A Year Off Tech
A software engineer takes a sabbatical from tech and spends a year renovating a house from the ground up — learning to swing hammers, run network cable, and hide mistakes with caulk.
I’m renovating a whole house right now, and your hand built cabinets are making my IKEA kitchen plans feel rather sub par. All really amazing work. Can’t wait to see the next steps.
About to wire up a rental home I’m renovating, and am also more excited than I should be. More devices should use PoE.
3 months later, and fully living that blue collar life. Spending most of my days away from a computer, swinging hammers while rehabbing a house. So far, it’s been great for the soul.
I’m remodeling an entire house right now, and taking some months away from the keyboard.
"If you put in enough, you don't need wallpaper" — @CastIrony
This is true for houses too. Despite initial pushback during remodels, my spouse now totally agrees.
Even new houses are out of square AF! Caulk is the lord’s blessing.
"A coping joint is way beyond my pay grade." — @svenllama
No one does this unless you are building a fancy ass house - but base is “supposed” to have a coping joint, not a miter. Because, well, nothing is ever straight.
"You wouldn't believe how much hot glue I use in my projects, hidden just out of camera's sight." — @PossumDeMenthe
Honing my skills on the notion of “hmmm, is that good enough to hide with caulk?” If yes - Ship it!
I’m working on a remodel, and thinking of running APs and just covering whole house WiFi without the mesh.
Doing some circuit load calculations on a remodel, and I’m just so amazed at LED lights these days. I’ve got 12 fixtures on a circuit, and I’m at 40 watts. Each fixture is a 60 watt equivalent. A dozen lights in, and I’m using less power than a single old light!
I’m currently swinging hammers doing home remodeling. A little stop over to hopefully stave off permanent burn out.
P.s. remodeling an entire house is a ton of work, and 12 hour days at the office are a cake walk compared to 12 hour days on your feet.
I’m remodeling a house from the ground up right now, and added outlets behind the toilets just in case.
5 months later, and I’m still at it. Rehabbing a whole house is a ton of work! 12 hour days of physical labor are hard as hell compared to 12 hour days in an office. I also use Twitter a lot less, which I’m thinking is probably a good thing.
Went to buy some countertop slabs today, and they told me prices have increased 60-80% as a result of tariffs.
This house remodel I’m doing has a fun little nerd track - I ran cable and setup a network/coms box.
This little bracket I’m making took like 45 min to design, and 22 or so hours to print.
Current remodel. I’m a sucker for a wiring closet.
Loren Brichter was writing a love letter to Elon about needing a full-length roof rack on his Tesla for lumber
Anyone who’s ever put 8’ sheets of drywall in the bed should be able to appreciate how amazing it is to have no wheel wells back there!
I’m at the tail end of this never ending rehab project. It’s amazing what some paint can do.
"Took me six years to install the outlet and 20 minutes to install the bidet seat. Every bathroom should have toilet-level outlets, come on USA!!" — @cabel
Did a house remodel this year - all my friends asked me “why the heck did you put outlets next to the toilets?”
My trip to Japan last year may have been an influencer here.
"This place is pretty heavily neglected. Will need a lot of renovation." — @wooster
Crown molding is not bones.
I did a remodel recently and we stacked boxes for the first time. I think it’s done in a sane way, but still not sure.
These aren’t quartz, and not the cheapest option but came from a countertop place for like $350 for two prefab slabs.
A friend shared before/after photos of their home renovation
I took some NASTY carpet out of my house to expose the original hardwood. One of the best things about houses of this time.
All these contractor-y skills I’ve picked up on my year off came in handy.
Coronavirus pandemic is incredibly poor timing for putting a rental on the market. But the house I spent last year rehabbing is finally available for rent.
It’s been a great project, and I’ve learned a massive amount. I did a massive amount of this full remodel myself.
A friend was showing off their own painstaking brick-laying project
I took a year off tech and did a major remodel this last year. One day, I thought I had the floors dialed with my 4ft level - until my contractor came in and rolled his eyes at me. He came back with his 8 footer and showed me how many dips I’d missed. Stuck with me I guess.
The surface the hinge sits against is the jamb, typically ~5/8 thick. If your screws are only attached here - well that’s a big part of your issue. Top hinge takes a lot of force - and needs at least one long screw that actually attaches to the 2x4 framing behind it.
- 2x4 framing is the rough opening.
- White material around door is the jamb.
- A door with the white material and hinges etc. pre-installed, it’s a pre hung.
- Just a door, it’s a slab.
- Windows in doors are called “lights.”
Now you are a lingo pro when you call a carpenter.
I took a sabbatical from my tech job in 2019, and spent the year swinging hammers on a gut job renovation. Now I enjoy nerding out about iOS AND construction.