Larsen Poultry Ranch - homesteading journey

[Baymule]

I went back to page one of your journal. Y'all moved in on page 32. You have come a long way, go back and read your progress.

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

I went back to page one of your journal. Y'all moved in on page 32. You have come a long way, go back and read your progress.

Yeah, it was 5 years ago now, we moved in right around Halloween 2020.

Hubby traded work with a friend who does fences and gates, we should be finally getting our front fence this month or next. Then hopefully I can get him to finally do the fence for the orchard.

 

[Ridgetop]

I hope the floor joists are ok. When we pulled out my aunt's tub because the floor between it and the toilet was "bouncy" we found that the joists had a lot of rot. We sistered in new joists and beefed up the floor That bathroom also had a window wall where the sink was hanging at a 30 degree angle. When we opened that wall up the studs were almost non-existant having been eaten away by insects. That bathroom was originally a porch so had NO insulation anywhere. We rebuilt the wall and floor, replaced the 100 year old waste pipes to the septic that were 100 year old compressed clay and had been infiltratd by roots, and added insulation all around the bathroom including the floor and ceiling. Then DH rewired the bathroom and installed a small wall heater. First tme in 100 years that you could get out of the shower without the water drops turning to ice on your skin! Hope the damage is not too bad. FYI: Replace all chip board with plywood - water leaks just melt chipboard.

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

I hope the floor joists are ok. When we pulled out my aunt's tub because the floor between it and the toilet was "bouncy" we found that the joists had a lot of rot. We sistered in new joists and beefed up the floor That bathroom also had a window wall where the sink was hanging at a 30 degree angle. When we opened that wall up the studs were almost non-existant having been eaten away by insects. That bathroom was originally a porch so had NO insulation anywhere. We rebuilt the wall and floor, replaced the 100 year old waste pipes to the septic that were 100 year old compressed clay and had been infiltratd by roots, and added insulation all around the bathroom including the floor and ceiling. Then DH rewired the bathroom and installed a small wall heater. First tme in 100 years that you could get out of the shower without the water drops turning to ice on your skin! Hope the damage is not too bad. FYI: Replace all chip board with plywood - water leaks just melt chipboard.

Yup, he's planning to use the plywood that has the tongue and groove thingy so it locks together and is stronger.

I think we'll be able to make a bunch of changes so the whole layout is better. I want him to take a chunk of the closet from the two bedrooms off the hallway and create a linen closet. We are probably going to redo the laundry room too, which might be able to transition into redoing the kitchen next.

 

[Ridgetop]

Any time you have that much repair work to do, a change of layout is possible. Remember to keep the plumbing and water feeds as close to the existing lines as possible for the cheapest reno costs. You can move everything except the toilet plumbing fairly easily. Then add in storage.

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

The opening to the hallway was cut in, all flooring and the vanity was removed from the bathroom. Hubby sprayed some bleach around and has been letting it dry out. He put up a baby gate across the hallway opening but not the original doorway. Kids have been mostly good about staying away. Hubby put some thin plastic over the openings so it makes weird rustling sounds when you walk past. Surprisingly the cats appear to be staying out of the zone too, or at the least they don't leave evidence of their investigations.

I think he is going to try to do more this weekend, he bought some new plywood from home depot. We are planning to get the basic tub shower combo from home depot and a new toilet, hubby hated the old one.

 

[fuzzi]

The opening to the hallway was cut in, all flooring and the vanity was removed from the bathroom. Hubby sprayed some bleach around and has been letting it dry out. He put up a baby gate across the hallway opening but not the original doorway. Kids have been mostly good about staying away. Hubby put some thin plastic over the openings so it makes weird rustling sounds when you walk past. Surprisingly the cats appear to be staying out of the zone too, or at the least they don't leave evidence of their investigations.

I think he is going to try to do more this weekend, he bought some new plywood from home depot. We are planning to get the basic tub shower combo from home depot and a new toilet, hubby hated the old one.

What a blessing to have a handihubby!

 

[Baymule]

Most toilets are short, I call them squatty potties. I'm not tall, but it feels like sitting in a bucket. When I bought this place, I had the taller ones put in.

 

[fuzzi]

Most toilets are short, I call them squatty potties. I'm not tall, but it feels like sitting in a bucket. When I bought this place, I had the taller ones put in.

Taller ones mean easier on older joints.

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

I'm pretty sure once the kids hit mid grade school, I will end up the shortest one in the house. Hubby is tall, kid 1 is already tall, kid 2 might end up average height, and kid 3 has a long torso.

At least I'll be able to walk under the upper cabinets they bang into..