Buster's Reno Thread

[Buster]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

It's not Aspen but that will do.

In all seriousness, I was just contemplating extending my basement about 20 meters into my backyard to create a secret lair. I wasn't sure if that was even feasible.

When I used to hang out on AVS home theater build area, one guy built a 20 foot tunnel to an area where he had a garage. He then dug a massive hole where hte garage was - something like 15 feet deep. He built a theater in the hole, and then poured concrete back on top of the theater as a new garage pad, built the garage, and voila - secret lair under garage via tunnel.

edit: it was this guy https://www.avsforum.com/forum/19-de...h-theater.html

But it was actually under his driveway, not his garage, lol.

[The_Rural_Juror]

Instead of a tunnel, I would like most of the backyard to be above the basement, and then build a lift to lower the vehicles into the basement. $200k job?? I need to know how much to YOLO.

[ThePenIsMightier]

I'm in the same boat on the epoxy flooring... I can afford it and it would be awesome, but it is still such a ludicrous excess expense for something that's really - so silly!
My fuckin neighbour got it and it looks tremendous and all he does is park motorbikes in there and there's a couch, so it's basically a man cave while his vehicles freeze on the driveway. But still... It's just so fuckin awesome!

Plus, I really don't want to deal with parking my shit out front and loading all my tools and other trash into a cube while they perform the work. Since that feels like the most work, I find myself watching pathetic YouTube videos and convincing myself that I should just buy a kit and do it myself!

[cam_wmh]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

4. Here's a pic of the original kitchen from earlier in the thread, which has remained almost untouched. I'm going to basically tear the entire kitchen side of the house out to the studs and start again - relocating appliances and everything.

Attachment 89293

5. And thinking of finally doing the epoxy flooring in the garage. I covered the walls in the garage with proslat.

Attachment 89294

Thanks for sharing the update. Question, are you going to invest into some trees in the backyard since chopping down those poplars? IMHO, I think you really should.

[Buster]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Thanks for sharing the update. Question, are you going to invest into some trees in the backyard since chopping down those poplars? IMHO, I think you really should.

I might. We've actually enjoyed the more open feel to the backyard since they went down. And the kids have a larger unbroken area to play.

I'm not happy with how the settling in the back has caused the stamped concrete to not properly drain away from the house. So it's likely I will be re-doing a bunch of the backyard grading to improve that. I don't think I'd put two big trees back in the middle of the yard, but maybe some smaller more attractive trees around the perimeter. We're pretty good friends with the neighbors next door, so I also don't want to block their view or anything.

[killramos]

+1 on some kind of foliage.

Still I have got to say, your new kitchen looks way better than the old one when you review the pictures.

[Buster]

Okay things are coming together with the architect.

My priorities on new layout for this round.

1. bigger more accessible deck
2. More space in terms of kitchen storage/pantry.

The architect had the idea to move the entire kitchen into the current living room. It hadn't occurred to me before, but I ended up loving the idea. We can also move some walls and create a better laundry room and a butler pantry while we are at it.

My problem now is figuring out what the hell to do with the formal dining area. We barely use it right now, and nobody wants to eat in there when we have a nice view of the lake at the other dining area.

I'm thinking of a climate controlled wine room. What say you, beyond? What would you do with the area? The front living room area is open to the upper floor, but the formal dining area is not. Above it is an open study/library that has a balcony overlooking the front living room.

This is the as-built:




This is what the architect is suggesting:



This is my modifications to his suggestion: expanded butler pantry with smaller laundry. He put a study in the formal dining area, but I'm thinking some sort of climate controlled win storage, with a bar stool or wine tasting area. Maybe a see through fireplace to the new living room area (former kitchen).

[adamc]

I mean if you're big into wine and spirits, having a small tasting room / cellar would be on the top of my list. Just a nice built in standing bar or some repurposed casks.

A friend is building a couple ultra luxury infills here in Toronto and his tasting rooms have a separate climate controlled drawer in the built-in wine storage that has separately regulated humidity and acts as a giant humidor / cannabis tempering drawer.

If you smoke cigars you could have a couple club chairs in there with a ventilation system that rapidly pulls smoke from the room.



Edit: I missed your text saying basically exactly what I wrote.

[navdeep]

we just built a wine wall in our dinning room where they had done a bump out for a hutch , so we had 2 row of racks installed for wine and 5 shelves in the middle for spirits all closed off with 10mm glass floor to ceiling

[S-FLY]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

What an awesome view!

When they epoxy the garage floor, do they have to sandblast it for the epoxy to stick? I'd like to do the same in my garage, but I'm not sure if it's worth the cost in a townhouse (double garage).

[vengie]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

What an awesome view!

When they epoxy the garage floor, do they have to sandblast it for the epoxy to stick? I'd like to do the same in my garage, but I'm not sure if it's worth the cost in a townhouse (double garage).

Yes, they use a big ass disc sander to smooth out, even out the floor, and apply epoxy

[SJW]

TIL I live close to Buster. I'll be the guy in the thong paddle boarding by your house this summer.

[vengie]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

TIL I live close to Buster. I'll be the guy in the thong paddle boarding by your house this summer.

I didn't think your end of the community had lake access?

[SJW]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

I didn't think your end of the community had lake access?

You're wrong. I wouldn't have moved there if that was the case.

[suntan]

There had better be a high-end Drainvac in this reno.

[Impreza]

If you're doing a true climate controlled wine room, its not really that fun to hang out in since it's going to be cool in there. A lot of people put tables and vents (for cigar smoking) in their wine rooms, but it doesn't really get used much cause it just isnt comfortable. It is cool and a touch humid.

[jwslam]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

If you're doing a true climate controlled wine room, its not really that fun to hang out in since it's going to be cool in there. A lot of people put tables and vents (for cigar smoking) in their wine rooms, but it doesn't really get used much cause it just isnt comfortable. It is cool and a touch humid.

A good reminder that this would be much more expensive in Vancouver.