This is a publicly visible forum to discuss the renovations to 1991 15th street. You must register to post. http://www.tepei.org/alum/forum/list.php?10 Wed, 08 Sep 2010 20:30:55 -0600 Phorum 5.2.7 http://www.tepei.org/alum/forum/read.php?10,805,821#msg-821 http://www.tepei.org/alum/forum/read.php?10,805,821#msg-821
I will make a list of tools we need, but I don't think we'll need to buy anything.

As for supplies, we will need some wire nuts and electrical tape, so add that to your list, Aren. I'll think about anything else needed.


Scott Ghiocel]]> scottghiocel Dream House Forum Mon, 07 Jun 2010 07:54:01 -0600 http://www.tepei.org/alum/forum/read.php?10,805,820#msg-820 http://www.tepei.org/alum/forum/read.php?10,805,820#msg-820
I am hoping people can bring most of the tools we need. I will try to buy big supplies before hand (window, CO detectors, locks, joint compound and tape, drywall), but I'm sure there will be a trip to Home Depot Friday to collect all the little odds and ends we suddenly realize we also need.

I think the project leads should ponder what tools & supplies they will need and shout out to this group if they cannot bring it themselves. Between the ~12 of us, we must have almost all of what we need.

Aren]]> Mr. Softee Dream House Forum Sun, 06 Jun 2010 09:39:12 -0600 http://www.tepei.org/alum/forum/read.php?10,805,819#msg-819 http://www.tepei.org/alum/forum/read.php?10,805,819#msg-819
Also, what's the plan for needed parts and missing tools? It would be nice to minimize trips to buy stuff. Like get a parts list and a needed tools list either Friday night, or preferably beforehand. We can all check off the tools we can bring or offer to buy them for ourselves and bring them.]]> Hick Ninja Dream House Forum Sun, 06 Jun 2010 08:04:57 -0600 http://www.tepei.org/alum/forum/read.php?10,805,818#msg-818 http://www.tepei.org/alum/forum/read.php?10,805,818#msg-818
new window in attic - Eric Newman

drywall patching large holes - ?

electrical - Scott Ghiocel
install hardwired CO detectors
replacing outlet covers
installing junction box covers
remove key access to 204
remove old wiring in attic, doorbell in kitchen

plumbing - ?
fix leaky bathtub

front door locks - ?

remove coal chutes in basement - Ian Sweeney

Please volunteer to be leads on any of these (especially if you have skills), I will update this post. There are also a bunch of little things to do which I won't bother to list here. There are some tools at the house, but it would probably help to bring whatever you have for whatever you are doing. I have a fine collection I can lug down as well. There are obviously plenty of need for 'helpers' (people who are not leading) so don't worry about being unnecessary or bored. You should also not worry about being lazy or drunk as we've got work to do.

Look forward to seeing ya'll in a few weeks.

Aren]]> Mr. Softee Dream House Forum Sat, 05 Jun 2010 13:49:59 -0600 http://www.tepei.org/alum/forum/read.php?10,805,813#msg-813 http://www.tepei.org/alum/forum/read.php?10,805,813#msg-813 Mr. Softee Dream House Forum Thu, 22 Apr 2010 05:44:48 -0600 http://www.tepei.org/alum/forum/read.php?10,805,812#msg-812 http://www.tepei.org/alum/forum/read.php?10,805,812#msg-812
I also have mad teabagging skillz (just ask Rudy).]]> Hick Ninja Dream House Forum Wed, 21 Apr 2010 14:32:05 -0600 http://www.tepei.org/alum/forum/read.php?10,805,811#msg-811 http://www.tepei.org/alum/forum/read.php?10,805,811#msg-811 Ian Sweeney
Evan Keegan
Eric Klepadlo
Matt Boucher
Aren Paster
Marco Aimi
Brandon Lyon
Scott Ghiocel
Eric Newman
Dane Fawkes

maybes
Demetri Karanikos
Matt Forget


I should have a list of projects put together by early next week. Then we can discuss who's good at what, whose bringing the right tools, perhaps who needs to go study up on something, and what we need to buy before hand so we can bang it all out.]]> Mr. Softee Dream House Forum Wed, 21 Apr 2010 14:17:09 -0600 http://www.tepei.org/alum/forum/read.php?10,805,810#msg-810 http://www.tepei.org/alum/forum/read.php?10,805,810#msg-810 fawked Dream House Forum Wed, 21 Apr 2010 10:28:48 -0600 http://www.tepei.org/alum/forum/read.php?10,805,809#msg-809 http://www.tepei.org/alum/forum/read.php?10,805,809#msg-809
Word.]]> Hick Ninja Dream House Forum Tue, 20 Apr 2010 19:29:39 -0600 http://www.tepei.org/alum/forum/read.php?10,805,806#msg-806 http://www.tepei.org/alum/forum/read.php?10,805,806#msg-806
I might suggest trying to get a few of the actives involved in this project as they are the people most directly benefiting from this. (You may already be doing this, it was just a suggestion).

Unfortunately I'm going through a number of life/work changes at the moment, and I can't commit to that weekend at this time. That may change as the date gets closer, but that's where I stand at this time.]]> jpiekarz Dream House Forum Fri, 09 Apr 2010 06:58:09 -0600 http://www.tepei.org/alum/forum/read.php?10,805,805#msg-805 http://www.tepei.org/alum/forum/read.php?10,805,805#msg-805 July 16-18th 2010.

At this time I am leaning towards a smorgasbord of smaller tasks, rather than one larger project. This is mostly due to lack of significant funding for a Dream House type project, and lack of any glaring issue or serious problems with the house.

If you have experience installing windows, or are good at drywall (specifically taping and mud) the list of tasks will definitely reflect that skill set. Hopefully we can get a few guys with some skill and get some serious work done.

The goal is to really work hard and focus to get the project(s) COMPLETELY done. I can't stress that enough. You are encouraged to have a good time and a few beers, but not at the expense of the project. My goal is not to have 20 people show up for a BBQ and swing a hammer for 20 minutes, but get 6-8 guys who can bang out the work. Taking Friday off work to get a true 2-2.5 days of work done is strongly encouraged.

Property Master budget will definitely cover all supplies, and perhaps some food/refreshments.

So let the volunteering and discussion begin.

Aren Paster
Property Master]]> Mr. Softee Dream House Forum Fri, 09 Apr 2010 06:40:54 -0600 http://www.tepei.org/alum/forum/read.php?10,133,780#msg-780 http://www.tepei.org/alum/forum/read.php?10,133,780#msg-780 Mr. Softee Dream House Forum Tue, 01 Sep 2009 05:15:47 -0600 http://www.tepei.org/alum/forum/read.php?10,133,778#msg-778 http://www.tepei.org/alum/forum/read.php?10,133,778#msg-778 jpiekarz Dream House Forum Mon, 31 Aug 2009 19:31:27 -0600 http://www.tepei.org/alum/forum/read.php?10,133,774#msg-774 http://www.tepei.org/alum/forum/read.php?10,133,774#msg-774 Sarcazmo Dream House Forum Wed, 29 Jul 2009 17:58:44 -0600 http://www.tepei.org/alum/forum/read.php?10,133,773#msg-773 http://www.tepei.org/alum/forum/read.php?10,133,773#msg-773 -------------------------------------------------------

> Also you are forgetting whatever 'bulldozing'
> would cost.


How much fire insurance do we have?

Does anyone know any good methods for fund raising? Maybe we could generate cash selling random crap on EBay?]]> adouglas Dream House Forum Wed, 29 Jul 2009 12:56:46 -0600 http://www.tepei.org/alum/forum/read.php?10,133,771#msg-771 http://www.tepei.org/alum/forum/read.php?10,133,771#msg-771
$16,000 of demo work which we can most likely do ourselves

$22,000 of appliances for the kitchen. although we need nice, durable, large stuff, I can't imagine we need to spend this much.

So perhaps you can knock $25,000 off that total. But add it back on in price escalations as these projects will be stretched over the next 5-10 years.

This is a lot. But please put it in context. To build a brand new house in this area at that size, you are probably talking $275,000 to 350,000 (total rough guess). And that would be a typical residence. We will not have a typical residence when this is done. Yes we could buy another piece of shit rundown place in Troy for $100,000 or so, but all we would have is another run down piece of shit property. That would need extensive remodeling.

Also you are forgetting whatever 'bulldozing' would cost. Even if we do the actual destruction, we aren't carting away dozens of dumpsters of crap for nothing. And renovations are always expensive compared to new construction.

Either way, this is what the people wanted, so now the people need to pony up some cash.]]> Mr. Softee Dream House Forum Wed, 29 Jul 2009 06:18:42 -0600 http://www.tepei.org/alum/forum/read.php?10,133,768#msg-768 http://www.tepei.org/alum/forum/read.php?10,133,768#msg-768 SparkPlug Dream House Forum Tue, 28 Jul 2009 13:00:39 -0600 http://www.tepei.org/alum/forum/read.php?10,133,767#msg-767 http://www.tepei.org/alum/forum/read.php?10,133,767#msg-767
~Noah]]> Noah Dream House Forum Tue, 28 Jul 2009 12:54:51 -0600 http://www.tepei.org/alum/forum/read.php?10,133,765#msg-765 http://www.tepei.org/alum/forum/read.php?10,133,765#msg-765 -------------------------------------------------------
> 0.0004% of Bernie Madoff's former wealth]]> adouglas Dream House Forum Tue, 28 Jul 2009 12:51:36 -0600 http://www.tepei.org/alum/forum/read.php?10,133,764#msg-764 http://www.tepei.org/alum/forum/read.php?10,133,764#msg-764
This amount is only 20% of Shirley's salary, 0.0004% of Bernie Madoff's wealth, or 0.00003% of the federal stimulus package.]]> scottghiocel Dream House Forum Tue, 28 Jul 2009 12:14:28 -0600 http://www.tepei.org/alum/forum/read.php?10,133,763#msg-763 http://www.tepei.org/alum/forum/read.php?10,133,763#msg-763
These figures were derived by a local contractor, electrician, and plumber. They all toured the house several times to get a feel for what the work involved and how to go about doing it. These guys have all done work for other fraternity houses on campus, and work with the architect who developed these plans for us. (I mention all this to give some legitimacy to these numbers.)

(Please sit down before reading any further)


Costs are broken down into individual projects as detailed on the architectural drawings.

Phase #1 - Downstairs Kitchen $90,425
Phase #1 - Upstairs Bathroom $55,280
Phase #2 - First - remove upstairs bathroom, expand bedrooms - $25,570
Phase #2 - Second - remove downstairs bathroom - $19,795
Phase #3 - First - new front door & 1/2 bath - $16,895
Phase #3 - Second - extend study, fix porch door - $10,407

TOTAL - $218,375]]> Mr. Softee Dream House Forum Tue, 28 Jul 2009 11:55:50 -0600 http://www.tepei.org/alum/forum/read.php?10,739,749#msg-749 http://www.tepei.org/alum/forum/read.php?10,739,749#msg-749
Fair enough. I'm glad to hear the issue is resolved.

I'll check in with the Actives about the August 24th Weekend, there's a possibility I may be around that weekend in the Troy/Albany area.]]> jpiekarz Dream House Forum Tue, 21 Jul 2009 12:58:22 -0600 http://www.tepei.org/alum/forum/read.php?10,737,748#msg-748 http://www.tepei.org/alum/forum/read.php?10,737,748#msg-748
Cool, looks good to me. They look nice and sturdy.

Let me ask my father if he has any old keypad systems lying around. He used to install these things for office buildings and did a bunch of upgrades (and used to have some old units that are no longer 'supported'), there's a possibility he has something that would function fine as a keypad. (I wouldn't hold my breath, but I'll ask).]]> jpiekarz Dream House Forum Tue, 21 Jul 2009 12:48:41 -0600 http://www.tepei.org/alum/forum/read.php?10,739,746#msg-746 http://www.tepei.org/alum/forum/read.php?10,739,746#msg-746 adouglas Dream House Forum Tue, 14 Jul 2009 13:01:32 -0600 http://www.tepei.org/alum/forum/read.php?10,739,744#msg-744 http://www.tepei.org/alum/forum/read.php?10,739,744#msg-744
On the upside, it looks like the basement issues may have been related to a perfect storm (pun intended) of bad weather, and poor drainage. Gutters are now unclogged and hole will soon be patched internally. So it appears promising that the immediate basement issue may be resolved. At some point we're going to have to do something about the moisture situation if we ever want to finish the space. But for now, I think she'll hold for awhile longer.

If you'd like to try and schedule your visit for the weekend of the actives workweek, I'm sure they could use a little guidance and help. They are going to begin on August 24th.

Aren]]> Mr. Softee Dream House Forum Mon, 13 Jul 2009 09:33:59 -0600 http://www.tepei.org/alum/forum/read.php?10,737,743#msg-743 http://www.tepei.org/alum/forum/read.php?10,737,743#msg-743
I would envision the interior of the exit doors being one of these two choices:
[www.wholesalelocks.com]
[www.wholesalelocks.com]

Exterior of the back door could probably be a key the housemaster (and property master) keeps.

Exterior of the front door, I really don't know. We could go 1) key card, 2) something similar to what's there now (Chrono Pad), 3) something more reliable and old skool like the former mechanical push button lock, 4) some crazy ass high tech RFID. I think it depends on what the actives want and how much we want to spend. Personally I'm partial to the mechanical push buttons. The only reason the old ones failed was they weren't installed quick correctly.

Aren]]> Mr. Softee Dream House Forum Mon, 13 Jul 2009 09:27:40 -0600 http://www.tepei.org/alum/forum/read.php?10,739,742#msg-742 http://www.tepei.org/alum/forum/read.php?10,739,742#msg-742
To be fair, my August is mostly shot. What weekend is work week? I've wanted to get up to Troy to repair the Dual Beverage Dispensing Unit sometime this summer anyway, maybe I can coordinate the weekends.]]> jpiekarz Dream House Forum Mon, 13 Jul 2009 08:50:04 -0600 http://www.tepei.org/alum/forum/read.php?10,737,741#msg-741 http://www.tepei.org/alum/forum/read.php?10,737,741#msg-741
I agree with all of the above assessments. My comments:

The Front Door Locks (And Rear for that matter):
I agree with your assessment. I don't know who put that electronic deadbolt thing on there that is in place now, but it doesn't work very well, and looks like it could easily be blown out with a saw/crowbar. I've always thought the door locks were a major safety risk.

Other than an electronic door lock system, what did you have in mind to replace what is currently there? In the back of my mind I always thought about an electronic code pad on the outside with a magnetic door and a motion release inside, but this sort of system is expensive and not easy to install. Did you have something simpler in mind?

Fire Doors and Magnets:
Assuming the Fire Panel we have already has the relays for it, it shouldn't be too hard to install the magnetic holders/releases for a set of fire doors. (You already mentioned this, I'm just agreeing).

Door from Bar Room to back Stairwell:
I have always thought this would be a great idea. I whole heartily support this.]]> jpiekarz Dream House Forum Mon, 13 Jul 2009 08:48:06 -0600 http://www.tepei.org/alum/forum/read.php?10,738,740#msg-740 http://www.tepei.org/alum/forum/read.php?10,738,740#msg-740
Bathroom: I guess the question is whether we want the upstairs bathroom to be unisex or not. Adding a urinal might not go down so well if there was a female guest staying and using the upstairs bathroom. Likewise we should have some form of partitions outside of the shower stalls if the bathroom is to be unisex as well.]]> adouglas Dream House Forum Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:44:38 -0600 http://www.tepei.org/alum/forum/read.php?10,739,739#msg-739 http://www.tepei.org/alum/forum/read.php?10,739,739#msg-739 Weekend Warriors On Laser Focused Projects to Absolute Completion
Project.

My vision of these projects are to bring 6-10 guys to the house for a weekend (2-3 days depending on project). A project of limited scope will be chosen. All supplies will be purchased before hand. Everything will be moved out of the way before hand. A cohesive plan and concrete deliverables will be defined. The team will be comprised of knowledgeable, appropriately skilled members and good followers.

The goal is to get this project done, correctly, on budget. There will not be 15 trips to Home Depot. There will not be massive feature creep. Inexperience will not rule the day by shouting down common sense. The project will not be abandoned due to exhaustion and frustration before the finishing touches are complete. Basically it will be the exact opposite of the upstairs bathroom renovation.

You are more than welcome and encouraged to have fun, drink your ass off, and reconnect with alums and actives. You are barred from leaving before the job is complete, and 100% accountable for the finished product.

If people have issues with this plan/strategy/concept, please speak now. This is only my vision of WWOLFPAC right now. But I have a lot of Cool Aid and enough cups for everyone.

On to the project:

There is currently a leak in the basement at the junction of the wall and the floor. We have typically had water issues on this wall (central North by the furnace). Partly because the wall is somewhat porous, there is a window there, the downspout drains within a few feet, and our neighbors are close and any gutter issues tend to keep the ‘alley’ soggy. When I walked through last week, there was an approx 1” deep pile of dirt that had been washed in by recent heavy rains.

I don’t know the true cause of this. It appears there may be a loose piece of slate potentially blocking the downspout. So that water running down the valley of the roof is bypassing the gutters and just falling in front of the basement window. It’s possible the pipe the downspout has been routed to (which is believed to run to the storm drain) is clogged. Or that this pipe simply runs into the ground and the wet summer has ‘filled’ the ground sufficiently to get water intruding to the house.

Without more research I do not know if the answer is to a) dig a trench next to the house to examine and fix from the outside, b) apply serious interior waterproofing technology, or c) a solution I am even less familiar with.

If you have experience with this, please chime in with the answer.

If you want to help fix it, we need to pick a weekend in August. I am free the 8/9 and 15/16. And if my crew is rocking, you might convince me to just close the door, walk away, and assume it will all go to plan (Austin Powers style).

And as always, if you want to just sit at home and throw money my way, who am I to judge.

Aren Paster
Property Master
EI #356

I will try to throw up a picture or two to help assist my terrible explanation.]]> Mr. Softee Dream House Forum Mon, 29 Jun 2009 18:50:56 -0600