I may get to start on this later this year.....

Jim O'Dell

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2,783
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Between Aledo and Fort Worth, TX
So in my normal way of doing things, I'm going to throw out some ideas, and ask for some feedback. The couple that owned this house before evidently loved baby blue. So they installed blue carpet and painted the fireplace to match.:huh: It is, was, the same brick as the outside of the house and would have been fine with an earth tone carpet. Fearing the amount of work that would be needed to clean the paint off of the brick, I think our best bet is to paint it again. Thought about faux painting it to look like normal brick again, but I don't have the skill nor the patience to learn. Much less the money to hire it done. I also thought about using a veneer stone or brick to go over the existing brick, but this thing is already a monstrosity, and doesn't need to be any bigger. Plus the fact that it would be a problem with the insert...how to do it and still get the insert out if it ever needed to come out for service or replacement. Soooo, I've decided the best thing to do is to paint it and try to make it disappear. Here is a shot, dog toys and all :D of the wall as it is now. living room before picture.jpg The paneling on side walls will come down and the sheetrock behind textured, if it isn't already, and painted. The carpet will be replaced with either tile, or an earth tone carpet. We both want tile, but not sure if my body is up to it. This room is all part of an open room with the kitchen, and is about 42 X 16.
I want to house a new big screen TV above the mantel, or at least the replacement mantel. I have tested the temperature about 12" down from the ceiling in the center of the fireplace, and with a fire going for 3 or 4 hours, tops out at 82 degrees. I will have to have audio cabinets for the stereo and HT equipment and place for my speakers. LOML still demands some storage and we both want shelves for books and nick-knacks. I have an old house plan drawing program that luckily works with the Win 7 system I have now. I was very surprised. living room remodel.jpg The shelving is kind of crude as the program is not very friendly on customizing items in the library. Mantel is not by design, only to show where it goes. Drawers on the lower cabinets will have a modern Mission twist to them. Possibly doors with pull out shelves inside. Let me know if you have any ideas or suggestions. Thanks! Jim.
 
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JIM, you could clean the brick with some sand blasting if you really want the brick back, as for the floor you dont have a basement right? just a slab.. if so i wouldnt want the ceramic floor slippery for ll of you folks and hard on your legs and knees..with carpet you get some softness.. and anything that falls on a ceramic floor breaks.. so you have room along side of the fireplace tha is being wasted presently or is that your closet in the master bedroom?
 
So in my normal way of doing things, I'm going to throw out some ideas, and ask for some feedback. The couple that owned this house before evidently loved baby blue. So they installed blue carpet and painted the fireplace to match.:huh: It is, was, the same brick as the outside of the house and would have been fine with an earth tone carpet. Fearing the amount of work that would be needed to clean the paint off of the brick, I think our best bet is to paint it again. Thought about faux painting it to look like normal brick again, but I don't have the skill nor the patience to learn. Much less the money to hire it done. I also thought about using a veneer stone or brick to go over the existing brick, but this thing is already a monstrosity, and doesn't need to be any bigger. Plus the fact that it would be a problem with the insert...how to do it and still get the insert out if it ever needed to come out for service or replacement. Soooo, I've decided the best thing to do is to paint it and try to make it disappear. Here is a shot, dog toys and all :D of the wall as it is now. View attachment 65587 The paneling on side walls will come down and the sheetrock behind textured, if it isn't already, and painted. The carpet will be replaced with either tile, or an earth tone carpet. We both want tile, but not sure if my body is up to it. This room is all part of an open room with the kitchen, and is about 42 X 16.
I want to house a new big screen TV above the mantel, or at least the replacement mantel. I have tested the temperature about 12" down from the ceiling in the center of the fireplace, and with a fire going for 3 or 4 hours, tops out at 82 degrees. I will have to have audio cabinets for the stereo and HT equipment and place for my speakers. LOML still demands some storage and we both want shelves for books and nick-knacks. I have an old house plan drawing program that luckily works with the Win 7 system I have now. I was very surprised. View attachment 65588 The shelving is kind of crude as the program is not very friendly on customizing items in the library. Mantel is not by design, only to show where it goes. Drawers on the lower cabinets will have a modern Mission twist to them. Possibly doors with pull out shelves inside. Let me know if you have any ideas or suggestions. Thanks! Jim.

They now make a vinyl tile that looks just like ceramic. you even use grout. Home depot carries it here. I have installed it many times and it is easy. Also the floors stay warmer that the ceramic tiles. Carpet one sells the best make of this type around here.

Some links.

http://www.armstrong.com/flooring/diy-alterna-tile.html
http://www.mannington.com/Residential/Adura.aspx
 
Larry, sandblasting was my first thought...just don't mention that to Glenna if you come visit again. I did that originally and my head still hurts. No closet along the sides of the fireplace, just the cabinets you see. Behind it is a flat wall in the master bedroom that the headboard is against.

John, the one thing about the tile is we have multiple dogs in the house and it is easier to clean. So far since we've lived here the last 6 1/2 years, a minimum of 75 foster dogs...every one of them smelling where the previous dog smelled the previous dog, if you get my drift. :doh: The tile can be disinfected. Also it's better for the allergies we both have. I've also thought about laminate flooring, but the same problem with the dogs arise. We had tile in the previous house, also a combination family room/kitchen, and we really liked it. BUT, like I said, not sure about tiling that large of a room because of what it does to this old body. Haven't heard of the vinyl tile. Thanks for the ideas! Jim.
 
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Hi,

Some comments from one Jim to another.
Hard floor is hard on legs.
A really soft floor is hard on legs and ankles.
You will really appreciate some softness.

Our experience, about 50 years ago, was that soft vinyl, permanently retains the depressions made by chairs, tables, etc. I do not know anything about the vinyl that looks like real tile. (Or is it a, "Pergo looks like real wood," situation?)

Brick painted that dark is going to show every bit of dust stirred up by you, dogs, Summer breezes, etc.
Brick that dark is going to be one real son-of-a-gun to dust.

Larry, as usual, made some darn good points. Have you priced having a pro sandblast the brick? I ask that because you are probably going to have to live with your decision for quite a few years---that's a few years of dust on the brick looking like lazy poor housekeeping; when it is really impossible housekeeping. Sandblasted brick works very good in the situation you describe. Maybe you could cut costs by doing the prep and the cleanup after the blasting. Think of it as saving your time and your legs and your back for only $XX.00 per year of use.

I really think you will be glad you did it every time you slow down enough to think about it. Don't be like the person who buys a moderate or cheaply priced piano and then spends the rest of their life saying, "I wish we had purchased a Steinway." Myrna and I put off purchasing a Toto toilet for years. It was just too darn expensive for what little improvement it appeared to have over a regular toilet. Well we purchased it a few years back. We would have to be ready for poverty row before either of us would give it back. Every cotton pickin' day we are glad that we did it.

Sorry for the lecture. However, Myrna and I have gone through a similar situation several times. We have cried over the ones we didn't do and been happy about the ones we did.

Enjoy,

JimB
 
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Jim, excellent point on the dark color for the brick. Dust and cleaning hadn't dawned on me at all. LOML will not, absolutely not, consider sandblasting by me or anyone else. Period. No ifs, ands or buts. It was my first thought, and I too think the best option. But it's not going to happen. No way to convince the wife.
Might have to go back to the faux painting idea and pick up one of the colors to stain the back panels of the book cases, or faux paint it with the same colors but a different pattern? Could try some non toxic stripper on the brick to see if I can get the paint off. Just afraid that in the little nooks and crannies will still have some blue. Guess if that's true, I could just use some paint to touch up those spots and it might blend in. The brick is fairly dark, multiple color.
Thanks for the great ideas so far! Keep them coming! Jim.
 
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