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Loctite’s 2nd Chance House project as seen by the home renovation DIYers!

Home renovation DIYers: reflecting on Loctite’s 2nd Chance House

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Loctite’s 2nd Chance House project is almost complete. During the pursuit of their project goals, our team of home renovation DIYers have forged lasting friendships, gained new insights, and created lifelong memories. Their exciting renovation stories clearly show how they used sustainable techniques to breathe new life into this condemned structure.

The Final Lap!

“And just like that, the house is almost done!” Sydney Lorence. 

Loctite’s 2nd Chance House is almost done! What started as a house renovation project months ago has turned into an exciting and unforgettable journey for the DIY team.

Jessie Ecker, Clayton Juarez, Sydney Lorence, and the rest of the 2nd Chance House renovation crew have put their skills and creativity to the test, made new friends, and created lifelong memories. Most importantly, with the help of Greater Cleveland’s Habitat for Humanity and Loctite, the entire team has breathed new life into a condemned structure and given a deserving family a chance at home ownership.

The DIY team couldn’t be more pleased with what they have accomplished over the past several months! Here are their renovation stories.

Renovation stories from the DIY team

Loctite’s 2nd Chance House project has come a long way. Each renovation DIYer had a special role to play in bringing it all together.  

Sydney Lorence, a proud stay-at-home mom and avid DIYer, loves to save old homes. She just finished refurbishing her 1920s farmhouse-style home in Nebraska, which makes her contributions the perfect match for this renovation project.

As part of the 2nd Chance House team, Sydney was tasked with refurbishing the kids’ bedrooms. Her main goal was to create spaces the children would enjoy and love to call home. This allowed her to show off her skills and flex her creativity muscles!

Sydney used recycled wooden lath to create a one-of-a-kind ceiling for the boys’ bedroom. However, her proudest moment came when she moved to the girl’s room where she decided to do a board and batten wall. This came out so well that Sydney extended it up to the ceiling.

The DIYer used Loctite Power Grab Heavy Duty for both projects. The solution enabled her to: 

  • Attach laths and battens to the ceiling and wall surfaces respectively, without using bracing, screws and nails, thanks to its zero-second grab 
  • Adjust the battens and laths for up to 15 minutes after application of the solution for perfect positioning 
  • Create a healthy living space thanks to the product’s eco-friendly composition 

She was elated when the daughter requested that the walls be painted pink. To make this experience extra special and even more rewarding, her husband Max offered to help her complete the paint job!

Sydney is proud to be part of Loctite’s 2nd Chance House crew. She enjoyed doing her bit in giving this old house a new lease on life instead of tearing it down. Sydney believes even though she played a small part in the overall project, working on this house is truly one of the most rewarding things she has ever done in her life. She is grateful for the short amount of time she spent on this project. Sydney was able to impact the life of a deserving family, make lifelong friends, and create unforgettable memories.

Her parting remarks, “Say Yes to Second Chances, and Say Yes to Loctite!”

Sydney Lorence waves at the camera.

Since he was called up to the project, Clayton Juarez, couldn’t wait to start. On demo day he helped strip the house down to build something new and exciting on its bare bones!

Tasked with transforming the attic into the primary bedroom, Clayton followed up the demo work by helping frame out a floor plan. Afterward, he added insulation and helped to hang drywall. All this work was easy for the experienced builder. He said the hardest part was getting the drywall up the narrow stairs!

Clayton Juarez installs drywall at the 2nd Chance House.

Clayton is proud to have been part of the team chosen by Loctite for this project. Even though his participation ends with the installation of the framing and drywall, he invites everyone to join him in closely following the progress to see the final results.

Loctite’s 2nd Chance project home renovations crew has had a great time bringing this 1920s condemned house back to life. This is echoed by Jessie Ecker, “I can’t even begin to tell you how amazing this journey has been!”

As part of the team, Jessie created a show-stopping decorative fireplace. Excited to turn this old home into a house, she started her project by installing a new frame for the fireplace. Afterward, she covered the bottom section with decorative stone. A firm believer in Loctite’s sustainability mission, Jessie repurposed old baseboards she found in the basement to build a jaw-dropping custom mantle.

Jessie Ecker builds a DIY custom mantle using old baseboards.

Loctite’s 2nd Chance House project is not just about renovating an old house. It is about working together to impact people’s lives. Jessie says, “We are not just building a house, we are helping an incredible family get a fresh start.” This became abundantly clear when the team cheered as Jessie installed the last decorative stone on the fireplace. The final look is simply outstanding!

Jessie Ecker’s amazing finished DIY decorative fireplace.

Still more to come!

While the home renovation DIYers are done with their respective projects, there is still more work to be done at the 2nd Chance House. Keep following to find out more and get a firsthand view of the project's final outcome.

Products used

  • loctite power grab heavy duty 9oz cartridge
    Loctite Power Grab Heavy Duty

    Weather resistant high strength bonding, reducing the need for nails and screws.

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