm and fuzzy, but don't take it the wrong way. What he is, is knowledgeable with a great eye, and always on the hunt. If you do find something you like, get it or it may not be there the next day. They just cleaned up and reorganized the place so everything is easy to find.

We will keep adding to this post when we come across some more we can share with you. Tell them you found them here.

Chrome Plating Clawfoot Tub Legs

So to complete our tub we needed to refinish the feet. I was waiting to get these done until we had decided on whether we were going to go with nickel or chrome in the bathroom. If you see the hardware we got for the tub, you will know we ended up going with chrome.

I really, really, really, really wanted nickel but it was not in our budget. Nickel gets this amazing patina on it that makes it look antique. Before we bought our house, I found a nickel metal sink console that I fell in love with. I'm the biggest sucker. I went all single white female on it. Embarrassing but true. Anyway, the reason I love it so much is because it has more of a yellow tint to it and it feels more antique. The best part is if you don't like the patina you can always polish it and it will return to a shiny splendor. Best of both worlds right? Chrome on the other hand has more of a blue hue and it always looks new. Boring but economical.

We found this amazing place to get our legs chrome plated. They were $25.00 a leg and it was well worth it.

We called everyone in town and finally settled on Cal-Tron Plating Inc.

We learned that when refinishing your legs you don't want to sand blast them because they are more fragile. You want to have them dipped instead. At Cal-Tron they dipped them in copper before plating them to remove the rust and to keep it from coming back. Everyone there was so lovely with us. It was a bit of a drive but we decided to suck it up instead of mailing them in. We are so glad we did. The owner gave us a tour. It was unbelievable!!!!

Ever heard of the Fender Strat? They plate them there! They plate sooooo many cool things. The Mister went gaga over the Kirby Morgan 57. There were vats and vats and vats Willy Wonka style with bubbly liquid. We wish we could have taken a picture of the things we saw on our tour because it was the coolest thing ever. We were like kids on a field trip. Only thing missing was a brown bag lunch with a spoiled ham sandwich and a crushed piece of fruit. Yes we are super nerds.

Tips For Hiring a Contractor

Here are a few tips that we recently learned when looking for a contractor. Feel free to post your own.

• Ask for a license number. Even if you know the person, it can't hurt to ask. If they don't give you a number, you can look them up by first name, last name, aliases, and or company names. You will be able to see if their license is expired, pending, and or current. The cool part is that you can even find out if they have ever even been issued a license in the state before. If they are legit, they will not hesitate to give you the number. The website I gave you above has great information. For example, it tells you what the requirements are for contractors when they apply for a license, how much licenses cost, things to watch out for, and a phone number for any questions or concerns you may have.
  

• Checking the Better Business Bureau to see if they have had complaints is also a good idea. Check before you hire them, not after.

• Check references. We can't stress this enough. Don't check them after you hire them, check them before! There are always two sides to every story and you will be surprised at how candid people will be with you.
  

• Ask them how long they have worked with their vendors? Who do they have relationships with? If they have long standing relationships with vendors and they work with them consistently, that means they will be able to get you great deals.
  

• When you shop for material like tile, or appliances, most places, even Lowe's and Home Depot will know local contractors they can recommend to you. They see contractors all day long and can sometimes point you to a great person.
  

• Ask for insurance information. They should have workers comp, should be bonded, etc. This should not feel like pulling teeth. Either they have it or they don't. If they have it, they shouldn't have a problem showing you proof.

• If he or she does not have a license they are not able able to pull permits for you. If they ask you to pull them yourself be careful. They might tell you to pull your own permits because it will save you money... not true. Whether you pull them or they do, it costs the same. However, the difference is if YOU pull the permit, you become LIABLE if something goes wrong. YOU are RESPONSIBLE for anything that happens on your property such as a worker having an accident. If they pull them, they are responsible. In my opinion, the only exception to you pulling the permit is if you sign a contract with a licensed contractor afterwards that says they are liable and will take full responsibility.
  

• According to the state of California, if someone performs work that costs over $500 dollars, they must have a license or they can be fined and or taken to court. So it's best to hire someone who has a license if you are doing major work. If you are doing small stuff here or there, then it's up to you whether you want to go through the trouble.

• When you are getting a bid, be specific about everything that you need done. Ask if they haul away material. Ask if they usually stay within the proposed budget and time line. Get everything in writing. Ask how they have handled disputes in the past. Ask if they have repeat customers.
  

• Sign a contract!!! Do not start work without it. If someone keeps avoiding handing you one, it won't end well. Contracts protect both you and your contractor so there should be no reason not to have one.
  

• Always keep in mind that it is your money, your home, your choice. It's better to ask and be safe than sorry especially when it involves an investment. Don't assume people will volunteer information on their own. ASK QUESTIONS.
  

Yellow Light

With permits in hand we can move forward. However, with that being said, The Mister and I need to regroup and really think about our next step. We can’t afford to have any more mishaps. We are paying a mortgage and a rent payment and we can't do that for very much longer. We need to get this done fast and without costly mistakes.

We are not licensed contractors and don't know what we are doing, therefore we need to find someone who can take on this project with all that comes with it. We need someone who can be held liable, responsible, and accountable if something goes wrong. We can’t afford to take any more chances because our budget is not the same budget we started with.

We interviewed several people and although we found some wonderful candidates we are not sold.

Clawfoot Tub Hardware

We looked everywhere for hardware for my clawfoot. Because my clawfoot requires a tub wall mount we had a more difficult time finding all the hardware for it.

Most companies make deck mount and free standing hardware because the clawfoot tubs they sell now require that hardware but finding hardware for mine was hard. We kept getting quotes in the $800 and up range which included the water lines and the faucet but the faucets were not what I had in mind. Even when I found a faucet I liked I had to buy all the rest of the hardware separately and it was coming out to be way too much.

I found a place called Vintage Tub and Bath online. They had a package with the faucet I was looking for plus all the hardware I would need for $270 plus free shipping. Score! My only complaint is that they do take a little while to ship but on the bright side, my hardware looked better than the pictures on the site and I did not pay for shipping costs. They have most of what you will be looking for when redoing your tub. They even have custom paint colors to paint your tub if you are looking for that.

PERMITS

In order to move forward with the house, permits where in order. In order for permits to go through we needed to have plans drawn up. We came across a wonderful engineer who drew up the plans and presented them to the city. And guess what??? The city gave us the green light!

Good news bad news. Because we had a mistake that cost us quite a bit of money, our budget was reduced. The good news is, contrary to what we were told, it turned out that the permits were not very expensive at all. If we had just done this the right way, we would have saved tons of money!!!

Learn from us. Go get your permits. Go to an engineer if you need to have plans drawn up that require structural changes. It will save you so much time and money.

Refinishing a Clawfoot Tub

I'm a bit of a purist. I love to go vintage whenever I can. I guess I'm a sucker for charm. I don't like to go overboard but there are definitely some things that I will never budge on if I don't have to. One of those being old cast iron tubs. I have never been a fan of jetted tubs. To be honest, they freak me out a little bit.

I saw this tub on craigslist and I was smitten. It seemed like a perfect candidate but I still had to see it to make sure. For those of you who are thinking of buying an old tub, here are a few tips:

• Make sure that if it has legs, that all the legs are in good condition. Trying to find matching legs is near impossible. You can get away with different legs if you only see one side of the tub. However, keep in mind that they must all be level or your tub will not work.
  
• The inside of the tub should be pristine. You can buy kits to refinish the inside of the tub but it is best to get that professionally done. If it is in your budget to get the inside of the tub refinished, then the inside doesn't have to be pristine but it should not have huge pits or holes.
  
• The outside should not be porous. Some pits are normal because of the age and material but it should not all be pitted.
  
• Check to see what kind of faucet it needs. Some faucets are more difficult to find and not to mention, more expensive. The difference between a deck mount (drilling is on the rim of the tub), a tub wall mount (drilling is on the inside wall of the tub like mine), and a free standing mount (faucet is literally free standing and your tub will not have any drillings) can make a huge difference on your budget as well as where in the room you can place your tub.
  
• If you are not going to do the refinishing yourself call and ask for prices for someone to refinish your tub. It may make a difference on what you thought you were going to spend versus what you will end up spending. Also, some tub refinishers will not do a cast iron on site. Plan on dropping off and picking up the tub yourself. They weigh somewhere around 300-400 pounds so plan ahead.
  
• Also make sure to check costs on buying brand new legs versus refinishing costs if tub has existing legs.

We were up for the challenge and it was a great project to get to do together so we went for it. This is how we chose to refinish the tub and it worked for us. I cannot guarantee that you will have the same results we did so proceed at your own risk and don't send me any hate mail.

Materials we used:
A grinder
two different grades of sand paper
Mineral Spirits
Rust-Oleum Metal Primer
Oil based Paint in the color Sanctuary
Paint Brush
Paint Roller
Old Rags

1. We removed the legs and then used the grinder to blast off all of the rust and get the surface nice and smooth. We wiped it down with Mineral Spirits and old rags. Do not wipe down with water. It will immediately create rust. Wear goggles and a mask.
   
2. We then used a finer sand paper to smooth out any rough spots. Again, when we were done we wiped it clean with Mineral Spirits. This process was not done in one day. It took us a few days to get it done. Be patient.
   
3. We applied two coats of Rust-Oleum Metal primer which is a brownish color. It actually looked really cool. I think they sell a spray-on version but we decided against it and used the paint instead. A brush and a roller worked just fine.
   
4. We found a Ralph Lauren color we liked called Sanctuary ML16. Name sounds cheesy but it's a great color. We took it to a paint store that carried oil based paint. They were able to match the color almost perfectly. Another option that was presented to us was to use car paint, except they only sold it in gallons and it was somewhere in the range of $150. If we had that in the budget we would have gone with that for sure.
   
5. We gave it two coats of the oil based paint and let it dry!

The time it took for us to do this was about two weeks. The grinder saved us time, but the weather prevented the coats of primer and paint to dry when they should have so it took us longer. The total cost with materials, price of tub, delivery of tub to our house, faucet and water supply lines, and getting the legs cleaned and chrome plated was about $600 dollars. Had we bought a customized tub or had it refinished professionally we would have paid anywhere from $1500 and up once all was said and done. Not to mention, the tub would not have been cast iron but acrylic.

Below are pictures of what it looked like from beginning to end.

Welcome Back

Yes, we know, it's been a while. We apologize. Good news is we are still alive. Bad news is... the stress finally caught up with us. The Mister and I have been ill. From eye styes, to ulcers, to everything in between. Stress will do that.

In the meantime, since we can't be out and about and are bedridden, we figured we would post away. We have some things we can update you on. Nothing exciting. More like places where we have found excellent deals and little projects we have done here and there.

Regardless of the outcome on our home, we still need to have our materials ready to go. When we finally do start back up on the home (lord willing), we don't want to have one more reason to stall the project.

We have found some amazing deals here in Los Angeles as well as over the internet that we would love to share. Hopefully you may find some of it helpful.

Grateful

I am grateful tonight. I am grateful for all the support we are getting from family, friends and new people that we have met. Our families always know what to say to keep us hopeful and they have no idea how much that means to us. Our friends are helping us sort this out and doing their best to do everything and anything they can to help get us out of this mess. And for all that, I am grateful and so very thankful.

I have to think that everything happens for a reason. I have to believe that God would not have us in this situation if we couldn't handle it. My Mister is healthy, our families are well, and we have each other. A house is just a house. A very expensive house, but still just a house that may or may not make it. And whatever happens with the house is something that we will just have to live with. As long as The Mister is by my side I know we can keep facing whatever comes out way.

We will get through this. We learned a big lesson and we won't make this mistake again. I promise you that. Cross my heart and hope to die...

If it means we scale back, we scale back. If it means that we don't get to do what we wanted to do, we don't do it. I would rather have everything done right and by the book and maybe not get our "dream house" because our sanity is much more important than that. Being able to sleep at night knowing we have nothing to worry about, beats a second bathroom, or tile, or adding a hallway any day of the week because nothing is worth our health.

I am exhausted. I haven't slept in months and I pray that this is all over soon. All I want is for this to be over. I want my life back. I just want to move into my house!!!!

Smoke and Mirrors

Today we went to the Architect's office and he didn't have good news. To any and all who are going to buy a fixer and or who plan to make any changes to their homes please check your city's permit requirements. Each city has different rules.

If anyone tells you, "Hey don't worry about it, you don't need permits" don't take their word for it. In the city we are working in, you need a permit to fart in your own house. You can't even change a toilet without a permit. We were led to believe that we had nothing to worry about and now we are paying a big price for it.

When plans were drawn to make our house into a proper two bedroom home, like anyone in our shoes, we got excited. I had visions of tile and floors and paint and closets. Turns out the city won't allow extra square footage to be added. Had we known this, we would have saved ourselves a lot of grief, time and money.

Where are we now? Well according to the architect, because we demolished without a permit, we may not get the space back that we tore down. So even though we paid for a two bedroom house, this hiccup may have now cost us that 2nd bedroom. We have been demoted. Welcome to our Monday!

I cried like a baby in that office today. I felt so stupid but I couldn't hold it in. As he handed me a kleenex the architect says, "You should have come to me before you did anything. Why did you do this?" We acted out of faith, and we trusted in the advice given to us. I feel stupid but more than anything I am unbelievably angry.

The only sure bet in my life is The Mister. Of anything or anyone else I am not certain of. This quite possibly has to be the worst month in my life. When is it going to be over?

Divine Intervention Needed

As you all know we are trying to avoid getting nicked by the city. We went yesterday and lucked out, no citation. I hope we can get permits this week. The wait is hard, but if we can make it to the end of this week we should be fine. It sucks knowing your luck is about to run out, I pray to God, it doesn't. If a person takes a peek at the back we're screwed. The back of the house is missing. I hope the nosey people in the neighborhood don't call the city. I have never been so exposed in all my life. I am still waiting for the engineer to call, i hope he pulls through, if not it's plan B. I still can't believe i am in this situation. To all reading say this out loud. "Dear God please help the housestupids they really need your help. Amen"

One Step Forward 20 Steps Back

So you remember all that work we did? The beautiful trenches for the foundation? How "far along" we were? Well we are right back to where we started.



The Mister took me to see a movie yesterday. Smart move since it starred Gael Garcia Bernal. I'm on cloud nine enjoying being back until he takes me to the house where an 8 ton dumpster full of dirt is parked in our driveway. Huh that's weird!



I asked just how much of the 8 tons we had to shovel. He never gives me an answer. So I shoveled, trying my best to hold it together and not cry from pent up anger. We didn't finish and it felt like we only put a tiny dent in the hours that we worked.



Today my back hurts, my arms burn, and my hands are blisterd, the skin on them thin. We shovel again. This time until the 8 ton dumpster is empty and the trenches filled. I couldn't feel my hands until I poured water on them which felt like acid rain. Not even the joy from watching a beautiful movie yesterday makes up for it.



Never have I wanted to yell "I told you so" in the loudest voice I can muster.

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STOP IN THE NAME OF LOVE

Before you break my heart, think it oh oh over.

We need to think it over. Turns out the city we are doing our remodel in are super sticklers. They have the hardest hitting city planners / inspectors in the LA area. We had no clue, we should have known, but hindsight is not only 20/20, it's worthless. We are in the shit. In the trenches digging for dear life to put back 8 tons of dirt back into the ground before the city inspectors come down on me like a 300 pound jail mate. I feel like Macgyver using camo techniques to escape detection. We have an engineer/architect drafting some plans to get the approval from the city. They should be ready to go tomorrow. We are in limbo and i can feel the flames licking me.

This blog is called house stupid for a reason

This last week I learned a ton by the cost of being rash, hubris got
the best of us. I have been too tired to post. But i will tonight.

Going to have breakfast with the beautiful misses who is back. Stay
tuned.

This Pots A Boiled

The Mister filled me in on yesterday's events. I was livid, angry, and felt let down. I was stressed about my job and then this curveball hit me like a ton of bricks.

I don't do well with surprises especially when they involve an investment in which I have dumped every penny to my name. An investment in which every cent has been accounted for and has a place in our budget. Shortcuts don't exist.

Today The Mister spoke to the city. I'm glad I wasn't there because not only would I have been devastated and completely destroyed but the lid to this boiling pot would have finally blown. He says there might be a way to work it out. I trust him and I hope he is right. Once again its The Mister and me against the world. I miss Texas. I miss my family and I miss my friends. Over and out!
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THE NAIL IS NOTHING COMPARED TO THIS

Today I learned a very painful lesson. Acting without a proper permitted plan only leads to double the work and money. Our ambition must be scaled back for now. The city code states that if any work is done to increase the square footage of the house, we become subjected to everything short of public flogging. Jerry introduced me to a standup engineer architect Nick, who specializes in the draconian laws of our town. keep you posted and please keep your fingers crossed.

Mhm...

I was so worried about The Mister. I was traveling all day and couldn't check in on him as often as I would have liked. Before I left he had orders to go to the doctor. I get a message from him telling me he was at the doctors but the reception was so bad I couldn't understand all that he said. We finally touched base once he was out of the clinic.

The Mister tells me he is feeling fine but I know he is only saying that so I don't worry. I get an e-mail from Jerry and I come to find out his foot is the size of a small country. Thank God he is at the studio tomorrow and not working from home where he seems to attract all sorts of danger.

If his foot is the size of a small country, does that mean he is getting close to world domination?

Day 3: Wasted Days and ......

Wasted the majority of the day waiting at the hospital to get the foot looked at, while the demo dumpster was taken away. The guys dug the trenches for the new foundation and it looks great. (Like i know the difference) I wish i could of been more hands on today, but i will tomorrow. Our goal is to have the foundation in by Saturday. How can keep myself out of the hospital before Vanessa returns?

I will try my best to keep up the Blog Vane. Missing you. CHOTO

More Pictures of Day 2

They are in reverse order but you get the point right? Notice anything out of place? El Rookie, AKA The Mister is not sitting on the ground with an nail in his foot and not one single picture shows him almost decapitating Jerry "Dozer" Mendoza our contractor with the load of lumber he was carrying to the dumpster.

I Still Can't Believe This is My Life

For so long I have dreamed of a house. After living in apartments for so many years where the only thing we had control over was how we furnished the place, the freedom that comes with something as simple as keeping a window, or getting rid of a sink, or getting to decide how a space works best in our daily lives is truly a gift. We for once have control of our dwelling. We are humbled, excited, and so very grateful for this wonderful blessing. We have a great team of people helping us. We can't thank any of you enough. Please pray that The Mister doesn't get any more rusty nail piercings. He promised to get his shot tomorrow.

NOT CRAZY

Thanks to the crew of Mendoza Dev. and the help from the MR and Misses, we are ready for tomorrow. Trenching out for the foundation.

CRAZY?

The Mr. is Going to the Doctor tomorrow

Going to get a tetanus shot tomorrow afternoon. My brother the doctor who just graduated told me about all the lock jaw horror stories. I don't want to go like that.

2 inches

Of pure fun went into my foot. Jerry removed the nail with a shovel. I
got a tet shot 3 years ago. So all good.