fix.

stay tuned

2011-05-11T09:35:00.002-04:00

i am way overdue for a post...i know.
we have been slammed with work.
i will post very soon...stay tuned!
:)

what a week!

2011-04-23T08:24:00.004-04:00

so, its was someone's ~~brilliant~~ stupid idea to host easter dinner at the house. this week was all about making the first floor habitable by 8 guests including a toddler and schnoodle!

MONDAY: since the boston marathan runs right past the house and the roads were closed, we made a much needed trip to ikea for...extension table and chairs

stools

couch and lamps

what would i do with out ikea?!

TUESDAY: was all about spackling and caulking the trim

WEDNESDAY: painting the trim and doors (well, one coat at least)

THURSDAY: painting the trim and doors....yes there is alot of it!

i also sealed the slate hearth- 1 coat.

FRIDAY: installed coat hooks

bath accessories

removed the protective plastic coating from appliances and test run the dishwasher, range and started up the ice maker!

hung the pictures in the dining room (wait, there were three!)

repaired the picture frame that fell and broke because the sticky wall hook failed!

there, all better. can you see the tape? ah no one will notice!

installed register grilles on duct openings so that my niece doesnt fall in!

mom set the concrete pavers that connect the driveway to the entry walk.

and the resident bunny stopped by to tell me that she is prego and it would be nice if someone planted some green stuff in the yard!

eesh! next week, i promise!

progress: kitchen

2011-04-16T09:02:00.001-04:00

old dining room- before:

now:

before:

now:

before:

now:

before:

now:

progress: misc

2011-04-16T08:55:00.005-04:00

back yard- before:

now:

study (aka "train room") before:

note strangling vegetation from jumanji!

now:

basement- before:

now:

progress: entry/bath

2011-04-16T08:51:00.000-04:00

entry before:

now:

before:

now:

before:

now:

before:

now:

1/2 bath before:

bath moved to location of old kitchen:

now:

progress: dining room

2011-04-16T08:40:00.002-04:00

before ("sun room"):

now:

before:

now:

progress: 2nd floor bathroom

2011-04-16T08:34:00.002-04:00

before:

now:

before:

now:

before:

now:

before:

now:

too tired to think of a title for this post...

2011-04-13T22:14:00.002-04:00

...maybe you can think of one for me?!

so here are a bunch of progress photos (in no particular order)

KITCHEN: finished installing and grouting the backsplash tile

BATH1: Finished installing and grouting the bath surround tile

installed the fixtures: toilet and vanity

love the sink- got it at lowe's

BATH2: tile installed and grouted...door installed...toilet and vanity too!

DINING ROOM: engineered floating click-lock oak flooring is getting installed (as i write this post)

the nice people from lowe's came to the house today to move the fridge from the garage to its final resting spot!

Slate floor at entry foyer and first floor bath is installed, sealed and grouted. just needs one more coat of sealer (3 total). I love the aluminum transition strip that we have installed between the slate and wood.

BASEMENT: flooring was installed. It is resilient vinyl plank flooring.

it's a little dusty! we also installed the oak "pole wraps" over the lally columns.

and last but not least...
BASEMENT: brick veneer wall (what did she say?) yes, brick. veneer. wall.

It is real brick, just 3/8" thick.

still dont know if we are just crazy for doing this!

treads, tile and trim

2011-04-09T08:57:00.000-04:00

we picked up some pine treads for the new basement stair...and mom stained them to match the "teak" resilient flooring that we bought for the basement.

we used a minwax stain with polyurethane in a satin finish.

this is as far as i got with the slate...when i ran out of tiles!

so i started to install the mosaic backsplash

meanwhile, scott continues to install trim on the 2nd floor...

trim and tile

2011-04-08T07:24:00.003-04:00

remember this? the metal door frame that i had to wrastle with to remove?

this is the new and improved cased door opening

baseboard and casing

baseboard and the tile is now grouted (still not painted tho)

while scott was installing trim, i was preparing to tile the entry foyer and first floor bathroom.

when using a material like slate, i like to pile up the tiles according to color so that i can pick and choose the colors as i go.

because i am tiling both the entry foyer and bathroom- and i want it all to be one continuous pattern, i first dry-set the tiles to see how they were going to lay out- i wanted to make sure that the pattern was centered on the entry foyer.

as it turns out the fit is perfect- and there is a full tile that ends at the bathtub edge.

so, because i don't want to tile myself into a corner- i marked the location of the tiles and started from the bathtub back out towards the foyer.

these tiles will look completely different once sealed...much darker and the colors will be more vibrant!

drumroll please...

2011-04-06T20:49:00.003-04:00

brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrlllllll.................

the granite slab!!!

but wait...even better.

it's installed!

no backsplash was installed at the stove bump-out...we will be installing mosaic tile in this space.

while i tile, scott is installing millwork...

like here in the dining room...casing and chairrail is installed

bunnies and bath tile

2011-04-06T20:31:00.000-04:00

our backyard bunnies...

the second floor bath tile- installed today

i still need to miter those corner pieces...saved those for last!

all in a (satur)day's work

2011-04-04T08:36:00.002-04:00

i still can't believe that i did this...all by myself! of course, it isnt finished- i still need to caulk and paint the surround and grout the tile (in case you are wondering, those pilasters will also be white)

the level of difficulty of this project was pretty low- since the entire mantle and surround was purchased as a kit of parts that you simply need to attach to the wall in the correct order...easy peasy.

the tile is glass mosaic that we purchased at lowe's, and i used a couple of aluminum tile edge angles to keep a straight edge along the firebox-side vertical edge of the tile. (the same angles that i used in the bath 1 tub surround)

so here is a little trip down memory lane (because i just love before and after pix!)

scott is installing the crown moulding everywhere...here is a photo of the crown (oh, and the fireplace just happens to be in this photo)

the crown also needs to be caulked and painted.

oh, and the bath 1 tile surround is completely tiled and ready to be grouted...

tiling update

2011-04-01T08:51:00.001-04:00

almost finished...

just the bottom row and then on to grout!

for the edges, instead of using bullnose tile we use this aluminum edge strip that you can find at lowes or home depot.

it makes for a nice clean edge

and here is the finished sump pump...ahhh peace of mind!

well, almost finished- we just have to fill in the concrete in the gap around the cover.

tiling...

2011-03-30T21:34:00.004-04:00

..i started tiling the tub surround at the first floor bathroom.

the tiles are 6x8 glazed ceramic tiles that we got at lowes.

i started by installing a temporary ledger at the bottom of the 2nd row of tiles- to get a nice level edge to start things off. i will go back later and install the bottom row. in this picture, you can see that i first just laid out the tiles to figure out the placement.

i also picked up some glass mosaic tiles at lowes...these have both clear and frosted glass tiles in them. i will use them to break up all of the white tile (and add a splash of luxury...ha!)

now, if you look closely, you will see that the mosaic tiles are glued to a mesh backing...but they are not straight and the spacing between the tiles is not consistent...this drove me crazy when installing the mosaic-i am worried that it will look messy after it is grouted- ah well...

so this is as far as i got today...you can see the red lines from the laser level- laser levels are fabulous for tiling, they are especially great for ensuring that the vertical joints align!

the little green dots are tile spacers, you can see where i went crazy trying to get the spaces in the mosaic tile band to be even!!!!!!arghhh!!!

so the field tile (white) are like $0.60 each and the glass mosaic is $9.00 for a 12x12 sheet. by using a really ~~cheap~~ inexpensive field tile and only a small band of the expensive glass tile, we ended up with a budget friendly bath surround at just $162 for the tile...and $0 for the labor!

granite, marble, glass....and vinyl?

2011-03-30T08:50:00.002-04:00

we selected the granite for the kitchen countertops...its called "venetian supreme"

next step was to select the backsplash. we found 3 options at home depot.

1. neutral beige 5/8" mosaic marble:

2. 1" funky glass mosaic:

3. a combination of 5/8" funky glass and neutral beige marble mosaic:

which one do you think we chose?

we also picked up the flooring for the basement. it is vinyl plank "wood look" flooring that we got at home depot. we chose "teak"

it is a safe choice for a basement with a wet past.

when we dug the hole for the sump pump- there was water in that hole, and we haven't had rain in a bit.

dock that man a days pay for sleepin on the job...

2011-03-26T08:33:00.002-04:00

okay...he's not sleeping, he's getting a ton of work done, like installing the kitchen cabinets!

we also installed light fixtures. like this cutie patootie fixture

too bad it's in a spot that will rarely get seen!

holy stink batman!

2011-03-22T18:47:00.001-04:00

i was mistaken thinking that i could work in the basement today...the fumes from the polyurethane were incredibly strong, even in the basement...i could even smell it when standing outside. so i held my breath, jumped inside, took a few pictures, then went home!

scott, on the other hand...braved the 45 degree weather and poured the concrete footings for the deck...so thanks to him, some progress was made today!

wow wow WOW

2011-03-21T20:26:00.002-04:00

the hardwood floors look AMAZING!

this is a photo of the area of the floor that was patched in (taken just after it was sanded)

this is the before photo!

did i mention, wow!

here you can see the difference that the polyurethane makes on the red oak

shutters

2011-03-20T16:06:00.001-04:00

we promised that when the snow melted we would install the last of the shutters, well- here it is, the big day!

gorg...

so now, the first and second floor ceilings and walls have all been painted and are ready for trim, interior doors and tilework. but first, on monday the hardwood floors are scheduled to be refinished. it is a three day process of sanding and finishing, sanding and finishing, and sanding and finishing.

in the meantime, we will be painting the basement and possibly working outside (weather permitting)!

plastered!

2011-03-12T15:08:00.006-05:00

abstract art?

nope! just the walls- after they have been "mudded" and sanded

and now every surface in the house is covered with a fine white dust

view towards the entry and part of the kitchen

maybe i should have cleaned up before i took the pictures

this is the north wall of the new kitchen...where there will be full height pantry cabinets and the fridge (dining room is to the right)

and the south wall of the kitchen

dining room, ready for paint!

the fireplace wall...those boxes in the right of the photo contain the kitchen cabinets, which are currently taking up the living room and study- waiting to be installed!

new plaster has been blended into old plaster...seamlessly- so smooth!

the wallpaper left a grainy residue on the old plaster walls, so we sanded those too, lightly

this is the second floor hall with the new entrance to the bathroom

that hole in the ceiling is the attic access hatch!

a couple of views of the second floor bathroom:

and hello! the new basement:

with its purple mold-resistant drywall

a (blurry) view back to the stairs- with closets to the right (can you find scott in this picture?)

that stack of material in the closet is the dri-core subfloor that we will soon install. it basically is particleboard that has a plastic bottom surface with built-in plastic feeties that raise it off of the floor- its a great material to install over slabs/basement floors and it provides a little peace of mind since this basement has a history of being wet!

you can also see in the picture that we kept the bottom edge of the drywall up off of the slab by about 2"- just in case!

we had some left over mold-resistant drywall, so we decided to install it on the utility room side of the partition (rather than lug the drywall back up the stairs- back into the truck- and back over to lowes!).

definitely nicer than leaving the studs open. this area is the laundry area and we envision cabinets and a countertop against that wall- that is why we located the receptacle at 'above counter height'. let's see if we have any money left in the budget for cabinets!

the snow is finally melting, and the deck framing is now visable...time to install the deckboards!

and that is our new gorgeous electric meter...200 big ass amps!

we have installed all of the new electrical devices too

phew, that is it for now...
:)

drywall and plaster

2011-03-03T19:42:00.004-05:00

this view has certainly changed!

this one too!

and this!

and the second floor bedrooms have been painted and are ready for trim

Paint: Valspar's Oatlands Subtle Taupe on the left, and Foxtrot on the right.

the shortest distance between two points- is through the window

2011-03-03T07:58:00.004-05:00

drywall delivery- via boom!

whoa, hold the phone! is that grass showing through the snow...there, in the bottom right corner of the photo! yes, i think it is!

glad we installed 5' tall windows!

nothin but ceilings

2011-03-01T08:14:00.000-05:00

installed drywall on the ceilings

entry foyer:

dining room:

kitchen:

first floor bath:

second floor bath:

we painted the ceilings of the second floor bedrooms:

and patched up the walls:

this is where the old wall register was before we relocated it to the floor...

act natural, so i can take a picture for the blog

2011-02-26T08:38:00.002-05:00

a sheet of 1/2" x 4' x 8' drywall weighs 54 pounds. now put it over your head, press it up against the ceiling joists exactly where it needs to be and screw it in one screw at a time, all while atop a tall ladder.

not easy.

we are renting a drywall lift tomorrow for the remainder of the ceiling work.

snug as a bug in an itchy rug

2011-02-24T07:38:00.000-05:00

we passed our insulation inspection...now its time to board.

the basement is really starting to transform into a decent room

installed the vapor barrier in the bathroom...love the way it looks, maybe we can leave it like this!

starting to install the wallboard

Now we are cooking with gas!

2011-02-23T07:43:00.000-05:00

We passed the rough framing inspection and installed the insulation ( itchy itchy )- today is the insulation inspection. If all goes well we will be boarding tomorrow!

Boring text only post, I know. I will take pics today!

quote of the day: "im so effing good...it scares me sometimes"

2011-02-19T10:09:00.002-05:00

...made me laugh real hard when i heard it- but i concur!

the comment was made when scott put a level on his newly framed out stair stringers and they were apparently, as they say in the industry, 'dead-on-balls-accurate'!

the new basement stairs are framed out- and we installed temporary treads until its time to install the finished treads.

in a basement, wood that touches the concrete slab or walls needs to be pressure treated

by installing winder steps at the top of the stair (where the existing landing was), we were able to gain space at the bottom of the stair for a better sized landing.

one more winder tread to go...i didnt take a picture of the finished product, but i am sure that i will!

oh, and we passed the electrical inspection! next, the framing inspection then we can insulate, then get the insulation inspection, then we can board!

the last of the framing projects

2011-02-18T07:53:00.003-05:00

we are rebuilding the stair to the basement...because it basically takes you right into the concrete wall

we figured out a new stair configuration that would provide about 32" at the bottom stair landing- much better than the 18" that is there now.

so goodbye stairs...

our electrical inspection is this afternoon, so the stairs will be finished by then- stay tuned!

i neglected to post the finished framing of the dining room ceiling, so here it is:

we had to install new 2x6's below the existing 2x6 rafters in order to get enough depth for the 10" of R30 insulation required for a cathedral ceiling. you can get R30 that is 8-1/2" deep, but it wasnt readily available at our preferred big box home improvement store. but we still would have had to drop the ceiling a bit.

looking north towards the new windows:

and looking south toward the existing door to the backyard:

this would also make a nice family room...a bit skinny, but it could work!

the real world called...

2011-02-12T08:21:00.003-05:00

...they want their kristen + scott back.

i need to return to my day job in about 6 weeks and scott has a bunch of jobs lined up, so as much fun as we are having, we have to pick up the pace and get this done!

Scott is framing out the ceiling of the dining room at the level of the existing collar ties.

he installed a temporary ledger at one end so that he could install the framing by himself (and so i didn't have to waste my time holding the dumb end of the framing while i could be doing something else). he is what we call a big smahty.

there is going to be a flat area of ceiling where we are going to install the ceiling fan. the collar ties are kind of important so they have to stay but we didn't want to expose them, so they are what determined the height of the flat ceiling.

there isn't any heat in this space, so the quicker we frame and get our inspections, the quicker we can insulate and board and install the baseboard heaters!

so i was working on wrapping up the rough electrical (in the toasty warm heated part of the house) to prepare for the inspection. i installed the tiny (3" diam) recessed lights in the kitchen

there are going to be 2 surface lights, 10 recessed lights and 2 pendant lights (over the island)- you will be able to see this kitchen from space.

we really like the look of these lights, plus they are adjustable (and apparently teriyaki beef flavored!)

they are just so tiny, with tiny fasteners that i am always dropping- but they are all installed, all 10 of them!

miss scarlet, in the dining room, with a crow bar

2011-02-10T08:46:00.003-05:00

this was my mask after about 30 minutes of ripping down the ceiling in the future dining room!

you should've seen my face- but there was no way i was going to take a picture of that mess!

but- i was so excited to see the new space, that i didnt care what was in that dust!

we are going with a cathedral ceiling in this space

first we need to remove the 2x4's that were supporting the plaster ceiling.

then, because the roof rafters are only 2x6's and we need 10" of space for the R-30 insulation, we will need to install new 2x6's below the existing.

and then, we will need to wall off the opening to the garage attic beyond- as seen in this pic

flashback:

meanwhile, scott has just about finished rough framing the basement walls and running the new electrical circuits there.

house guts

2011-02-07T20:30:00.003-05:00

good news; the debris pile has been removed from the basement, so now we can finish the rough framing and electrical

bad news; the debris pile has only made it as far as the side yard

it looks like the house threw up all of its house guts

the fireplace wall got some new drywall

and so did the office- goodbye trains!

the second floor bath got a tub

just an update

2011-02-05T17:41:00.001-05:00

We passed our rough plumbing inspection!

and the plumber installed a toilet- kind of.

the water isnt hooked up yet, so in order to use it you need to pour a bucket of water into the tank! but it beats the alternative!

the basement wall framing is underway:

here is an updated basement plan:

we are actually selecting final paint colors:

neutrals, big surprise

and we are still covered in snow and ice, but its nice when the sun comes out and shines thru the icy trees

C'mon, be a follower (the world has too many leaders!)

2011-02-01T11:23:00.004-05:00

Do you want to follow this blog?...it's easy, just click on "follow" in the sidebar to the right of this page and simply "follow" the instructions!

:)
enjoy!

Fireplace

2011-02-01T09:06:00.003-05:00

So the plan is to re-drywall the fireplace wall because the existing plaster is in bad shape (major cracks) and the wall paper will not come off easily.

so i first removed the mantle surround...which came off in one piece

and found that there was more brick behind that surround....

i also ran electrical and cable wires so that we can install a flat screen tv above the fireplace.

so the dilemma now is whether or not we re-use the existing surround (which is a little too tall for a tv above it) or do we build a new one?

i think we are going to build a new one...

the hearth stone has been covered in dust since day one...so i poured some water over it to remind us what it actually looks like...

black slate, green slate, black slate, green slate...

Full House

2011-02-01T08:49:00.000-05:00

we had three trades working at the house today: plumbing, electrical, hvac.

i cant tell you how happy that makes me! even though we are all in each others way!

pex hot + cold water supplies at ceiling of foyer- the plan is to drop the ceiling 6" in the foyer to accommodate the new plumbing for the 2nd floor bathroom.

kitchen sink drain, vent and water supplies

bathtub valve and supplies

bath sink supplies and vent...and the main vent stack

scott and i ran all of the new electrical circuits and roughed in the wiring at the boxes

here is our handy dandy work

the electrician is going to install the new 200 amp panel

here are all of the ends of the new circuit runs that are left to dangle at the panel...until the electrician hooks them up. it looks messy, but they are all labeled and organized!

the hvac contractor re-used existing ducts in order to re-feed the upstairs bedrooms.

they had to be relocated because they were originally in walls that we removed!

my groundhog day prediction...6 more weeks of this sh*t!

2011-01-29T10:25:00.005-05:00

forgive me, but we are really tired of the snow!

punxsutawnEy phil is gonna take one look at this and run - that is, if he can even get out of his den!

maybe phil has a plow-guy...or at least a snow blower.

where's scott...can you see him?:

how about now, can you find him?:

bags of mulch under the snow...waiting for spring:

c'mon sun...melt it...MELT IT!

the basement never looked better!

2011-01-24T18:19:00.000-05:00

all the basement walls have been removed!

the debris pile needs to stay put for now because there is a mountain of snow between the basement and the dumpster...and i just heard that we will be getting a "significant amount of snow" in two days! snow is evil.

the little bit of reframing that needed to be done at the second floor bathroom is now complete

and we installed the tile backerboard on the floor so the plumber can do his thang.

we have been using hardiboard instead of durock tile backerboard because it is SO much easier to work with.

and last but not least, the first floor bathroom got a tub!

this is very exciting...it marks the first 'finish' item to be installed and it just means that the end is in sight!

movin' on up

2011-01-21T09:18:00.000-05:00

to the second floor

remember this? this is what the floor framing (below the second floor bath) looked like

there were so many cuts out of the framing that we had to "sister" new joists onto the old ones.

there were also alot of rotten floor boards...so they needed to be ripped out and replaced with new subfloor before we move forward.

once the plywood patches go in, we can install a layer of tile backer board.

the plumber is coming next week to rough plumb the kitchen and baths.

entre views!

2011-01-19T20:07:00.001-05:00

first floor framing is pretty much complete-aside from change order no. 001 (see following post), and the dining room ceiling.

view towards new kitchen...low wall is where island will be

view from kitchen to living room

view back towards entrance foyer...new bathroom door to the right

we have salvaged the existing duct risers that supply the second floor- the hvac contractor suggested reusing them to save money and materials! nice.

oops! forgot to mention. the plumber started work yesterday and ripped out all of the existing plumbing...all of it, toilets too! :|
he will be back next week to install the new rough plumbing (and hopefully a toilet!)

the basement is so scary...

2011-01-19T19:52:00.002-05:00

...that our neighbor said that she was interested in buying the house (and flipping it) until she saw the basement...

and that is saying something, cause the rest of the house was pretty nasty!

so we have to do something about it.

we already solved the water issue, by extending the downspouts (the basement has been dry ever since).
so the next problem to tackle is the stair.

this is the rickety stair to the dungeon. what you can't see in the photo is the entire stair pitches drastically to the left.

there is a landing at the top of the stair (about 36" x 36") and there is a landing at the bottom of the stair...kind of

if we frame out the concrete foundation wall to install the drywall (losing about 4" from the "landing), then the stair will basically slam right into the wall. we looked at raising the level of the landing to the next step up, but we just dont have the headroom.

so that leads us to CHANGE ORDER NO. 001 (who said there were no change orders on this job?)

we are going to relocate the first floor door that leads to the basement stair so that we can remove the top stair landing and push the entire stair closer toward the center of the house-- in order to gain space at the bottom of the stair.

here is the old basement plan:

we have to remove the existing paneling and partitions- there was such a history of water in this basement, that the bottom 4"-6" of wood and framing is rotten...and there is mold on the drywall.

so here is the new plan:

the plan is to use pressure treated lumber and mold resistant drywall- just in case.

transformations!

2011-01-18T08:46:00.009-05:00

first floor plans- before + after:

removed walls are in yellow in top plan/ new walls are in grey in bottom plan.

view from entry- before:

view from entry- now:

view towards old dining room-before:

view towards new kitchen- now:

view toward entry and 1/2 bath- before:

view toward entry foyer and full bath- now:

view towards back wall of living room/dining room- before:

view towards back wall of living room/new kitchen- now:

view towards doorway to old kitchen and door to entrance- before:

view towards doorway to entrance- now:

gettin jiggy wid it

2011-01-12T11:36:00.004-05:00

i thought this was pretty cool.

in order to make for an easy (and accurate) installation of the deck joist hangers, scott fashioned a jig.

he fastened a piece of deckboard to the top of a piece of 2x8 framing. (this pic shows how it all fits together, but was taken after he already installed the joist hanger)

he placed the jig so that the deckboard sits on top of the beam, and the 2x8 sits against the side of the beam.

then, he fastened the bottom couple of nails thru the hanger into the beam...

and removed the jig to finish nailing in the hanger.

of course, he used a great tool- the pneumatic palm nailer.

this simple jig made the installation move along quickly.

he finished the framing (unfortunately, i didnt take a pic of the finished product- now i will have to wait until the snow melts!)

oh, i almost forgot- we passed the deck framing and footing hole inspection!

also very cool, we received the LVL beam and framing delivery 2 days early.

took some time to relocate the pile to the inside of the house (we are expecting a blizzard!)

the LVL beams will replace the bearing walls that we are removing to open up the space...

here is a 3-d diagram

and last but not least, i ripped out the electrical wiring and old devices that are no longer needed

the electrician will be by soon to upgrade the service from 100Amp to 200Amp

here comes the exciting part....electrical wiring!!!!

2011-01-10T19:50:00.001-05:00

Last week i traced all of the existing electrical circuits in the house...labeled plans with their locations...identified the circuits to be removed...planned out all of the new circuits...

i was excited to find tiny labels that are used on wiring and electrical devices to identify their circuit/breaker numbers (yes, i was excited). the labels adhere to the wires-and are pre-printed with numbers so when i start demolishing and tearing out receptacles, etc...i can keep track of what wires are on which circuits!

for areas not yet demolished, there are little stickers...also very helpful

can't wait to get started! next step: pull out all of the existing circuits that are no longer needed.

meanwhile, scott is framing out the deck:

the inspector comes tomorrow to inspect the holes for the footings, and check out the framing.
the holes are all covered by boards and old doors---we dont want anyone falling in!

we are expecting a big snow storm on wednesday (reportedly 12"), so who knows how far we will get with this.

meanwhile, my mother is tearing out the finishes in the basement...

yikes!

this is what it used to look like.

its looking pretty bad right now, but i have hope that it will get better!

Random Stuff that I haven't blogged about

2011-01-07T19:44:00.002-05:00

so i havent been blogging for the past couple of weeks because of the holiday...but some stuff has happened.

for instance, scott learned the magical art of levitation...

ladders are now optional!

it snowed...

(we bought more shutters over the holiday, to be installed during the next heat wave)

we installed the porch light...

got it at home depot (shhhh, don't tell lowe's)

installed the soffit at roof overhangs and at the porch ceiling...

wrangled with metal door frames...

ripped up sheet vinyl covered lauan flooring...

yup, the pitch fork is the way to go!

ripped out more of the second floor bath and hall closet...

the hall closet (the space to the left of the tub) will now be part of the bathroom...increasing the bathroom by about 3'.

discovered interesting framing conditions...

so, you dont have to be a structural engineer to know that this aint okay! this 2x8 floor joist has been reduced to a 2x4 at best!

and i dont think this wall stud is doing any work either!

it was cut to accommodate a kitchen exhaust fan!!!

testing...testing...

2011-01-07T18:42:00.001-05:00

i saw that i could upload video to this blog so i wanted to run a test...be warned, when i recorded this i stood in one spot and spun around in a circle-- so you should probably sit down before you view this or you might get dizzy!

i didnt realize what song was playing on the radio at the time---it's quite ironic, and very funny!

so i know, this video is very boring....but oooo, this is going to open up a world of new blogging possibilities!
so stay tuned! (to the one person who actually reads this blog)

:)

who says you cant build a deck in the middle of winter?

2011-01-07T18:24:00.000-05:00

okay, well, i didnt think it could be done. i thought the ground would be frozen solid to a depth of 4' (which is the frost line for this part of the world).

it turns out, the ground was only frozen down to a depth of 2"!

5 holes need to be dug for the foundations- which will be 48" deep concrete sono tube formed foundations.

once the holes are dug, we are required to have them inspected by the building inspector.

we installed the ledger board at the house before we installed the siding- that way we could properly flash the wall (see copper flashing in photo). so now we are ready to frame this bad boy! but we are expecting snow tonight, so we will see.

(yes, that basement window is doomed to live a dark and miserable life beneath the deck!)

state of the interior...more demo

2010-12-17T09:16:00.002-05:00

the interior is almost ready for the installation of the new beams and removal of the old walls...

just needs one more day of picking the framing clean of nails and removing any plaster remnants.

but we are still hoping to get the new deck framed before we start the interior framing...if the weather holds out for one more week!

this is why i always wear a dust mask during demo:

i cant photograph the interior with a flash, it picks up all of the dust (that you cant see with the naked eye)!

bad idea: the little slot in the back of the medicine cabinet where you deposit used razor blades!

2010-12-15T17:25:00.003-05:00

so where do all those used razor blades go?...

in the bottom of the wall! and they wait there until some poor future remodeler decides to rip the wall down. gross.

it was way too cold to work outside today- the wind chill made it feel like 10 degrees, and it actually snowed. so we decided to work on more interior demo.

no more toilet in the entry foyer:

bye bye!

sorry about the bad picture quality...i forgot my camera and had to use my phone

old kitchen/ future bath:

making progress!

shutters in progress

2010-12-15T09:12:00.001-05:00

lowe's severe weather raised panel shutters

siding update

2010-12-13T17:59:00.001-05:00

we are almost finished installing the siding...

here is the before (in case you forgot!):

here is the back:

and what it used to look like:

these are ladder jacks. they clamp onto the ladder so that you can span a board across them to provide scaffolding- definitely makes work easier!

it's not blue!

2010-12-04T18:18:00.002-05:00

we got this siding at home depot because the only grey that lowe's carried was a light, silvery grey and we wanted something darker. actually wish it was even darker, but this will do. the color is called granite.

it looks blue in these pictures, but its actually a warmish grey. in fact, this is the actual color:

weird how it looks blue. i almost dont want to post these!

renovation can be hazardous to your health

2010-12-02T18:13:00.008-05:00

we are ready to start installing the new vinyl siding, but first- all of the vinyl trim needs to be installed

you need to trim out every edge, corner, top and bottom of a wall...and you need to trim around every door and window.

installing vinyl siding may be one of the easiest do-it-yourself projects--you just need to know a few important installation tips and you are good to go! for example, the first time i installed it i was surprised to learn that you don't hammer the nails in tight, you leave a little slack because the siding expands and contracts with fluctuations in temperature- notice that the nailing flange has slotted holes which help allow for this movement.

you use a trim called j-channel around windows and doors. it creates a slot to receive the siding panels. (and it looks like a J in cross-section)

over all doors and windows, the bottom side of each end of the J-channel is cut and bent downward so that any water caught in the channel in these areas will be shed away and down the side channels.

the corner boards are also going in

and all of the windows have been caulked and painted

which brings me to this question:
why is it that so many standard construction materials are incredibly toxic?

this is the label from DAP caulk....stuff that you typically squirt along seams and gaps, then you take your BARE finger and run it along the bead of caulk to smooth it out (and further push it into the gap)

harmful if absorbed through the skin? are you serious?

of course i read the label AFTER i used the product all day yesterday- so much that i was picking it out from around my finger nails when i was finished! who wears gloves when they are caulking?

and then i read the label on the low-temp paint, and it was basically the same-it also contains toxic cancer-causing chemicals.

ugh!

so the next time i caulk anything i am going to try wearing surgical gloves...that should be interesting!
:)

let's finish with something nice....ooo a sunset:

a comedy of errors...

2010-12-01T11:25:00.006-05:00

got to the house monday morning and noticed a CRACK in a NEW window!!!

ugh!

we are assuming it was caused by a projectile from the lawn mower and not a drive-by...the lawn was cut this weekend and i am sure there were nails, etc still scattered about.

then, i was removing the old fence from the backyard and decided to cut the posts below grade and bury them and let nature take its course. they are embedded in a ball of concrete a few feet below the surface, so i figured this was my best option for removal. (don't you judge me!)

i used our reciprocating saw- the one with the plug because it is more powerful than the one with the battery pack...

the sawblade sheared completely off! and stuck in the post!

this was after i attempted to continue to remove paint from the chimney, using our dewalt drill- the one with the plug because its more powerful than the one with the battery pack.

and i killed it! burned out the motor!

scott came to my rescue and changed out the blade and finished the chop (he couldnt believe i broke the sawblade clean off the saws-all, i mean- it's called a SAWS-ALL for a reason!)

scott came to my rescue and bought a brand NEW dewalt drill- the kind you plug in...and it has a HANDLE! love it!

so all that aside...some stuff actually gone done. scott replaced the old bulkhead doors.

and he re-trimmed the garage door...the old trim was a bit rotten and cracked.

we also finished trimming out all of the windows and caulked/prepped them for paint. we used rot-free pvc exterior trim/brickmold to trim out the windows.

oh, and last but not least, my recently retired mom stopped by to start ripping out the upstairs bathroom...she is a chip off the ol' block!

Architects live with their mistakes; Doctors bury them

2010-11-24T16:37:00.001-05:00

I made a mistake...and when I asked scott if we could fix it, he said "THERE ARE NO CHANGE ORDERS ON THIS JOB!" ha ha he is right, mean, but right. we cant go backwards no matter what.

all the windows are now installed.

the window in the future first floor bathroom had to be reframed a bit smaller in order to accommodate the bath fixtures (i didnt want the window partly in the shower, and partly out of the shower)

the 'mistake' was not centering the new window in the old opening...cause now there isnt much space to the left of the window for the vanity/mirror. This might just send me back to the drawing board! (actually, part of the mistake was NOT drawing the window...I should be ashamed of myself!)

the corner windows had to be framed smaller because of the new kitchen cabinets- the kitchen sink will be located in this corner.

lots of natural light now-with the doors!

the back yard feels a bit bigger now that the apple tree is gone

i somehow found myself back up the ladder today, in the windy cold weather, stripping more paint from the bricks.

money well spent...hire a landscaper!

2010-11-23T20:51:00.000-05:00

the landscaper came today and removed all 6 of the stumps and roots that were left after i cut down the shrubs

what took them 3 hours, would have taken me 36-- not to mention the cuts, bruises, and sore muscles that were averted! this was well worth the money!

they also cleaned up all of the leaves and cut down a small apple tree that was in the back yard. i will have better pictures to post tomorrow- (forgot my camera today, this was taken with my phone, at the end of the day, when the sun was setting...and i was so excited to see the stumps removed that my hands were shaking!)

window replacement

2010-11-23T09:22:00.001-05:00

psychedelic discovery

2010-11-23T08:58:00.002-05:00

i found these amazing pencil drawings rolled up and stored in a closet

this guy was called "Sodvockner"

and the drawings were numbered, how funny.

they were drawn on the back of old posters. i have no idea when they were made, but there are pretty groovy references to the 60's...this monster is giving the peace sign!

this one makes me sad.

this one makes me scared. and its drawing number 775577...ha!

buck n' cold

2010-11-21T11:47:00.005-05:00

I was on my way to the house last week when I was actually thinking 'wow, i have a really nice commute now, 15 minutes door-to-door, and I drive through a quaint pastoral town filled with horse farms and barns and at that very moment a buck ran by---awwwww perfect!

later, at "the office"

yup, that's me getting ready to sand the exterior sills in 40 degree weather. I think I heard the neighbor's dogs snickering.

so, we are trying to preserve the existing exterior window sills- they are quite weathered (sorry, no before pic-but they were grey and cracked), but after a good sanding and filling, they look 'almost' new.

pay no attention to the types of terribly bad-for-you snacks that we keep at "the office"

some sills are beyond repair, and will have to be replaced.

i pulled that chunck of sill off with my hands.

so here is the test/mocked up window. with new replacement window, new pvc brick moulding and existing sanded/painted sill.

i still need to caulk all the exterior joints, but its TOO COLD TO CAULK!

thank goodness for low temperature paint.

not a perfect sill, but much better than where it started!

aluminum is the new gold!

2010-11-17T19:12:00.005-05:00

we found out today that we can get $2.50 per pound for aluminum at the local recycling center.
we only brought a small load of the aluminum siding to the center today, but brought back a whopping $72.

i think we have another 4-5 loads worth...not bad!

UPDATE 1:

2nd load brought in $104

3rd load was worth $96

UPDATE 2: Aluminum is just plain Aluminum. Scott told me that he miscalculated the value of the stuff...it's actually about 50 cents/lb. that's okay, we still got about $300 for the lot!

black is the new red!

2010-11-17T18:33:00.013-05:00

we installed (and painted) the new front entry door:

(notice, the aluminum siding has been removed)

we had to patch the wall around the door, but no worries- the new siding will cover the patch

this is a benchmark therma-tru fiberglass door that we got at lowe's.

and we also installed the french doors:

a little before shot:

and progress, believe it or not!:

and we also demolished the crooked brick and concrete step...that is no longer needed

one of these days we are going to find a buried treasure to make this all worthwhile- you'll see!

on the lighter side, this image is on the side of our box of 'contractor' trash bags...i thought it was hilarious...

it was even funnier when i realized that i was looking at it upside down!

ha!

climbing ladders and stuff...

2010-11-11T18:40:00.002-05:00

the replacement windows were delivered today

along with the french door

the lumber stock is for the deck project...in a couple of weeks!

today, scott stripped the old shingles (2 layers) from the lower roof

while I stripped the aluminum siding, starting with the backside of the house

i had to get over my fear of heights to climb that ladder! it really doesnt look high from the ground, but from the top of the ladder, its pretty freakin' high!

i thought i would have more done by the end of the day, but i was still getting used to working from the ladder...i am hoping to be more productive tomorrow.

we are stockpiling the aluminum so that we can bring it to the local salvage yard for recycling...

...oh, and cash!

remember this?

2010-11-09T20:06:00.011-05:00

gone!

Still raining...so, still working inside.

2010-11-08T20:15:00.004-05:00

here is the installed fire-rated door that now provides access into the garage:

i was actually against installing this door, but i have to say its definitely been great having it!

and a view from the garage side...still need to add a step.

we decided to frame out the rough opening for the new french doors that will lead to a new deck off the back of the house.

the first step was to build a temporary support wall- since we will be removing studs in an exterior bearing wall, we needed to support the 2nd floor joists that bear on that exterior wall (until we got the new header beam in place)

here is a photo with the studs partially removed. we will keep the exterior siding intact until its time to install the door (either tomorrow or wednesday)

and here is the final framed rough opening for the door.

Rained out...working inside

2010-11-06T09:44:00.004-04:00

currently, you cannot enter the garage directly from the house-so we decided to remedy that!
here is scott demo-ing the opening

framing out the opening

by code, the door between a house and garage needs to be fire-rated (with at least a 20 minute rating)

here is the view from the garage, we will need to add a step.

while scott was framing that opening, I was prepping/stripping plaster and board from the exterior wall where we will be installing the french doors.

here is a view from the entrance looking toward the location of the future french doors

this is the view from the future kitchen towards the living room

revised plans

2010-11-03T18:53:00.003-04:00

just an update

2010-11-03T17:51:00.002-04:00

So, the upper roof is now complete!

Since we are expecting rain tomorrow, the lower roof will have to wait a day or two.

The A/C unit has been installed:

which completes phase 1 of the HVAC work...phase 2 will include relocating a few of the existing ducts/registers because they are currently in walls that will be removed!

wet basement/dry basement

2010-11-02T20:49:00.004-04:00

When we bought the house, there was standing water in the basement.

we noticed that the downspouts deposited water at the foundation

after we signed the P+S, we asked the owner if we could install downspout extenders to divert the water away from the house...and she let us

ever since, the basement has been bone dry!

i'm keeping my fingers crossed that it stays that way, but its been 2 months

even the musky damp smell is dissipating!

happiness is...

2010-11-02T20:12:00.004-04:00

Progress!!!

The backside of the upper roof is finished...

on to the front side:

The existing roof was already 2 layers thick-so those shingles needed to be stripped before the new shingles could be installed:

The painted wood columns and beams at the front porch were sanded and prepped for paint:

We bought Valspar low temperature exterior paint- which will enable us to paint in temps as low as 35 degrees (hoping it will be warmer though!)

and finally, the new furnace with A/C coil was installed today. it's nice and toasty in the house now!

the A/C unit will be installed tomorrow.

Strippers!

2010-11-02T08:27:00.005-04:00

Yesterday, Scott and a couple of helpers stripped the 2 layers of shingles from the backside of the upper roof...by the end of the day he had installed about 6 rows of shingles.

Meanwhile, I was stripping the paint from the chimney.

I used this wire brush drill attachment- went through 2 of them already!

But it seems to be working....

s'more

2010-10-27T12:24:00.001-04:00

I am just waiting until Scott finishes up his (paying) job so that he can join me (hopefully soon!) Once he does, we will start on the new roof, then onto the new siding...

but until then I have been burning up the shrubs that I cut down earlier...i probably have another day's worth of the same (once it stops raining).

there were plenty of bricks lying around the yard-which made it easy to assemble the fire pit!

chop chop

2010-10-20T19:57:00.013-04:00

today, i cut down the shrubs that covered the front and side of the house.

i used the reciprocating saw to rough cut the shrubs...

now i just have to get rid of the nubs and roots...

but i have to ice my sore hands tonight- im either too old or too out of practice!

water water everywhere and not a drop to drink...

2010-10-12T20:06:00.011-04:00

even a mildly germophobic person like myself should be more careful swinging a sledge hammer near a porcelain toilet...note crack- and water on floor!!!

oops.

so i immediately shut off the water supply...but then i had to drain the toilet-one nasty cupful at a time. i suppose it's as good a time as any to remove the toilet (good thing there is another one upstairs!)

The space is really starting to OPEN up!

Metal Door Frames:

poopies from heaven

2010-10-09T12:20:00.013-04:00

The absolute WORST part of demo is removing ceilings! Every ceiling that I have ever had to remove has been laden with mouse droppings- and this one was no different! Imagine spending your day pulling down plaster and being showered with dust, poopies and the occasional mouse skeleton...not fun! but someone has to do it- and right now, I am the only one here!

I wasn't going to post this picture, but why not? This is what the floor looks like during the ceiling removal!

I came across a couple of rodent nests along the way

I'm no expert, but this one looks like a fire hazard!

getting there:

And then- all work came to a SCREECHING halt!
when I drove myself to the hospital after my pinky attemped suicide.

not broken- the official diagnosis is a "crush injury"... but I now refer to my pinky as my purpley!

on the bright side, at least I get to spend the next few days mouse-poopie-free!

_____________________________________________________________________
okay...here is an update-4 days later. is it just me, or does it actually look like it has gotten worse?

oh well, i have to try to get some work done today...

i can't help but wonder...

2010-10-01T09:14:00.005-04:00

if fashion is cyclical, will green toilets be popular again one day?

future foyer space

more demo- stripping the heavy plaster

nothing glamorous or exciting...

2010-09-29T07:52:00.005-04:00

...but it's at least shiny and new!

the oil tank was a disaster waiting to happen.

we had to replace it:

gorgeous! i'll have to supress the urge to paint a cow hide pattern on it!

if you set small goals you are never disappointed!

2010-09-23T13:27:00.004-04:00

The goal today was simple: remove all finishes from this wall and confirm that it is a bearing wall.

Remove finishes: check

cut hole in ceiling to confirm the wall is bearing: check

so the wall is definitely a bearing wall (through the hole in the ceiling i could see the ends of the floor joists that bear on the wall)- before we remove it, we will need to install a beam to support those second floor joists.

those ducts supply the second floor rooms- since the wall will be removed, those will be relocated.

Wrought Iron is Heavy

2010-09-18T17:51:00.009-04:00

Wallpaper: I was absolutely dreading having to remove the wallpaper in this house. I was planning on purchasing a wallpaper steamer/remover and I set aside 2 weeks in the schedule so that I could tackle that formidable task (1 week for the first floor and 1 week for the second)

Wallpaper at Second Floor Hall

While I was taking a break from removing window trim, I noticed there was an open seam in the wallpaper...so I started picking at it...and pulling....

And it came right off!

All of it!!!

And there are beautiful smooth white plaster walls beneath!

So I went downstairs to try my luck there....most of it did come right off...

...but i did find another layer underneath that wont come off with just my fingers. But its relegated only to the fireplace wall. Not bad! I am sure I will be able to figure out what to do with those 2 weeks!

Today I was also determined to remove the nasty carpet and wood paneling from the breezeway/future dining room

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

oh right. and wrought iron is heavy....

but you probably already knew that!

Some Before Photos

2010-09-11T13:36:00.006-04:00

Entry Stair:

not in bad shape, we will remove the wrought iron handrail, expand the size of the foyer---and remove that wallpaper!

More Wallpaper!

We will replace all electrical devices
Study/Den:
We will remove the train wallpaper, replace the trim and add crown moulding and possibly a 12-lite door.

Existing Kitchen/ Future Bath:

This tiny kitchen will turn into a new full bath- the kitchen will be relocated.

View from Entrance:

At the far wall, there will be a set of french doors opening to a new deck. This will be the view as you enter (minus a few walls)

Entrance:

Walls will be removed to open up the entrance and create a foyer instead of a narrow hall

Dining/ Future Kitchen:

The kitchen will be relocated towards the back of the house- in the current location of the dining area.

Sunroom/ Future Dining Room:

The plan is to remove the existing flat ceiling and replace it with a cathedral ceiling- install cork flooring- replace the paneling with drywall...

Bedrooms:

The bedrooms are decent- we will replace the windows, add crown moulding and new base, repaint...

Second Floor Bath:

A gut renovation is the only option here! We are also going to expand the size of the bathroom by about 3'.

First Floor Half Bath:

We are going to relocate the first floor bathroom and expand it into a full bath. This space is going to be given over to a larger entry foyer.

Basement:

paint, windows, lighting, dri-core flooring...

the next project....will begin....soon!

2010-09-02T16:59:00.002-04:00

Under Agreement!

2010-03-11T08:01:00.006-05:00

well, we have an accepted full price offer and a backup offer on file.

we are taking it as a good sign that the market might be ready for flipping!!! so on to the next one!

FOR SALE- finally!

2010-03-06T17:26:00.018-05:00

The house will be listed this week.

Living room:

Office/Bedroom:

Kitchen:

Bath 1:

Master Bedroom:

Bedroom:

Bath 2:

Basement:

Laundry:

Deck: