Tip of the Renovation Iceberg
This weekend we couldn’t resist any longer: we took out the stupid wall that formed a ridiculously wide hallway between the front and back of the apartment, and boxed the living room in darkness and stagnant air. There are so many other projects we haven’t yet completed, like finally finishing the new paint job in the entrance hall — but with that wall gone, we can literally breathe easier while we watch tivoed Simpsons episodes.
This is the dangerous part for the amateur renovator. All those sexy, exposed ceiling slats and that slutty hint of bare plank floor seem to draw my crowbar toward them like a powerful magnet. It’s a single, practical, easy demolition — but that’s the gateway drug to an all-out superfluous wall steamrolling from one end to the other. How I ache to expose those naughty raw planks under the decades of crappy linoleum and cheap parquet! How I long to jam my reciprocating saw heavenward to tear out all the ceilings and flaunt the fresh nakedness of the structural beams above! I shudder with delight to think that all that would separate me from the blue sky itself is a few 130-year-old planks of wood and a sheathing of rubber.
Of course all those boring questions of practicality nag: Will my heating and cooling expenses rise significantly? If I screw up, can I afford to have a professional fix it? But the danger, too, excites.
Maybe if we just hurry up and drywall over those suggestive holes we’ll forget about the urge to go bad…or have we opened Pandora’s box? Have we bitten the ripe forbidden fruit that will now never let us forget the possibility of 14-foot ceilings?
God help us! — we have plenty of extra paint brushes.
August 17th, 2007 at 1:24 pm
wait, how high are your ceilings now? could they really be raised that much? remember, high ceilings mean higher heating costs!
also, can you detail how you will fill up the walls/ceilings/floor? i’m considering removing a wall too, but i dunno exactly what to do afterwards.
August 17th, 2007 at 1:37 pm
The ceilings now are about 10 feet but the highest point of the roof is much higher. I don’t know if they would actually be 14 feet but they’d be damn high.
The walls and ceilings just have to be drywalled. The floor is fucked until we pull the whole thing up.
August 17th, 2007 at 1:40 pm
Sounds like fun. Demolition can be so satisfying.
I would encourage you to use caution if you are considering removing the ceiling and exposing the beams. The airspace between the ceiling and roof actually provides fairly decent insulation. If you just have the roof deck and the roof membrane between you and the outside you will be loosing a ton of heat in the winter. There are ways to do this but usually it only makes sense if you have an attic that can be insulated. Just remember heat rises and the majority of your heat loss from your house is through the roof.
August 17th, 2007 at 1:44 pm
Thanks Joseph — I was thinking of a green roof to offset heat loss, do you think that would help? Are there other ways to do this more energy-efficiently? Maybe installing insulation and drywall between the beams?
August 17th, 2007 at 1:45 pm
This reads like Home Depot pr0n!
August 17th, 2007 at 3:08 pm
green roof is great but expensive. You will need to have an engineer help you determine if the current roof can support the added weight. After that you will need to install a membrane to prevent the plants from growing into your roof then add the multiple layers that make up the rest of the roof.
I’ve seen estimates of $8-20/ft for a no frills green roof, that is, for one that is not doubling as a roof deck or anything like that.
August 20th, 2007 at 11:50 am
I would agree with Ben. The cost of the green roof can be prohibitive and your building may not be able to support the additional weight. Some rigid insulation board and drywall between the joists makes more sense. If you plan on putting on a new roof, you can also put down insulating boards on top of the roof deck before the new rubber roof.
August 20th, 2007 at 4:29 pm
Joseph, yeah that’s what I think we’re going to do — we need the roof redone anyhow, might as well insulate underneath it. Thanks for the advice guys!
August 20th, 2007 at 4:46 pm
If you are going to patch the holes you just opened up and you want to insulate, another option is to blow insulation in first. You can have someone do this from above as well, they will cut a hole in the roof and blow it in and then cover the hole with a vent.
If you want to do it yourself I know Home Depot will rent you the blower or I think they will let you use it for free if you buy the insulation from them. This seems like a job that can be done by yourself if you’re willing to get the equipment.
Even if you pay someone to do it the job will pay for itself within 1-2 years from the energy savings.
I haven’t priced this option out compared to putting the rigid insulation on top as part of a new roof but let us know if you do get any comparison data.