Next weekend, the last major project: redoing the shower.
Things still left to do: exterior paint (the super hot wall and the trim)
shower
closet doors
bathroom ceiling trim
Showing posts with label misc. Show all posts
Showing posts with label misc. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Recent House Happenings
So, the work on the house has slowed down a bit; we're nearing completion! In the last 2 weekends, we just worked three days. We got the toekicks installed in the kitchen, as well as the ceiling trim around the cabinets. Mom painted part of the super hot wall, but has now decided that it really can wait for cooler weather. Dad removed the old posts from the front porch and replaced them with more substantial ones that look much nicer.
Next weekend, the last major project: redoing the shower.
Things still left to do: exterior paint (the super hot wall and the trim)
shower
closet doors
bathroom ceiling trim
Next weekend, the last major project: redoing the shower.
Things still left to do: exterior paint (the super hot wall and the trim)
shower
closet doors
bathroom ceiling trim
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Other Accomplishments From the Weekend
Dad and I spent the weekend tiling, but Mom was busy, too. She caulked around the frame of the new door and painted it. She cut and painted shelves for the master bedroom closet. That took a while because the wood had previously been painted blue and yellow - she needed many coats. She was going to rehang the linen closet doors when she realized that they had gotten messed up when drying from their first paint job. So, she scraped the bumps off and repainted - needing many coats. They're now ready (again) to be rehung. She also touched up the exterior paint around the electric panel. The panel has been replaced since painting and was moved slightly, so original color was visible. She also painted the wire that was run through so it wouldn't be so noticeable. While none of the tasks Mom accomplished were exciting, they were all necessary. Yay!
Monday, March 28, 2011
Trim Work
Today was focused on trim. Mom laid the pieces all over the house where they matched up by size. Dad and I went around with the nail gun and attached them.
The ones in dining room, living room, and hallway are painted to match the wall. The ones in the study match the ceiling. After they were up, Mom went around and filled cracks with joint compound. Then she touched up the paint.
I also removed nails from the door trim that still needs to be painted. It's best to pull the nail all the way through the board - that way the ugly tear out is at the back, not front. You've got to use a pair of vice grips to hold the nail (nothing to grip on the bottom of it), then pry it up with a utility bar.
I also spent time everyday of the weekend working on the piece that will fill this ugly hole, left from the original kitchen fan in the ceiling.
I bought a vent/fan grill on Friday and some paint. Put several coats of paint on it (it started out white) and was finally able to put it up yesterday.
I spent the late afternoon taking care of the backyard with the weed whacker - so nice that the rain finally stopped. Dad put up some trim in the kitchen. Mom wiped a bunch of dust off the heater cover before putting it back on. Mom and Dad moved my furniture in my living room more to what I want to to be and brought the TV out. My house is starting to come along. Yay!
The ones in dining room, living room, and hallway are painted to match the wall. The ones in the study match the ceiling. After they were up, Mom went around and filled cracks with joint compound. Then she touched up the paint.
I also removed nails from the door trim that still needs to be painted. It's best to pull the nail all the way through the board - that way the ugly tear out is at the back, not front. You've got to use a pair of vice grips to hold the nail (nothing to grip on the bottom of it), then pry it up with a utility bar.
I also spent time everyday of the weekend working on the piece that will fill this ugly hole, left from the original kitchen fan in the ceiling.
I bought a vent/fan grill on Friday and some paint. Put several coats of paint on it (it started out white) and was finally able to put it up yesterday.
I spent the late afternoon taking care of the backyard with the weed whacker - so nice that the rain finally stopped. Dad put up some trim in the kitchen. Mom wiped a bunch of dust off the heater cover before putting it back on. Mom and Dad moved my furniture in my living room more to what I want to to be and brought the TV out. My house is starting to come along. Yay!
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Floor in the Hall
Mom cleaned up a few more ceiling trim boards this morning.
When she finished with that, she went around and matched up the boards with their locations so we can nail them up tomorrow.
Dad and I installed the floor in the hallway. The doorways were kind of a pain, but we got it done. Lots of cutting and hammer-tapping. Good time and a great result!
When she finished with that, she went around and matched up the boards with their locations so we can nail them up tomorrow.
Dad and I installed the floor in the hallway. The doorways were kind of a pain, but we got it done. Lots of cutting and hammer-tapping. Good time and a great result!
Friday, March 25, 2011
Spending Money
The first half of the day was spent at the store. I had a 10% off coupon that needed to be used soon. I got all of this: one more kitchen cabinet, 4 windows, a patio door, 20 light bulbs 8 table legs and hardware, finish nails, screws, a vent register, and brown paint.
After lunch, Mom continued cleaning up ceiling trim so that she can install it tomorrow.
Dad and I started working on the hall floor. First, we had o cut off the door jambs so the laminate would slide underneath. That was a bear of a job that wore us both out - thankfully we only had to do three, two had been done previously.
I got the foam/moisture barrier put down the length of the hall. Dad put the spacers against the wall. We're ready to lay the floor tomorrow morning.
After lunch, Mom continued cleaning up ceiling trim so that she can install it tomorrow.
Dad and I started working on the hall floor. First, we had o cut off the door jambs so the laminate would slide underneath. That was a bear of a job that wore us both out - thankfully we only had to do three, two had been done previously.
I got the foam/moisture barrier put down the length of the hall. Dad put the spacers against the wall. We're ready to lay the floor tomorrow morning.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Rainy Day Slow Day
Mom started the day finishing up the prime. I wired the switch for the back exterior light. Dad connected the electricity for the bathroom fan. I also went up to the attic to connect some wires while Dad measured for more wiring. Somehow that took up most of the morning. Well, that and Dad and I figuring out how to install the whole house fan. It comes with instructions, but they don't pertain to my ceiling. Most houses have joists for the ceiling. Mine doesn't since it was originally tongue-and-groove boards making up the ceiling/flat roof. A pitched roof was added later, hence, no joists.
After lunch, Mom spent some time touching up baseboards while the primer dried. Dad went up to the attic to make the final connections for the over-the-range microwave. That's now done. Yay!
I did some wiring for the house fan. I spent most of the afternoon building a box frame for the fan. Since there are no joists, there's nothing to keep the fan from falling through the hole in the ceiling. Here's my creation:
The four sides aren't connected yet - it needs to be carried up to the attic and will be easier in parts. It has a shelf to hold the fan over the hole, without letting it fall. Dad cut up some old carpet pad to help dampen the sound.
Mom painted the hallway. It looks good!
Tomorrow, we install a fan. That will likely take a good part of the day.
After lunch, Mom spent some time touching up baseboards while the primer dried. Dad went up to the attic to make the final connections for the over-the-range microwave. That's now done. Yay!
I did some wiring for the house fan. I spent most of the afternoon building a box frame for the fan. Since there are no joists, there's nothing to keep the fan from falling through the hole in the ceiling. Here's my creation:
The four sides aren't connected yet - it needs to be carried up to the attic and will be easier in parts. It has a shelf to hold the fan over the hole, without letting it fall. Dad cut up some old carpet pad to help dampen the sound.
Mom painted the hallway. It looks good!
Tomorrow, we install a fan. That will likely take a good part of the day.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Electrical Problems
Sunday night, I flipped a switch and he bulb burnt out. No big deal. Except it was. Turned out that it had blow the circuit. None of the light switches on that side of the house worked any more. As I was going to bed, I figured I would change the circuit breaker in the morning before work.
Monday morning I head out to the electric panel, turn off all the power and attempt to remove the blown circuit. It really doesn't want to budge and I have to get to work. I leave it until Tuesday.
Tuesday, I try again. This time I successfully manage to pry it out with a screw driver. I replace the breaker and test the lights. Nothing. I then reroute the wire to an unused breaker already on the panel. Nothing. Great. This is going to be more of a pain than it should be. When I talk with Dad on the phone, he says that a wire has come undone somewhere along the circuit. That will be today's priority. I hope it's not too time consuming. There are more fun and interesting projects that need to be accomplished.
Monday morning I head out to the electric panel, turn off all the power and attempt to remove the blown circuit. It really doesn't want to budge and I have to get to work. I leave it until Tuesday.
Tuesday, I try again. This time I successfully manage to pry it out with a screw driver. I replace the breaker and test the lights. Nothing. I then reroute the wire to an unused breaker already on the panel. Nothing. Great. This is going to be more of a pain than it should be. When I talk with Dad on the phone, he says that a wire has come undone somewhere along the circuit. That will be today's priority. I hope it's not too time consuming. There are more fun and interesting projects that need to be accomplished.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Slowish Day
While waiting for Mom and Dad to arrive, I painted the shelves Dad made a few weeks ago. They're for under the bathroom sink to give me some more space. When they arrived, Mom started preparing dinner and Dad measured for floor moulding. We then went to the store and bought it.
After our return and lunch, we worked on getting the stove installed. I got the sides cleaned while Dad started connecting the gas pipe. We then attached some Magic Sliders to the feet so it would move easily and not scratch my floor. It just barely fit in the space we left between cabinets. We're good!
We then did some planning so we could install the countertop for the cabinet to the right of the stove. We cut and installed that. Kitchen now just needs microwave, floor moulding, fridge, and tile backsplash. It's coming along nicely.
I then unpacked a few boxes into the hall cabinets. Mom did some drywall patches. Dad repaired my roof leak. Mom and Dad pulled up some floor moulding so we can clean and paint it tomorrow. That's about it. Like I said, slowish day.
After our return and lunch, we worked on getting the stove installed. I got the sides cleaned while Dad started connecting the gas pipe. We then attached some Magic Sliders to the feet so it would move easily and not scratch my floor. It just barely fit in the space we left between cabinets. We're good!
We then did some planning so we could install the countertop for the cabinet to the right of the stove. We cut and installed that. Kitchen now just needs microwave, floor moulding, fridge, and tile backsplash. It's coming along nicely.
I then unpacked a few boxes into the hall cabinets. Mom did some drywall patches. Dad repaired my roof leak. Mom and Dad pulled up some floor moulding so we can clean and paint it tomorrow. That's about it. Like I said, slowish day.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
It's A Small World
I got to the house Saturday morning before my parents. I started scraping the walls of the study to get them prepped for texturing. When Mom and Dad showed up, we decided to go to the ReStore in Roseville. More good finds!
Upon walking in, I went to the tile section. I was immediately blown away by what I found. A few weeks ago I ordered decorative tiles for the kitchen. I got to pick brand, color, and size for the design to be printed on. I chose some that would be easy for me to match locally. As luck would have it, the exact tiles I need were in great supply here, so I got 230 of them. Whohoo!!
At the same time, Mom found another overhead fan/light in really good shape with no parts missing. Dad also found a good shovel and attic vent. We also found a great well-kept GE gas range. And this really cool sofa:
Like usual, I'll post the grand total for all this gloriousness at the end. You should be getting better at guessing prices now. =)
Upon returning from the shopping excursion, we talked with Neighbor. Dad had a thought he knew her, and he does! They used to work together and she's quite excited that I'll be her new neighbor. She said she can give me quite the run down on the history of my house as she's lived next door for 35 years. Pretty cool, and crazy.
After lunch, I mixed up some joint compound and filled in low spots in the study walls. When all the low spots get filled in, we'll be able to texture it. Mom cleaned more ceiling. It's quite a disgusting job as she's cleaning off years and years of nicotine stains. Her water turns nasty brown really quickly, but it's making a beautiful difference.
Dad hung my light in the living room. This was something that took some doing over more than one day. The house was not originally wired for overhead lights. The switches are connected to nearby outlets. A while ago, Dad changed the wiring for the living room, so now the switch is connected overhead and the outlets have nothing to do with the switch. Final result: Happy Silk and a nice light.
I left as Dad was hanging the light to go hang out with The Girls. After our night of fun, it was back to work Sunday.
Dad worked on rewiring the study for an overhead fan/light. Mom kept cleaning the ceiling. I applied more joint compound. By the end of the day, Dad was the only one with anything picture worthy. Mom had more clean ceiling and I had more compound on the walls. Dad had another light hung, this time in the study.
While applying joint compound this afternoon, I attempted to sit down to work near the floor. When I did, I felt something enter my thigh. I sat on a nail! It was on a piece of trim that had been taken down. Luckily, it didn't go far and I had gotten a tetanus booster in October. Mom put antibacterial and a bandage on it. I'll keep an eye on it for the next few days, but it should be alright.
Grand total for the shopping trip: $370.22. How close did you come?
Upon walking in, I went to the tile section. I was immediately blown away by what I found. A few weeks ago I ordered decorative tiles for the kitchen. I got to pick brand, color, and size for the design to be printed on. I chose some that would be easy for me to match locally. As luck would have it, the exact tiles I need were in great supply here, so I got 230 of them. Whohoo!!
At the same time, Mom found another overhead fan/light in really good shape with no parts missing. Dad also found a good shovel and attic vent. We also found a great well-kept GE gas range. And this really cool sofa:
Like usual, I'll post the grand total for all this gloriousness at the end. You should be getting better at guessing prices now. =)
Upon returning from the shopping excursion, we talked with Neighbor. Dad had a thought he knew her, and he does! They used to work together and she's quite excited that I'll be her new neighbor. She said she can give me quite the run down on the history of my house as she's lived next door for 35 years. Pretty cool, and crazy.
After lunch, I mixed up some joint compound and filled in low spots in the study walls. When all the low spots get filled in, we'll be able to texture it. Mom cleaned more ceiling. It's quite a disgusting job as she's cleaning off years and years of nicotine stains. Her water turns nasty brown really quickly, but it's making a beautiful difference.
Dad hung my light in the living room. This was something that took some doing over more than one day. The house was not originally wired for overhead lights. The switches are connected to nearby outlets. A while ago, Dad changed the wiring for the living room, so now the switch is connected overhead and the outlets have nothing to do with the switch. Final result: Happy Silk and a nice light.
I left as Dad was hanging the light to go hang out with The Girls. After our night of fun, it was back to work Sunday.
Dad worked on rewiring the study for an overhead fan/light. Mom kept cleaning the ceiling. I applied more joint compound. By the end of the day, Dad was the only one with anything picture worthy. Mom had more clean ceiling and I had more compound on the walls. Dad had another light hung, this time in the study.
While applying joint compound this afternoon, I attempted to sit down to work near the floor. When I did, I felt something enter my thigh. I sat on a nail! It was on a piece of trim that had been taken down. Luckily, it didn't go far and I had gotten a tetanus booster in October. Mom put antibacterial and a bandage on it. I'll keep an eye on it for the next few days, but it should be alright.
Grand total for the shopping trip: $370.22. How close did you come?
Friday, January 7, 2011
Highs and Lows
The day started off with loading up a bunch of random appliances that had been left behind from Previous Owner. (So, it appears that Previous Owner was a hoarder. Based on conversations with Neighbor and paperwork from violations, the place was an absolute dump with tons of junk in the yard. Turns out the bank paid to have the back cleaned up and installed the fence. It looks to us like the clean-up company didn't take the appliances, but left them in the shed. There was a fridge, freezer, water heater, and TV.)
We took the appliances to a local recycling place that accepts appliances. They take them free of charge - much better than the dump! It was super easy. We just drove up, unstrapped the load, and they tipped it all off the back of the truck.
We made it home in time for lunch and just about noon - which was the goal because Building Inspector was scheduled to arrive sometime in the afternoon. Dad and I started working on the bathroom floor. First, laying down visqueen.
Sometime in the midst of this is when Building Inspector came. He came into the garage saying, "I'm supposed to be signing off that there is no more garage conversion and that's painfully obvious." He then checked the water heater.
After he left, we got back to work on the bathroom floor. It's linoleum (real, not vinyl tile) with a cork backing. It's the snap together kind. Dad had already roughly laid out how the tiles would go. Of course, we need to cut some lengths and around the plumbing for the toilet. Here's what the first one looks like - I love the color of it!
We made some good cuts, tapped them together, and attempted to install the second row.
This is where things got hairy. The two rows wouldn't snap together. There is some rough concrete around the plumbing opening. We knew about it, but hoped everything would be fine. Alas, no such luck. We need to grind down the concrete bumps. Dad will bring his grinder next weekend and we'll work on other projects for the rest of this one. And, make do without a toilet....
Mom was a cleaner today. She cleaned the bathroom vanity and medicine cabinet so they'll look good when we can finally put them in. She also did some removal work in the study - the weird closet door that was there. She pulled up a corner of carpet in the closet area and found the tile original to the house.
So, all in all, a good day. So glad that all the inspection stuff is over and done with! Large load off my shoulders.
We took the appliances to a local recycling place that accepts appliances. They take them free of charge - much better than the dump! It was super easy. We just drove up, unstrapped the load, and they tipped it all off the back of the truck.
We made it home in time for lunch and just about noon - which was the goal because Building Inspector was scheduled to arrive sometime in the afternoon. Dad and I started working on the bathroom floor. First, laying down visqueen.
Sometime in the midst of this is when Building Inspector came. He came into the garage saying, "I'm supposed to be signing off that there is no more garage conversion and that's painfully obvious." He then checked the water heater.
After he left, we got back to work on the bathroom floor. It's linoleum (real, not vinyl tile) with a cork backing. It's the snap together kind. Dad had already roughly laid out how the tiles would go. Of course, we need to cut some lengths and around the plumbing for the toilet. Here's what the first one looks like - I love the color of it!
We made some good cuts, tapped them together, and attempted to install the second row.
This is where things got hairy. The two rows wouldn't snap together. There is some rough concrete around the plumbing opening. We knew about it, but hoped everything would be fine. Alas, no such luck. We need to grind down the concrete bumps. Dad will bring his grinder next weekend and we'll work on other projects for the rest of this one. And, make do without a toilet....
Mom was a cleaner today. She cleaned the bathroom vanity and medicine cabinet so they'll look good when we can finally put them in. She also did some removal work in the study - the weird closet door that was there. She pulled up a corner of carpet in the closet area and found the tile original to the house.
So, all in all, a good day. So glad that all the inspection stuff is over and done with! Large load off my shoulders.
City Code Enforcement Inspection
So, inspection was scheduled yesterday at 8:30 am. On my way there, Mom calls and says the inspector is there already! She was actually there when Mom and Dad got there. They got the inspection all done before I arrived - I got a recap. Inspector says it looks good to her, but I need to get a Special Inspection by the Building Department before it can be officially signed off. However, the Unsafe to Occupy signs can be removed. Yay!!
I head over to City Hall and the Building Department before I have to leave for work. There, they tell me it will be better to get a building permit than a Special Inspection. The special is good for just one inspection, so if anything else was found, I would need another and have to pay again. So, I applied for a building permit to remove the unpermitted structure. I know it sounds weird, but, hey, it's bureaucracy. So, I called and the inspector for that will be coming out this afternoon. Hopefully, it all goes well and I can be done with that annoying stuff.
I head over to City Hall and the Building Department before I have to leave for work. There, they tell me it will be better to get a building permit than a Special Inspection. The special is good for just one inspection, so if anything else was found, I would need another and have to pay again. So, I applied for a building permit to remove the unpermitted structure. I know it sounds weird, but, hey, it's bureaucracy. So, I called and the inspector for that will be coming out this afternoon. Hopefully, it all goes well and I can be done with that annoying stuff.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Picking Up More Work
So, no actual work go accomplished today, but we did pick up a bunch of important things.
First stop, ReStore in El Dorado. Great find of 5 matching interior doors. One came with a frame, the others didn't. We needed to get a set of hinges and a doorknob to complete some others. We also got finishing nails, a paint brush, a drywall sander, and some door stops. Once again, make a guess as to what it all cost. Final tab will be posted at the end. I'd love to know how close you came. =)
Then we went to my old friend's house to get a refrigerator (I hadn't seen him since HS). He happened to post one for sale that meets my requirements perfectly! Yay, Andy!
After we dropped that all off at my house and ate lunch, we went to get more. My back bedroom now has all the supplies for my laminate and linoleum floors. Then, we got my las two cabinets that had been reordered. Lots more work for us! Yay!
So, tried to call the inspector to set up an appointment. The office is closed until the 3rd. With that info and the bathroom floor arriving sooner than expected, we decided that the focus for the rest of the week will be getting that room done. I may have a finished room soon!
*Cost for all the doors, etc: $65.22. Comment and let me know how close you came.
First stop, ReStore in El Dorado. Great find of 5 matching interior doors. One came with a frame, the others didn't. We needed to get a set of hinges and a doorknob to complete some others. We also got finishing nails, a paint brush, a drywall sander, and some door stops. Once again, make a guess as to what it all cost. Final tab will be posted at the end. I'd love to know how close you came. =)
Then we went to my old friend's house to get a refrigerator (I hadn't seen him since HS). He happened to post one for sale that meets my requirements perfectly! Yay, Andy!
After we dropped that all off at my house and ate lunch, we went to get more. My back bedroom now has all the supplies for my laminate and linoleum floors. Then, we got my las two cabinets that had been reordered. Lots more work for us! Yay!
So, tried to call the inspector to set up an appointment. The office is closed until the 3rd. With that info and the bathroom floor arriving sooner than expected, we decided that the focus for the rest of the week will be getting that room done. I may have a finished room soon!
*Cost for all the doors, etc: $65.22. Comment and let me know how close you came.
Monday, December 27, 2010
More Work
So, Sunday, the work began again. Not until the afternoon, though. We had to drive down from Mom and Dad's house. I started the day about 1:30 lifting bathroom tile while listening to the disappointing Raiders game. I pulled up 13 tiles and have a very sore shoulder today. Twelve more to go, but they won't be coming out today unless someone else does them.
Mom and Dad worked on patching some holes around the house. After dinner, we went out and bought a new toilet. The old one had a cracked tank. We tried to find a replacement tank at ReStore, but no luck. Finally had to break down and buy a new one.
That was pretty much they day. Thrilling, huh? I know you wish you were there with us. =)
Mom and Dad worked on patching some holes around the house. After dinner, we went out and bought a new toilet. The old one had a cracked tank. We tried to find a replacement tank at ReStore, but no luck. Finally had to break down and buy a new one.
That was pretty much they day. Thrilling, huh? I know you wish you were there with us. =)
Friday, December 24, 2010
The Waiting Game
I got up a bit earlier than usual on Thursday so I could be at the house by 9. The garage door guy was supposed to be there between 9 and 10. I had several tasks to complete while waiting for the job to be finished. Getting rid of the 'door' that was there, brings me even closer to passing inspection.
The first thing I did while waiting was replace the gate lock. The lock doesn't keep the gate closed in the wind. The gates swing out and the bar comes out of the slot. I got a new one a few days ago. It works much better - I tested it after installation.
I then attempted to remove a bathroom sink drain from an old sink. I didn't seem to be doing something correctly and I couldn't get it. I'll have Dad or Mom get it sometime when they're back.
It's now about 9:30 or so. I decided to mix up some joint compound and finish off some of the drywall joints and patch some holes. I finished that up about 10. I decided to read my book until the guy got there, which should have been any minute.
10:30 Still no garage door guy. I call the company and let them know about the situation. They knew he was late - he was supposed to have called me. His truck had broken down. The woman called him and he said he would be at my place in about 15-20 minutes. I kept reading. Finished the book and decided to sweep up the leaves from the sidewalk.
11:30 Call from garage door guy. He explained that his transmission went out and he was just now transferring his tools to another truck. He would be there in about 30 minutes.
12:30 He finally shows up. I have no problem with his reason for being late - car trouble happens. What annoys me is his ridiculous times he kept giving. I would have far preferred if, at the beginning, he said he would be 2-3 hours while he got the truck to a shop. Then I could have gone to get food. I hadn't anticipated being there all day and didn't bring food with me. Luckily, there was a bag of pistachios, which became my lunch.
While he was working, I set about to others tasks on my list. I removed all the random nails and hooks from the ceiling and walls. I also removed the outlet and switch covers, which will make retexturing walls easier. At this point in time, I basically ran out of things on my list - I didn't want to start anything major before taking two days off for Christmas. But, there wasn't much left to do and I had finished my book. I decided to tackle the bathroom floor.
This needs to be removed so I can put in my new floor and have it attempt to line up height-wise with the laminate that will be in the hall. I spent the next couple hours chiseling away with a utility bar and a hammer. All that metal on metal pounding actually made my ears ring when I was stopped. Here's the progress I made.
3:30 Garage door guy is finally done. Yay!
The first thing I did while waiting was replace the gate lock. The lock doesn't keep the gate closed in the wind. The gates swing out and the bar comes out of the slot. I got a new one a few days ago. It works much better - I tested it after installation.
I then attempted to remove a bathroom sink drain from an old sink. I didn't seem to be doing something correctly and I couldn't get it. I'll have Dad or Mom get it sometime when they're back.
It's now about 9:30 or so. I decided to mix up some joint compound and finish off some of the drywall joints and patch some holes. I finished that up about 10. I decided to read my book until the guy got there, which should have been any minute.
10:30 Still no garage door guy. I call the company and let them know about the situation. They knew he was late - he was supposed to have called me. His truck had broken down. The woman called him and he said he would be at my place in about 15-20 minutes. I kept reading. Finished the book and decided to sweep up the leaves from the sidewalk.
11:30 Call from garage door guy. He explained that his transmission went out and he was just now transferring his tools to another truck. He would be there in about 30 minutes.
12:30 He finally shows up. I have no problem with his reason for being late - car trouble happens. What annoys me is his ridiculous times he kept giving. I would have far preferred if, at the beginning, he said he would be 2-3 hours while he got the truck to a shop. Then I could have gone to get food. I hadn't anticipated being there all day and didn't bring food with me. Luckily, there was a bag of pistachios, which became my lunch.
While he was working, I set about to others tasks on my list. I removed all the random nails and hooks from the ceiling and walls. I also removed the outlet and switch covers, which will make retexturing walls easier. At this point in time, I basically ran out of things on my list - I didn't want to start anything major before taking two days off for Christmas. But, there wasn't much left to do and I had finished my book. I decided to tackle the bathroom floor.
This needs to be removed so I can put in my new floor and have it attempt to line up height-wise with the laminate that will be in the hall. I spent the next couple hours chiseling away with a utility bar and a hammer. All that metal on metal pounding actually made my ears ring when I was stopped. Here's the progress I made.
3:30 Garage door guy is finally done. Yay!
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
ReStore Extravaganza!
Today started with another trip to ReStore. We were hoping to find a toilet tank to replace my cracked one. And, of course, whatever other wonderfulness we might find.
We didn't find the toilet tank, but we struck it rich in wonderfulness! Our haul: 2 gallons of primer/sealant, 1 gallon of Killz, a porch light fixture with motion sensor, about 3 pounds or so of nails, and a medicine cabinet. You'll never believe how much all of this cost me. I dare you to take a guess. I'll post the amount at the end, so you can take a stab at it.
After a late lunch, Dad and I bought stucco to fix the outside part of the random A/C hole. While we were gone, Mom put up the last piece of drywall surrounding the hole on the inside. Getting back, Dad set to work prepping the hole. We'll do some stuccoing tomorrow. I mixed up joint compound and put the first layer on the sheetrock.
**For those of you wanting to check your guess, here's my grand total for all of those items: $21.21. How'd you do?
We didn't find the toilet tank, but we struck it rich in wonderfulness! Our haul: 2 gallons of primer/sealant, 1 gallon of Killz, a porch light fixture with motion sensor, about 3 pounds or so of nails, and a medicine cabinet. You'll never believe how much all of this cost me. I dare you to take a guess. I'll post the amount at the end, so you can take a stab at it.
After a late lunch, Dad and I bought stucco to fix the outside part of the random A/C hole. While we were gone, Mom put up the last piece of drywall surrounding the hole on the inside. Getting back, Dad set to work prepping the hole. We'll do some stuccoing tomorrow. I mixed up joint compound and put the first layer on the sheetrock.
**For those of you wanting to check your guess, here's my grand total for all of those items: $21.21. How'd you do?
Sunday, December 19, 2010
This & That
More random tasks for today. I got a late start as I went to Meeting and then did some shopping.
Fixed a stud that had been cut for the random A/C hole. Put some insulation in a random drywall opening under a living room window. Removed the phone line running through the kitchen. Attempted to fix the leaking toilet, only to discover the tank is cracked.
Fixed a stud that had been cut for the random A/C hole. Put some insulation in a random drywall opening under a living room window. Removed the phone line running through the kitchen. Attempted to fix the leaking toilet, only to discover the tank is cracked.
Saturday's Other Odds & Ends
Mom was doing work on Saturday, too! She started working on the random A/C hole.
This is the wall that faces the street. Some incredibly brilliant people before me decided to put a window A/C unit here. They had to cut a stud and cross-bracing to do so. Unfortunately, they didn't do anything else to transfer the load those elements were carrying. We need to, so Mom took off the drywall so we would have access to it in the future.
I also got a light fixture installed in the kitchen. The house has no fixtures as the people took them all with them. Here's my new kitchen one that I got for $1.00 at ReStore (Habitat for Humanity's store - it's like a construction thrift store).
This is the wall that faces the street. Some incredibly brilliant people before me decided to put a window A/C unit here. They had to cut a stud and cross-bracing to do so. Unfortunately, they didn't do anything else to transfer the load those elements were carrying. We need to, so Mom took off the drywall so we would have access to it in the future.
I also got a light fixture installed in the kitchen. The house has no fixtures as the people took them all with them. Here's my new kitchen one that I got for $1.00 at ReStore (Habitat for Humanity's store - it's like a construction thrift store).
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Frozen Noses No More
Friday started off with a trip to the flooring store. I had already decided which line of laminate I wanted for the kitchen/living/hall. I picked up the sample pack so I could coordinate with my cabinets. That was done easily enough - the one I liked from the beginning went beautifully.
So, Mom and Dad came when I did the actual ordering. I also ordered the linoleum I had picked out for the bathroom. This process was pretty easy. Dad got to play with Rex, the dog, while things were being ordered. The laminate should be here early next week and the linoleum in about 1.5 weeks. Who hoo!!
Leaving the floor store, we stopped and got some plumbing supplies for the leaking toilet and the not-yet-up-to-code water heater.
I worked on connecting the heater to the thermostat so that we'd have heat and be one step closer to passing the city inspection. Dad finished the stand for the water heater. Mom worked on taking down some of the garage 'door' so that a new, and real, one can replace it.
I ran the wire down the hall, hiding it under baseboards, up the wall underneath the bathroom door molding. I then had to cut a little pocket out of the drywall for the wire leading to the thermostat itself. Used a hammer and chisel and made a slot the perfect size. It will be easy to patch over it when we get to fixing the millions of holes in the house.
After Dad finished the sand, he got some parts soldered together that he'll be needing today. He also attempted to fix the leaky toilet. Alas, the part we purchased isn't quite the right size, so we'll have to try again. And keeping flushing the toilet using the large bucket of water.
Mom pretty much got the garage 'door' ready, so my task, once I finish writing this post, will be to do some research on local garage door companies and find one to do the job. Dad has done this before and has come to the conclusion that it is one of the few jobs that is worth paying someone to do. Without the specialized equipment, getting them up is a giant pain that we're going to avoid.
So, Mom and Dad came when I did the actual ordering. I also ordered the linoleum I had picked out for the bathroom. This process was pretty easy. Dad got to play with Rex, the dog, while things were being ordered. The laminate should be here early next week and the linoleum in about 1.5 weeks. Who hoo!!
Leaving the floor store, we stopped and got some plumbing supplies for the leaking toilet and the not-yet-up-to-code water heater.
I worked on connecting the heater to the thermostat so that we'd have heat and be one step closer to passing the city inspection. Dad finished the stand for the water heater. Mom worked on taking down some of the garage 'door' so that a new, and real, one can replace it.
I ran the wire down the hall, hiding it under baseboards, up the wall underneath the bathroom door molding. I then had to cut a little pocket out of the drywall for the wire leading to the thermostat itself. Used a hammer and chisel and made a slot the perfect size. It will be easy to patch over it when we get to fixing the millions of holes in the house.
After Dad finished the sand, he got some parts soldered together that he'll be needing today. He also attempted to fix the leaky toilet. Alas, the part we purchased isn't quite the right size, so we'll have to try again. And keeping flushing the toilet using the large bucket of water.
Mom pretty much got the garage 'door' ready, so my task, once I finish writing this post, will be to do some research on local garage door companies and find one to do the job. Dad has done this before and has come to the conclusion that it is one of the few jobs that is worth paying someone to do. Without the specialized equipment, getting them up is a giant pain that we're going to avoid.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
No Credit
So, busy weekend but not much to show for it.
On the fun side of things, we went to Restore (Habitat for Humanity's reuse store). It's like a construction thrift store. Very large place full of all sorts of things: doors, windows, paint, tile, light fixtures, toilets, blinds, tubs, and all sorts of randomness. I picked up a light fixture for the kitchen for $1.41. Definitely will be returning there with specific measurements for doors and windows.
Nothing will happen for the next four days while I'm at work. However, starting the 17th things should move along well since I have the last two weeks of December off. Yay!
- The garage doors (for people, not cars) have been put in
- All the illegal wiring has been removed
- Tree branches touching roof have been cut back and roof swept off
On the fun side of things, we went to Restore (Habitat for Humanity's reuse store). It's like a construction thrift store. Very large place full of all sorts of things: doors, windows, paint, tile, light fixtures, toilets, blinds, tubs, and all sorts of randomness. I picked up a light fixture for the kitchen for $1.41. Definitely will be returning there with specific measurements for doors and windows.
Nothing will happen for the next four days while I'm at work. However, starting the 17th things should move along well since I have the last two weeks of December off. Yay!
Friday, December 10, 2010
Got Gas?
So, as previously mentioned, my house had the gas shut off - in a semi-permanent manner by the gas company. When I registered the utilities in my name, they made an appointment to come out Wednesday to get it turned on. The ridiculous window they gave was from 8:00 to 8:00. Seeing as I'm at work the overwhelming majority of those hours and as Dad is wonderful, he did some work at the house while waiting for the guy. (Actually, I was there in the morning in the off chance that I was the first house. No luck.)
Wednesday evening I got the following email from Dad:
"The gas people came, but they could not hook up the gas meter because the pipe is plugged with a special plug that the service man had never seen before and did not have the tool to remove. He went to Granger and showed them a pic of it and they said it was called "Seven Point Security Plug" but did not know where to get a tool for it locally. He will come back tomorrow after 11:00 with his boss to see if they can figure something out. I will come back tomorrow also and work on the other door."
Wow! I was laughing as I read this. The gas company doesn't know how to remove the plug they installed? I guess I shouldn't be surprised.
Dad also said the serviceman thought the city might have put the lock on. I don't think so!
This is the news that greeted me Thursday evening:
"The service man came by today with his boss who had the key for the plug. Apparently he had one of the keys (removal tool) in his desk, but had never used it and wasn't aware of what it was. Water heater works and was left in pilot light mode. The heater works but the wires to the thermostat are cut and may need to be replaced."
Glad it got resolved. Still kind of concerned about the gas company though. They don't recognize their own plugs? They don't know why they have certain tools?
Anyway, on with the repairs that will allow the notices to be removed: getting rid of illegal wiring and making sure the water heater and normal heater are up to code. Things are moving along nicely.
Wednesday evening I got the following email from Dad:
"The gas people came, but they could not hook up the gas meter because the pipe is plugged with a special plug that the service man had never seen before and did not have the tool to remove. He went to Granger and showed them a pic of it and they said it was called "Seven Point Security Plug" but did not know where to get a tool for it locally. He will come back tomorrow after 11:00 with his boss to see if they can figure something out. I will come back tomorrow also and work on the other door."
Wow! I was laughing as I read this. The gas company doesn't know how to remove the plug they installed? I guess I shouldn't be surprised.
Dad also said the serviceman thought the city might have put the lock on. I don't think so!
This is the news that greeted me Thursday evening:
"The service man came by today with his boss who had the key for the plug. Apparently he had one of the keys (removal tool) in his desk, but had never used it and wasn't aware of what it was. Water heater works and was left in pilot light mode. The heater works but the wires to the thermostat are cut and may need to be replaced."
Glad it got resolved. Still kind of concerned about the gas company though. They don't recognize their own plugs? They don't know why they have certain tools?
Anyway, on with the repairs that will allow the notices to be removed: getting rid of illegal wiring and making sure the water heater and normal heater are up to code. Things are moving along nicely.
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