All Forum Posts by: Hannah Krebs

@Tim Swierczek thank you! Message inbound.

Hello BP Members!

I am trying to work numbers on a house I had initially bought as a flip but think might make a better rental. It's a 5/2, and though it's in an inner city suburb of Saint Paul, MN I can't seem to find a comparable comp for the size and location. It's in the Gladstone neighborhood of Maplewood if anyone is familiar; within walking distance of the east side of Lake Phalen and close to the golf course. It's a big house (2000sqft finished when we are done) with an attached 2 car attached/1 car detached garage and we just gave the whole house a facelift so I'm thinking it should be on the higher end for rent.

Any tips on how to best estimate the rent numbers in this case? I have calls in to a couple local PM companies with no calls back yet. I used rentometer and it came back with $2200 which sounds great but, also, too good to be true. :)

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Hi BiggerPockets Members!

I have a house in Saint Paul, MN that is in need of replacement siding on a very small area on the front of the house. There is currently a very nasty "accent" panel of plywood on half of the front of the home, but the rest is aluminum siding. We are looking to replace this plywood and match the siding that's currently installed. The aluminum siding is 8" untextured, and we need roughly 250sqft replaced (less when you subtract doors and windows). We would buy it and install it ourselves but I can't seem to find a match without having to buy through a contractor.

If you know of any contractor who would be in for a smaller job I would greatly appreciate some recommendations. Thank you in advance!

@Jonathan Treichler glad to help!

Thank you everyone for your awesome input! I am researching the software suggested and experimenting. I appreciate all of your time!

@Jay Breitlow You're welcome! Sorry for the weird numbering, copy and paste failed me.

@Jay Breitlow

Super long post but here are ALL THE DETAILS! This is not a comprehensive how-to manual and should not be used as one. This is simply what we did and what worked for us. Codes and requirements differ wildly by area, so what works and what is required here may not be the same wherever it is you are looking to do a similar project. Disclaimers aside, here’s the steps!

1. -We started by measuring the distance the beam would span. Different spans and different weight support needs (snow load, number of stories above the beam, etc) made a difference for what we could and could not do as homeowners.
2. -Next we checked our city/county/state building codes to determine the legal requirements for installing load-bearing beams. We called our city inspector directly as we are within city limits to ask him about the project and what would be required. Basically, check with whoever will be performing the permit inspections and see what their preferences are. We could have installed pine beams, but the city inspector preferred engineered beams. In our previous home in another city they wanted to see pine over anything else. Happy inspector = happy life!
3. -We then sought out the blueprints. Our inspector also wanted to see engineered blueprints showing the span, the weight support specs, etc. Most local lumberyards either offer this service (perhaps even for free!), but if they don’t offer it in-house they are sure to know of someone with that ability.
4. Since we live in town, we applied for the permit with the city, paid the fee, and provided the blueprints with the application package.
5. -After the approval we gathered materials, which included special ordering the beams and paying for delivery. Our beam was 15’ long..to big for our mini-truck to handle!
6. -On installation day, we removed the sheetrock to see if there was anything hidden in the wall (water pipes, electric, gas, HVAC ducts, etc). These all must be rerouted before any further steps can be taken. We had nothing unexpected, but were prepared to find contractors for anything that we didn’t feel comfortable rerouting ourselves.
7. -We then framed up a “sister-wall” – a wall that directly abuts the wall to be removed and replaced with the beam. We removed the sheet rock in an area large enough to fit a 2x4 into that space. The area that the sister wall sits on cannot contain anything that can be compressed, like sheetrock or carpet. The goal is for the sister wall to maintain direct floor and ceiling joist contact. The sister wall consisted of a 2x4 vertical base at the top and bottom, with studs running 16 on center. We measured everything up and assembled the support wall on the ground and then simply pushed it up into place. 
8. -Next we attached the sister wall to the joists above and below with screws long enough to get a good bite into the joists. It was vital to make sure everything was tight and would not allow for twists or turns; soon this wall would be supporting the trusses and roof above it!
9. -Once we were confident that the sister wall would support the weight of the roof above it, we measured the studs down from the ceiling joists to the width of the beam plus ¾”. Our beams were 12” wide, so we measured and marked the joists at 12 ¾”. We then cut the studs off at tis line. We did this so we could more easily rest the beam if it got heavy and more easily adjust the position when affixing the header. The microlam beams we installed are HEAVY and can easily become too much to hold above your head.
10. -We then put up the first of two (in our case) header beams and adjusted them into position. This was done mostly by ladder and by resting the beams on the cut-off studs and against the sister wall for more support. We attached them with the code-approved joist hanging brackets. Again, state and local codes are different so consult with your local codes to see which is appropriate for your area. We then put up the second beam and attached it to the first with code approved header screws in the specified number and pattern that our codes so nicely dictated.
11. -Next we installed the jack stands on either side of the beam. This is a technical term for the vertical studs that support the beam. Our code specified exactly what these jack stands needed to be made from and how many we needed on each side, so it is likely that your codes will specify as well. We had to prove the type of wood for these jack stands so it was important to keep receipts. We measured the distance from the floor joists to the header beam, then cut the jack stands to size. These need to be a tight fit; they are now all the support from the ceiling down so we didn’t want any wiggle room. We installed the jack stands by pushing them tight to the top of the beam, and then kicked them into a leveled position, making sure to check and double-check the level. We then screwed them into the floor and header with screws. We needed two per side, but since my husband is cautious, we used three. For each subsequent jack stand installed, we screwed them together with construction screws as well as to the floor and ceiling joists for extra peace of mind.
12. -Since our home has a basement, we had to repeat the installation of jack stands in the basement floor below. The jack stands below were the same number and quality of the floor above and were installed directly below the jack stands above. The weight transference must continue down each floor until you hit the concrete foundation of the house. Note: we have only done this process on houses that have full concrete basements. If we were doing this in a crawlspace house or a house with a dirt basement, we would have installed concrete footers to rest the jack stands on.
13. -That’s about it for the installation of the header! Our inspector wanted to see the project twice: once to see that the beam was erected exactly as specified in the plan and again to see it fully sealed in with sheetrock. After that was approved, it was all installing new sheetrock, mudding, taping, and painting@ You'll notice we left a half-wall to start with. We eventually decided it obstructed the view too much and cut it down farther. The outlets needed to be relocated but we left most of the wall in place to use to support the island. 
14. Here is the project before it was sealed up.
    

@Adam Tafel thank you! Heres hoping the lock down quarantine doesn't come to fruition (unless of course it's the safest thing..then we gotta do what we gotta do!).

@Harrison Aakre The load bearing wall was a heck of a project but we tackled it ourselves. Some cities allow you to do the work on your own with proper permits, engineered drawings and then a slew of inspections. I'm fortunate to be married to a construction veteran who has the tools and experience to get the job done! How far is the span of your wall? Ours was roughly 15' and I have the drawings for it somewhere!

@Steve Bauer Thanks so much!