the nuts and bolts of a renovation

So you want to transform a room and I get that. I really do. There is nothing quite like looking at the before and after pictures and smirking with pride. There is nothing like being in a room you have completely made your own. Except maybe being in a room that actually serves it's purpose fully and that you have made your own.

Sometimes I wonder about these things when I look at other people's pictures. I wonder because I didn't realize it was a thing until we actually started doing it. Part of my process now involves living in a frustrating crappy space for a while before we transform it. I feel like this is the only way to really make a room function properly. You need to know how it functions first.

For example, high on our list of things to do before we even get started with the floors in this giant wood room, we are going to go around and do our best to take out all the squeaks in the subfloor. IT sounds simple enough but it involves a few steps and it's nearly impossible to do after the floor is in.

I wonder sometimes when I look at the white enhanced photos of beautifully painted floors, "Do they squeak a lot?" because I bet they do. Sometimes the most important things you do during a build or a renovation are the things no one sees. It's the insulation, the extra thick underlay or the quality of the subfloor. It's the heat vents hooked up properly and the light switches being wired properly. These are the things that will either create a functional room, or a pretty room you secretly hate.

So taking out the squeaks and creeks in our floor has thus far required the following:

1. Drill + screws and a little hunched over walking. When you find a squeak locate the joist and throw more screws in. Make sure they are flush. Make sure you get the screws into the joist. Repeat x100.

2. Remove chunks of saggy or worn subfloor that seems to bounce. Skill saw+ pry bar and some kind of level to make sure you are not imagining. Also need new chunks of subfloor. It is best to cut so that the new piece will span the joists. If you don't know what I'm talking about hire someone else to do the job.

3. Sister up the joists that are cracked or warped and therefor uneven or not supportive. Again, if you don't know what I'm talking about hire someone. This will require removing some floor or working from an exposed ceiling underneath the floor.

4. Walk around again and find the extra squeaks and creeks that seem to appear after you fix the other ones. You must be super anal about this because once the floor is on, there is no fixing anything. Repeat step 1. Avoid the other steps because they are a total pain.

5. If you can, support old subfloor by adding another layer of sure-ply. It will help level out the floor. If not, then make sure you have a good underlay. Don't skimp here. If you are doing hardwood you need to make sure your surface is level.

I am sure there are more steps. This is not my forte. The husband is the one who goes mental over the squeaks. Insulation is another one, do this properly! Hire someone if you have no clue (and chances are you have no clue). Poorly insulated spaces are not comfortable spaces, I don't care what colour the throw pillows are.

Another thing you might want to consider is a fresh air exchange. I know we are thinking about it. We have a friend who put one into her new build and she says it is the one thing she truely loves about her home. She never feels like she has to open a window. I can dig it.