Home Remodel: Do, Don'ts, Advice

[Core Shot]

Around these parts a bedroom for septic isn’t a bedroom of it has no closets or has a five foot opening.

Many years ago I bought and remodeled the house next door after it went into foreclosure. The first floor den was considered a bedroom. The closet was a joke. But to get certified the septic guy cut a five foot opening to the living room. And then closed it up after inspection.
Sometimes regulations make no sense.

OTOH there are many good regulations regarding safety.

[I Skied Bandini Mountain]

When I was living in Santa Cruz, the inspections could often be pretty hilarious. The inspector would get to the jobsite, say for a nail off inspection on a remo, and he'd just walk in looking at the ground about five feet in front of him, not paying attention to the illegal granny unit in the old chicken coop in the backyard, get to the sheeting, check it off, and then walk out looking at the ground in front of him again not paying attention to all the other bootleg shit. If they started paying attention to that stuff, every house on the block would get red tagged and there would be riots in the streets.

One time we built this beautiful wrap around redwood deck, with permits, and called in the final. It was a hillside home and the deck was about 14 feet up at the front, and had these real nice stairs going up to it. It had a 2x6 cap all around the deck railing, going down the stairs. Putting on a "graspable" handrail on the stairs would be a PITA and ruin the look so we tried to sneak it through without one. Inspector gets all through his final, loves the deck, and just before he leaves he says "Oh, you need a handrail on the stairs. Put something on and send me a picture. Make sure it's something easy for you to take off later".

[Core Shot]

Graspable handrails aren’t a bad idea.

Returning them back to the wall? What the fuck. What does that do?

[Norseman]

Keeps you from getting snagged by your pocket, laundry basket, etc. and crashing down the stairs.

Buying a 70's home currently so I'll have a few questions for the crew soon.

[californiagrown]

What is the issue with the windows. Why can't you have egress spec'd windows in an office, even if they're not required?

I believe, the issue is the the septic system is sized for 3 bedrooms, and they already have 3 bedrooms. All bedrooms require egress windows, and if the addition had those windows then it would trigger required septic upgrades because the AHJ would consider it a bedroom... but if there were no windows, or non-egress windows, then the AHJ likely wouldnt count it as a bedroom and no septic upgrades would be triggered.


I dont know the specific jurisdiction, but there is likely some wiggle room to build the addition and not have it count as a bedroom towards the septic capacity. Edit: see CoreShot's post above for other AHJ specific loopholes to get a room considered not-bedroom.

[I Skied Bandini Mountain]

Buying a 70's home currently so I'll have a few questions for the crew soon.

Currently living in a 70's home. Reconsider your options.

[skaredshtles]

Buying a 70's home currently

Yeesh.

[wendigo]

Currently living in a 70's home. Reconsider your options.

hah - we are in a 70s home. so much better than the 1910 place down the street!

[zion zig zag]

hah - we are in a 70s home. so much better than the 1910 place down the street!

Currently undergoing major remodel in a 1920 home. Surprises abound. Homeowners fucked up a lot of shit with their 'fixes' in the last 100 years.

[adrenalated]

Buying a 70's home currently so I'll have a few questions for the crew soon.

Hope you like asbestos.

[lifelinksplit]

Main part of my house was built in 1890s. Then moved from the mine to "town". Asbestos, know and tube, and all kinds of fun stuff.

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[Norseman]

Love asbestos. Great texture.

[XXX-er]

all the houses I've owned have been 70's and they have all had pink FG, copper pipes, up to date wiring and they have all passed housing inspection. IME 70's are the houses I do want

[tuco]

Keeps you from getting snagged by your pocket, laundry basket, etc. and crashing down the stairs.

Buying a 70's home currently so I'll have a few questions for the crew soon.

Watch for lead paint and aluminum wiring

[I Skied Bandini Mountain]

All the 70's houses around here have insufficient insulation and ventilation in the attics, along with fart fans venting into the attic space which has resulted in petri dish conditions. A good portion of those will have delaminated roof sheeting due to moisture damage which you can fall through if you're not careful. Oh, and the Federal Pacific panels and asbestos acoustic ceilings, too.

Other than that, they're top notch.

[jackattack]

Keeps you from getting snagged by your pocket, laundry basket, etc. and crashing down the stairs.

Buying a 70's home currently so I'll have a few questions for the crew soon.

Congrats! I know it's been a process.

[BCMtnHound]

Early 70’s might have Al wiring and asbestos, but it pales to the corners cut in the late 70’s/early 80’s when the interest rates went north of 20%. Looking at property locally, and if the home is from that high interest era, we back away quickly. Couple of the new builds we have seen that were completed during the ‘08 recession or COVID are also to be avoided.

[XXX-er]

there is also the bad plastic pipe, I gave junior 10 K to get rid of the bad pipe he was remodeling anyway, the location a rare downtown Calgary townhouse with gaRage was worth some hassle and he adj the deal accordingly

you definatly wana get an inspection

[tuco]

Shitty, sweating aluminum/metal windows can cause a few issues as well

[bodywhomper]

Old goat and I live in the same jurisdiction. I’m not sure about egress window requirements. I have been told that a closet is the main component triggering a designation as a bedroom or not, but that will need to be confirmed. The county has been making a lot of changes and supposedly has been more proactive in expanding what they will permit and making permitting easier because of a general lack of legal living spaces for residence.

Septic: my place was originally 2 bedrooms, built (and permitted) in the 60’s. Another bedroom and bathroom were added on (permitted) in the early 80’s. Separate permit was authorized and “closed” in the early 80’s to add an added leach line. That additional leach line was never installed. The septic company owner told me that under current standards/code, our original 2 bedroom house would require a larger tank if it were built today, regardless of the 3 bedroom, and an additional “bedroom” will trigger the county to look at the existing tank size and permitted number of leach lines and conclude that a new system is needed. Cost of the system (discounting potential uncertain property line and setback issues) was quoted at $25-75k, depending on results of soil testing and slope of the area. Their recommendation was to avoid any building on our property that would make the county have to consider the capacity of the existing septic.

Of course you (I) open the can of worms about adding an “office” and expanding the footprint and you (I) start to think about replacing the roof, retrofitting/replacing exterior stuff to make the structure more wildfire resistant, changing to a 200A box, adding that enclosed patio/sunroom for the kids to hang out in, heat pumps, and you start thinking about that vague offer for the elders about financial help, etc.

[fastfred]

proffeshinal
put up a sign demo and take it to the dump
no one knows the difference

[Norseman]

Congrats! I know it's been a process.

Thanks. Come visit and ride bikes again. I'll be on the slope of the mountain now, 2400ft of vert out the door.

For the rest of the peanuts in the gallery... inspection was last week and turned out better than I had expected. House was built in '74. Inspector said the attic is pristine, no sign of moisture ever, bone dry cellulose and clear straight fir. Could blow in a little more insulation but dude was like, "I never see this, good find." Electrical is just ok, wires are copper with decent sheath, outdated panel but at least it has breakers... but I'll put in a modern 200A panel and circuits for welder, e-car charger, rooftop solar, and run a few new drops for garage bench. Modern windows on one side, originals on the other with a couple issues. Solid foundation and slabs, mediocre siding, needs new gutters. Probably lots more to find once we're in there in a couple weeks.

[I Skied Bandini Mountain]

Just flipping you shit, while also transferring some of my present trauma as a coping mechanism.

[Norseman]

All good. My prior place was built in '51... I'm at least a little familiar with the fuckery of old houses.

[Huskier]

This is less of a home improvement and more of an outdoor improvement question: I just got done building a paver patio that's partially dug into a hillside. The downhill side is 35 inches above grade, no railing required per code but definitely not safe for wandering small humans. The wall is 30 ft long. Debating what to put up/what will hold considering that the downhill wall is free-standing. If I sink anchor bolts into the capstone for fence post brackets, will the brackets hold or will they just lift the capstone and adhered wall bricks? The alternative is boring down into wall bricks/in-fill and placing steel pipe that I would then have to build posts around.

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