Year 2 - Day 233

Day 82











Day 1


The floor guy is done. I left yesterday morning as he packed up so the floors still looked glossy as they were wet but when I got back after the trip to get the cedar clapboard from Cote they had dried to the satin finish.

The join between the old and new parts is really imperceptible. You can see it if you look at the tightness of the boards - mine are tight and snug and the 55 year old ones are a bit more gappy but color-wise the match is perfect. A very good decision to have the guy do it (thankyou Bob! for the subtle prod on that.)

Year 2 - Day 231

"Kirnee, I can't stretch out in a cat crate."


Interesting day today as the guy comes to sand and "finish" the floors. I have not used this guy nor have any recommendations on him other than he was recommended to us by our sheetrock guy. I have a certain uneasyness about him but we shall see.

He does not turn up at 8am as promised and I call him at 8:30a.m. "Ah, yes, Christina" (not my name) he says "I'm just getting materials." So I say I'll see him at 9am. He turns up at 9am with his hair very precisely combed down. "Christina, you have materials?" Hmmm, I can see it's going to be an interesting day. "No, Luis," I say, "You are getting the materials." "Ah, yes, he says, I get, no trouble. I go wait for my guy and come back 20 minutes." Luis is Brazilian as are almost all the guys who have worked on the house. For promptness he ranks in the middle of Marcone (our carpenter), very busy so never calls back and Adelson, our sheetrock guy who is super reliable. Maybe its because Adelson speaks a little English but it's hard to communicate with him on the phone so he can't call to try and change the time. Luis and his guy do return.

11 a.m. - so far so good. The guy - don't know his name - he's another Brazilian that doesn't speak English other than be able to talk about flooring has finished the sanding. Sounded like he used 3 or 4 grades of sandpaper. Now he's buffing, then he'll vacuum and put down 2 coats of water-based finish. "Then 2 coats tomorrow." He says. Yikes! - I am meant to be at work tomorrow - maybe I can change it so that I work the afternoon evening instead.

Maybe I'm being picky but I will say that with Luis, when you're ready to book him you just call him 2 days before you need him and he turns up. A slow start for a quick turn-around is probably a fair trade.

Throughout all this the cats are in their crates in my car in the street wondering what the hell is going on. I didn't think they would like the sound of the sanding and fortunately it's a lovely cool, breezy fall day. I have been popping out every so often to check on them. They are not impressed at being in their crates. Kevvie, ever the softie, seems to "meow" a pitiful "Kirnee save me." Whereas CJ, ever the firebrand, seems to "meow" "WTF Kirnee?, what is up with the f'in crate?."

Soon they can come back in and all will be forgiven I hope.

It's shortly after noon and it's gone very quiet. A quick peek out the window and the guy has gone. 2 coats are on. I call Luis to see when he will be back. "Tomorrow." He says. "What time tomorrow?," I ask. "Sometime tomorrow morning." He says. "9 o'clock." He adds.

Year 2 - Day 225

Random pic of nephew Rob styling it up.


Something about the Ring's End "gouge" ticked me off. I also realised that I could cut Cote's 10.5" siding down to the 8" size I needed with my circular saw if needed. So I sent Cote a text message late last night saying I wanted to come look at it again and I called in this morning with a scrap piece of my siding in hand.
I wanted to check that the lower edge of the siding would be the same thickness once cut down. He is happy to get rid of it - it's a bit of an anomaly in his basement - it is extremely random that the previous owner's of his house chucked up some nice cedar siding on an inside wall in the basement. I just have to go over and remove it.
He has 5 rows with a 19ft run so that's almost 100 linear ft. I had ordered 146 lin. ft from Ring's End. I called up and cancelled the ($400 siding) order and the guy said "oh, so you must've got it somewhere cheaper". "Yep" I said and he waited for me to explain where but I never did. (Ha!) I'll probably have to go and buy a little from them to make up the difference but I'll see how far I get with Cote's siding and the stuff I saved of the old siding.

Also decided that I'll have Luis put the finish on the wood floor (good thought Bob). It will cost me at least $400 in materials/rental (and perhaps a bit more in massages and knee ice packs!!) and his quote is $600. I also found the quote for the original refinishing of the other floors in the house so I can tell him exactly what the finish is so he can match it.

Year 2 - Day 224

Adelson, our Brazilian sheetrock guy, came this evening. He didn't think he wold makeit as he was stuck in traffic but he and the guys turned up at 6:30pm to do the 2nd coat. So far they have worked the Saturday of Labor Day w/e, then Adelson worked a few hours Labor Day Monday and then this evening. Sorry to say it but I don't think an American guy would do that.

Luis, his flooring buddy, came over to quote on finishing/polyurethaning the floor. Bob (ever the voice of reason) suggested we use Luis so here is my dilemna: I would like to do the finish as well seeing as I laid it however the opportunity cost of having Luis do it for $600 is tempting as I would spend, at first estimate, over $300 on materials and sander rental alone.

Varathane Random Orbital EZ Sander rental - 1 day - $35
3 gals (minimum) Varathane Diamond WB Floor Finish @ $47/gal - $141
Sand paper for the orbital sander- low estimate - $64
Lamb's wool applicator - $35
Respirator - $37

Add in rags, rubbing alcohol, dish bowl for the urethane, an orbital hand sander for edging, sand paper for that and you can chuck on another $100 without counting $65 for a nice DeWalt hand sander. So then I'm up to $400. So I'd only save myself $200.

I had an earlier quote for everything - installation and finish of $2200 from Bischof Flooring. By installing myself I spent ~ $800 so take of $600 for finishing and I've saved $800 already.

Do I want to finish it myself and make it a nice round $1000? Or is the time I would take to do it worth more than the $200 I would save?

Also got gouged a bit at Ring's End. Catalog say $2.05 / lin ft for cedar siding and they billed me $2.70 / lin ft when I paid tonight. I called them back to say I think you over charged me and he said that prices have gone up. I did get him down to $2.45 / lin ft which is probably just the contractor price that I should've asked for anyway.

Bumped into Cote in the hardware store and he said he had a wall in his basement strangely covered with cedar siding and I could have it for nothing. So I went up and scouted it and it is 10.5" and mine is 8" so I said no but after talking to the Ring's End guy I figured I could just get Cote's and cut it down to 8" with my circular saw. I'd do it on a table saw but I don't have one. Maybe I could lug it up to Macaluso's and rip it there?

Another dilemna as Ring's End are scheduled to deliver $360 worth of cedar siding on Friday. The more I think about it the more I think I might take Cote up on his offer - I can use it on one side of the window where if there's any edge thickness differences it won't show. And then buy the remainder that I need from Ring's End.

Year 2 - Day 222

Was flicking through the photos that we took of the house the first time we viewed it, when the past owner's shite was still "in situ". Wow, I had forgotten alot of the horrors. Somewhere there is a pic of Bob and I in the DR during the walk-thru' but I can't find it to compare to now so I'll have to make do with these. These ones however do not do justice to the fake crazy paving/stone linoleum that is now forever banished to the subfloor!

When DIY goes wrong ...

from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=479267&in_page_id=1811

Year 2 - Day 221

Even though they are not swollen, my knees feel like tight balloons. I've already been starting the past couple days with 3 Advil!. I can envisage 2 large ice packs on them tonight. I guess that's my olympic career gone! Although I might be permanently bent over enough to do curling!

Year 2 - Day 220

Wasn't sure if I'd have enough wood left to do the office so I added a threshold in the doorway from the dining room to the office. The board nearest the camera is a piece of scrap that I have screwed to the floor to hold the piece in front of it secure. I used this technique (that I read about on hammerzone.com) in the kitchen/dinig room doorway where I set the square for the whole room.


While Adelson did the sheetrock I continued laying the hardwood in the DR. This is slow progress. I changed my mind about going over to the other wall and flipped a board around and nailed it down to the two boards I had squared up in the door jamb so that hte "tongues" were pointing into the area to be floored. Then I just got going. Had quite a few cuts to make which I didi with the SharkSaw (a pullsaw) that thing is great. Continued laying floor until about 10:30pm as progress was slow and I wanted to get at least halfway across the room so that I could get it finished tomorrow and take the compressor back to Jeff.

Year 2 - Day 220

This is turning into the super productive weekend. Adelson and his boys came and sheetrocked the kitchen. He was meant to mud the first coat as well but decided that he wanted to get a different compound as he has to ease the transition between the 3/4" thick old plaster and the 1/2" sheetrock he hung. He could've used 5/8" 'rock but the green moisture-resistant boards only come in 1/2". I know he'll do a great job hiding the transition. That happens on Monday.

Year 2 - Day 219

Yesterday



Today (ta-dah!)


Wow, I ache a bit from floor laying yesterday - must've done a million squats or at least that's how it feels.

Back to the kitchen flooring today. The sheetrock guy is coming tomorrow (Saturday) so extra impetous to get it finished and then get the room ready for him.
Had the floor all laid by about 2:30pm then added some insulation to one of the walls, checked the height of the under-cabinet lighting wires as they looked high, repositioned them and put down drop cloths. It's all ready for sheetrock.

Then I started prepping the DR for flooring in there. There was a chance Jeff might've needed the compressor back - it is so nice - who ever invented pneumatic tools deserves some kind of prize. I also used his face nailer as once I got near the wall the nailer didn't fit in/wasn't enough room to swing the hammer.

Cut the bottom of the door jambs etc in the DR with the snazzy Shark Saw - that thing is very cool - not sure if it is Japanese but it just oozes Japanese sensibilities. A very delicate saw if that is possible to say.

Have to figure out how I will do the transition/reducer up to the DR floor height - might have to have to it "go into" the kitchen / "wrap" a little around the door jamb, so it would be cut like a fat, fat "T" with a wide trunk and very spindly short arms if you can even picture that from my crap description. Then I have to snap a square chalk line as I have nothing to go on. Kitchen was nice as I just carried on from the existing boards. It'll be a my first chalk line - I will feel very "pro" when I do that. Will feel very "am" if line is not straight and floor looks crap. Ha, ha.

Year 2 - Day 218

The laying begins. Slow at first as I had to shave down the varnish on the old boards that had run down into the gaps.

Took today and tomorrow off from work to lay the kitchen floor. Jeff loaned me his compressor and I rented a flooring nailer from Home Depot. ($37/day for the nailer). Jeff's loan of the compressor saves me $38/day - thanks Jeff!) Laying hardwood flooring is just steady - you can't go fast and you'll back after an hour and think "christ, is that all I've laid?!"

Anyhoo - I got a little better at it and managed to get about 2/3 of the kitchen done.

Better yet Adelson, our sheetrock guy came around. He is coming to sheetrock on Saturday - fabulous! And then he'll come back Monday for a mud etc etc. That is great timing.

Year 2 - Day 215

Insulation is done. No more prickly wrists.




A very exciting week is coming up: cabinets are on the truck! Appliances are being shipped to the retailer. Finished the plumbing and the insulation this past weekend. Bob was a superstar on the plumbing - we cut the holes for the pipe just a tad low in the stud (my error I believe - didn't think about the drop we needed) and he hand filed and chiselled it to the correct height so that we had a nice drop on the pipe. Temptation was to not do the whole job but I kept saying to him "think of your blocked up sink and think how 30 minutes more now will save all that smelly bother". And on (and on) he filed. Bless him.

I finished the insulation. So this morning I am waiting for the building inspector and hoping he'll give us the sign-off to sheetrock. Called the sheetrock guy (via his friend as his English is not good enough to understand on the phone) and he is coming over again for a last look as we will need to use 3/4 " sheetrock on some walls to match up to the old plasterwork and then 1/2" on the walls that are totally new.

I think I'll be taking a few days off this week to lay the hardwood floor so as to keep things moving along. Still a ways to go but quite exciting as everything is really coming together and we can see the end in sight: the list of to do's for this room is getting much shorter! The pile of tools that we have amassed doing it is getting taller!

Also called another guy to give a quote on installing the cabinets. I'd like to give it a try but we have a slightly tricky boxing in / fake door situation to cover up the vents in the corner and I think by the time we get to that stage of things we might be more than happy to pay someone to do it and get it done efficiently. Current quote is $3600 - how can installing cabinets cost so much? They'll help install appliances so we won't have to incur that (which BTW is also another big gouge - $125 to install a D/W?) but I'd like to get it down a little if possible.

We've had some good price karma recently: the Samsung French Door fridge arrived from Lowes. We had bought it when they had a $150 gift card rebate so that saved us some $$. Then when it arrived there were some tiny scuffs on the door. We tried to buff them out but they were not budging. They are sort of those imperceptable yet you know they are there things. So we called Lowes and they said "well either send it back or we'll give you 15% off". 15% = $270. For that we could live with it so we got the fridge at $420 (23%) off retail.

Then we happened to be shopping for shelving for the FR and ran across some rugs on sale in Pottery Barn. I usually can't afford them but the colors on this rug worked and it was on sale reduced from $479 to $299 for an all-wool 5' x 8' rug. Bought a swatch ($20) to check it worked colorwise, got home and called the store to check they had it in stick. Went over and told the assistant that we'd take a 3' x 5" (advertised price $179, $129 on sale) and a 5' x 8' ($479, $299 on sale). So she kind of fussed around a bit and kept telling us we'd ordered the 8' x 10'. And then rang it up saying "OK, the 3' x 5' is $69 and the 5' x 8' is $129." I thought maybe there was another discount that we hadn't seen as there were 50% off signs all over the store. Then she kind of paused and chatted with a colleague and the colleague said "no, if you told them that then you have to charge them that" so I guess she did get confused and we got the $179 rug for $69 and the $479 rug for $129. 2 rugs, value $660 for $198 (a 70% saving). Pretty soon we'll have saved enough on dings and screw-ups to make ordering the induction stove top a "push"!!

There was one other nice deal we got but I can't remember what it was.

Still to do:
- Desqueak the sub floor (us)
- Lay hardwood floor (us)
- Finish hardwood floor (us)
- Sheetrock/mud/prime (Adelson)
- Paint the bits that show - ceiling and backsplash (us)
- Have Ray (HVAC guy) come and install duct for toe-kick register
- Pick cabinet installer (Briganti or MPR)
- Get cabs and appliances delivered
- Get cabs/appliances installed
- Decide if we really do like that cabinet hardware we ordererd. (I do, Bob is not so sure.)
- Take moment to stand back and admire sexy cabinets and applaud/breathe out!
- Call countertop guy to come and measure
- Call electrician (needs to install outlet in end of 'L', put in boxes for appliances and finish up)
- Measure and buy sink
- Countertop guy installs counter/sink/stove top
- Take moment to stand back and admire sexy kitchen and applaud/breathe out!
- (Hope that this is it) Oh wait ... un pack all kitchen crap back into new kitchen including Bob's birthday All-Clad pan set - nice!

Somewhere in there I'm sure there's one or two more sign-offs from the inspector.

Year 2 - Day 201

Before



After - New Window R.O is boarded up with primed plywood 'til the window arrives.


Crikey. Using all my childhood years of Erector set experience, Crossword puzzling, Sudoku mashing and any other problem solving skills (or was it just blind faith?) I finally tackled moving the living room window. It took 2 days to work up the courage and the plan. Gotta say the SawzAll, the Miter Saw, the Circular Saw and the PowerDriver have more than earned their keep. Prize for best $12.96 ever invested goes to the meek Stanley Super Pry Bar.
I still went to bed hearing every creak of the house and wondering if it was about to all crash to the ground. Just need to frame in the sill plate.

Yr 2, Day 201

Before



After


Crikey. Using all my childhood years of Erector set experience, Crossword puzzling, Sudoku mashing and any other problem solving skills (or was it just blind faith?) I finally tackled moving the living room window. It took 2 days to work up the courage and the plan. Gotta say the SawzAll, the Miter Saw, the Circular Saw and the PowerDriver have more than earned their keep. Prize for best $12.96 ever invested goes to the meek Stanley Super Pry Bar.

Year 2, Day 199

So, it has been a while again but not for lack of being busy. Cabinets and appliances are ordered. Heating ducts are done. Plumbing is done until cabs are in. Electrical is 80% done and only stopeed because couldn't get a frigging carpenter to return my call so Bob and I are blocking up and moving the windows. We almost killed each other yesterday - not literally but he wanted to go out to dinner and the project wrecked it.

So today he left for LLWS and I got on with stuff - removed the "thermostat" column as we call it and installed the joist hanger. Bit of a precaution as the beam is built into the chimney column but for $5 for the hanger and a box of nails I consider it a bargain. Of course it wasn;t straight forward. I took off the remaining top plate of the wall we removed and it was hiding a double joist. So there was a double joist up to one side of the beam at 90 degrees a joist and then a single beam on the other. So I blocked out the single side and installed the hanger. When the inspector comes I'll have him look at it again.

With the column removed I could remove the stud at the wall junction so that I can block it and line up the outside corner for drywall plus I learnt a dandy way to get the toenailed nails out so that then you just lean the stud over and it pulls off the nails at the top plate. So now the kitchen looks even more vast (it got considerably vaster Friday p.m. when I took up the linoleum and plywood subfloor (revealing the original subfloor - nice long boards - on the diagonal - good quality stuff).

Then I turned my attention to the window to be blocked up - it was quite easy - three studs cut and inserted into the opening lined up with the joists above. Then I checked if the 2 pieces of OSB left by the roofers from last Fall were big enough and together they fit the space perfectly with out cutting - very wierd. Like they had just been sitting ont he porch waiting for that moment. Then ran to Lowes for some black tar paper - that is up and at least that window is good. I will check with Mac at work - do a quick framing consult with him on the other more involved window project and then the electrician can come back. Once that is finished the inspectors can come and do their thing and I can repair and lay the floor.

Cabs and appliances should be here within 2 wks so need to hussle. I am enjoying working on the house but not fitting it around work. It;s slow right now at work so potential to leave early exists which gives me longer evenings but nothing beats a asolid two0day weekend working on that stuff.

Laters.

Year 2 - Day 125

Year 2 - Day 125

Year 2 - Day 125

Year 2 - Day 125

Gawd, it's been so long since I blogged. I feel bad. However it has been projects that has kept me from blogging. Today I can say that IT HAS STARTED. By it I mean the kitchen remodel. We started working on the plans and shopping and thinking and measuring last Summer thinking it would be done in late Summer, maybe by Xmas. Then it got put off as my mum and Jim accepted our invite to come stay for Xmas so we delayed (and did the family room reno' instead.

So ... we have gone through many layouts and cabinet shopping and appliance shopping (until I saw the Electrolux Icon line and knew that was what I HAD to have.)

Couple weeks ago we took out a wall and a base cabinet so that we could move the heating ducts and get them upstairs into the MBR/DR extension that only had baseboard electric heat. Then last weekend after our week of vacation bliss we took down another wall cabinet and demo'd the wall and closet between the kitchen and the living room. Our pokey little 11' x 9' kitchen space is no more - you could drive a large car through there now.

Last night we removed some more plasterboard so that the ADT guy could move the alarm box that was previously in the closet. We are getting very good at removing the plasterboard without making too much dust and debris.

Then Gil our cabinet guy called today and came over to do the final measure. We are going to meet with him tomorrow mornign for a final going over and place the cabinet order and then go to the appliance store and order the dreamy Electrolux icon stuff - can I handle dropping $20,000 in one weekend?? So the kitchen re-do is off and running.

Day 336 - faux brick close up

Before


After

Day 335 - Jan 24 - Faux Brick (on brick!) Finish

Slowly getting back into some projects after a lull over Xmas. Have mainly been concentrating on the kitchen project but last night I took on the brick surround on the fireplace (yet again). Last effort was four coats of paint stripper and no brick in sight.
I headed to Lowes and got some heavy duty (50) sand paper for the Mouse and also a bunch of brick red paint swatches. I sanded the brick a bit ad results were mixed - some of the paint came off easily but some was on there for good so I decided I have to do the faux paint. Back to Lowes but this time I had matched the swatches to the actual brick tones and bought 3 sample pots of paint ($3.98 each and a "pouncer" brush to stipple - couldn't bring myself to drop $15 on a sponge). The mid color that I painted on first was American Century Tropical Nut, then a stippling of the just slightly darker Cliveden Henna Red and then a stippling over that of a slightly lighter color - Florentine Clay - that I softened and dispersed a lot more with the brush to get that kind of effervescence white sheen that you get on bricks.
I think the results were pretty good - the flash doesn't help the photo. I painted on the medium shade first and then stippled the darker tone on top and then stippled the lighter tone over that being sure to really work it so that it looked like a soft smudge and not edgey. The samples only came in satin but I didn't want to buy a quart of flat so I might have to hit it all with a matt clear top coat. Just need to go back tonight and get a cement color for the mortar and then I can start priming/painting the mantel/wood surround.

Went back to Lowes tonight with another matching color swatch but wanted to check if there was any ready-made mortar in a tub that I could use as the painting was going to be a pain. Luckily Lowes had Quikrete Textured Mortar Repair ($1.99) - think grey bath caulk with sand and grit in it. So I just smoothed that on with my fingers in to the mortar groove and wiped off the edges of the brick and I think it looks fab. It really needs a wash coat to cut the new and clean look, to give it a bit of grime so I will have to look into that but apart from that it was a much easier, quicker project than I had anticipated.

Day 300 - Family Room and Guest Room done

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER


Even though Smith & Noble screwed us royally on our blind order - they had the order for over a month and would call us every week with problem after problem - "this not available", "this blind's too heavy to build this way", "this valance is out of stock", "well now we can't get it to you for christmas even if we didn't have any problems" - that in the end we cancelled so we have temporary paper blinds up in the FR. However, bar hanging a few pictures and adding a few accessories and shelves, the FR is done and the guest room is done. My mum and Jim arrive tomorrow. Sweet timing and appropriate to celebrate our 300th day in our own property.

Day 286 - Family Room update

Still waiting on the carpet for the family room but it has come a long way since the dark gloom of brown plywood. Also need to add second coat of prime to stained wood window frames (yuk!) and then gloss. Once the carpet is in and the furniture is back it will look fab - and hopefully all in time for Chrimble.

Day 282 - The Fireplace Surround/Mantel is done!

It's done - Bob will have somewhere to hang his stocking. I bought the lumber for everything but the pilaster molding and top and bottom blocks - that came as a pilaster kit from Lowes (?). I got some good guides to how to do the structure from here

http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/hi_fireplace/article/0,2037,DIY_13914_2269267,00.html

and here

http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/pages/bw0011.asp

and here

http://www.doityourself.com/stry/buildfireplacemantel