Erin Cureton Property Alliance Lakewood, OH

The best part about working on a rehab project is that you get to learn new skills.  Each of the following skills is basic and can be mastered after only a few tries.  

1.    Drywall/ Plaster Repair                Skill Level:  Medium

Tools Needed:      Utility Knife , Wide Blade, Screwdriver, Mud & Tape, Rotozip, Drywall Screws, Sandpaper, Respiratory Mask

In the city where I do most of my rehabilitation work, all the houses are 90 to 100 years old.  Cracks and holes in the plaster are common.  Often, holes in ceiling plaster are the result of water infiltrating either from the roof, or from a split plumbing line.  Holes in walls are often the result of vandalism, but could be the sign of more serious foundation issues.  Once the root cause is fixed I normally patch the area with _ inch drywall.  Perform this task by placing a piece of _ inch drywall over the hole (lathe must be present behind the drywall).  Secure the drywall to the hole with at least 2 drywall screws.  Insert your rotozip near the edge of your hole and cut the drywall by pressing the rotozip blade against the remaining plaster.  Once your piece is cut, secure it with multiple drywall screws, mud the gaps, tape, re-mud then sand to a smooth finish.  

2.     Basic Water Pipe Repair                Skill Level:  Medium

    Tools Needed:        Pipe Cutter, Copper Piping, Copper Fittings, Butane Torch Flux/ Solder, Sandpaper

Many of the foreclosed homes that I encounter have sat over the winter and the cold weather has burst water pipes in the basement and walls.  Usually the hardest part of the repair is finding all the leaks.  You do this by turning on the water, listening for falling water, then visually inspecting where the water is coming from.  Once you find the leak, cut out the old section of pipe and cut a section of new pipe to replace it. Rough up the end of the old and new sections of pipe with your sandpaper.  Apply flux to each section of pipe and to a coupler that will be used to join the pieces.  Put the new section in place.   Heat the coupler with your butane torch and apply solder around the edges of the coupler.  The flux will melt creating a vacuum inside the coupler and drawing the solder inside.  Once it is sealed all the way around, allow the solder to dry and move on to the next leak.  If you are worried about using a butane torch on this project, ask your hardware professional about Shark-Bite fixtures.

3.     Drain Repair                        Skill Level:  Medium to Hard  

    Tools Needed:        Drain Snake, PVC Fittings, PVC Cement, Fernco Connectors,
                Metal Saw or Angle Grinder

Drains work by using the force of gravity to expel wastewater down and out of the house.  Improperly working drains can be the result of improper pitch in the drain line or a clog.  Clogged drains are a very common problem.   When a working drain gets clogged, Draino or a quick snake will often do the trick. If that doesn’t work, unscrew the drainpipe and inspected for clogs. If a clog is found in there, simply remove the clog, replace the drain and test the drain.  In a vacant house, a clog can become impenetrable.  If you encounter such a clog, you need to cut it out and replace that section of drain.  Using a saw or grinder cut out the clogged section of pipe.  Once the clog is cut out, cut a similar length of PVC pipe to replace it.  Either connect the new pipe to the old with PVC connectors or with a fernco connector.  If you use the PVC connectors make sure that you clean the old pipe thoroughly and apply PVC cement to ensure a proper seal.

4.      Replacing Light Fixtures                Skill Level:  Medium to Hard

    Tools Needed:        Voltage Meter, Screwdrivers, Wire Cutter, Wire Nuts, Wire Strippers, Needle Nose, Pliers, Electrical Tape

When I am working on electrical fixtures, I like to turn off all power to the house.  If this is not feasible or if other people need power to perform other work, I just turn off the circuits one by one as needed.  Be sure to check the wires with a voltage meter to insure the power is off.  Remove the old fixture by unscrewing the wire nuts or by cutting the wires.  Strip off a section of the wire casing and attach you new fixture with wire nuts. Be sure to tape off any exposed wire with electrical tape. Since each fixture will come with its own set of instructions, be sure to read those instructions thoroughly to insure proper installation.  Electricity can cause severe injury if you do not follow instruction implicitly.



5.    Window Installation                    Skill Level:  Medium

    Tools Needed:        Screwdriver, Level, Wood Shims, Insulation, Hammer

Carefully remove the old window, making sure not to damage the wood frame.  Once the window is removed place wood shims on the sill and level the shims.  Once the shims are level secure them in place with screws (drilling pilot holes will keep the shims from splitting). Put the new window in place.  At the sash, place more wood shims between the wood frame and the window to fill that gap, and then secure the shims in place by screwing through the window frame and into the wood frame.  Repeat this step about six inches from the top and six inches from the bottom of the sides.  Once the sides are secure, make sure you can easily open and close the window.  Fill the gaps around the window with expanding foam insulation.  

6.     Refinishing Wood Floors                Skill Level:  Medium to Hard

    Tools Needed:        Drum Sander, Sandpaper, Edge Sander, Shop Vac, Brooms, Sponge Mops    
                Wood Stain, Polyurethane

Almost every house I buy has stained, smelly tattered carpet covering stained hardwood floors.  Rather than re-carpet the floors, I like to refinish the hardwood.  First remove the old carpet.  Then remove all of the tack strips, staples, nails and quarter round molding.  Once the floor is clean, run your drum sander with the grain of the wood.  Make sure that you get a thorough explanation from the rental yard on the operation of the drum sander and that you understand it completely before you begin this project. Working a drum sander is a lot like working a self-propelled lawn mower.  It is very important that you keep the drum sander moving at all times though.  If you leave it sit it will quickly eat into the floor. I start with 36-grit sandpaper, then 80-grit, and then 100-grit.  Once the main body of the floor is sanded, do the edges with an edge sander using the same grits of sandpaper that you used on the main floor.  When all the sanding is complete, sweep the floor, and then vacuum the floor.  After vacuuming, I suggest a damp mopping.  Once the floor is dry apply your choice of stain, Allow to dry then coat with 2 – 3 layers of polyurethane.  Replace the molding.

7.      Laying Tile                        Skill Level:  Medium

Tools Needed:        Wet Saw, Straight Edge, Tape Measurer, Notched Trowel
            Cement Backerboard, Mortar, Mastic, Grout & Sponge, Rubber Float, Grout Sealer
            4-Foot Level, Tile Spacers

The key to a good tile project is a good foundation.  Whether you are tiling a wall or floor, the foundation must be plumb or level and the surface must be flat.  Start by removing the old coverings whenever possible.  Once the old covering has been removed put down a cement backerboard over the entire area to be tiled.  Be sure to secure the backerboard with screws designed for this application. Fill in the joints of the backerboard with mortar.  Begin tile installation by troweling on a thin application of mastic over a three to four foot area. Set the tile in place and push gently to secure the position.  Place a spacer next to the tile and position the next piece.  Continue in this fashion until the tiles are all in place.  Allow the mastic to dry for 24-hours before grouting.  If you are laying a natural stone tile (travertine, slate, marble) be sure to seal the tile prior to grouting.  If you don’t, the tile will appear hazy.  Remove all tile spacers. Mix the grout and push the grout into the seams using a rubber float.  Immediately wipe up excess grout with a damp sponge.  After an hour or so, wipe down the tile with a paper towel or piece of cheesecloth to get rid of the haze on the surface.

8.     Texturing a Ceiling                    Skill Level:  Easy

    Tools Needed:        Paint Roller, Texturing Brush, Drywall Top-coating Mud, Long Handle

Ever wonder how those skilled craftsmen got your ceilings textured so randomly yet so perfect.  It’s easy, and there is very little skill involved.  Dip a paint roller with a long (4 foot) handle into a bucket of top-coating mud.  Roll the mud onto the ceiling.  Cover a ten-foot by ten-foot area.  Push your texturing brush into the mud and pull back quickly to create a random (yet perfect) dimple pattern all across your ceiling.  After it dries finish by painting with a white ceiling paint.  (Note:  This project can be messy. Either do it before you put your floors in or cover them completely. )

9.      Painting a Room                    Skill Level:  Easy

    Tools Needed: Paint, Primer, Rollers, Brushes, Painter’s Tape, White Painter’s Caulk

Prior to painting any room, always inspect the surface of the walls.  Take the time to fix any small pinholes or cracks with spackling paste and sand to s smooth finish.  Once the walls are smooth, look for gaps between the walls and the trim.  Fill the gaps with caulk and smooth the caulk with a wet finger.  Paint the trim first with a white semi-gloss paint.  Next, apply one coat of latex primer to the surface of the walls using a roller.  After the primer dries apply your paint.  A flat latex paint is the best choice for hiding small imperfection in your walls surface.  Two coats of paint will generally provide complete coverage.  To edge the walls, apply painter’s tape to the trim, and brush the paint onto the edges.  After you have painted the edges, remove the painter’s tape and you’re done.     
                
 10. Landscaping                        Skill Level: Easy to Hard

    Tools Needed:        Shovel, Wheel Barrow, Pruning Tools

Most foreclosed houses have neglected exteriors.  This is a key area in reselling or renting out your house.  The exterior is the first impression people will get of your house.   Most of the time, I remove all the overgrown 1950’s era plants and replace them.  If there are any good plants in the landscape, I try to remove them in a way that they can be re-used in the landscape.  If they are too large to remove, prune them to improve their appearance.  After removing the old shrubs, cultivate the bed and mix in organic materials like manure, compost or peat moss.  Arrange your new plants on top of the beds.  Once you are happy with the arrangement, remove any burlap or plastic and plant them.  Be sure not to bury the root balls of shrubs.  You want to plant the shrub with just a little of the ball showing above the ground surface.  Follow spacing instruction on the containers so that your new landscape doesn’t look like overgrown in two years.