Jenna Phipps house renovations: Replacing windows in an abandoned home
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No matter how overwhelming your home improvement project may feel, chances are Jenna Phipps has fought through worse. Jenna and her partner Nick are in the process of renovating an abandoned home in the Pacific Northwest, and chronicling it all on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.
Each week, we'll bring you some selections from Jenna's YouTube page, with a portion of the summary created through the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists are involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct/.
How they did it
Jenna and Nick have spent 11 months preparing to remove the green cladding from their home. After completing the roof, they decided it was time to tackle the exterior. They planned to install new windows, which required careful preparation. The couple began by removing the old cladding, which they found came off easily. They discovered beautiful cedar wood underneath, prompting discussions about the new windows they envisioned.
To install the windows, they needed to create a header in the trusses for support. This involved lifting the roof with makeshift shoring posts, a task they approached with humor despite the challenges. They also faced issues with a broken nail gun, leading them to purchase a backup.
Throughout the process, Jenna and Nick worked together, discussing design choices and sharing light-hearted banter. They opted for tall, skinny windows to maximize natural light while maintaining privacy. As they progressed, they installed plywood on the interior walls for structural support, since their exterior walls were not load-bearing.
What viewers want to know
As Jenna and Nick were working on the project, some viewers asked questions in the comments about why they were using so much plywood on the interior of the home.
The answer comes down to structural integrity and the amount of glass in this abandoned home.
"The reason we have plywood on our interior walls is because our exterior walls are not structural. So usually, you have plywood on the exterior of a home, like your sheathing," Nick explained.
"Literally, our whole wall is glass so there needs to be some structure to the house, so that structure is here, in the interior walls."
Jenna Phipps: Episode 47: 'We added more windows to our abandoned home!'
Watch Jenna and Nick add more windows to their abandoned home
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Watch as Jenna Phipps, Nick, replace windows in renovated PNW house
