If you are considering renovating your home, buying a home to renovate, or flipping a house, this will give you some incite as to what it really takes to do a total home renovation.

Week Two

The homes interior needed to be completely gutted. After speaking to some of the neighbours, we discovered that there were 10 illegal immigrants renting small sections of a room, so they wound up dividing bedrooms into 2 or 3 very small spaces to rent out more spaces. Along the way there were some surprises; here is what happened.

Knowing that it was a physically challenging job, and that don’t come close to having my husbands strength, we started with the upstairs. This way the thinks that took the most energy I could do right away.

The small room on the upstairs addition previously used as a second kitchen to accommodate more people. We removed the sink, walls, and ceiling. One pleasant surprise was the ceiling under the pressboard. It was actually usable! Updating the windows to create a beautiful solarium looking over the back yard, this can be an office or baby area. The exposed brink will add a unique feeling to a small but great space.

The bedroom attached to this area was sectioned off, creating a walkway to the makeshift kitchen. We took down the way, and we very happy to see that they had not destroyed the hardwood floors that we are refinishing. They did however reinforce that wall into the molding around the door, so all of that has to be replaced.

Once we were able to open the room up a bit, we starting by demolishing the wall connected to the bathroom. Any stress that I had, I put to good use, as this wall was all board and baton plaster so required some serious strength.

One thing to remember when working with board and baton plaster, WEAR A MASK, or you get the black lung! It’s messy and not pleasant to breathe in!

Meanwhile, in the other 2 bedrooms all the T Bar ceilings had to go. It is okay of an office but not a home. Both the master and the larger of the other two rooms had limited closet space, so the master bedroom is getting a new wall-to-wall closet that is both functional and accommodating. The existing closet in the master bedroom now opens into the second bedroom so there is one large usable closet for added storage.

Now on to the fun stuff! The upstairs bathroom, in all its pink glory was completely town out, including the floorboards. This is where we noticed the weak floors that we need to replace. No light duty here, the tiles in the bathroom weighed a ton and was dragged down stairs and out the back into the dumpster.

After day one, the upstairs was finished and we were on to the main floor. In the front entrance, we decided that the hardwood was too damaged to repair, so marble tiles will be laid. Easier to keep clean and an warm welcome home. After removing the hardwood, we found more hard wood! Still too much damage from the 100+ nails per square inch, but it was a nice surprise that will save some money by not having to redo the entire area.

Next, we took out the living room doorway. It closed off the entire space and the fireplace in the living room can now be seen as soon as you walk in. Again, board and Baton plaster.

The dining room was already in good shape. Little needs to be done here so we were off to the Kitchen.

No small task, we tore out the kitchen. Cupboards, counters, and floor all needed to go. There was previous water damage so we took out some walls to ensure that everything was sealed up properly. We have yet to decide how to handle the century hardwood floors we found in the kitchen, originally we had intended on tile, however, the beautiful floors we discovered are priceless, and we hate to cover them up.

A small area of the kitchen converted to add a second bathroom, not a bad idea, however they had no lights so they added (and poorly) glass planes to allow the light in. Both the tub and toilet had to go. Its still a mystery where the sink was suppose to be. After much deliberation, we decided to move the bathroom into the back addition and make it a half bath, leaving much more room in the kitchen.

Day 2 was a long day spent mainly on the living room and kitchen, but will be worth it in the end.

By the end of the week we were tired, and swore, however the feeling of accomplishment was there making it worthwhile, and why the stress scale was only a 7.2.

Come back next week as we start framing and the electrical. Good bye knob and tube wiring.

Soma sits in an old Riverside building on one of the east end’s busiest — and formerly one of its seediest — corners, in a neighbourhood with virtually no nightlife (besides the hard-to-miss Jilly’s strip club, of course).

The choice of location may seem like a gamble to some, but a recent boom in activity on the Queen East strip, and a desperate need for an upscale neighbourhood lounge, has enabled Soma to pack the house almost every night since its opening.

In fact, the building had not been upgraded since 1902 and had to be completely gutted to create Soma. Previously a martial arts studio, it had no plumbing and even had an asphalt floor, making it a bit of an indoor driveway. However, despite many people’s disbelief and a year of transformation, the owners of Soma built a restaurant and lounge from scratch and have unveiled one of the Toronto’s most stunning new lounges, designed with the building’s history in mind.

An original secret passageway at the side of the room was restored and is now used for service staff, so you never see a parade of dirty dishes or encounter what would have been congestion by the washrooms and kitchen doors. The exposed brick behind the concrete bar is the building’s original, and any bricks removed during construction were saved to use on the exterior of the building.

But as old as its history may be, the new definitely comes out with the rest of the place. A sleek, modern lounge area sits in the front, with comfy black leather couches and ottomans, and tables line the back for either drinkers or diners. Most of Soma’s decor is black, grey and white except for the occasional screaming yellow wall.

WHERE: 703 Queen St. E. Toronto, ON

WHO YOU WILL MEET: East-enders desperate for an upscale place to go without having to cross that bridge into downtown. A big part of their clientele comes from the film industry from nearby lofts and studios.

TIP: Check out Soma’s stunning light fixtures. They were purchased from Italy and installed by a local Leslieviller, and kind of look like exploding silver flowers. Very cool.

Painting Like the Pros: Interior

If you proceed logically through the steps below, soon you will be painting like the pros. Be sure to read the instructions on the paint can label for information specific to the product you are using. Your retailer also has a product manual with complete specifications.

Start out the easy way
Always start with the ceiling. Follow with the walls, then the windows, trim and doors.

Begin brushing
Dip bristles one third of their length into the paint and tap gently against the inside edge of can or pail to release excess. Try not to drag the brush across edge of can. Holding the brush near the ferrule, use light strokes with slight pressure from your fingertips. This helps eliminate lap marks. Always use a quality brush designed for the type of paint you are using.

Rolling
Work paint into the roller by moving it back and forth in the deep end of the tray. Make sure it is distributed evenly and remove excess by rolling lightly across ridges at shallow end of tray. Work the roller in slow, smooth strokes to prevent bubbles or spattering.

Ceiling
Begin by brushing a hand-wide strip around the perimeter of the room where the walls meet the ceiling. Then roll paint in one-metre strips across the shortest width of the ceiling. Avoid lapping by maintaining a wet edge. Here is how: when reapplying a loaded roller to a surface, first place it on an unpainted area of the strip. Then work backwards into the strip of wet paint. This will eliminate the risk of seeing lines where one strip ends and the next begins.

Wall to wall
Work in approximately one metre segments from the top down. When using a roller, lay initial paint on in a broad M pattern starting at the bottom of the letter. Then even out by rolling lightly with horizontal strokes followed by vertical strokes.

Windows
Open slightly at top and bottom and paint inner sash. Finish with frame and sill.

Doors
Paint frame first, then top and side edges. On panelled doors, paint mouldings and panels starting at the top and working across and down sequentially. Finish by painting areas surrounding panels from the top down. Treat flush doors the same as walls.

Trim
Gloss and semi-gloss paints require less brush pressure than flat paints. Complete small areas at a time, brush with even strokes. Never try to touch up a spot that has begun to set. A plastic shield for the floor or wall is handy when painting trim. Remember, if you are not sure how to paint a particular area, your Benjamin Moore Retailer would be more than happy to answer your questions.

**Courtesy of Benjamin Moore Paints - www.benjaminmoore.ca