i am about to put my house on the market and have been unsuccessful in my google searches...

there is a fake wood panel (made of masonite or something) that is warped from a previous pipe leak that was fixed by the previous homeowner. i bought the house with the panel warped, and at first that room was the living room and the warped part was hidden by the couch, so no biggie. now, i've moved the living room to a room more fitting and made the warped panel room the dining room. the room is a rectangle (15ish x 12ish), i have a hutch on the short wall and a dining room table kinda in the middle. the other long wall is brick & has a fireplace, the other short has 2 built in bookcases and french doors.

what should i do about this panel? the panels are original (the house was built in the mid 60s) and i think finding a matching panel would be hard. they're painted over so color isn't a problem, it's spacing of the "pieces of wood" and texture that i'm worried about. it would take some serious pressure to stick it back to the wall, and it would never be completely flat.

do i have to replace it? where in the world do you buy that crap anyway? how do you remove and replace a panel?

11/18/2009 8:52:53 AM

Just think of it if you were walking in to the house to look at it for the first time and considering buying it. I know I would ask why is messed up and so on - which can lead to even more questions. Can you just pull all the paneling off? Is it something just a few sheets of drywall can fix.

11/18/2009 10:23:29 AM

no, it would be a MAJOR major renovation to pull all the paneling down. i forgot but the paneling also goes from the dining room into the kitchen and around the top of the cabinets. i guess i'll have to replace that panel. where the hell do you buy this stuff?

11/18/2009 10:39:41 AM

Can you post a picture?

11/18/2009 12:02:57 PM

Yeah, I'll take a couple pics tonight after work

11/18/2009 1:04:51 PM

Has anyone here had any experience with bringing ancient electric up to code?

I have a fuse box and knob-and-tube throughout much of the house. Some areas have been upgrading over the decades, for peace of mind I want to redo the whole thing with romex.

What sort of a headache is this? I have total access to the crawlspace and attic, and most outlets are in the baseboards.

11/18/2009 1:14:20 PM

Ive never had to regear an entire house from knob and tube, but ive done single rooms etc...

You should be able to pass the romex through the tube holes (after knocking out the tubes) and use most of the existing pathways. (Only having to use one of the hole pairs, etc...)

The only real pain in the ass is you cant just strap the romex to an end of the current wire and pull, since its tied to the knobs, gonna have to run each section manually.

11/18/2009 1:42:31 PM

Quote :

"I have total access to the crawlspace and attic, and most outlets are in the baseboards."

Sounds like the only hard part is going to be to/from light switches. The outlets you can just run new wire. Add outlets while you are doing it. You should have one every 6' in the house.

11/18/2009 2:42:07 PM

Quote :

"after knocking out the tubes"

How did that go for you?

The tubes in my house enter the floor from holes that are -just- wide enough to fit the tubes. I imagine 80+ years of expansion and shifting is going to make that a pain.

Quote :

"Sounds like the only hard part is going to be to/from light switches."

I assume the tubes are fastened to knobs inside the wall frame, correct? Should I even bother trying to remove them?

11/18/2009 4:08:18 PM

When we gutted our house we had the same set-up. However - we had the luxury of no walls and were able pull wire real easy. Either way it will be messy. I would guess that your walls are plaster right?

11/18/2009 4:08:21 PM

Yeah, they're plaster.

I wouldn't be heartbroken to have to knock out some of it, though. I'll have all of next summer to do it, and the plaster in my house is sorta crappy, anyways.

11/18/2009 4:10:40 PM

The one I helped with, we were able to smack them from the proper side a couple of times with a rubber mallet and the ones that didnt pop out broke enough to finish the job with a screwdriver and a mallet.

11/18/2009 4:18:04 PM

I've got a light switch near the front door that doesn't do anything. I've checked every outlet in the area to see if it's controlled, but none are. I don't think it's for anything outside because there are only two lights outside and they have working switches on the same switch plate.

I did take the plate off and see that this particular switch has a red wire opposite the white. I thought that this meant it was for an outlet or 3-way switch, but after looking at every outlet I see no other red wires.

There is another switch plate across the room. It also has three switches (one for the hall, one for the ceiling light, and one unknown). The ceiling fixture is a fan/light that is controlled by a wireless remote.

My theory: The two unknown switches used to be 3 way switches for the ceiling light. The one that currently controls the fan (which I always leave on since the remote does the controlling) is being used to power the ceiling fixture and the two unknowns are disconnected, probably at the fixture.

Is this a valid theory, is it probable, and do any of you who are more electrically inclined have other ideas? My ultimate goal is to be able to turn the damn light on when I walk in the door instead of stumbling around in the dark. Keeping the fan remote is not a big deal for me, because I leave it mounted right beside the switch. I'd rather install a fan switch on the wall and ditch the remote.

11/19/2009 3:42:27 PM

^ You theory is valid and what I would guess. You can just rewire the fan without too much hassle.

11/19/2009 4:35:17 PM

okay, pics of the water damaged wood panel. i dont know why these load sideways. they are correct when i open them fron my hard drive.






after looking at these, that bulge to the right stands out much more than it does in real life. i really didnt even see it until these pics...

11/19/2009 8:36:51 PM

your pictures are sideways.

11/19/2009 9:13:17 PM

Damn man, thats some old style paneling. I am not suprised Lowes + Home Depot dont have that stuff anymore, I think the best they probably have is the stuff with the same width channels.

Your best bet is to take your pics to a lumber yard and see what they have to say. If nothing else, you could buy a piece of ply the thickness of that paneling, and run it over a table saw properly set up to create the channels yourself.

11/19/2009 9:39:21 PM

Closed on my first house today!

11/19/2009 9:53:24 PM

^^^^looks like 1970's wood grain paneling that's been painted over. I was surprised to see that either lowes or home depot still stocks it a couple weeks ago. it was near the wall paper area, displayed in ~3x5 panels that you could flip through at the end of an aisle. you could probably find something close for cheap and paint over it.

the best fix would probably be to rip it all down an put up drywall.

[Edited on November 19, 2009 at 10:31 PM. Reason : .]

11/19/2009 10:31:43 PM

it's 1960s fake wood paneling (see post at the top of the page). i'm going to lowes to check for some this weekend. all of it has been painted many many times, and i painted it just a few years ago so matching the paint is no problem.

why exactly is it better to take it all out (besides the fact that drywall is just more appealing)? i really don't think that would be easier. i want to get out of this house. i'm going to fix up the stuff that has to be done, but it would be a huge ordeal to rip out 2 rooms worth of wood paneling just to make one warped piece go away.

11/19/2009 11:02:56 PM

- They sell that shit at Lowes; or at least they did a year ago.
- It looks fine as long as you paint/prime it.
- You can use drywall mud to fill in the cracks and make it look almost like some sheetrock. It's labor intensive and not worth the effort though.

11/20/2009 2:24:19 AM

thank you! exactly what i was looking for. i'm not worried about making it look like drywall, just want to replace the panel.

11/20/2009 8:12:44 AM

I think it actually looks nice with a good coat of primer and paint. It almost has a beadboard look.

11/20/2009 9:32:12 AM

^I second that.

We're putting in new floors and repainting a ton.

Before:


After:

11/20/2009 9:51:32 AM

^ Cool. You can replace those old hollow core doors for about $25 each from Habitat For Humanity or $35 each from Lowes. That will do a lot in making your house look updated. Like the wood wall paneling they actually look pretty good painted too. I stayed at a beach house in Topsail one time where they had been painted and I was surprised at how much better it looked than the ones in my house.

11/20/2009 10:56:30 AM

^^wow that looks a lot better painted...good choice

11/20/2009 11:58:09 AM

Thanks. We had debated replacing the paneling with bead board, but it was cost prohibitive. The carpet was the worst and the floors make it a totally different house. We're planning on pulling out the doors as well and replacing with 6-panels.

11/21/2009 12:08:21 AM

Finally got the bottom floor gaspack replaced. B/c of the gov't incentive, Carrier is behind manufacturing, so we only had half the house with functional heat for the past month.

The new one is like 986% quieter than the old one was, and the other old half sounds like a jet taking off in the attic in comparison. Guess I'm saving my change again.

11/23/2009 7:53:04 PM

Quote :

"why exactly is it better to take it all out (besides the fact that drywall is just more appealing)? i really don't think that would be easier. i want to get out of this house. i'm going to fix up the stuff that has to be done, but it would be a huge ordeal to rip out 2 rooms worth of wood paneling just to make one warped piece go away."

the paneling doesn't do much in terms of sound/room insulation. also i personally have a strong aversion to facades and veneers, but that's just me. i don't blame you though, if you're trying to move, i'd make it look nice with a new sheet of paneling and be done with it. incidentally, i checked out the selection at lowes tonight. the 3/16x4x8 prefinished in white is $21.00, 1/8x4x8 is $18.00

***

i need to have the hardwoods refinished and paint. which should i do first? i'm thinking paint first so i don't have to worry about spills/drips. but the walls already need a good wipedown prior to painting and refinishing the floors is going to be hella dusty.

[Edited on November 23, 2009 at 8:11 PM. Reason : .]

11/23/2009 8:06:23 PM

Paint drips come up off hardwood with a fingernail once dry.

I personally would do hardwoods first then paint.

11/23/2009 9:17:59 PM

agreed, you can always tape down paper to the floors when you are painting the walls

11/24/2009 5:44:12 PM

^,^^ word, i decided to replace another ~20ft^2 of flooring before calling the refinishers in. here's to hoping i can get back in time to get it installed this weekend. i wish i didn't have to travel for thanksgiving.

11/24/2009 9:31:21 PM

I did both ways in different rooms in my house over the summer. I'm definitely going to recommend you paint first, then refinish the floors.

-In my experience, the paint spatters don't always come right off. With a number of drips, the urethane came off with the wall paint

-Think of all the dust you'll create if your paint prep will involve spackle. It will linger.

You'll still want to clean up the paint prior to refinishing the floor in order to avoid gunking up the sander, but you don't have to be nearly as careful. Just quickly hit it with a razor blade.

[Edited on November 27, 2009 at 9:06 PM. Reason : ]

11/27/2009 9:03:59 PM

I had some people over this weekend and had to pull out a few folding chairs. One of the damn things didn't have those rubber things on its legs and scratched my laminate flooring to shit. Anything I can do aside from replacing the fucked up sections?

11/29/2009 6:44:20 PM

i got the realtor over here to look at the warped wood panel, told her the options (1. try to tack it down, but we know that won't work. 2. take out just that panel and hope nothing bad happens. 3. cut out just the warped part and put 1/8th new paneling over the whole wall). she said option 3 was the best as long as it wasn't expensive

so we know what i'll be working on this weekend...

12/1/2009 11:58:48 PM

Need some advice/opinions on what you would do with this fireplace. Its in our kitchen and we can't decide what to do. I was thinking of having it cased in with some type of paneling or bead-board. The wife wants a mantle somewhere in the mix. Not sure if you would put one across the whole thing or just the fireplace. What do you guys think?

12/2/2009 10:19:25 PM

piece of siding got blown off in the wind...don't have a ladder tall enough to reach so i can put it back up

12/2/2009 10:45:56 PM

^^I'd want some more color in that area. If it were me, I'd try to find a 4x6-ish plank of solid natural wood for a mantle to break up all the beige.

12/3/2009 8:22:29 AM

yep, too bad someone decided to paint the brick way back when, but yeah get a nice chunk of wood, some bolts and a masonry bit, and you'll be set.

12/3/2009 8:39:34 AM

Is that actual red clay brick? If so, sandblast that fucker.
Leave some paint behind for a distressed look...It'd be near impossible to get all the paint out of the little crevices anyway.
Add a very dark stained and very substantial thickness mantle with no exposed bracing...Something at least 4" thick, preferably 6".

Possibly paint the face of the base flat black (no gloss plz) while leaving the top of the base the same color as the surrounding walls to tie it all together. And a 4" wide burgundy stripe surrounding the top of the base; kinda like a frame.

And hang a painting on it. Even if you don't follow any of my other advice you should do this. Room needs some color other than that chair.

[Edited on December 3, 2009 at 11:42 AM. Reason : l]

12/3/2009 11:35:47 AM

Yomamma, I think that fire place is awesome, and the paneling idea is great. I dont know about beadboard, however. That fireplace looks like it is out of some 60s architect designed home.

You could also consider tile. You could probably install cement backerboard over the entire brick, and put some really nice tile. You should definitely do that for the sitting area in the front of the fireplace, but consider extending it all the way up the wall. Maybe $1500-2000 in materials, but would look badass in the end.

12/3/2009 12:31:44 PM

^ or backerboard + real stone.

12/3/2009 12:35:56 PM

A ledgestone veneer would look awesome there, but I wonder if it'll look dated soon. It's almost become too trendy.

12/3/2009 1:33:52 PM

Yeah, kinda like all that flagstone you see in 60's houses. I'd probably go with a random shape stone unlike the almost perfect rectangle stuff most people are using. I don't think anything that natural will ever look bad.

12/3/2009 1:48:17 PM

Don't think the stone would work in our house - or better yet - the wife might not like it. When I made mention of paneling, I remembered seeing in another house where it looked like they cased it in with 1x2's in a square pattern with a smooth panel as the background. The brick was painted multiple times before we bought the house and in my opinion its a bit late to blast it. Tile is not a bad idea - I guess I need to see what Google images can find for some examples. I was hoping to get something lined up and done as an x-mas present to my wife but this is proving to be harder than I though in making a decision.

Here was the before of that same fireplace and room - I had posted some pics a few pages back but just for reference.

12/3/2009 4:10:49 PM

turn that shit into an indoor smoker!

12/6/2009 1:12:22 AM

I'm debating fixing up my scratched up laminate myself. It looks easy enough, but I'm worried about possible cracking the floorboard when I have to remove it to start picking up the laminate. Any suggestions?

12/6/2009 6:52:58 PM

Nice and slow. It's pretty durable, but you can't just attack it all willy-nilly. I was more concerned messing up the sheetrock than I was breaking the baseboards.

12/7/2009 6:57:33 AM

If it's the "click together" style laminate there will be a certain angle that it comes apart with almost no effort. Pull from any other angle and you're probably going to damage it.

12/7/2009 9:55:34 AM

^^ What did you use to pull up the baseboards?

12/7/2009 10:38:22 AM