Today was a long day at the abandoned house renovation. We’re juggling plumbing, electrical, framing, and rebuilding the entire basement stair system — and this place keeps throwing surprises at us.

The basement walls were literally falling apart. Plates weren’t attached to the concrete, studs were loose, and half the framing needed to be rebuilt. So Troy and I jumped in to fix the framing while my dad went after the plumbing.

We found freeze breaks everywhere — the previous owners never winterized the house, the water froze, and the copper pipes burst all over the place. A few of them even had old “patch jobs” that definitely didn’t work. So we cut out entire runs and are replacing everything with PEX for reliability.

Later in the day, Kaden (our electrician) came by after work and helped get a good chunk of the basement wired. Huge help.

And to finish the night, I started rebuilding the stairs from scratch — new stringers, new treads, new risers, and making sure everything is built to code so the basement is finally safe to walk in.

This abandoned house is fighting back, but we’re getting closer every day. Thanks for hanging out with me.

Chapters:

• 0:00 – A Long Day Ahead
  Setting the plan for framing, plumbing, electrical, and stairs.
• 0:37 – Inspecting the Basement Framing
  Loose plates, falling studs, and why the basement needs a full rebuild.
• 1:01 – Pulling Out the Wall
  Demoing the damaged section and saving reusable studs.
• 1:22 – Deciding What Stays
  Keeping the top plate and turning an interior wall into a door.
• 1:39 – Why Colorado Basement Walls Float
  Code requirements, floating plates, and long nails.
• 1:55 – Using the Burke Bar
  Demo with the best pry bar ever.
• 3:25 – Dad Arrives (Plumbing Begins)
  Introducing frozen supply lines and failed patches.
• 3:47 – Freeze Damage Everywhere
  Explaining how the pipes burst and why everything must be replaced.
• 4:21 – Cutting Out Old Pipes
  Removing valves, old copper runs, and broken joints.
• 5:53 – Major Freeze Breaks Revealed
  Seeing the cracked copper, DIY patches, solder failures, JB Weld, and expansion damage.
• 7:45 – Planning New Plumbing Heights
  Measuring connection points and adjusting pipe layout.
• 8:22 – Alone on the Jobsite
  Dad and Troy leave; shifting focus to the basement stairs.
• 8:36 – How Stairs Work (Quick Lesson)
  Stringers, treads, risers — basics explained while walking to the garage.
• 9:27 – Cutting Stringers in the Sun
  Choosing lumber, crowning 2x12s, and prepping materials.
• 10:01 – Measuring Floor-to-Floor Height
  Using the old stairs to calculate rise, run, and stair layout.
• 10:52 – Realizing the Width Difference
  Matching the existing stair opening and choosing a 36" staircase.
• 11:01 – Doing the Rise Calculation
  Breaking down the math (9'–0 ¾" ÷ 14 risers = 7 ¾").
• 11:15 – Quick Run to Home Depot
  Electrician arrives early — time to exchange materials.
• 11:34 – Losing Sunlight Behind the Mountains
  Setting up lighting for nighttime work.
• 12:26 – Prepping the New Electric Panel
  Panel area ready after Kaden’s progress.
• 12:44 – Back to Cutting Stair Stringers
  Marking 7 ¾" rise and 10 ½" run.
• 13:10 – Attaching Risers
  Starting assembly with screws — then switching to glue + staples for speed.
• 15:00 – Wrapping Up for the Night
  Finishing the risers, recapping electrical progress, and ending the day at 7:50 pm.