1403 3 Ave N upstairs

This is a house built in 1906 at 1403 3 Ave. N., Coalbanks (later to become Lethbridge), AB, Canada. I bought the house in Dec. 2021 as a rental property. It has a 3-bedroom suite on the main floor and a 1-bedroom suite on the 2nd floor. This is the story of the upper suite (“up”).

reasoning for renovations

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I have some explaining to do.  The reasons renovations to the main floor suite were started in the first place were 

  • 1st floor suite bathroom was cut across by 2nd floor stairway (duck your head!) 
  • sloped floor 
  • 2nd floor suite had stairs so steep that a mountain goat couldn’t climb them (although this was not tested with real mountain goats) 

Some other reasons were 

  • no insulation at all – just bricks acting as heat sinks (not even structural) 
  • no bedroom or living room ceiling lights 
  • bad location of bedroom doors 
  • bad windows
    • BR1 had a window opening into the front porch – no fresh air, not to mention illegal as all hell as there was no means of egress
    • BR2 had a tiny, leaky awning window 
    • BR3 had a large, leaky window 
    • living room window leaked, would not close 
  • dated, painted 1960s panelling 
  • no 36-inch egress doors 
  • and many, many more 

stair stringers

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After work in the main floor suite, we began work on the stair stringers.  The drafting was a somewhat frustrating experience.  My software kept snapping to 45°, but the slope of the stairs is not 45°, so every time I drew lines from which to dimension, things became annoying.  As well, the printer kept jamming, so I couldn’t print any plans.  I wrote all the pertinent dimensions on a piece of paper, and we went outside to tackle the stringers. 

We cut it to length and added the angles. 

Keep reading…

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stairwell landing framing

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When Floyd and Dave showed up, I was mulling over the last bits of the upstairs suite stairwell framing including the landing.  We began this today.  It stands 23.5 inches high and is about 49 x 38 inches and constructed of 2×6 and 3/4 ply.  It will be drywalled in 3/4-inch for fireblocking. 

The remaining lumber will be used up for something-or-other, I am sure. 

So this is how it stands at the end of the day.  If you are paying attention, you will see that one more jack stud needs to be added on the NE corner to hold up the top plate (bottom right of this picture). 

new motion sensor switch, a little rewiring

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The motion sensor dimmers for the toilet lights don’t do what I want them to do.  One of them won’t shut off completely, and I cannot find the instruction sheet or model number to look up the instructions of how to program it to shut off.  The other failed completely. 

So I bought a 2-pack of a brand I’ve never heard of – Ecoeler – from Amazon and installed them.  (The one on the right.) 

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rear wiring, spray-foam insulation

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The blue arc-fault wiring dangling from the 2nd floor is now connected.  I had to wait for the upstairs bedroom / stairwell wall to be relocated before connecting this up the receptacle. 

The kitchen 3-way light and fan switches are now connected – or, at least, one end of it.  Yes, I know, one switch is a different colour.  I’ll get on that as well as stapling the wires down. 

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weld practise continues, new wall erected

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More odds and ends were completed on the framing of the 2nd floor entrance.
(This post is categorized in both “main” and “up” of 1403.) 

More practise with the welding was done, as well.  I bought a new spool of flux core wire from Princess Auto, replacing the Benchmark wire bought at Home Hardware. 

 

Yes, I know – the welding looks like crap.  This is my first time welding – ever.  As the day went on, and Brock came by to guide me through it and practise his own welding, things got a little better.  However, I am still unsure if the stairway will be made of welded metal or wood.  We’ll see. 

In the mean time, the new kitchen / entrance wall separating the two suites is up.  We started by taping Shane’s level to a 2×4, extended to the rafters, in line with bottom plate, to find where the top plate will sit.  I marked it, then Dave and Floyd held the 2×6 in place with some sticks while I fastened it to the rafters. 

We then measured the length and angle of these new balloon studs (114 5/8″, 29°) and cut them.  This took fiddling about because the roof has a certain amount of sag (about 3/16″) from where it is tied to the house to the middle of the kitchen. 

Studs are placed under each rafter (24″o.c.) and one in between (making about 12″o.c.). 

As for the stairway itself, …

mudroom trapdoor framing

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In preparation to build the rest of the mudroom floor (the floor platform and trapdoor leading to the basement), finishing touches must be done to the floor framing.  Blocking was adjusted, and a spacer to get the right elevation was added to the ledger against the house. 

Finally, the 3/4 plywood was fitted.  (Note to self:  When measuring for holes to cut in plywood, always measure from the same place, not from two different places (i.e. left side & right side) or you will end up having to move the framing to match the plywood hole rather than the plywood hole matching the framing.) 

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