January 24, 2011 - And Then The Hard Work Began

*Part 2 of Arizona mobile renovation


When we purchased the property, in the spring of 2004, it had sat deserted for nearly three years. A neighbor had managed to keep some water on the oleander hedge and the palm tree, but those were the only living things other than a few desert trees and some creosote bushes.


While I worked getting the inside livable, Mr. Granny built a railing around the front porch. It got terribly hot by June, up to 118F outside, so evenings on the front porch were very enjoyable. By mid-June, we gave up and went back home for the summer.

Returning on October 1 that fall, we finished up some of the interior work, then moved an old trailer and shed off of the property. It was during the shed moving that Mr. Granny asked if I was trying to kill him with all the hard work. I said "Of course not, just move it another two feet". That's when he had his heart attack. He got a $26,000 helicopter ride to Phoenix, and I got to do most of the labor from that day forward.


The previous owners had used a thin interior plywood as skirting, not even installing it under the drip line, and then back filled around it with sandy soil from the Bouse Wash. Of course, through the years the wood had dry rotted to the point it wasn't safe to walk on the soil around the trailer. I had visions of the ground giving away and me sliding right down underneath. We tried to find someone to dig a trench all around the back and ends of the 12'x65' structure, but no amount of $$ could woo anyone into doing the job. So I did it myself. It really wasn't that hard, but I had to keep the sand wet at all times so it wouldn't just slide back into the excavation. I dug a trench about 2-1/2' deep and 3-4' wide, just enough room to remove the old skirting and install the new.


Mr. Granny helped me completely wrap each sheet of exterior OSB with Foam Tex. Then the two of us pushed the panels up under the drip line, and screwed them into some framing.


Once the north end was finished, I backfilled and terraced the soil and rebuilt the rock walls, mixing dry concrete mix with the sand, then dampening each layer as I stacked the rock.


I cut a hole in the bottom of a large terra cotta pot, and slipped it over the tongue of the trailer. It was an improvement over the red plastic bucket the previous owners had used! A few pots and plants, and a drip system to keep them watered, and the north side was complete.


The first section along the back was dug.


Foam Tex wrapped OSB was installed, and the trench was filled and leveled.


I began laying the concrete pavers for a small patio and walkway.


Those blocks are heavy! I went from a size 12 down to a size 8 by the time the walkways and rock walls were finished! Unfortunately, I gained it all back.


The retaining wall was rebuilt, using dry concrete mix in the sand.


The final section to be dug and skirted.


And the final walkway being built. These walkways and the patio are such an improvement over the old, bare soil.


All finished!

There will have to be a part three about this renovation. A lot more work was done on outbuildings, carport and landscaping (and UN-landscaping). Besides, I have to have something to blog about before gardening time comes around!

26 comments:

  1. Holy Moly, Granny! You are a workhorse! Those paths and patio look great too, well done! And the terrace too.

    I just marvel at you. Were you a superhero in a previous life?

    And yet, at the same time, I am sad that you HAD to do it all yourself, and couldn't find anyone willing to help.

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  2. You are one amazing lady. I have been putting off digging my frog pond for three years. I thought it would be too hard. I think I'm a wimp. Now I have to tell my self-AG wouldn't let this get her!!!

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  3. Alison, that's the main reason we now have the place up for sale. There were a lot of things I had the strength and determination to do when I was 65, not so much now that I'm 72. At our main house we at least have people who will work.

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    Sue, I don't know....I've put off building a fire pit for nearly seven years! Now I don't even want one ;-)

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  4. You are one heck of a hard working gal Granny! Sometimes the women can work harder then the men!!

    What a nice professional job you did. You probably wouldn't have been happy with the job someone else did if you could have found someone to do it!

    I think that you're going to have to come out here and help me with those plots :)

    Ha...I have my answer. My word verification is ...nogoo!!

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  5. Granny, I'd like to move but I know there will be lots of DIY work I'd have to do. Hubby has retired from any thing other than his elbow bending to his mouth to make us comfortable and with my back I can't do it anymore.

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  6. I can't believe you dug that all out yourself! And the walkways look great. You really have made that place look fabulous. Whoever buys it is going to be lucky you had so much spunk and determination!

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  7. This is amazing! I really can't imagine doing all of this myself, and I'm 24! Granted, I would, but it wouldn't be something I would attempt myself without my husband's help! Way to go! You did an excellent job!

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  8. AMAZING!! You have done such great work! Whoever buys it will be getting a great deal!

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  9. You are shaming me. Big time! Don't know how you did all of this, but I love reading about it.

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  10. Robin, I would LOVE to come work on your plots....'cause the Italian would have to cook for me!!!

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    Ginny, I'm getting to that point. I sure can't do now what I did even five years ago! We have this place and our house in Washington, and that's one house too many now.

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    Thank you, Kaytee. It's been on the market for a year now, and no bites at all. The economy is really bad here, but I'd hoped, with the price of gas going sky high, someone would want to buy and stop driving a gas guzzling RV.

    LOL, I just tried to "follow" your blog, and accidentally began following my own! I got it straightened out, though.

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    Megan, like I said, I love DIY projects. That one was a bit difficult, though. I wouldn't tackle it again. Mr. Granny did help by unloading the pavers and stacking them at my work site, and I couldn't have handled installing those sheets of OSB by myself. He's great at opening jars and bottles, too ;-)

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    Peggy, send buyers. Please. We have it priced about as low as we can go without taking a loss on it now. Real estate values were higher in 2004-2008, then the bottom just dropped out of the market.

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  11. Super Job granny. It must have been a greatest sense of accomplishment for you to see the fruits of your hard work.

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  12. Amazing job! If I'd been there, I'd have helped! And I would have done it just for the fun of it! Well, It sure is a fine piece of work... and *you* did it!

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  13. You're amazing, Granny. I can't believe you did all that hard work, good thing you didn't hurt your back.

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  14. You never cease to amaze me, granny. Your indomitable DIY spirit is inspiring. And doesn't it make you crazy that you simply cannot find a contractor who will do the work as well as you can yourself!

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  15. What a transformation! You must have been collapsing at the end of every day from all that hard work- and poor Mr. Granny.....guess he had an inclination he was pushing himself too hard.

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  16. Thank you, Sarada.

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    Heidi, I'll bet you would! And I'll bet we'd have worked well together. Mr. Granny and I would divorce if we had to do many projects together, one reason I prefer to just do it myself.

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    Mac, thee were a few mornings I had trouble getting out of bed. I think I consumed quite a lot of Aleve that winter!

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    Ali, it is upsetting at times, but there are occasions when I'm almost glad I can't. It gives me an excuse to do it myself. Other times it bothers me, because I know physical limitations can hinder us. Like trying to get our siding repaired last summer (didn't happen) and having the front fence rebuilt (my boys finally did it for us).

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    Kelly, I felt better that winter than I had since I'd had the cancer surgery. I was in pretty good physical shape by the time I got finished, too. Too bad I didn't continue to push myself, now I've become lazy again, and my ambition is lacking.

    I learned to listen to Mr. Granny. I don't try to get him to do "just one more thing" any more.

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  17. Dianefaith, I almost missed your comment! You must quit hiding in the middle, LOL! I do hope I'm not boring everyone to death with all the renovation pictures/stories.

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  18. That is just way too much work to contemplate. But I know. One step at a time and it all gets done.

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  19. Okay!! I'll get the upstairs bathroom renovated, I will!

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  20. Stefaneener, YES, YOU WILL!! If Granny can do it, so can you! And I'll go home and get my interior doors painted. I hate to admit I am painting all the dark wood doors white, and I only got one of six done last year. It looks rather odd to see one white and five dark brown doors down my hallway.

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  21. That's alot of work.

    It really is.

    Have you ever thought of hiring out somebody to do this for you?

    I've always lived in apartments growing up, so I was never able to even try and attempt, even just a little spackling here or there.

    And I always love to watch those home renovation shows, like "This Old House".

    You could give those guys a run for their money.

    :D

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  22. ZZ, if you read the first couple of paragraphs of "part 1", it explains...

    Sue said "You guys need to stop crawling around all over the place and just hire someone...."

    Let me tell you what it's like to live in this tiny town, where there are no services (other than bars, cafes and convenience stores), and 90% of the population is as old or older than we are.


    So you see, there is nobody here to hire! Believe me, we tried.

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  23. If I ever come upon a big job I am dubious I can do I will just think of you! Amazing, it turned out great!

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  24. - Annie -

    Sorry to hear about that.

    Well I have to say what work you have done, it's really good.

    Like I said in my earlier post, you could give those guys at "This Old House" a run for their money.

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  25. There's not much left to say that everyone else has already said!

    You are one amazing lady!

    I tend to do big projects myself too.. somehow it's just easier! lol

    and I, too, have multi-colored doors right now. I just can't seem to decide on a color!

    I love love the rock beds! At our old place I drove over to a new place they were digging out for a shopping center and carried load after load of rocks home (in my van.. The MANN wasn't too thrilled about that, lemme tell ya!) But it was worth it.

    Then again, we moved within 6 months of doing all that hauling. Ah well.. I need to scout out some new sites to steal rocks from! :)

    Hugs,
    Wendy

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