i'm going to approach this with the perspective that the landlord has discretion to refund me. i moved in here with the understanding that i would need to do some work, and i will do that work for free to better the space. that's fine - i wanted a big space for cheap and i got it, and i'll do the work required to fix it. that was the deal. however, as i'm not going to take these things with me when i eventually leave, as they are now a part of the house and will be inherited by the next tenant, the landlord should volunteer to refund me for the materials.
| item | total cost | amount
used |
did it work? | purchased from |
brand, link |
receipt | should i request costs? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| crack sealer caulking | 20x$3 + taxes ~ $70 | 17 so far | to a point | canadian tire | alex dap, link | i can't find them but they're around. | the windows and walls had a lot of cracks. this approach has kept out bugs and kept in heat. it's imperfect in terms of thermal insulation, but it helps a lot with the bugs, particularly ants and roaches. i'm also using paper towel and packing tape to create a kind of cheap blocking layer that helps dissuade rodents, although they could eat through. they don't like to chew through caulk or tape and avoid it, although they can. i created a weak barrier on purpose to figure out where they're coming in and they just didn't come in. fine. this would be a tenant cost of <$10 if it was one or two containers, but the fact that i've needed 17 contaners and counting makes it a landlord cost, imo; sealing drafts is tenant when it's minimal, but should really be landlord when it's dramatic, and the amount of sealing needed in this space has been dramatic. the bedroom, bathroom and kitchen are basically done. i will likely need to buy another 5+ containers to finish up in the living room and hallways and need to take a different approach altogether in the laudry and front entrance. |
| pink interior insulation | 2x$25 + taxes ~ $60 | almost 1 of 2 | yes, so far | home hardware | owens corning, pink-panther r12, link |  |
there's a large hole in the backyard leading directly into the laundry creating access for rodents and creating drafts. insulation should always be a landlord cost. certainly. |
| 12 rat traps | $22.50 + taxes ~ $25 | all | not very well | amazon | lulucatch, link |  |
this is a landlord responsibility, and my position is that whether the landlord should pay for tenants buying traps should be dependent on if it works. landlords shouldn't pay for tenants to aimlessly and ineffectvely hunt rats, but if a tenant does something that is effective, they should be compensated for costs. i did catch a few rats with these traps, and they did alter their movement, so they made a difference, but they mostly went around them. that was good enough for me in the short run. i haven't seen any rats in a few weeks. there was apparently some baiting done outside, and it has worked in the very short run for now, so this has been dealt with, at least for now. |
| downspout extender | ~$20 | all | tbd | amazon | binazon, link |  |
the water is falling right on the foundation and leaking into the basement. this is absolutely a landlord responsibility to fix. |
| water proof rubber sealant | ~$20 | all | tbd | amazon | flex seal, link |  |
the holes in the sunroom, both on the side and in the front, and under the spout, are the result of poor work that was done. this sealant was purchased to address damage created by water leaking in from the downspout, coming off the roof. if there's any left, i'll use it to weatherize the hole on the side from the inside. the hole shoud also be bricked over from the outside. this is landlord, but i'd do it myself and not think about it, if there wasn't so much to do. let's see if it works. |
| wood pieces for patching the floor | ~$12 | tbd | tbd | amazon | link |  |
parts of the basement ceiling are unfinished and have exposed plywood to upstairs. there are several holes in the plywood. some of them are the result of the kids stomping on the floor and some were created by rodents. they are access points for rodents, which have used the basement to store food they found upstairs and left droppings. right now, this space is completely cleaned out and i want to keep it that way. i have purchased very cheap, very thin wood that is intended for kids to use for woodworking to just glue underneath the board. i think it's important to avoid nails or screws and that crazy glue is the better approach. i have crazy glue around for general use. this wood will eventually need to be replaced altogether. for now, this is a very cheap but functional hack that should just block the access points into my unit from upstairs. this is certainly a landlord responsibility in the long run but there's no use in fixing the floors when there's kids - big kids - stomping on it. my concern is eliminating rodent access and this will work for me for now, but it's not a longterm solution. |
| leak plugging tape | ~$17 | tbd | tbd | amazon | link |  |
the window frame around the bedroom window has had difficulty keeping rain out during downpours. i tried to use the dap but it was not completely effective and gave out completely during the tornado last month. i applied the dap over what looks like an old application of great stuff, which was no longer working, if it ever did. this is again the result of poor previous work. so that doesn't seem to be the right approach. i believe the water is actually coming in from the upstairs window, which is open because it has an air conditoner in it. i will take a look outside soon to see if i can clean the area up and identify places the water is pooling. i was going to use some of the tape to weatherize the inside of the hole on the side, but i may re-evaluate, after noticing it was kicked in. due to the most recent vandalism, the exposed drywall may need to be completely redone before the outside is bricked over. this is landlord, but it's also the kind of thing i'd just do myself and not think twice about it, if it weren't for the fact that there's so much of it to do. let's see if it works. |
| weather proofing tape | ~$23 | tbd | tbd | amazon | link |  |
this is to address drafts inside the unit and keep heating costs down. i will run it around parts of the windows, around the doors and around the hole in the laundry, over the insulation. so, there will be insulation *and* tape over that hole. this is certainly landlord, but i'd just do it myself, if it weren't for the amount necessary to do. let's see if it works. |
i also have a list of items to do that i cannot do myself and are going to require some contracting:
front entrance area:
1) the incorrectly closed hole on the side of the front entrance, under the stairs, needs to be bricked over, and the drywall may also need to be redone
2) the poorly boarded up front window needs to either be replaced or boarded up better. there is some water damage as a result of it not being closed up well.
3) the door at the top of the stairs should have a frame on it
4) electrical work: light fixture at top of stairs, converting junction box to outlet under the stairs
side entrance:
- installing a door to minimize the drafts and increase safety
kitchen:
- patching a small hole left by the heavy stove hood, which fell out of the ceiling because it was screwed directly into the plaster rather than into any wood
bathroom:
- chuck punched a hole in the wall to fix the plumbing which was never patched. i taped over it and that kept the rats out. the plumbing leak left substantive water damage. the rats came back to that area and left a gross mess that needs to be cleaned up. some drywall/plaster work is necessary in here from the basement side and some is going to need to get into the floor to clean it out, either from down or upstairs.
backyard:
- the hole in the back needs to be properly sealed up with cement or concrete
and i still need a 9 volt for the fire alarm. i'll need to buy one and add it to the list if one doesn't come in soon.