MEMPHIS, TN (localmemphis.com) Painting and wallpapering are popular DIY home improvement projects, but they can quickly become complicated if your walls are not in good shape. For most homes, that means your drywall needs to be a flat and even canvas that will easily accept your new paint or wallpaper.

"DIY projects can be a lot of fun but, honestly, drywall is a lot harder than it looks. It's heavy material, takes lots of tools. It's really best left to the professionals," Angie Hicks of Angies List said.

Even small drywall repair jobs can get messy and complicated but those jobs can be done yourself, especially if you are handy. But finishing a basement or other room with no drywall in place or installing new drywall to repair damaged walls is another story.

"The reason why it's not a good DIY job is that if you don't know what you are doing it's going to look pretty bad in the end product. A professional knows how to install it especially in a whole house. If you go to try to do a whole house, a whole basement, it could take you days. Professional could do a house this size in a day, him and a couple of other guys," drywall contractor Robert Morrison said.

Hanging the drywall, which can weigh 80 pounds and generally takes a three person crew, is just step one of a four step process. Next comes mudding, taping, and sanding. All very detailed and necessary to provide that flat, even canvas.

"For a 12x14 room it will take a professional about 3 or 4 hours to hang a room that size and a few days to finish it and get it ready for paint, drywall contractor Andy Ferguson said. "For a 12x14 room a DIY project it could probably turn into 2 weeks if not a month pretty quickly."

If you do want to do this project yourself, Angie suggests you evaluate whether you have the time and the tools to do it right. The average homeowner may not have some of the tools needed to get the job done right and may not need them again after the job is done.

"Do you have a hawk? Do you have a mud pan? Do you have a putty knife laying around your house? I know I don't. Those are all different types of tools you are going to use even for a small drywall job. If you are drywalling an entire room, it's going to be even more materials. That's why this is a job when you get down to the nuts and bolts of it, is really probably best priced out by a professional," Hicks said.

According to Angie's List, the cost of a professional drywall installation job for a 12-by-14 room starts at about $200, with extra costs coming in for those follow-up steps.

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Angie's List: Drywall Repair

SHOREWOOD The much-delayed construction project at the Shorewood-Troy Public Library has progressed to the installation of glass windows Tuesday.

Contractors have installed most of the glass for the window-wall, which has remained under construction the past six months.

"Yes, I'm relieved it's moving forward," Library Director Jennie Mills said.

Construction has picked up since the library fired a previous contractor that officials said delayed the project multiple times, and hired RoMAAS, Inc. to handle it.

RoMAAS owner Alex Mihailescu resumed the project last week, and expects the remaining work, including drywall, inspections, brickwork and wall painting, to be finished within three weeks.

"Most of the framing and glass is in, just the triangle at the top that is left," Mihailescu said. "There were absolutely no issues with subcontractors."

Mills said the library expects to make the estimated March 20 completion date. But the work may be finished sooner.

The window-wall project is one of the biggest capital projects the library has faced. The existing window-wall was so in need of repair it would bend at a finger's touch.

The library was shut down for several days while the window-wall was demolished in August.

Continental Construction, Inc. was hired as the main contractor for the project, and an original completion date of Oct. 12 last year was not reached.

Originally posted here:
Shorewood-Troy library window project nears completion

Significant repairs are in order at the City Hall Annex.

During a routine monthly facility inspection, water damage in a janitors closet was discovered and after digging deeper, a significant amount of structural damage and water damage was discovered.

A further full building assessment showed significant water levels inside the interior walls in several locations in the city council chamber. Tests revealed that the exterior stucco walls have been absorbing water for years, resulting in wood rot and water damage.

During their Feb. 17 city council meeting, city leaders gave City Manager Greg Kisela the green light to enter into a contract with Disaster Response Team to perform repairs at the Annex for an amount up to $70,000. The city will also enter into a contract with Capstone, Inc., for environmental inspection and certification in the amount of $3,000.

Kisela told the council they wouldnt know the full extent of the damages until they peel the building.

The repairs will be done in four phases.

The first phase calls for the collection and removal of all damaged interior items that cannot be cleaned. Phase two involves stucco removal (approximately 4 feet up from the ground) and the installation of new stucco.

Phase three will see a thorough cleaning of the council chambers, which includes the HVAC system, carpet, walls, ceiling, kitchen and all other affected areas. The final phase will be repairs to drywall, wood, texture and paint.

City staff will perform as much of the interior work as possible to save money, Kisela told his colleagues.

Were anticipating a six week repair time, he said.

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A four-phased plan: Water-logged City Hall Annex to see repairs

COEUR d'ALENE - Baby blue Styrofoam scoreboard insulation obstructs an outsider's view of the steel skeleton within the new Winton Elementary School, but a walk through the halls shows it's coming right along.

"Up here it's drywall and electrical and plumbing," project superintendent Craig Turner of T.W. Clark Construction said during a tour Friday. "They're taping over there."

Electricians and construction workers are busy though the week building Winton and preparing for its opening date, which is scheduled for Aug. 1.

"I think that theoretically, we're on schedule, if not a little in front of it," said Coeur d'Alene School District maintenance director Bryan Martin.

Winton has gone from an older, 28,000-square-foot red brick school to an energy-efficient modern facility with enough space to accommodate three classes for every grade level. The old school was removed last summer.

"It was actually a real brick building made out of block and brick, and that was one of the big reasons why we ended up having to take it down," Martin said. "The cost to bring it up to code for earthquakes and everything, the structrual that we had to do on the old building, the foundation, it would have cost us more money than to build a new building."

He said the old building "sat in the wrong spot. We wouldn't have had the parking lot, we wouldn't have had the playground area in the back. It just didn't work."

The new Winton will boast a much larger gym with a stage, a multipurpose room, an elevator and the entire school will be completely ADA (Americans with Disabilities) accessible.

"It's just amazing how Longwell Architects were able to fit everything together to make it flow and make it work," Martin said.

Winton's new exterior will feature red brick and pitched roofs on the main entrance as a throwback to the historic building it will replace.

Continue reading here:
A building to last 100 years

Home improvement projects can turn a house into a home. Homeowners plan scores of renovations to transform living spaces into rooms that reflect their personal tastes and comforts.

Homeowners going it alone may find things do not always go as planned. In fact, a Harris Interactive study found that 85 per cent of homeowners say remodeling is a more stressful undertaking than buying a home.

But homeowners about to embark on home improvement projects can make the process go more smoothly by avoiding these common pitfalls.

Failing to understand the scope of the project Some homeowners don't realize just how big a commitment they have made until they get their hands dirty. But understanding the scope of the project, including how much demolition and reconstruction is involved and how much time a project will take can help homeowners avoid some of the stress that comes with renovation projects.

For example, a bathroom renovation may require the removal of drywall, reinforcement of flooring to accommodate a new bathtub or shower enclosure and the installation of new plumbing and wiring behind walls. So such a renovation is far more

detailed than simply replacing faucets.

Not establishing a budget Homeowners must develop a project budget to ensure their projects do not drain their finances. If your budget is so inflexible that you can't afford the materials you prefer, you may want to postpone the project and save more money so you can eventually afford to do it right.

Without a budget in place, it is easy to overspend, and that can put you in financial peril down the line. Worrying about coming up with money to pay for materials and labor also can induce stress. Avoid the anxiety by

setting a firm budget.

Making trendy or overly personal choices Homeowners who plan to stay in their homes for the long run have freer reign when it comes to renovating their homes. Such homeowners can create a billiards room or paint a room hot pink if they so prefer. However, if the goal is to make improvements in order to sell a property, overly personal touches may make a property less appealing to prospective buyers. Trends come and go, and improvements can be expensive.

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Common home reno mistakes

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SHOREWOOD Construction on the two-story window-wall at Shorewood-Troy Public Library is expected to resume Tuesday under the helm of a new contractor.

A $63,900 contract with Glen Ellyn-based RoMAAS Inc. was approved last month by library trustees to complete one of the librarys largest projects ever after the previous contractor, Evanston-based Continental Construction, failed to finish the job and allegedly ceased communication with officials.

Were just finalizing the last couple of contracts for subcontractors, said Alex Mihailescu, RoMAAS owner, adding the project is ahead of schedule and installation of the windows will start Tuesday.

Library Director Jennie Mills said RoMAAS remains in constant contact with the library and architecture firm involved, and hoped to have the wall finished by March 20.

Theres a much smoother communication with them, Mills said. They are very responsive to our concerns.

Much of the outside work was completed by contractors under Continental, although months after the initial Oct. 24 completion date. RoMAAS plans to start installation of the window-wall Tuesday and follow up with interior drywall, painting and installing carpeting.

Continental allegedly ceased contact with library officials in late December after delaying work on the project for two months.

Mills said the library board has considered legal action against Continental, but at this point it isnt likely.

We certainly want vengeance and to punish them, Mills said. But its not worth the legal fees and taxpayer dollars.

Mills said the library was out about $13,000, but most of that went to subcontractors. In addition to the $63,900 contract with RoMAAS, the total project cost didnt significantly change.

See the article here:
Shorewood-Troy library window project to resume Tuesday

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