Whole home low budget slow refresh

[BoeingFan]

Home Sweet Home!So I'm about to take on a little cottage in the middle of nowhere to be near family, and I'm beside myself with excitement about all the stuff we can do to freshen her up. I've never done any reno stuff before, but a lick of paint is always a great place to start. Bunnings, here I come!

P.S. I'm still trying to work out how to add an image to this post!

[BoeingFan]

@JewelleryrescueThank you so much for your very comprehensive post, I really appreciate it!

I don't run a business so I don't think I can do the pass thing, I noticed that in Bunnings, and 5% isn't to be sneezed at.Thanks for mentioning it though

It was 33c here today and so I decided to leave the bath until it cools down later in the week. Once I have the tub out into the yard, I'm still not sure what I'd like to do with it; perhaps a herb garden? Anyway, thank you again!

Cheers,

Jason

[Ari]

@BoeingFan - I thought you might get some inspo from this project  if you haven't come across it already (and maybe some future advice from @greggy56 ).

[BoeingFan]

Thanks so much @Ari I'll check it out 😊

[Jewelleryrescue]

@BoeingFan   I hear you re : area  temperature 33C and  you bad back I am the same  and we getting older lol.   Your health must  come first.

I  take a magnesium tablet before working so i dont cramp up mid job too much this helps my day , Not suggesting it  for your day. I wont work in high heats any more I  right now trying to work  as fast as possible to get my years work goals finished before high heats.

We have to work  super smart not stronger.  This means planning ahead more protecting our selfves from injury onsite. Sit down  have a cuppa and think things through and try  a new plan if required.

Country people will help surely if you ask for heavy  lifting etc

I hope you have helpers and may the weather treat your projects well.

[BoeingFan]

Hi Everyone,

Happy hump day

I'm wondering if anyone could help with ideas on how to put an inexpensive floor over dirt into an outdoor shed, which is basically a large car size. I will post photo's tomorrow. The shed is going to store cupboards, tools, and other items until I get the time to go through them, and when funds permit, I'll have it concreted. For now I'm thinking something easy and 'good value'. Perhaps even some pallets from Bunnings could do the trick? 🤔

Thanks in advance,

Jason

[BoeingFan]

The  cart is getting put to good use! We were finally able to clear 2 big piles of old vegetation today. For context, we don't have green bin collection, so any vegetation has to be composted, taken to the dump, or burned.

[Jewelleryrescue]

Ho @BoeingFan  A few ideas  that may tweak your intrest.

You have many projects ahead of you like what i had when i started 20 years ago and still not finished. one year left  I hope to finish. One of the reasons its taken time is I went back and remodelled  and re thought some areas costing me time and money.

Story time: I put in as one of my first projects a raised garden bed I used treated timber pine knowing one day I would have to replace it.  Well 20 years later i did wishing I had done it  right the first time around you can view my other post re marble wall. If i replaced it with more  treated pine I would be in  a wheel chair doing it again in 20 years. Admittedly my skill level was not  up to  stone tiling back  then.

The possible moral of this story is add the  cement the floor if at all possible ASAP because a garage forms the hub for your renos  so the rest of you time there a temporary floor wont be there  to need a redo.  But time and money  arnt are always avaliable so I get the need for temporary.

But failing that i think old pallets will work but could be trip hazards. I used them for other purposes and you can collect them around industrial estates  most of them a cheaper pine these days and only good for 4 years approx.  I would dismantle some pallets and use the timber to close up spaces in other pallets and join them to make them less wobby.  Really a fair bit of work for  a little gain as  you will need a heavy duty trailer to cart them all too. In the country  rodents  and or snakes might move in or both? You can use some flooring yellow tongue etc on top. as gaps in pallets will swallow tools etc  I helped my parents  build there home in the country and many people dont realize  every material needs transport.

Other options might be build a permanent  raised deck structure in there and use  yellow tongue etc piered flooring as you forever floor. Bunnings  has many options here. But cant drive car on them.

Box in  floor area with timber  form work and fill it 20mm blue metal  and sand in correct cement portions  2 sand to 4 gravel you  can re dig out the blue metal and sand later and mix it with  1 part cement   ( mix 2 sand, 4 gravel  1 cement to make concrete slab car ready plus steel mesh.) That way your money spent on stones is not wasted.

Or Box in  floor area with timber  form work and fill it with more dirt and build it up so  it dosnt flood  put a  cheap carpet over it.  Go to charity places and see if they have old carpets to put on dirt.  Go to flooring/carpet places they have bins of off cuts and old carpets it costs them money to  have bins emptied so they usually will help you out maybe deliver some ones old  used full  carpet.  In the country strips of carpet great for muddy areas  to wipe feet on outside  just burn when finished. No need to cut carpets to size  just  lay them to outer walls  and over  lap inner edge taping edges down re trip hazard

Just put  old carpet on dirt  floor now as is  if it dosnt flood its an instant floor cheap and easier to transport and dispose of .  You can  put a carpet on  the ground outside  and it will simply compost no need for burning.

Ps  great to have a property and a  ride on  and your cart

[BoeingFan]

Hi @Jewelleryrescue 

Thank you so much for writing a very helpful post, I am very grateful. You're right, it makes it so much easier for the long term to do it as properly as I can as soon as I can.

I have to tell you that when I read your comments about using carpet, I clapped my hands together and said out loud, "That's brilliant!" Yes it's temporary, but it fits my budget for now and is a great solution. Thank you!

Cheers,

Jason

[Jewelleryrescue]

Hi @BoeingFan  Jason

I am happy to hear you like your new solution its nice to share knowledge we spent a  life time gathering

Carpet on dirt does work on many levels (easy too do, cheap to do , cheap to  dispose of or replace and it  actually looks good) for a few years add some dirt to fill pot holes first. Honestly you may never need to concrete.   Get it for  free  talk to your local carpet/flooring shops  when they remove whole old  carpets and replace them with new carpet or tile is more ideal than scraps.  

Glad we can share ideas on the  forum

Sorry  Jason I got to ask You cant recycle you old   bath tub  with CLR  and or  enamel  bath  paint?  You  can add a shower  over it. 

Some times  people are to die for and old enamel tub they actually hold heat longer too.

But  I totally respect you have ideas and goals.  That  bath tub may have being built into that room. gulp and may need to open wall with out being there to see angles etc.

Tony (sydney)

[MitchellMc]

Hi Jason (@BoeingFan),

It's great to see you received a helpful reply from @Jewelleryrescue. If there is any dampness in the floor, you could consider laying vinyl sheet flooring over the dirt.

Please let us know if you don't decide to go with the carpet option, and I'm sure our helpful members will be able to come up with other solutions. 

Mitchell