All Forum Posts by: Ryan B.

Take a circular saw and set it where the blade will only cut about 1/8 inch deep, just enough to make it through the thickness of the board. Now make 2 diagonal cuts corner to corner the whole length of the board (so you just cut a big X). Now your board should be in 4 triangle pieces after making the X cut. Wiggle the pieces around and pull them all out.

Now you will notice that when you put the flooring down it "snaps" together using a sort of lip and channel connection. Since you can't "snap" the new piece in, take out your razor knife and shave off the lip of the new board. Now test it out and you should be able to slip the board right in because the lip is now gone. You will probably have to shave the lip on both the long side and short side of the board.

Now put a thin line of wood glue where the groove and lip (now trimmed down with razor knife) will meet. Slide the new board in place, wipe any excess glue up that squeezed out of the seam and set something heavy on it.

No pulling up half the floor to replace one board and only takes about 5 minutes.

Go get a sander from your local tool rental place. Try to get one where it is more of a drum type sander than the big disc sanders. The drum type sander will have more weight over the head and will get down to bare wood easier. Just make sure you keep the sander moving or you will end up with waves in the floor.

Also rent a smaller sander (rental place will know exactly what you need) this way you can get right up next to the baseboards and in the corners. Not really too hard of a DIY job.

My preference would be bare concrete.

I use the cheap $0.69 sq/ft laminate and put it in everything except kitchen and bathrooms. So far has worked like a charm. There is actually a trick so that you can replace just a single board, even right in the middle of the room, that takes 5 minutes and does not require taking up any boards besides the one being replaced.

I live in a small town of 2500 people about 30 miles from a larger city of 110,000. I have houses in the larger city all the way down to a house in a town of 200 surrounded by cornfields.

Anytime the house goes for rent in the town of 200 my phone won't stop ringing. Only difference is the rent is not quite as high as in the larger city.

I also have a house in very desirable suburban town of about 15,000 that boarders the larger city. I am able to charge a premium for this house since everyone wants their kids in this school district.

I actually prefer the small towns over larger cities. I can have a handyman put a new roof on for me, permits are a thing that is only required in the city, and background checks are easy (walk down the street and talk to the sheriff). Plus if someone skips out on you, go knock on their momma's door and she will find them right quick.

Save yourself the headache and keep looking for other properties.

#1 rule: If I have to take a weapon to make me feel safe, then it is not the neighborhood I want to invest in.

You could probably borrow one from Ralphie, just be careful or you'll shoot your eye out.

I would just move on and try to get it rented to someone else and use this as a learning opportunity. Get security deposit and first months rent when signing the lease.

Welcome to BP. If you have any questions about Springfield investing let me know, I grew up here and have my rentals here and in surrounding towns.

Also shoot me a PM and I can give you some contacts at local banks that are investor friendly.

From what you describe it sounds like a good deal to me.

$20,000 to put down a rubber roof on a 1200 sq ft house. The house was perfectly rectangular, flat roof, no eaves angles nothing, no ripping up old roof, literally applying adhesive and laying the rubber.

I asked him if he was being serious, he said yes, so I told him thanks for the bid. He gave me his roofing business card along with his other business card for his part time gig being an Elvis impersonator.

I found someone that did it for $400 in labor and I bought the materials for $900.