Heights Home

[heightsfan]

Good Afternoon ,

hope your week goes well!

Seeking feedback,ideas, suggestions, or comments for those who own

an older home in the Heights area concerning the following:

The wiring seems some homes only have outlets for a 2 prong and will

require 3 prong adapter ( replace or leave alone )

Some homes have older cyclone metal fences and some wooden fences ? (cyclone or wood)

Also thoughts about putting a tall wooden privacy fence along the side of house ?

Best method ,material, or ideas for access to attic if no attic stairs and only frames

in attic no standing boards ?

Finally, best place for ideas and designs for paint and plants ?

Thank You

"make it a great day"

[nmainguy]

Seeking feedback,ideas, suggestions, or comments for those who own

an older home in the Heights area concerning the following:

The wiring seems some homes only have outlets for a 2 prong and will

require 3 prong adapter ( replace or leave alone )

Some homes have older cyclone metal fences and some wooden fences ? (cyclone or wood)

Also thoughts about putting a tall wooden privacy fence along the side of house ?

Best method ,material, or ideas for access to attic if no attic stairs and only frames

in attic no standing boards ?

Finally, best place for ideas and designs for paint and plants ?

Our home was built in 1920 and had 2 prongs through out. We had 3 prongs plus GFC's in the baths, laundry and kitchen-by a licensed electrician.

Man! The first thing we did was rip out that cyclone fence.

We put 8' cedar fencing on the side-used Houston Fence-I highly recommend them-but make sure they take out the posts and not just cut them off at grade level.

We have a hatch access to our attic in the hallway but when we added on a wing to the back, we installed an operable window in the gable for access to the new part. I was just forced today by my better half to get out the ladder to retrieve Xmas decorations! Xmas???? [Go figure...I do as I'm told this time of year.]

I finally gave into my ego and went to Sherwin Williams because I just could not get the colors squared in my head. They have a great chart showing the typical color schemes by era. We're really pleased with our choices.

Plants? Use native, hardy plants. Ruella...want some? Come over for all you want. Texas sage; mallow hibiscus, roses, lariope, beauganvilla, ginger, elephant ears, lavender, impatients and lots of herbs...go to Buchannan's on E. 11th @ Oxford...best source and information on local plants.

Good luck! Let us know how it's going.

[ldogg]

as for the wiring... take a look at most of the things you plug in... hardly any have a ground, so I'd say you can leave the 2 prongs alone.... however, it might be a good idea to have an electrician run grounds to the areas where the things you plug in DO have a ground... we did our house where the tvs, computer and appliances were going.. everything else stayed without the ground...

I'll 2nd Buchanan's for plants... decent prices but what you get there is a very knowledgeable staff... and they will special order things for you as well...

SW is good for paint ideas with the little cards they have... my office is actually a 1925 Victorian in the Montrose area and we went out and bought some books on Victorian homes and architecture to help us decide on colors... these books were also helpful in deciding how to make an elegant crown moulding for these 11' cielings...

call some fence companies to get a competitve bid.... then go to a lumber yard and price the materials yourself... what I did was called a bunch of the carpenter/handymen/remodelers who leave their cards at HD and Lowes... got them to bid on labor only for putting up the fence and saved myself about $1000 over calling an actual fence company... my fence came out beautiful... of course that $1000 means you have to be there for the delivery from the lumber yard as well as supervise the contractor like a hawk because those guys aren't exactly the type you will get warranty work from... the guy I used didn't ask for any $$ until the job was totally done, plus I speak spanish fluently so we had no problems and they did a great job..

[dbigtex56]

... my office is actually a 1925 Victorian in the Montrose area and we went out and bought some books on Victorian homes and architecture to help us decide on colors...

Forgive my pedantry, but I doubt if a 1925 house is Victorian.

'Victorian' refers to the styles in vogue during the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901). Not a lot of houses built after the first decade of the 20th century could be classified as Victorians.

By the 1920s, Craftsman and Four Square houses were popular, and used a different color palate. Victorian colors would be inappropriate.

[heightsfan]

Great feedback & Thank You !

What colors would be adequate for a home built in the 1920s ?

For the interior walls including kitchen and baths ?

Also any good places for ideas in books,magazines, or places to decide on paint

color and crown moldings ?

Thank You

"make it a great day "

[nmainguy]

Great feedback & Thank You !

What colors would be adequate for a home built in the 1920s ?

For the interior walls including kitchen and baths ?

Also any good places for ideas in books,magazines, or places to decide on paint

color and crown moldings ?

Thank You

"make it a great day "

Like I said before: Go to Sherwin Wiiliams and ask for the booklet that details every period for exterior finish combinations since the 1800's. I compared them to books on the period and they turned out to be pretty right on. We live in a 1920 craftsman and used a yellow for the siding, an avacado for the trim and a Roycroft red for all the movable parts ie: doors, windows, screens.

As far as the inside-go with your gut. We went with one color throughout the house because it always seems to make a small house larger. It's just a good flow. We looked at all the interior paint combos and ended up with 3 degrees of taupe. It's a great back-drop for all of our craftsman, deco, midcentury and modern furnishings. I'd rather the focus be on the furnishings and art as opposed to letting the wall colors overwhelm.

[dbigtex56]

re: interiors

Check out this website - Bradbury & Bradbury Art Wallpapers.

Wallpaper would be historically correct. Although I haven't priced this company's products (I imagine they don't come cheap) you can still get some great ideas for Victorian, Arts & Crafts and Art Deco interiors, including color schemes and borders.

[heightsfan]

Good Afternoon,

hope your week goes well !

Really appreciate all the great feedback also any ideas on the following:

Water heater in the kitchen where to relocate ? ( Attic might not be to stable )

Where to purchase a quality and economical swing for porch ?

What is major difference for interior walls to paint satin,gloss, semi gloss, or flat and

which is better - why /why not ?

Thank You

"make it a great day"

[heightsfan]

Good Afternoon All,

hope you have a great week !

I am still doing some minor upgrades and minor cosmetic changes

and wondering is Home Depot or Loewes best bang for the buck for

interior paint , kitchen counter tops, floor tile , bath tubs ?

Are there any quality discount stores or warehouse stores that

provide those items for lower cost ?

What is the avg height for a wooden privacy fence ?

Are those cedar wooden planks for the privacy fence suppose to

be a 1x 6 ? Just seems pretty thin ?

Thank You

[Guest danax]

Are there any quality discount stores or warehouse stores that

provide those items for lower cost ?

What is the avg height for a wooden privacy fence ?

Are those cedar wooden planks for the privacy fence suppose to

be a 1x 6 ? Just seems pretty thin ?

Thank You

Lower cost than Home Depot/Lowes? That's scary. I guess I'm an old house snob at this point but I would avoid those places for the most part except for paintbrushes and supplies. They might have some good quality paint, tile and maybe a few other things, I'm not sure, but in general the items are of cheap quality. Of course, they do carry name brand items like American Standard and Kohler plumbing fixtures and also have the ability to order from many different sources so I wouldn't necessarily not use them, just be sure to know what you want beforehand. I have heard that Home Depot's Ralph Lauren paint is bad, according to a lot of internet reviews. If you decide to think "outside the boxstore" there are numerous suppliers in the historic home category. Try The Old House Web for suppliers, ideas and, the forum is filled with knowledgeable people who can answer your questions.

Bathtubs? Do you want a historically correct clawfoot tub or, you could go with an art deco "modern" tub without legs, which you'd have to find at a salvage yard, like Historic Houston or Adkins off of Fannin in Midtown.

Have you looked at the books Bungalow Bathrooms and Bungalow Kitchens? The big book stores usually have them and they're filled with photos of original rooms from your era homes. It's definitely worth a look before you rip something out you might regret later. Original doesn't have to be ugly or obsolete.

Privacy fences tend to be 6' high using 1x6s but can go up to 8' in Houston without a permit.

[RedScare]

My side fence is 7 feet tall. It is becoming somewhat standard height. It is a 6 foot tall plank, with 2 planks at the bottom, running sideways. That way, when the bottom rots, you replace the running boards only, instead of the entire fence.

My back yard neighbor just put up a section of 8 foot fence. Biggest plank I've ever seen! It will certainly block a view of ugly garages, etc, which is what he was trying to do (my garage needs replacement badly).

[heightsfan]

Wow . . . thanks awesome feedback !

Question ?

By updating historically correct clawfoot tub or, with an art deco "modern" tub without legs, which you'd have to find at a salvage yard, like Historic Houston or Adkins off of Fannin in Midtown.I am assuming this method could be more costly or time consuming searching for older items?

Thank You

[nmainguy]

Wow . . . thanks awesome feedback !

Question ?

By updating historically correct clawfoot tub or, with an art deco "modern" tub without legs, which you'd have to find at a salvage yard, like Historic Houston or Adkins off of Fannin in Midtown.I am assuming this method could be more costly or time consuming searching for older items?

Thank You

When we bought our home it had the original claw foot but it was pretty grungy and rusting on the edges. We had U-Plumb-It [1424 Montrose 713.942.2277] pick it up and refinish it. If you want to buy a used one, Adkins is a good source.

We have an 8' fence from Houston Fence-6' x 1" planks [that's standard-not as thin as you think] on a 24 x 2" runner so-as Red said-you only replace the runner if you have rot. It runs down the side and tapers to 6' where it meets out wrought iron drive gate.

As for paint-we bought paint at Lowes for our bedroom and bath initially but after a year we found it to be really crappy. We repainted with Sherwin Williams and it looks like we painted it yesterday-that was 4 years ago. Spend a little up front for quality and save alot in the long run.

We have a tankless water heater-hot water on demand. It hangs on the wall in the laundry room and does'nt hold water. It works great for the two of us but they make all sizes. You save $$ because you don't have a big, bulky tank that runs constantly to keep the water hot

We were lucky as our home was pretty much in it's original state except for a half-ass job someone tried to pull off in the kitchen.

It takes a lot of elbow-grease, dedication and heart but when you finish and stand back-that's a great feeling of accomplishment.

[gnu]

We have a tankless water heater-hot water on demand. It hangs on the wall in the laundry room and does'nt hold water. It works great for the two of us but they make all sizes. You save $$ because you don't have a big, bulky tank that runs constantly to keep the water hot

we have been thinking about installing one of those water heaters. What brand do you have, where did you purchase it, and what was the price? And what about installation? Did you need a new electric run to it? did you use your old hWH vent?

[TJones]

we have been thinking about installing one of those water heaters. What brand do you have, where did you purchase it, and what was the price? And what about installation? Did you need a new electric run to it? did you use your old hWH vent?

My cousion has a tankless waterheater in his house he just built in Louisiana. He claims that he never runs out of hotwater, he absolutely loves it.

[west20th]

My cousion has a tankless waterheater in his house he just built in Louisiana. He claims that he never runs out of hotwater, he absolutely loves it.

Can these be retrofitted in the same place as an existing WH, eliminating the need for re-plumbing? I have a house with a gas water heater in the attic, this has always made me nervous. When it's time is up a tankless WH would seem to be a good alternative. Are they much more costly than traditional water heaters?

[heightsfan]

Good Afternoon,

hope your day goes well !

Questions :

On some original hard wood Pine floors what is the best method to restore ?

Also what is an avg price to have a company to refinish the floors ?

What is an avg price for custom kitchen cabinets ? Is it cheaper to

purchase ready made cabinets if so where ?

What is the best method for attic insulation ? Machine version or the roll up version ?

Thank You

"make it a great day"

[nmainguy]

we have been thinking about installing one of those water heaters. What brand do you have, where did you purchase it, and what was the price? And what about installation? Did you need a new electric run to it? did you use your old hWH vent?

The brand we have is Bosch/AquaStar. It was purchased at Lowe's and was installed by a licenced HVAC company for a total of around $800.00 about 2 years ago. It is natural gas and requires a 5" duct. They also produce electric and LPG units. No re-plumbing is required. It costs more than a new standard water heater but pays for itself over a short period. I think our gas bill is half what it used to be 2 years ago. It will never rust-out [as a water heater will] as it never holds water. It hangs on the wall so you can convert that old hole in the wall where your water heater was into a pantry or whatever [ours is now a broom closet]. Hot water is almost instant and you never run out as the hot water tap activates the unit.

Man, they outta hire me as a spokes-person

[jm1fd]

The brand we have is Bosch/AquaStar. It was purchased at Lowe's and was installed by a licenced HVAC company for a total of around $800.00 about 2 years ago. It is natural gas and requires a 5" duct. They also produce electric and LPG units. No re-plumbing is required. It costs more than a new standard water heater but pays for itself over a short period. I think our gas bill is half what it used to be 2 years ago. It will never rust-out [as a water heater will] as it never holds water. It hangs on the wall so you can convert that old hole in the wall where your water heater was into a pantry or whatever [ours is now a broom closet]. Hot water is almost instant and you never run out as the hot water tap activates the unit.

Man, they outta hire me as a spokes-person

Re-plumbing is required if the gas line to the unit isn't big enough. When compared to a standard tank heater, they burn a greater volume of gas when they're firing. Also, the stainless vent pipe required is very expensive, and must be installed just right to prevent the acidic condensate from running back down into the heat exchanger and eating a hole in it.

I considered buying one....my house has gas line that's big enough, but the stainless venting would be a PITA, not to mention expensive. If they would make these so you could vent them with PVC like high eff. furnaces then I'd probably buy one, even though the savings aren't justified. Link to Comparison Also of note is that the comparison above is on the low side when it comes to installation costs. You can't even buy some instant gas units for the $1200 quoted...much less the stainless vent and install.

Also, you may or may not save money. These suckers burn TONS of gas when they're running, and if you succumb to the temptation of LOOOOONG showers, then you'll be scarfing down gas the whole time you're in there....whereas with a tank, when its empty, its time to go.

[nmainguy]

Re-plumbing is required if the gas line to the unit isn't big enough. When compared to a standard tank heater, they burn a greater volume of gas when they're firing. Also, the stainless vent pipe required is very expensive, and must be installed just right to prevent the acidic condensate from running back down into the heat exchanger and eating a hole in it.

I considered buying one....my house has gas line that's big enough, but the stainless venting would be a PITA, not to mention expensive. If they would make these so you could vent them with PVC like high eff. furnaces then I'd probably buy one, even though the savings aren't justified. Link to Comparison Also of note is that the comparison above is on the low side when it comes to installation costs. You can't even buy some instant gas units for the $1200 quoted...much less the stainless vent and install.

Also, you may or may not save money. These suckers burn TONS of gas when they're running, and if you succumb to the temptation of LOOOOONG showers, then you'll be scarfing down gas the whole time you're in there....whereas with a tank, when its empty, its time to go.

Our gas lines were adequate. The Bosch did not require a SS stack. It required a 5" diameter galvanized stack. The heat exchanger has a shield so as not to have any condensation dripping onto it. I found the invoice for ours. It totalled $875.00 heater and installation. It's not their largest unit. I suppose someone could spend more. Maybe on a pilotless one? The chart you posted lists the total cost for on demand gas with installation as $650.00-maybe we spent too much or the prices have fallen since 2003? I don't think the pilot is eating up alot of fuel. In addition, we don't have a tank that needs constant re-filling and continuous heating. With ours, I turn on the hot water, take my shower, turn the tap off and me and the water heater are done until the next time.

[heightsfan]

Good Afternoon All ,

if doing some minor updates to kitchen and bath what are some

challenges, cost factors, or benefits to using marble , slate, tile, or granite for

the countertops and floors ?

Is there a place that sells ready made kitchen cabinets ?

What is an avg cost for custom cabinets ?

thank you

[cwrm4]

Good Afternoon All ,

if doing some minor updates to kitchen and bath what are some

challenges, cost factors, or benefits to using marble , slate, tile, or granite for

the countertops and floors ?

Is there a place that sells ready made kitchen cabinets ?

What is an avg cost for custom cabinets ?

thank you

If you are talking about an original "Heights-style" (i.e. pier & beam construction) house, the biggest challenge to having slate/tile floors is that these houses tend to shift around a good bit - which will crack the grout between "hard" tiles, or, at worst, crack the tiles themselves. Many houses have vinyl or other flexible tile instead. You can put in tile/slate; however, you really need to have the house professionally leveled and stabilized first.

The piers/blocks in most original Heights houses rest on the surface of the ground are very suspectible to soil condition. My house (1926 build) had standing water under my bedroom; after playing with berms and fixing the gutters I got it to dry out. Then, one night soon after, bam! - in the middle of the night a crack shot up the bedroom wall. Now the closet door that wouldn't close will, and the closet door that did close won't! I think the fact that soil under the piers dried out was responsible for this shift.

By comparison, most new-build pier-and-beam places in the Heights have concrete piers that go anywhere from 8-16 ft underground.

Home Depot or Lowe's or their design outlets have cabinets to go, and there are several outfits that will supply you with computer software to design your cabinets and then have them custom made. Cabinets aren't cheap - I've had friends pay anywhere from $4000 to $25000 for custom cabinets.

As for granite countertops, I read recently that those were the number #1 impact item for home resale values, so probably worth the extra $$$.

Just be advised there is really no such thing as "minor" updates to the kitchen/bath...the cost will sprial out of control like you can't imagine...

[heightsfan]

Thank You . . . Thank You

for the wonderful info ,opinions, experiences, and ideas

as we continue to work on our older bungalow home .

I recently removed some old carpet to refinish the wood pine floors

is there anything special I should be aware of with pine floors ? Also

I noticed the nails on the wood floors should those be there ?

How difficult is attic insulation ? Which is best the type you roll on yourself

or the machine blown type ?

Thank You

[sevfiv]

just be aware that pine is soft...

and also, even though it was under carpet, it would be helpful to know if the floors have been previously sanded...

[MarthaG]

Are you 100% sure those are pine floors? I ask because I have only seen Oak floors in the area.

You need to decide if you want a wax finish or a polyurathane finsh on your wood floors. I think the wax floors look better, last longer, but are more work. I have the polyurathane myself. It has been 5 years since they were refinished, and they need to be finished again. Most likely I will put it off another few years.

Having installed and removed both roll in and blown in insulation, I strongly suggest you stick with rolling in the "pink stuff" (Corning).

[heightsfan]

Awesome feedback !

What exactly is meant by a wax finish on the floors as opposed to Polyurathane?

Is there a difference in the roll in version of insulation or certain brand,thickness, design ?

Also why would you highly suggest the roll in vs the blown machine insulation ?

PS . . . original owner of home stated floors are pine is that good or bad ?

Thank You

"make it a great day "

[Guest danax]

Awesome feedback !

PS . . . original owner of home stated floors are pine is that good or bad ?

Thank You

"make it a great day "

If they're pine they almost have to be heart pine, which I've read was virtually extinct by 1910ish. So, your home would have to be one of the older ones in the Heights.

The hardness level of heart pine is just below that of Red Oak, although they will dent. My floors are heart pine and, although I haven't figured out the best way to finish them yet. I will say that one of their best qualities is their beauty. They take on a reddish-orange tone which I find very nice and unique.

They also last a long time if cared for. George Washington's Mt. Vernon floors are 250 year old heart pine. Whatever you decide to do, don't get a "hack" to redo them. The patina on the top layer is worth keeping so sometimes a knowledgeable floor man will be able to barely sand if at all and keep the "cream" on top.

[MarthaG]

What exactly is meant by a wax finish on the floors as opposed to Polyurathane?

Try this website... it will explain differences: http://www.woodfloorsonline.com/products/finishes.html

Is there a difference in the roll in version of insulation or certain brand,thickness, design ?

Also why would you highly suggest the roll in vs the blown machine insulation ?

Major differences in types of insulation, brand, thickness. Buy Corning (Pink Panther) in the heaviest, thickest you can afford. This is an area you do not skimp on. It will pay for itself 10 times over.

When you have to work around the blown in stuff, you will know immediately why the roll in stuff is better. The blown in stuff gets every where is terrible to have to clean up.

[heightsfan]

Good Afternoon,

hope your day goes well !

Whats your input, experience, or comment on the following :

A gas dryer as oppose to electric dryer inside the garage ?

Location for gas water heater in garage ?

Are there any dryers electric that can handle 110 electric outlet ? How easy is to

install a 220 outlet ?

Thank You

"make it a great day

[RedScare]

Good Afternoon,

hope your day goes well !

Whats your input, experience, or comment on the following :

A gas dryer as oppose to electric dryer inside the garage ?

Location for gas water heater in garage ?

Are there any dryers electric that can handle 110 electric outlet ? How easy is to

install a 220 outlet ?

Thank You

"make it a great day

I don't think there is a whole lot of difference between gas and electric dryers, unlike ranges, where some people like the gas better. The biggest issue is how easy it is to get gas service or electricity to the location where you need it. It is usually easier to run electricity than gas.

Unless you are very comfortable with electricity, I would draw the line with 220v service. You will need to hook it up at the breaker box, and that can get pretty dicey. I play with 110v circuits all the time, but I never do 220.