Mom’s Toy Room Renovation/Addition

Now that this project is almost complete, I thought I’d try to start getting some of the ‘projects within the project’ loaded.  To say this has been a huge project would be an understatement for sure!  From a complete gut, to new foundation, framing an addition, to all new everything inside, it’s taken months to finish (not that I worked on it every day, but I couldn’t begin to add up the hours spent on this one)!

So, the back-story to this project is that my parents have this ‘room’ that is separate from the house, with a separate entrance, etc., in the back yard.  Originally, this was an old garage to an adjacent property, but years ago when that house no longer stood and my parents house was built (before they bought it), it became a storage building of sorts.  Then, when my parents bought the house, at some point, they decided to make it a toy room/guest room, so they added carpet, shelving, a small gas heating system, cable, etc.  That was probably close to 30 years ago, and other than adding/removing/changing around some furniture, it hasn’t been touched since.  In the past 10 years or more, it’s mostly been used for storage for anything from tools to pool supplies.  I even stored some things in there when I moved years ago.

So, my mom decided she wanted to renovate the entire space and enclose the front overhang to make it a space for her plants (like a sun room), and make the inside nicer for guests to stay if they wanted to, etc.

And, so….it began…. This past spring/summer, we started by completely gutting the inside of the room.  (And, by ‘we’, I mean me, my husband and my parents.)  We moved out all the furniture (most of which was put in a yard sale), all the toys, all the tools, a massive shelving unit that my grandfather built years ago (that came to my garage😊) and so on.  After the room was cleared, I removed the carpet, padding, linoleum and baseboard.  I also ended up removing one of the built-in shelving units that was in bad shape.  And, since she wanted a new heat & air system, I removed the gas furnace in the other set of built-ins.

Once the room was completely cleared out, we began clearing out the area in front under the existing roof out front.  She wanted this area enclosed as a sunroom for her plants in the winter time.  The first thing we had to do was add about foot of concrete to one side of the existing foundation to allow for framing in the new wall.  At one time, there had been the iron corner columns holding up the roof extension, but as those deteriorated, my parents had used 4×4 posts to support the weight, so those had to be temporarily relocated while we extended the concrete pad.  The issue was that the roof line on one side was about a foot over from the existing concrete pad, so to allow for new walls to be framed up for the enclosure, we had to get the support ready and it had to be seamless to the existing pad. 

Since I had never poured foundation, my husband and my dad were helping on this part!  We started by digging out along the side about a foot out and 6-8 inches deep, and then framed it in to hold the concrete.  We also added some rebar for support, drilling into the existing pad several inches and placing pieces about a foot or so apart, hammering them in for a tight fit.  Then longer pieces were used and tied to the smaller pieces to run the length of the addition.  We mixed one or two bags of concrete at a time, leveling as we went, then when the section was all filled in; I used a large flat trowel to smooth the top.  After letting it set for 20 to 30 minutes, I went back and smoothed again removing any pooled water from the top.  Then, we just let it set for a few days and then removed the wood framing and stakes.  This got us ready for the next part….framing up the walls!

Stay tuned for more updates & pics to be added soon!

Framing up the New Enclosed Sunroom

My mom decided she wanted the front overhang totally enclosed with large windows and a glass door to house her plants in the winter months.  Unfortunately, I must’ve not gotten a lot of ‘during pictures, but basically, we had to use the existing measurements (including uneven slopes from the existing concrete pad), so each wall section was a bit of a challenge to get everything lined up.  We worked wall by wall, installing an upper and lower 2×4, then spacing the wall studs as close to 16 inch centers as we could, but allowing for the window rough openings on each wall and the rough opening for the door on the front wall meant most were less than that.

Each of the lower studs had to be nailed in with a pneumatic nail gun and concrete nails (which sounded like a gun going off every time).  For the wall stud against the brick, we had to use a concrete drill bit and concrete screws to get a good, tight fit to the existing brick.  We also used some smaller blocks to give strength and support between the sides of the windows and the next stud over to ensure it wouldn’t bow out or have any give with the weight.

Once all of the walls were leveled, nailed (or screwed) in place, the cross sections were added for the window and door opening as well as the vertical support halfway across placed below the openings.

The next step was the plywood sheeting around the entire exterior.  Before we could install this, we ran a thick bead of caulk along the bottom of the exterior side of the 2×4 framing in order to prevent water from seeping in and reduce air gaps.  After we added the sheeting, and before the vinyl was installed, we ran another bead of caulk at the base of the plywood sheeting.  Caulk was also used on the corners where the studs met the brick before the vinyl was installed.

This whole process wasn’t extremely hard, but did take some time since each and every stud had to be measured and cut based on the angle of the concrete pad, then leveled and attached for a tight, secure fit.

I’ll try to locate some more pictures if I can, and work on the info for the next steps to be posted soon!

Installing the Door, Windows & Vinyl Siding

The next step was to install the windows and vinyl siding around the new enclosure. Mom chose to go with white siding to match the brick and existing soffit on the house. Before the door, windows and siding could be installed, we had to install a vapor barrier (we used tar paper that my dad had an old roll of from a previous project). That was simply a matter or fitting, overlapping and stapling it on (I used my staple gun that connects to the air compressor, so it was much easier than a manual staple gun!).

After the vapor barrier was installed, we moved on to the windows and door. Mom wanted the largest windows possible, and something that was actually in stock, so we 6 installed 36×60 windows (2 on each of the 3 new walls). This step wasn’t all that hard, it just took 3 of us to install – my dad and my husband fitting them in while I attached them once in place and leveled.

And, since she wanted as much light as possible in the room, we chose an exterior door with a large glass panel. We did choose one that had the blinds in-between the glass that you can close with a lever on the inside of the door. The process of getting the door in place was a little challenging just due to dealing with the slope of the concrete. So, a variety of shims and small blocks of wood were used to get it level and square before attaching it to the framing. Again, because of the slope, I caulked the outside under the threshold using a grey caulk to match and prevent water running in, then inside underneath, was caulked as well.

After the windows and door were in, it was time for the vinyl! I have never installed vinyl before, so this was a learning process for me! So many different ‘channels’ to figure out:) We had to line the windows and doorway with channel, install the corners pieces, and install the starter strip at the base all before the first piece of vinyl could go on. Once all that was leveled and installed, we started at the bottom and used nails to install working our way up and around the windows and doors, measuring and fitting each piece. We did purchase a set of vinyl cutters to speed this process along (they are really just oversized scissors).

Once I learned how to install the channel pieces, I was able to do that alone, but needed an extra set of hands to handle the larger pieces of vinyl, so my husband had to help with this part (just because its so flimsy the longer it gets. I also learned that when installing vinyl, you don’t nail the nails in completely, just almost all the way in so there is some room for expansion and contraction based on the temperature.

We also had to box in the soffit corners in order to install the vinyl there, and fabricate some creative channel alignment to make it all work (maybe there’s a specific thing used for this, but we used a piece of channel somewhat sideways to catch the short end of the pieces – it worked, so we went with it).

After all this was installed, I ran a small bead of silicone along the windows and doors where the channel met the vinyl just to prevent any water from getting in those areas (it shouldn’t, but better safe than sorry). This area is one that needs one more piece to be complete, a piece of aluminum bent and fit around the facia boards, but that will have to wait for some warmer weather. It doesn’t effect the room in any way, it will just finish it off with a clean look and protect the wood from further weather decay.

Overall, installing vinyl isn’t a hard job, it’s just very time consuming and does require more than one person to do the job. However, once you know what channel to use where, how to cut it correctly and how to nail it in, it’s not bad at all to install.

Of course, for some reason, I don’t have a final pic, so I’ll try to snap one and get it added when I post the next update on this project!

Updated pictures of the outside –

As promised, here are some pictures of the outside with the vinyl nearly complete. The only thing left to finish is the small strip over the boards and the boxes at the ends that will be added when the weather warms up some! You can see from these pictures where we added the 2×4 sections between the ends of existing rafters to create the soffit. We also had to add cross pieces to allow for the soffit to be flat on the sides and create the boxed ends. We used vented soffit sections for these areas, all which were cut to fit, then locked together and slid in the channel. Once the soffit sections were in place, another piece of channel was used to secure it so it couldn’t slide back out.

I’ll work on more updates to post soon!

Replacing the Old Furnace & Shelving

My Mom decided she wanted to replace the old gas furnace with a more efficient mini-split unit that would provide both heat and air, so I removed the old furnace from the middle of the shelving unit on the one side. My parents ordered a mini-split unit that had a small outside unit that connects to a small interior unit that is mounted on a wall. While the ‘install’ of this unit isn’t necessarily hard, it was definitely a pain to do! My husband got the unit set up, ran the power, connection and drain lines (which required drilling thru the brick). He also installed the interior mounting brackets (this is also how you determine where the hole is drilled for the exterior connection), then it was a matter of holding the unit in just the right place while the lines were connected and then fixing it on the brackets. I helped some, but mostly this was left to him and my dad since they are both taller than me and without the ladder, I couldn’t even reach to hold it up:)!

The unit itself is great for it’s intended purpose of heating/cooling a small space! It is all controlled by remote, and is compact so it’s out of the way. It also doesn’t require duct work like a typical HVAC unit and has an oscillating fan that circulates the air through the entire space. If you are renovating a small space and need to make it climate controlled, this is definitely a simpler solution than a full blown HVAC install!

As far as the built-in shelving one either side of the original doorway, my Mom wanted to keep as much as possible, but also wanted to hang a mirror in the space where the old furnace had been. She purchased an inexpensive mirror and I measured out the space and installed new studs, plywood and added a new shelf just above the mirror. I boxed in the lower portion as well to make sure everything was insulated and sealed.

Since she wanted to keep the original shelving that was there, the smaller side shelves had to be re-worked. They were only sitting on small brackets and stuck out quite a bit now that the furnace was removed, so I used a jigsaw to round off the corners and cut small strips of wood to create a solid mounting surface. Each shelf was then mounted to the wood strips with the nail gun so they were sturdy and functional.

The shelving unit on the opposite side had to be completely removed and replaced due to damage. Mom wanted to keep the same look, but adjust the spacing some to have a larger lower shelf for storage of taller items. I used 1×12’s for the back of the unit and 1×8’s for the sides and shelf pieces. Because these were longer shelves, I used L-brackets to install the shelves (2 on each end, then along the back section as well for support). Mom wanted to keep the ‘wood’ look, so these just got a coat of sealer and she’s hoping with time the new boards will eventually have the same coloring the old original boards do.

As you can tell, there’s still tools and supplies for now that will eventually find their way home:)

More updates to come!!

Adding Studs, Insulation and Shiplap

For the new addition, the lower portion of the walls were ready for insulation, however, the upper part needed a few studs added in for support and to add insulation.  Mom wanted the upper part to be vaulted and left as open space rather than coming across as a flat ceiling, so I added studs to the upper section, then, added R-13 insulation to all the walls. 

For the ceiling, I had to add some angled corners to the end of each existing rafter to hold both the insulation and the tongue and groove ceiling Mom wanted in there.  Once those were added, we added an additional rafter to the side against the brick using concrete screws to hold it in place.  Next, I added rafter vents to the ceiling, and finally, R-26 insulation.  Across the center, I added supports for the ceiling, dropped about a foot and a half from the center point of the roof line to give room for the light box and wires.

In the process, we also added a few extra wall outlets for Mom’s plant lights and had to add a new light fixture in the ceiling.  We also added a motion light to the outside and included a switch for it as well.

Once all that was taken care of, I installed shiplap to the walls, patched and filled the nail holes and joints, sanded, and then painted the entire room in white.

For the ceiling, she wanted tongue and groove boards, left natural and sealed.  Once the ceiling was in, I added a small crown molding to the side of the room with the shiplap and used some cut down 1×4’s for the side against the brick to trim it out.  The two shorter walls were caulked where the ceiling boards met the wall boards.

Of course, I can’t seem to find a picture of the completed wall/ceiling with the trim installed, so I’ll go snap a few and get them added soon! It always seems like I take pictures for a while, then get busy with getting the actual project done and forget to take completed pictures:(

More updates (and updated pictures) to come soon!!

New Flooring!

The floor covering in the original room was mostly carpet with just a small section of linoleum near the door. I tore all of that up after we cleared the room out. Mom wanted the new floor to be the same in the existing space as in the new addition, something that was water resistant, easy to keep clean and something that would be durable enough to withstand plants moved around, kids in and out, etc. She chose a vinyl plank wood look snap-lock floor.

One of the issues that had to be addressed before installing the flooring was getting the floor leveled in both rooms. The new addition was lower on the right side by quite a bit (roughly an inch and a half to two inches), so we had to add several bags of concrete smoothed out (in total about 6 bags were used in both rooms I think). Adding 1 to 2 bags at a time until it was close enough to add the floor leveler on top, we used a light sprinkle of bonding cement before each application and just a trowel to smooth it and push it where it needed to be.

A lot of the floor leveling took place before the shiplap was installed, but we did have to add a little more to address the dip from the wall toward the door. Then two bags of floor leveler was used to get it as smooth as possible before installing the vinyl plank.

In the existing room, I only had to add some concrete to the dip below the door, then all along the left wall out about a foot and just a small amount in front of the book cases.

I started laying the floor in the new addition first, working my way along the front wall to get it as square and level as possible, then, row by row, worked my way back toward the existing room.

Most of the cuts were able to be done with a chop saw, but the row against the brick required a jig saw (probably could’ve used a table saw, but didn’t). When it came to the doorway into the existing room, I laid out and marked each piece with a pencil, then used a jigsaw to get the cuts around the molding as close as possible, leaving just a little expansion room on each side. I then started on the existing room, working my way from the doorway to the back wall.

I left the actual piece on the edge of the step until last so I could install the metal cap over at the same time and not worry with traffic in the room for a while. The piece itself ended up to be about an inch wide and since there was really nothing to hold it on the opposite side, I used construction adhesive to make sure it wouldn’t spilt apart. vertical part of the step was only about 2 inches as well, and since there was really no need to have anything other than flooring there, I used the same flooring, with construction adhesive, then added the metal stair cap over the corner. I predrilled holes in the floor thru to the wood underneath, then added small flat screws to the underside to hold it all in place.

Overall, it wasn’t a hard project, just a lot of up and down when you’re working by yourself! And, even though it’s called ‘snap lock’, it’s really not that simple, especially when you still have some unevenness, etc. Each piece took a bit to fit in and snap together tight while trying not to move the rest of the floor that’s already laid down:)

More updates to come soon!

Trim & Baseboard installed to finish off the front room!

I finally got some updated pictures of the completed room (actually last week, but haven’t had a chance to add them until now). As you can see, all the windows and the door were trimmed with simple primed casing. Once that was installed, I patched the holes and painted with the same paint as the wall color.

The ceiling got a very small crown molding along the shiplap side and along the brick side I used the scrap 1×4 pieces that were trimmed off from boxing in the windows. The angles on this were a little tricky to get right, but once these were installed, I patched the nail holes and painted the shiplap side to match the walls and the brick side was left natural just like the tongue and groove ceiling.

After the floor was finished, I installed baseboard along the entire room up, patched, caulked and painted to match the walls as well.

Mom already has a ton of plants and lights in the room (new outlets are definitely being used:)) and adding more all the time (I think there’s double the amount now from when I took these pics just a week or so ago)!

It’s been a busy few weeks as I’m in the middle of yet another project at my parents house and I decided to finally update our downstairs bathroom in our house, so I need to take some pictures of the completed original part of the toy room, so I’ll try to get that done and posted soon (as well as these other current projects)!

Finished Toy Room Renovation

While there are still a few final touches to actually ‘complete’ the room, it’s 99% finished! After patching some places in the walls, the whole room got a fresh coat of primer and then paint (including the ceiling and attic access)! Mom chose two bright colors, so the darker shade was used on the back wall as an accent, as well as the lower 2/3 of the side walls, then the lighter shade was used on top. There are two shelving/bookcase units in the garage to be painted white yet that will go on either side of the current murphy bed, so even though the walls are darker, the majority of the furniture will be white/bright.

The original room only had the picture rail and hooks on one side, so she wanted to mimic both on the opposite side of the room. I installed a 1×4, 1×2 and small trim to be identical to the original railing. The only difference will be the hooks on the new boards won’t be wood pegs, but purchased metal hooks that fold out for use and can fold back in to be out of the way (this is one piece that isn’t completed just yet).

Mom wanted crown molding installed, so she chose a small pattern (luckily since I had to hold it and nail it myself), and after the floor was in, I installed new baseboard as well. The windows, door and newly installed baseboard and crown molding all got a coat (or two…or three) of white paint.

My husband re-ran the cable line and adjusted the plug box to be higher so it would be hidden by the TV, and my dad installed the new light fixtures. Then, of course, they installed a new flat screen TV.

Aside from re-hanging the door (waiting on the correct hinges), installing the hooks and clearing out the remaining tools/leftover wood, the room is basically finished! My boys are already using it for a workout space:)

I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing this project come together, it was definitely a long process and had a lot of different ‘to-do’ items! Be sure to let me know what you think in the comments!