So, my parents recently bought a new house and I am in the process of helping them renovate it. It wasn't bad to start with but kind of small and outdated. I figured I would start a thread and detail the work I'm doing and having others do. There will be a series of posts here at the beginning to get things started since I need to bring you all up to speed. First, the house.
listed as 1440 sq ft 3bed 2 bath
first things first, we needed to finish the garage conversion that the last owners did half assed. they put a wall up 8 feet from the garage door and sealed it with foam. after much cursing, i freed it.
then we had our cement contractor block it in. but they did a terrible job framing the window.
so i fixed it myself and got some money back
we widened the driveway and extended the patio
then poured most of the backyard. 7 trucks total, 70 cubic yards. about $8k for the concrete.
we had a few goals:
1) more parking
2) bigger front porch
3) giant back patio for parties
4) a slab for a detached garage, since the old one was converted
mission accomplished
last weekend we framed the garage (i just need to finish the garage door wall, i am waiting on the 2x12x20's to be delivered
i jumped the gun a little because of a really good sale at harbor freight and picked up some tools... ok a lot of tools...
>>987985
Covered the entire backyard with concrete? You're a bunch of fucking savages
>>987996
its covering most of the fucking front / side with concrete (driveway widened), to get to the now entirely concrete covered back, that gets me.
Good thread, otherwise, but fuck.. turn the front garage back into a garge, build a party shed/extension out back that sits in a small ocean of green, whatever - but you dont need to buid a fucking runway to 'have a patio'. Germans would crucify you in property tax for this kind of shit (pay for surface area that does not naturally drain) - and they right. lo-maintenance, but fuck.
Will be lurking OP. Keep it coming
>>987988
Afraid you will find little love here for harbour freight... Although it's better than having nothing.
Reno looks good, put effort in and you could make a decent living off it
>>987985
Jesus that looks like shit.
>>988023
>find little love here for harbour freight
lol new here?
![toughbuilt_c700_saw_horse_table[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/oui5uG3.jpg "toughbuilt_c700_saw_horse_table[1].jpg")
>>987988
I'd take those crappy plastic sawhorses back. There's nothing like fucking shit up because of weak/wobbly sawhorses.
Keep up the good work, OP. Looks like a basketball court in your backyard.
>>987985
>pouring 7 trucks of concrete instead of making a beautiful brick patio
>>987985
>>987987
>>987988
ITT: OP flaunts his money by wasting it on all the wrong things
>>988044
Like this anon said. Use interlocking brick instead if concrete, it'll last way longer and won't depreciate your property value / make it look like shit
Also go get some real hardware not those toys you bought on sale
>>987971
Not saying /diy/ is the best ever, sometimes we're barely competent and talk out our respective asses, but dude... You'll get some positive feedback here for your workmanship, but you should've come here a couple of months ago before you started pouring concrete, brother.
>>988048
>Use interlocking brick instead if concrete, it'll last way longer
Know a landscaper guy who does a lot of paer brick work. He says that even with great prep work pavers will start to fail after 10 years. At his house he poured concrete first then laid his pavers.
>>988033
Wut
>>987985
WHY
>>987984
don't forget to add control joints
did you use rebar?
>>988078
Diy faggots love harbour freight.
>>988067
It just requires minimal maintenance and it shouldn't fail. Your buddy may be a landscaper but if he doesn't specialise in brick then what's he really know?
>>988051
I disagree, only because OP is obviously loaded. He probs has the money to have all that concrete torn out, therefore he should, and then hire a crew that specialises in interlock to come do his yard.
>>988090
Stop enabling this retard
Well, that's one way to hide $30,000 in cash.
>>988122
kek
>>988067
Paver or stone work properly installed will outlast a concrete slab, theoretically by centuries. A 4" (10 cm) expands and contracts with the seasons and will crack a ton... Particularly with no control joints
>>987985
Man... If you lack creativity next time look to Pinterest or some shit for ideas. Covering everything in concrete is what I see uneducated village people from 3rd world shit holes do.
>>987979
>split wood
>cracked concrete
>random ass piece of aluminum as a spacer
>fucking spray foam
what the hell
>>988095
>muppet gloves.
my sides.
>>988331
THIS.
Plus it's actually nice to look at.
>>987971
Did you make this thread just to cause me pain?
>>988067
Bricks are easier to replace when damaged than a giant concrete slab though, you can replace the damaged sections easier and with minimal effort
Ew. Are you a spic? Does your next step involve painting the house blood red, adding ugly vinyl windows and surrounding the front yard with some gaudy stucco-and-iron fence?
>>988000
Now I'm not particularly saying that what OP did looks good, but what about people with a lot of cars? I own 4 vehicles and my fiance has her own car, and that's without kids or friends and family over, so we need a lot of parking, and fighting for street parking/having some drunkass sideswipe my car in the middle of the night isn't appealing either
>>988919
You move out of the suburbs and buy a house with a decent amount of space beside the driveway. They can park on the lawn, it won't hurt anything as long as you don't make it a habit.
>>987985
I want you to know, after all of my years on this dog shit website, that this is the first thing I have seen that has made me genuinely mad.
>Captcha
>select all the images with grass
Oh fuck you.
>>987985
OP is a fucking retard.
>>987985
Looks nice to skateboard on.
>>987987
Not only did you pave your backyard, but you built a garage on it before the concrete has even cured?
...fuckin' Florida, man.
>>987979
that is honestly chinese commie block tier concreting anon. chunks have already fallen off.
>>987985
>>987984
jesus christ what the fuck did you do? you just filled the whole block with concrete. now it looks like shit. you should have had the contractor install the shed anchors BEFORE they poured. why the fuck would you install them in in green concrete afterwards instead of just doing it properly?
>>987981
>brick veneer
AHAHAHA i have seen some shit.
This whiole thread she be stickied with the DIY squat rack and a request to not post of that new plugin brought you.
>>987987
you are going to install nogging and braces right?
>>987996
>>988000
>>988044
>>988048
>>988058
>>988331
>>988333
i got tired of clicking posts. LOTS of criticism here for the concrete. fuck you guys. do any of you realize how much more brick costs than concrete? or that you need a slab to build a garage on? No shit a paved patio would have been nicer, im not a moron. thanks for making me feel like shit. but this is the reality: as expensive as the concrete was, it was exponentially cheaper. it widened the driveway which was necessary to accommodate the number of cars we need to park, and got me a slab for the garage. Now, as for the back... yea i would have preferred that to be brick. but the whole reason we paved it is because this is going to be my mom and dads house, and they like having big fucking patio parties. my dad is 86, and has had 2 knee replacements. he cant walk on a lawn. he would trip and fall on pavers. this is the safest thing for him. so again, fuck you guys, it achieves a purpose..
tbc
>>988000
specifically to answer the question of why not revert the garage and build a party shed: because this isnt a goddamn frat house. my parents need the extra space inside, and it serves everyones purposes better to have a detached garage. plus, in the future, when my mom retires, i will finish the garage and turn it into a small rental for additional income for her.
despite everyones criticisms this is actually a pretty well thought out plan. is the concrete pretty? no. but it was cheaper than brick or pavers and it achieves a goal. cant have everything dickweeds.
tbc
>>987985
>mission accomplished
Holy shit really? What the fuck was your mission? That's so fucking idiotic. Is this a "low maintenance" kind of mission? Well good luck when the it cracks. You didn't put a single damn expansion joint in there.
>>989288
goddamn bro there are several expansion joints its just a shitty pic
>>988334
dumbass read the posts that was what some asshole did, i fixed it.
>>988090
fiber in the crete. expansion joints were added theyre just not visible in pic
>>988034
they are steel and wood, i would never buy the plastic ones lol
>>988023
>>988095
as for harbor freight... im not in any hurry to buy too much stuff from there, but if their hand tools have a lifetime warranty, tell me why i should spend several times more for another brand which is likely also made in china? i was pretty selective... jacks, wrenches, saw horses, cool. torque wrench? craftsman. table saw? ryobi. planer? rigid. jointer? craftsman. yea, i bought an electric harbor freight impact gun, its just to hold me over until i have a compressor, and yes i bought a harbor freight engine stand and hoist because im not a fucking rockefeller. damn yo.
>>988810
ironically i specifically insisted on aluminum windows because fuck vinyl. and no, there will be no gaudy fence. +1 for racism tho
lastly...
>>988514
fuck you man lets see you do half the shit ive done. you feel like a big man on the internet?
you can keep on hating, but, you know, my dumb old parents are going to be able to enjoy the space a lot more like this, they can have parties on the back patio, and i am going to have tons of space to restore my car and work on our daily drivers. it does what i want it to do. sorry it offended 4chan's aesthetic sensibilities, this whole state is a shithole anyways and this dumbass early 80s shitbox wasnt going to look great any way you slice it so all i can do is make it as useful and as comfortable as possible. hopefully some of you can see that, and see the merit in the work im doing regardless of if you think the cement looks nice. really the thread is about all the modifications happening inside and the building of the garage, but if all everyone wants to do is hate on the concrete ill piss off
>>987985
why are there two fences? one shit tier rotting timber and another shit tier wire link fence? why not just fix that up? and why leave that little strip of grass? you could have paved the entire block.
also why is there a tropical forest behind the house? where does that gate lead?
>>989286
Fuck all wrong with concrete if it fits what's needed, You can paint it, coat it with an aggregate top surface, pave on top of it, build planters and decking on it, cut cunks out with diamond cutting tools and put beds back in and so on.
My only worry with what you've done would be direction of falls and drainage.
>>989286
i think the argument, at least imo, the a well kept grass lawn is legit especially for lawn parties. look like a good job was done though so tats all that really matters
>>987985
Why the flying fuck would you do this? holy shit absolutely disgusting!!
>>989286
It's going to fall apart lol
You're still a retard. The repair costs will well exceed what doing it correctly would have costed. Guarantee one winter and it will be fucked.
Enjoy your dad tripping over big Cracks and uneven surface
>>989286
>it achieves a purpose
Yeah, we aren't saying that it's not doing what it needs to do, we are saying it looks like shit, which it does.
Toasting in a epic bread
>>989286
Just end your life.
>>987987
/an/ faggot here...you have such a beautiful fucking backyard view...
And you've concreted over and shoved a shed in the way.
Should've done stamped concrete if you were dead set on filling your whole yard with it.
>>989290
It looks shit but it serves a purpose i guess. But now its just going to be deadspace whenever theirs no one partying. And you cant grow plants either.
>>987985
This is the dumbest most fucked up thing I have ever seen here.
Are you this retarded?
>>987985
basketball player confirmed.
>>989286
>>989290
Whatever shitty justifications you might have, all I can say is that I am glad you/your parents are not *my* neighbor.
As far as calling >>988810 racist, if the shoe fits
>Pours concrete over entire back yard
Why?
>Because my parents need to park a shit ton of cars on the lot
>Also, they need a concrete surface for parties
I know many mexicans who have decent taste and nice homes. But everything you are posting about doing to that house fits the ugly mexican stereotype to a T.
>>989290
Friendly reminder that fiber in concrete should normally only be used as an secondary reinforcer (it handles cracking concrete much better than steel mesh/rebar). Especially if you are going to have cars drive on it.
How thick did you make the slab?
>mfw this thread
>>990555
Nice trips.
>>990515
His dad also can barely walk so he would likely trip and fall during a party if it wasn't paved.
>>990614
Then he's probably too old to be throwing parties.
>>987971
The god damned garage is bigger then the house.
>>990747
word
>>990527
slab is 6" on advice on contractor
>>990614
thats the point, thanks
>>990747
uhhh no, dick. you can have a hard time walking and still like hanging out with family and friends
>>990756
its about 1/3 the square footage of the house, but yea, its big.... pretty awesome for someone who likes working on cars if you ask me
>>990776
also, dick
>>990515
>glad your parents are not my neighbor
rest assured, the feeling is mutual.
>>989682
to anyone that thinks we have a beautiful backyard view... you have no idea what youre talking about. that shit tier "forest" is a fucking wetland zoning green space city planning failure abomination. its basically a half mile square mosquito factory that the goddamn planners insisted on leaving but dont do shit to maintain. so, no, i dont want to look at a bunch of overgrown weeds that harbor racoons that eat my garbage and pools of fetid water that breed mosquitos. its fucking gross and totally unnatural, despite being filled with plants.
you know, this board really blows sometimes. few people on here are capable of any actual critical thought, they just apply hardline rules without actually looking at the situation. not every rule is true 100% of the time. I like nature and lawns and landcaping and all that other shit as much as the next guy, but this whole project is about making the best of a situation.
I thought some people would like to know what its like to build what is basically a 3 stall garage on your own without any experience from the ground up, but fuck me.
anyways... turned up the trusses and actually got half the deck and sheathing on
>>991066
>totally unnatural, despite being filled with plants.
You know what a wetland is right
>>991066
>trusses
In keeping with the theme of the thread, you should've went with rafters instead. They allow for more storage space.
>>991066
>18' x 24'
Not exactly what I would call "basically a 3 stall garage." Thats like a car and a half at best on a 150 ton ocean of poorly reinforced concrete. Seriously I hope thats not all just fibercrete, you at least put some welded wire fabric in there, right?
Also, sheathing the walls before standing them is incredibly easier whenever possible, especially being able to square them up and housewrapping them while on the ground. If there is no way to get help standing the walls then I understand waiting to sheath them
>>987985
savage
>>988810
and don't forget those wrought iron windows
>>992046
>Not exactly what I would call "basically a 3 stall garage."
...how big are your cars that they won't fit in an 8-foot wide parking space?
>>992766
My truck is roughly 6'8 wide (not counting being able to open the doors, which is normally a necessity unless you drive the General Lee) X 19' long. I assume from the way the garage is framed the doors are going on the 18' side which would be great for a 16' X 7' garage door. I dont see myself cramming 3 cars into that thing. Add in cabinets/workbenches/tool boxes etc and things are going to be pretty tight in there.
did not read lol
>>987985
I hate lawns as much as the next guy but there is no way in hell this was cheaper than astroturf.
>>989492
>Guarantee one winter and it will be fucked.
>Winter
>Tropical plants
I'm guessing there isn't a freeze/thaw cycle there, anon.
>>987971
Is there room on the lot for a shipping container or two?
>>991066
So you're old enough to do all this but you're going to be living with your parents? Do you have a job or are you making your parents pay you for your work
>>994054
Read deeper friend, he already said his dad is so old he can barely walk. Make of that what you will.
>>991066
dont worry dude, i like your thread! Keep going
>>987971
We need updates OP, k-keep me posted.
>>989290
Jesse, is that you?
OP pls we need udates
>>994061
Can barely walk but still has a prescription for cialis for daily use and still holds ragers in the backyard
>>996061
Once people get drunk enough the stop walking around and just want to sit.
Concreter: How you want your backyard family?
OP: JUST
ignore all these naysayers and treehuggers OP - they just jelly they cant drop $25k of an afternoon, playing King Redneck of El Rancho Roadtar too.
>MOAR updates, we believe.
>>992046
building is 20x32 dipshit. a 3 standard stall garage would be 20 deep and 30 wide. im not using it as a 3 stall, i have the door on the short end, so its a super deep 2 car
waited to sheath bc i couldnt sheath, root, and wrap all in the same day. it rains alot and i needed to keep the osb dry.
>>994054
wow, great job assuming tons of information, moron. i live on my own and have my own business. im 29. so far ive paid for most of the work.
>>994769
ill keep em coming
>>994837
hah yea who dis bitch lol
>>996061
yea, dad is 87 and im 29. brother is 23. do the math, his legs gave out before his dick. hope im so lucky.
man i cant believe the thread is still around... ill update with more pics soon... roof is on, siding is on, electrical is in, garage is shaping up. tile going down inside the house as well
thanks for the interest, i guess glad to see slightly fewer assholes around
>>996400
>Posts pictures of shitty house projects like pouring concrete all over a back yard, fucking up the aesthetics of the neighborhood.
>Anons on 4chan respond by going 'wtf did you do, OP?
>Respond with 'fuck you asshole'
>Respond again about number of assholes on 4chan.
OP, perhaps we need to consider who the real asshole in this thread is. If you run into an asshole, you ran into an asshole. If you *keep* running into assholes..... well, the asshole just *might*... be... you.
I want to see the rest. All that concrete is an abomination though
