Estimate for kitchen ceiling repair

needshave said:
I live in a 1890 gothic revival, I own two others buildings all build before 1900. I'm well versed in the repair and replacement of lath, plastered walls, horse hair plaster walls in radii of arched entrances and concrete wash up walls over soft brick. As well as fabric transfer to concrete walls that are used in all brick interior walls where no 2x4's are used. I know the difference. If I wanted to find a contractor to repair the plaster in any of those places I know of three contractors that do it and do it often. But I do it myself, its not that difficult. Additionally my comments addressed Plaster board and only plasterboard and was provided as a reference.
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@needshave Would love to see photos of your home. You sound like the perfect person to help @debodun.
 

Pamela,
I would be most happen to help, if she wants me to.

I will try to find a picture of the house and see if i can post it. Thanks for writing.
 
pamelasmithwick said:
@needshave Would love to see photos of your home. You sound like the perfect person to help @debodun.
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You are right. A person with overall experience would be a great help to Deb. Of course if it were only the kitchen that needed repair a once & done project it wouldn't pay
needshave to be that person.

He might be interested if redoing the roof. Repairs to the windows & under all the windows where the rotted wood is causing problems. The brickwork falling out, rewiring the 10 room home to 200 amp service or whatever the code calls for where she lives. The cellar that has water in it when it rains, repaint the exterior where a handyman used cheap paint that is peeling. Last upgrade the plumbing that is failing.

And do all that while Deb watches him & crew so they don't steal all her yard sale items.
 

debodun said:
Then why can't I make decisions that other people do not seem to have trouble making?
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Because you're trying to act as your own contractor for a home overhaul that needs a general contractor ...a task that's beyond most people without tech savvy, a sound knowledge base of contracts, building codes and great people management skills.

More about general contractors.


.
 
debodun said:
Then why can't I make decisions that other people do not seem to have trouble making?
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AnnieA said:
Because you're trying to act as your own contractor for a home overhaul that needs a general contractor ...a task that's beyond most people without tech savvy, a sound knowledge base of contracts, building codes and great people management skills.
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aaaand battling a severe case of skinflintitis

skinflint.jpg
 
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needshave said:
Not totally sure of what you're saying here, or not saying, But If I can help her, I would be glad to.
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Trying to say that the knowledge you have would be exactly what Deb needs. You seem to be capable enough to be a general contractor for all the repair needed to make her home safe & livable. There have been several different threads by Deb with photos of all the problems she has ignored.

Deb posts pics of and her description of the deterioration she basically needs a rebuild.

Deb as you can see lives in upstate N Y so putting together a comprehensive overhaul crew may take travel by sub contractors to make the repairs needed.

Deb seems like a good person but in her posts she comes across as a person not that friendly with neighbors & according to her, mistrusting of anyone doing work for her. So even if you volunteered to go there for free and set up a cost to bring her home to being livable by normal standards you might wish you were not so generous with your skills.
 
id get 2 more estimates to get an idea if the first person was in the same ball park or trying to rip you off price wise.
 
These guys are the only drywall/plaster repairers open in my area right now. I looked at other Websites of this type of contractor and they are listed as being "temporarily closed".

How can I tell what Post 52 is?
 
debodun said:
This is the business that was working on my next-door neighbors for a few weeks. At night it looked like studio lights on over there in two downstairs rooms - probably to quicken the drying process of something. If they want almost $3000 for a 40 sq ft area in my kitchen, my neighbor must have had to pay a fortune.

I am trying to get estimates, but plaster/drywall contractors are not very common in this area.
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Do you have a nextdoor.com community website in your area? If so, you can go on there and ask for good handyman referrals.
 
StarSong said:
And the beat goes on...
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On & On at least for now. At some point trying to be helpful concerning home repair the helpful will stop trying.

Almost hate to see summer over. We'll have to wait until next year for pics of the same yard sale item's.

Between home repair & yard sale being beat to death this thread may end soon. But there is a potential for what to do about car problems to be next. We can hope for multi posts with pics about the problems & why they can't be fixed. Might even be treated to pics of cars that can be paid for with cash.
 
If I were in Deb's shoes, the first decision for me would be whether I REALLY wanted to remain in that house or find something easier to live in and maintain, especially in light of the stairs, which will almost inevitably become a problem to get up and down, and the difficulty she has in getting good services where she is and her reluctance to travel more than just a few miles for medical care, shopping, etc. It will also almost inevitably come to pass that she will no longer be able to do her yard work, snow shoveling, etc., herself. The differences in what you are able to do at, say 60, and between what you are able to do at 70 and beyond, are huge.

If I did decide to stay in that house, and had the money to do it, I'd hire a general contractor and spring for the money to get it all done at once -- I mean as that is possible, over a relatively short period of time -- and be done with it. IMHO piecemeal fixing of this or that is a bad idea, as there will always be something else or the fixing of one problem leads to another (as the fixing of the tub drain led to the ceiling problem).

If I were in her shoes I know what I would do. I'd sell that old house or the land it sits on or whatever and get out from under that albatross. I'd dump all the old yard sale stuff, too. I'd find a smaller place easier to live in and maintain, minus all the clutter, and relax and enjoy the rest of my life.

But then, that's just me.
 

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