Hidden Secrets at the ztp Household 

"zeontestpilot" (zeontestpilot) 08/27/2015 at 20:11 • Filed to: None

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Ok, so as my adventures in house ownership continue, something bugged me about the stairs, there was no cubby underneath them. I knew there was a lot of dead space though, I figured why not make some.

So we cut a hole underneath, 32” by 36” I think. Good so far.

Then when we opened it up, we saw what looked like a dry wall box.

I mean seriously, look, you can see a definitive top. Now, I hate horror movies because they freak me out. Imagine what was running through me head at the moment...you’re right, it was a dead body.

Now we figured out the current staircase was not the original, the original went straight down. So when they built a new one, they just built on top of the carpet? Ok?

Then....I went in...because I was the only one small enough to fit...

....

....

....

...and we discovered an opening into the drywall box. My fears subsided though, as it was just a cubby from the original staircase. That’s right, they just built on top of it.

Now, I know you all have one burning question on your mind, and yes, the outlet still has power to it. I would of been heart broken if it didn’t.

House ownership is fun, right?!

lone_liberal > zeontestpilot 08/27/2015 at 20:18

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Especially older houses that have been through various remodels over the years.

RustedSprinter > zeontestpilot 08/27/2015 at 20:18

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This is under the stairs where you cut?

zeontestpilot > RustedSprinter 08/27/2015 at 20:24

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Yep, many this pic will be better. You can see how small it is. 2’ to the right of the right wall is the opening. Sorta of creepy and fascinating at the same time.

zeontestpilot > lone_liberal 08/27/2015 at 20:27

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Yes. This one was built in the ‘70s, and we’re the 3rd or 4th owner. It was a two story, single bedroom house, then they added a garage, then the garage got converted to a living room, which is probably when they moved the staircase to allow easier passage to the old garage.

It's...fascinating what was done to this house, :).

E92M3 > zeontestpilot 08/27/2015 at 20:36

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Wait what? They converted the garage? Are you saying you bought a house with NO garage?

Svend > zeontestpilot 08/27/2015 at 20:51

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I’m always coming across little bits about my house both in the walls and under floor boards and in old newspapers (lived here 25 years) but our street was built in 1880 and seen many an event.

RustedSprinter > zeontestpilot 08/27/2015 at 20:56

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Wow thats cool. I thought it was a secret giant room or something!

zeontestpilot > RustedSprinter 08/27/2015 at 21:08

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Nope, just a secret small room. :).

and 100 more > Svend 08/27/2015 at 21:11

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I feel sorry for whoever inherits in parents house and decides to remodel. Most of the interior walls are full of empty beer cans. Many beers were consumed in the making of that house.

zeontestpilot > E92M3 08/27/2015 at 21:13

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...yes...but it was a fantastic deal on the house though. Plus the garage now looks like this. It was a two car + garage. The rest of the house isn’t nearly this big in square footage. So we have a lot more living space.

zeontestpilot > Svend 08/27/2015 at 21:16

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Nice. All I come across is random nails sticking out of the wall/wood. Lol

Svend > and 100 more 08/27/2015 at 21:18

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As long as you varied the cans, should be a nostalgic treasure trove in the future, probably quite a distance into the future though.

zeontestpilot > and 100 more 08/27/2015 at 21:18

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The real question is, does it make great insulation?

AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC > zeontestpilot 08/27/2015 at 21:36

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You’re a braver man than me. I’d have pissed myself while trying to open the drywall box.

zeontestpilot > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC 08/27/2015 at 22:12

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I kept telling myself dead bodies smell, and I would of been able to tell by now. But if it was a air-tight bag....yeah...I play the ‘what if’ game in my head often. It freaks me out then I realize the possibility of something happening is very rare. So I have to muster up the courage....somehow...

I think this is what happens when your naturally paranoid. You have to talk yourself down.

AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC > zeontestpilot 08/27/2015 at 22:26

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Hahaha that’s actually pretty good logic. I think I would be most afraid of either air-tight bags or parts. Like you I’m naturally paranoid and have to sometimes talk myself into believing things won’t happen. My curiosity though....now that just doesn’t help. “Wanna look up / watch documentaries on serial killers? Sure! Let’s suppress that subconscious urge until night time.”

BaconSandwich is tasty. > zeontestpilot 08/27/2015 at 22:41

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As someone who is looking at buying a house in a year and a half, I feel like I have a lot to learn. I really should ask all of Oppo about it - I bet the collective knowledge here about house ownership is pretty good.

zeontestpilot > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC 08/27/2015 at 22:59

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Ah man, I would NEVER do that. It stays with me, in my brain, for years. True story, one time on a band trip in high school, we saw the movie Tremors. Half a year later, I dream of it and it freaks me out because my bedroom was in the basement. Nothing instigated it, I just randomly dreamed of it.

I stay aeay from anything that is like that, I can’t stand it because it’ll just eat at me. I’ll play it over and over again in my head until i have a nervous breakdown. And I'm very curious too. I'm full of useless knowledge. There are just some things I refuse to learn.

and 100 more > zeontestpilot 08/27/2015 at 23:10

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Surprisingly, not as bad as you would think.

and 100 more > Svend 08/27/2015 at 23:13

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Nope, my dad was a strict Budwiser man, and all his friends were Coors guys.

zeontestpilot > BaconSandwich is tasty. 08/27/2015 at 23:32

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It wouldn’t hurt to ask oppo. But house ownership is quite a responsibility I’m finding out; there is always something to do. Lawn care is something you do every week or every other. Then there are repairs you need to do to the house; like sealing up holes where mice might come in through or figuring why something isn't working. Then there is installation; like ceiling fans or toilets ( we’ve done two here). Then there is the questionable job the previous owner did. I have no idea how they messed up the drywall mud, but it’s a shoddy job in the basement here. It’s actually impressive how bad it is, I thought it was quite easy to do.

But like a car, when things start to work out, and it's all coming together, you can't help but feel proud of what you own. I mean it's home.

AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC > zeontestpilot 08/27/2015 at 23:34

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So true. I have a friend who enjoys some of the scariest stuff ever and she shares it with us when we are drinking at someone’s house. Every time without fail around 1am we are all convinced to watch a documentary. Let’s just say those things will now forever haunt me. I don’t even want to know how she finds the documentaries she does. If I had a wife I’d have gone home and snuggled her like a scared child afterwards.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > zeontestpilot 08/27/2015 at 23:53

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That’s well said. I totally get what you mean about the near endless list of tasks that need to get done. If it isn’t the lawn, it’s a leaky faucet or a squeaky door (or hopefully nothing major like new plumbing or shingles). Today I spent the day moving to a new place - my wife’s aunt and uncle’s house. We will be taking care of it while they are serving an 18 month mission for our church. I can already see that the grass needs mowing un the next few days.

BoulderZ > zeontestpilot 08/28/2015 at 01:13

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Previous Owners. The stuff you turn up is just amazing. My house is only ‘56, so not even that old, and I can’t believe the stupid DIY stuff (or bad contractor, same diff) I’ve found. Open air connections (no box, twisted wires with tape). Missing shut-off valves. Replace the furnace? Just leave the old one in the crawlspace! (gone now). Add a room, but just stucco over the brick exterior to make it look okay in the new interior, no fire code work or framing integration. Romex through drywall to track-lighting. Rigging a 220V grounded outlet for a range via a no-ground 3-wire conductor, but using the shielding as a neutral, to a 50 A panel with no ground from a manufacturer that went under with a class-action lawsuit for having breakers that didn’t trip. I’ve re-plumbed and re-wired the house, among other things, and it’s all been worth it. I hope you have very few discoveries like this in the future!

BoulderZ > zeontestpilot 08/28/2015 at 01:27

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Set up a “First Of The Month” list. Replace your furnace heat/AC filter (adjust for your region). Test your smoke alarms (got new ones, installed to spec, right? Less than 10 years old?). Look under all the sinks for drips. Inspect the main DWV pipes in the basement/crawlspace if you can, as well as the supply lines. Test all GFCI outlets (your bathrooms and kitchen better have them, minimum). Walk around the house and look at the roof and trim for damaged shingles, peeling paint, etc. Look for any trash or leaves that blew in, too. Check/clean the dryer vent outlet (lint fires are terrible). Check your fire extinguishers for fill level. You should have appropriately rated ones in your kitchen, one in your bedroom, and one in the garage, at a minimum. Your insurance may either require them or give you a discount if you volunteer for an inspection and show them you have the extinguishers.

On my list, I include auto stuff, too. Check all tire pressures. Check all the oil levels (chain lube check on bikes). Check the windshield washer fluid. Drain the condensation from the air compressor tank. It all sounds like a lot, but one person can do *everything* in less than an hour, and if you miss an item here/there once in awhile just do so consciously and catch it next month.

Most of all: Congrats and happy homeownership!

zeontestpilot > BaconSandwich is tasty. 08/28/2015 at 06:22

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Thanks. I knew it would be expensive, and I’m pretty sure I’m BFF with Lowes with what I owe them, because it does add up quickly. I’m staring to think it’s best to pace oneself, but there are some thing’s that need to be address quickly, like connecting the living room up to natural gas via a gas log fireplace.

I think repairs/tasks get difficult because I’m at work 8 or 9 hours a day, with ( rounding up) 2 hours of commuting each day. That’s 10 to 11 hours I’m away from home not doing repairs. And when I get home, well, usually not in the mood. It’s something I neglected to consider when I said I’d do the tasks.

If your staying and maintaining someone else’s house, that’s probably a good way to get a good ‘hazing’ in house ownership. It'll be like that, but with more stuff to do, lol.

zeontestpilot > BoulderZ 08/28/2015 at 06:36

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Back when this house was made (the ‘70s), my gpa actually did the wiring for the whole house. When he was checking the house after I bought it, he discovered that they added onto his wiring, and made some questionable choices in it. He wasn't too thrilled.

zeontestpilot > BoulderZ 08/28/2015 at 06:42

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Thanks! The furnace should be good, since being in the house for almost a year we've barely used it. First we had propane heat, which was pricey ($400 every three months), so he heated with wood ($120 a month). So we didn't use the furnace until spring hit, when we finally switched to natural gas, lol.

zeontestpilot > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC 08/28/2015 at 08:03

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I was with some friends and they started watching the most recent Rambo (at the time). When Rambo tore out - guy’s Adam’s apple....yeah, I just left the room and didn’t come back. There’s violence, and then there is unnecessary gore...