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cefreeman_gw

Week 11: Imagine what can happen in 52!?

CEFreeman
9 years ago

Do you think this is detracting from regular postings? We have to remember to post regularly, like cal_quail and her (yeah!) cabinets.

I'm awaiting another plant digger this morning. Oh, the room I have! Just wish someone could dig the grown crape myrtles I have, but they'd just die. They're hardier and reseeding-er than crap once established, but move 'em when they've got leaves? Oh, no, splat: dead.

I plan to plant the remaining 12 hosta and arrange a soaker hose. It's amazing what things do with water!

Has anyone taken a look back over these 11 weeks to see the point where you started, as compared to now? It's impressive.

I work at 3:00.

Have a fabulous, productive week.

Comments (83)

  • Terri_PacNW
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Oh my goodness..that is amazing! What a gift that woman has. I sew..I make clothing, I change things around from the pattern, but I couldn't do that.
    WOW,
    Storms are no good Lazy! Glad it wasn't your roof. You'll be back on track soon enough.

    Called on the CL stove..they will be back in town Friday or Sat. They live part time here and more over on the East Side of the state. They just upgraded their kitchen here, so had the stove. I asked if it was self cleaning and the age. She didn't know the answer to either. Me thinks she doesn't bake much? Lol

    So she'll send me a text when someone is back over here for me to come take a look.

    More painting done at mom's.
    More crap outta there and in my garage.

  • Evan
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Cal quail: Agreed on the Lee Valley brackets. Super easy way to customize you drawers exactly the way you want. And you can even change them later with minimum fuss

  • rmtdoug
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Looks like everyone was busy this weekend.

    Cal Quail - I'm so glad to see progress. A couple of weeks ago you sounded pretty discouraged. It will come together.

    I did not get the flooring laid in the bedroom. Instead I mortared the chimney that runs up through the room. To think I actually considered waiting on this until after I did the flooring proves how little experience I have with cement work. This was a long, dirty job. The new floor would have been ruined for sure had I waited.

    Pic #1, Friday afternoon: It turns out the chimney was almost 1 inch out of plumb at its worst. The top of the picture is where it was 1 inch out, a little less at the bottom, about 3/4 inch. The tape marks plumb from the chimney at the ceiling. Just my luck, the whole chimney leans out, which means gravity is working against me. The chimney was like this on both surfaces that I had to mortar. Who builds a chimney 1 inch out of plumb over 8 feet?

    Pic 2, Ready to mortar!!! The long board is for plumbing the mortar vertically. The short board is for smoothing it horizontally.

    Pic #3, Friday evening: Finished putting in my reference planes. This is much easier than trying to build up and level an entire wall. you only have to get the surface plumb by the width of the straightedge. Tomorrow, I will fill in the depressions.

    Pic #4, Saturday morning: Got up early as the weather is starting to get hot again. Spent all morning filling in the depressions. It took almost three 80 lb bags of mortar. I had to mix it outside and carry it up in a tub. I think I mixed up about 10 tubs. I'm very inexperienced working with cement but I persevered and took my time and it eventually came out okay. The chimney face is now plumb and flat enough for tile.

    I will have to tile it later. I was thinking maybe limestone. I need fairly large tiles because I have a 2 inch gap to span on the right side at the wall. Any ideas?

    Will start flooring tonight.

  • schicksal
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    With a 2" gap I would recommend covering or with something besides the tile. Possibly a 2x4 could fit in there, then some Durarock to make it flush with the chimney?

    Today is the last fill day the in laws are here. I only was able to make the baseboards for the formal living room. They're poplar 1x4 and I eased the edges with a sander. Tomorrow I prime, paint and attach. I also made some door casing and discovered a couple more drywall boo boos that need attention. It's easy work for a change.

  • rmtdoug
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Schicksal - I already asked; the inspector said no wood back there. In fact, that long board in the pic was what I proposed putting back there. The gap area is protected by that small outside corner, so it should be okay. Grouting might be a problem, but I was thinking going grout free anyway. I don't want the tile to stand out too much. We just need to find the right tile.

    I've been meaning to ask, is that white oak on your floors? Whatever it is, it sure looks nice in your house.

  • brightm
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    That dress is really something.

    And I can't even fathom the chimney work.

    I had the Lee Valley dividers on my list of things to think about, but I think I just want to order it and be done. Otherwise too many options.

    Shicksal - I'm very eager to see/hear more about the baseboards. I'd have to measure mine, but that sounds like what I want. My existing ones are very similar to that and plain, but smaller I think. The kitchen and baths had vinyl run up the walls (cove?) The entry, hallway, and bedrooms have decent, original baseboard. The living room and dining room had something replaced at some point that was awful and I took it off at some point and have been without for a couple years. I need those replaced. Only the interior walls have baseboard as the exterior are masonry. I'm not sure what I should do around it.

    Big day around here.
    --Went to flooring store and got that set up for next week - T/W/Th. Still no sq. ft. or price, will get back to me later
    --Called the roofer (new roof earlier in the year) as he said he'd like to cut the hole in the roof when we did the kitchen. Warned him it'll be sometime soon. Hoped he'd say they'd do the duct work too, but they'll only do the roof hole. and exterior stuff. Someone needs to tell them where to cut. Volunteered to talk to the appliance place if I wanted. (both roofer and appliance place are local and longstanding)
    --Went to that appliance store (BS, SZ, Ventahood). Talked about when we can install (before what, after what). He said they like to install after floors and after counters. I said the vent required no counters, nor does fridge. And that I've heard many fabricators require range on site. He said they don't like stuff to be installed until after because of potential damage. I asked if that meant they won't or they'd have me sign some kind of a waver or what. He said they could. He also confirmed they don't do the duct work part of the vent hood installation. It's usually the contractor, but since we're not getting it at HD, our contractor can't. So I have to get yet another person involved.
    --Called our other contractor/handyman. Left message.
    --Went to HD for some painting supplies. I even picked up some Citistrip in case I need to find something to do with myself.
    --Called Miele to delay the installation again. I can't have my 8/6 date because floor will be 8/5, 6, 7. I asked if there was any way it could be on a Sat. He said he'd ask for special permission and get back to me.
    --Left a message
    --Floor guy called while there, wanted to come measure. Said to call him when I got home.
    --Floor guy came and measured.
    --Decided on Wheatgrass (the lighter of the gold/green colors, in two spots on the last pic with colors) and went and bought paint
    --Came home, planned to start painting, but DH wanted to go to HD. He wants to change some rickety shelves in his office with the kind where the tracks mount to the wall. Went to HD, DH talked himself out of the project, but we ran into the KD and talked to her for a good 40 min.
    --Came home, planned to start painting, but got a call from the floor guy that he was going to email the estimate. Didn't come. He called, wrong email. Didn't come. One of the office girls sent it. It seemed wrong. I fretted. DH suggested we go down there and figure it out with them.
    --Saved about $350 by questioning the bill. We were charged too much per square foot and for too many sq feet. Picked grout color and size. Had a nice chat with the owner. Boy, can he talk!
    --Called Miele back, I'd asked for the 9th or 16th. Evidently he was able to get a Sat approved, but not til the 23rd. So I set it up for the 13th. I'll miss at least part of one of the prep days.
    --Called local appliance place back and set those up for the 8th. (Hoping that works for the granite guy, having those things in.)
    --Heard from the HD GC that the installer will be back Wed mid morning (hopefully to finish)
    --Finished touching up the ceiling, revamped the dropcloths and primed the areas that had been covered, and then painted the whole kitchen. Finished about 12:30 or so I think.
    --Then there was a situation with a mouse...hoping the cat doesn't bring it as a present while I'm sleeping. I've stayed up as late as I can (1:45)

    Tomorrow is templating. I'm so excited!

  • schicksal
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    rmtdoug - The flooring is white oak. The details are: clear grade, rift and quarter sawn, long lengths (4'-12'), 4" wide and finished with Monocoat 5% Smoke. It took me about 5 days to put it all in but longer to find a finisher that I trusted to get their part right. The flooring in the formal living room is the original strip white oak finished the same as the new wood I put in. It was numbered and deconstructed so I could do the structural repairs, then put back in exactly as it was.

    I should have been thinking with the wood... you may be able to get away with minimal grout since stone will be a cut product. The edges still have a micro bevel though and they do need a tiny bit of grout. You can see it here in a bathroom I did about 4 years ago - the grout lines are about 1/32" wide though they appear wider in the picture.

    cal_quail - you win the productivity award! I'm really curious how the colors all tie together. I must have missed out on the color the flooring and coutnertops will be. What's in there seems to coordinate so far anyway.

    The baseboards so far have been easy to work with. I'd rather they were a bit thinner but I have no safe and reliable way to trim down 1x4 stock lengthwise. I borrowed the idea from houzz. It looks like they narrowed it a bit for the casing. I'd like to do that since the test pieces I made for the doorway to the back yard look a bit wide. Looks ok on the floor though.

    [

    [(https://www.houzz.com/photos/lake-washington-residence-modern-staircase-seattle-phvw-vp~75645)

    [Modern Staircase[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/modern-staircase-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_745~s_2105) by Seattle Architects & Building Designers BAAN design

    This post was edited by schicksal on Tue, Jul 29, 14 at 8:23

  • mgmum
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Cal_Quail, what a busy day full of running around! At least you got everything coordinated. That's the colour I liked best! It looks great with the cabinets! I kept meaning to tell you and then I forgot. I can't wait to see the rest coming together.

    Mt. Doug [a large hill/mountain in Victoria BC that your name reminds me of and I know you have an R in there some where but I think of you as MtDoug in my mind. :) ]
    I can't believe all that work on the chimney! Holy moly! Your arms and back must be screaming! You must be so relieved you waited to do the floors.

    Schicksal! Yay for visitors leaving. You're accomplishing quite a bit despite them. Or perhaps because of them. LOL

    Ann, that's quite a dress! Nice work she did.

    CEF, I hope your big fat swollen hand is feeling better! I hope you can figure out some way to get rid of those bees.

    I haven't done a lot. I installed a transition strip at the door in the sunroom. I still have to install the rest of the trim. I don't really have all the proper tools, so I'm going to have to figure out how to cut the corners. I don't care if it's perfect because it's an "outdoor" room that we mainly use for storage and as a mud room.

    I finally bought a toilet for the basement bathroom. My 12 yo and I brought it in bit by bit the other day because it was so heavy. Now I need to get the old one out and the new one in. I'll google it and watch a youtube video (what did we do without those!!) and then make an attempt. I hear it's not terribly hard. I'll be back to report on that. LOL Not much on the agenda today other than a sports filled evening. My 12 yo might be going to Florida for soccer! His team came in second in the Indiana tournament and the top two teams go to Florida! I'd like to take him and hit the new Harry Potter park while we're there, but I have a feeling his Dad is going to insist on being the one to take him. Whatever, we'll get there one day. It'd be easier if all my relatives lived there instead of BC and Alberta. LOL

    Edited to add: Oh, yeah! My new control boxes/remotes came for the u/c lighting, so I fixed all that and now they all work again. I hope they don't randomly stop working again! I doubt I'd get more parts. LOL

    This post was edited by MGMum on Tue, Jul 29, 14 at 9:29

  • lazy_gardens
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    GRRRR!!!!!!!

    Still no crew! Anyone who is worth hiring is already working ... apparently the economy is improving and the repair and improve business is booming.

    But my microwave gets delivered today, which is the last "piece" I need to provide.

    An here's a pic from last week, office door getting its base coat of plaster.

  • annkh_nd
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    MGMum, I've been to the top of Mt. Doug! It was a beautiful day - terrific views. We spent a few days on Vancouver Island in 1998, visiting a friend who lived on Shawnigan Lake. I loved Victoria in September! We took the ferry from Port Angeles at dusk, and the city lights were stunning.

    Hmm, maybe I need to plan a trip out west...

  • mgmum
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I love Victoria so much! I miss it a lot. :( I lived there from 1985 to 1987 and 1994 to 2003.

    I installed the toilet in the downstairs bathroom today! The boys helped me out too, thank goodness. No leaks, so far anyway. Not sure it was all centered properly on the wax ring so I'm hoping it all kind of settles itself. The real test will be when someone actually uses it, not just an empty flush.

  • countryatheart
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    MGMum-congrats on the successful toilet installation!

  • brightm
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    lazygardens - I'm hearing the same thing here. GC got me very scared. Granite guy said three weeks ago, not so busy. Now, super busy. Hope your crew frees up soon. Office door plaster? Are you getting rid of the door/doorway? (Trying to figure it out)

    MGMum - Impressed!

    Templating, done. I'm super excited. Of course, in all the excitement I forgot to take the paint sample and door with me to the granite place, but neither of those is changing right now, so really no biggie. We're going to have a whole lot of green. It's either going to look really good and bring out the other colors in the stone, or really clash. :) I still haven't decided which.

    There was one little corner of each bookmatched (?) slab that I particularly liked. It's got plum and blue to it. All I asked is that I get to place those somewhere. We tried having it by the sink but it'd end up being lost in a dark corner. We instead used them to flank the range. I'm super happy with that.

    Best part of today...he said he'll have it for a week from Friday! So, now I've got the bulk of the rest of the cabinet install tomorrow. Then potentially no kitchen workers until Tuesday for floors. Floors T/W and maybe Th. Friday granite. Saturday range and fridge, then the next Wednesday the rest of the appliances!

    I got about 3 hours of sleep and really need a nap. And some food. It's 1:30pm and all I've had is a latte. But the electrician is here and I won't be able to sleep with him here. I've got three classes tonight which I don't like to do much anyway. I'm going to have a really rough time of it!

  • rmtdoug
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hmmm, Mt. Doug.. I like it! I've been to Victoria many times, usually on school field trips when I was a kid. Glad you got your toilet set. My last attempt at that did not go so well. I think I wiggled it too much. Had to re-seat it.

    Lazygardens - I think you are right re the economy. I had the electrical inspector stop by this morning for my final on the bedroom and he said he had 27 inspections to do today. He did not stay long.

    Thanks, Schicksal. I'm having to go with engineered flooring downstairs and have been looking for engineered rift-sawn white oak but its pretty rare and a little pricey for me. It may not be doable. I think the wife wants something darker, too, so that overrides everything, but I absolutely love quartered white oak. I have one good sized slab of it in my shop that I will do something with eventually.

  • lazy_gardens
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Office door plaster? Are you getting rid of the door/doorway?

    Yes, we're closing off the door between that room and the front sunporch ... it was opened up about 10 years ago because the owner was seeing clients in her house and wanted a private entry for them.

    But, with THREE doors into that tiny room (to sunporch, "Jack and Jill"bathroom, and LR) there was no usable space on the walls for a bed so we're closing the door back up.

  • Terri_PacNW
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Wow, you all have had a busy, busy day!
    I found some curtains and valances at the thrift store for the bedroom windows at my moms. So it doesn't look so nekkid.
    We went to HD to pay for the carpet and stood around for at least 15 min waiting for some one, this guy finally showed up, but " couldn't" find me in the system.
    I remembered the guy who set up the measure appt told me we could pay over the phone if we'd like.
    So we grabbed some 2x2 for something the Big Guy needs to work on and a piece of molding for under the window sill in the little bedroom.
    Dropped wood, trim and curtains off at mom's, grabbed more trash can filler and a box of carp to finish the last of our stuff from the hall closet.

    Ended up at ACE for some garage hooks.

    Called HD and got the carpet ordered. I said I see I can get 10%off if I use my HD card. He said well you usually can't double dip, because you are already getting the $60 off install, but let's try it.
    It worked! That was another $60 off!
    SCORE!

    That is the accomplishment of the day.

  • christina222_gw
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Everyone has been so productive this week! I ordered the floor for the sewing/guest room. Went with Pergo for both budget and ease of installation. I'm going to try and do it myself. I think I have a good idea how to go about it but it's butting up against a tile floor and there is a marble sill there. From what I have read I need to remove that and use a transition piece that has to be attached to the subfloor. The video shows it being screwed down but I have a slab so I have no idea what to do there.

    In any case I've got my nephews coming Saturday to help remove the old furniture and carpet.

  • schicksal
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Today was... Meh. The UV was 11/12 until late in the afternoon so that kept me indoors for a while. I primed all the baseboard and casing stock and cut the grass, but the nails for my nailer were misplaced by the MIL and it took so long to find them that there was no longer enough time left in the day to do anything meaningful. Maybe tomorrow will be better.

  • brightm
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Templating! And no seams!

    Electrician was here a while. He fixed/relocated the outlet for the fridge and did something with the garbage disposal and DW outlets. He is not happy how they left the island electrical for him, nor the way the GC wants to electrical in the tall cabinet by the door.

    My UCL came today. I was too tired to attempt anything.

    Other contractor will do the vent hood. He's not sure when but he will do it either before or after range install. Before would be easier, I'd think. But as long as I know he's fine either way, I don't care. I can't believe it's been such an issue to get someone to do that part. I'll pick up the hood tomorrow or Thurs. Friday his crew is going to start prepping and priming the new fascia board we had installed a while ago. And since it's a good deal of the fascia, he'll just do all of it. We aren't ready to commit to painting the whole house just now, but the fascia needs to get something on it. I asked him to let me know how much to go ahead and paint the trim too. Seems weird to leave it just primed.

    I ordered a couple Wood Hollow inserts.

  • a2gemini
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Wow - busy GWebbers!
    Paint, counters, dresses, Oh my!

    Well, back from helping DM and some of her downsize furniture was to arrive today... The moving company has been holding it hostage for quite some time until they were doing a partial move truck across the country.

    Well, the Willet buffet arrived - love scratches and all from many years of hard use. I will have to figure out who can do repairs to cherry cabinets as the table also has quite a gouge in it.

    The glass arrived for the Curio Cabinet - but no cabinet. They forgot to pack it in the truck (and remember they had the furniture for almost 2 months now!)

    They hope to bring it they weekend - hopefully or I won't see it until the end of August!! (We will be traveling)

    My garden is mostly mulched and weeded. The new lettuce and arugula is coming in just in time for us to travel. A few tomatoes are beginning to ripen - and the sweet cherry tomatoes are popping nicely.

    Since my mom's curio didn't make it - I will share a couple pictures of the glass that I bought at the A2 Art Fair. DH and I mounted it - and after the fact, he went and bought a more appropriate ladder (maybe even too much ladder - LOL)

    A couple old pictures of the kitchen and sun room
    Sun room looking toward front of house


    Looking into the kitchen from the sunroom - you can't see the cathedral ceiling from this picture.

    Use your imagination - this is the cathedral ceiling and an early idea that I didn't like. The kitchen starts at the edge of the "shelf" in the sunroom.

    First picture of the glass that we bought - I think it plays the warm kitchen and the colors from the sunroom nicely. They are bigger than they look - the largest 2 are 16-18 inches!
    The lights are on in the first picture - we will probably want to tweak the placement a bit.

    And here you can see the relationship to the kitchen if you try hard enough.

  • brightm
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    The colors do tie in well. Even the trees outside the sunroom were cooperating. Very pretty.

    All all the cabinets are in. Now moldings, etc. From my seat on the couch, I lament the open view that the end panel of the fridge now obstructs. I just need to keep reminding myself of how much shallower it is than the old one.

    But...I'm going to have to have a filler above my fridge. Grrr. It might not be that big and it'll be 7 ft in the air and likely no one will know but me. It's the first time when I feel I should have pushed the KD more. She kept saying we needed to order a custom cabinet for over the fridge. I couldn't imagine a big cabinet line wouldn't have a standard size cabinet to go over a SZ or other built in fridge. It made no sense. She said 12" would be too tall. She custom ordered an 11". I'm sure we paid a lot more for it. It didn't hold us up, but it was the last item to arrive. And maybe when the floor is in, we'll find she was right. But right now the opening is 85.5" with no flooring in. It can be 83.5"-84.5" for the SZ. I'm betting she thought standard fridge, read the height and add some extra room. That's all I can think that she might have thought.

    The installer says they'll be plenty of stuff around to make a filler. I'm more upset that it probably cost us extra. And they best not try to charge us for making/installing the filler.

    This post was edited by cal_quail on Wed, Jul 30, 14 at 16:09

  • a2gemini
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Cal - gorgeous!

    Yes, my Japanese maple outside the sunroom is gorgeous. It is getting quite large!

    I need 2 monitors for this post so I can remember everything each has accomplished

  • schicksal
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    a2gemini - that's a seriously nice looking place you have there!

    cal_quail - I'm confused about the filler. Do you mean a filler between the narrow cabinet up high and the fridge? We have the tiny one up there but don't really plan on using it for anything since nobody is that tall.

    I wrapped up the formal living room for now. It's complete except for the Nelson bubble lamp that will go in the middle of the room and an accent light for the leaf. Here's where it's been since we bought the place...

    Closing day in 2011... Pictures don't show the extreme filth. The whole place smelled strongly of the two labs the previous owners had and the drapes were stained and torn. Walls also had stains that I never was able to figure out.

    2011 and 2012... At this point the finish on the floor was starting to flake away but it was clean at least.

    2013... At the heart of it all

    A friend pointed out the fact that the stuff on the walls never did come down through all of this.

    2014... almost there.

  • mgmum
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Schicksal! Wow! What a change. Looks awesome! The stuff on the walls must have come down for about 5 minutes when you put the wallpaper up! LOL Cute dog!

    A2, those glass shells are huge! They look nice up there!

    Cal-Quail, I am LOVING the wheatgrass with your cabs! The counters will look gorgeous!

    We just ran around to various appointments today and vegged at home.

  • Texas_Gem
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    a2gemini- I LOVE those pieces. I collect decorative glass and would gladly take those if you decide they won't work. ;)

    schicksal- WOW! Did you just not use the front door during that? It looks so good! You've done a great job!

  • rmtdoug
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Schicksal - I had no idea. That is truly a spectacular job. I thought I had it bad, but that subfloor work must have been a bear. Did you do it all yourself?

  • brightm
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    schicksal - I wouldn't have guessed it was the same room. What a transformation.

    Yeah, I didn't want a cabinet up there above the fridge either. But I was outvoted by KD & DH. There will be a gap between the top of the fridge and the bottom of that cabinet. It should be less than an inch once the floor is installed, so maybe it won't even be visible. But we've got stuff he could use to make a horizontal filler, he says.

    Installers hung the last couple cabinets and set end panels, finished the toe kick/base molding (except for furniture base around the tall cab by the door (because I made a change and we need more furniture base), top molding on half the kitchen, and installed all pulls.

    Island with furniture base

    Fridge area

    Top molding

  • schicksal
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    MGMum - I'd like to say that I was smart enough to take them down on my own but when I was removing the sofa to get ready for the flooring refinishers I accidentally knocked one of the pictures down and the frame broke in two. That was loads of fun to repair.

    Texas_Gem - we relied on our balance and the door to the garage.

    rmtdoug - 100% DIY, plus other stuff that isn't pictured - the new piers and center beam running through the middle of the living room. I also took 3 days to clean and encapsulate the crawlspace + put in a huge dehumidifier. The original flooring was also numbered, carefully removed and put back exactly as it was.

    cal_quail - thanks, that was what we were hoping for. The funny thing with the lighting in your first picture is that it looks almost like there's flooring in there. That's a lot of storage packed into that space, and I'm sure the grain on cabinets look even deeper in person. The shade you picked out is perfect.

    Late yesterday I managed to cut just about all the baseboards that can be made, before the doorways have frames and casing anyway. After work I need to ease the edge, paint and install them, then get to work on door frames so I can keep building. At some point I'm going to run out of material and have to get more.

  • countryatheart
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    A2gemini-those glass pieces are gorgeous and look great where you hung them. Were they designed to hang? I often see glass pieces that i like but if i just put it out on a table the cat would try to curl up in it, or just keep putting his feet into until he knocks it down. Also love your seating area with extra storage.
    Schicksal-all I can say is wow it all looks fantastic.You definitely have an eye for detail.
    Cal-quail-your kitchen is looking good. Cabinets are just beautiful. Granite is very pretty, what is the name of it?

  • CEFreeman
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Well, my week has been a wash so far.
    I've been reading and won't try to address everyone ( you KNOW who you are! ) because there's just too much -- too many accomplishments -- in one place. :) I must declare these threads to be a huge success. When we feel inertia, who's (your mama) gonna believe it reading here?

    My sprinkler timer crapped out again, so I have dried leaves on 2 of my Japanese maples that happen to be my favorites. It goes off at 6:00 am so the water has time to dry before the sun can burn the leaves. So I missed their lack of watering. This happened last year. Gonna go get some new batteries and see what happens.

    Cut some more trees down yesterday. Discovered the hard way a 2nd wasps' nest in the ground. I now have one "kankle" that aches aches aches. My hand has gone back to normal, but the muscles still ache. So tallying that up, it's 2 ground bees' nests, 2 wasps' nests against ... well, ... me. The snake nest I'm cool with. I wish I could take them to the insect nests and get them to eat them like they would moles.

    Today I'm procrastinating. I need to still get those remaining hosta in the ground and push a little more mulch while it's strangely, unseasonably cool. I missed getting anything done the last 2 days, but am going to live with that.

    Gonna try to mow today.
    Last but not least, I love all the work you guys are accomplishing. The remodeling board has nothing on us, do they? :)

  • brightm
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    CEF I was just coming back to ask about your hand. :( We have a lot of bees. I've never heard of bees in the ground.

    There is a hive in the neighbors outbuilding. I like having them around. I know they're important. They are always drinking from our fountain. I'm sure I have all these warm, fuzzy feelings about them because I've never been stung. I stepped on a stinger once when I was a kid, and have been lucky ever since. One guy working on our trees was not so lucky, he got stung several times on his neck and arms. DH and FIL always threaten to do something.

    I don't know what the building is. They have a strange lot. I think it's part of a pool cabana sort of thing, but it's right at the joint of a wooden addition to a masonry structure. The back of that structure is the 'fence' between our properties. Very odd.

    I marked all the places to attach the clips for the UCL, but I can't find my drill! I found the charger and battery and case with bits. Can't find the unit itself. I could say that DH hid it because he's somewhat against me drilling into our new cabinets. But I'm not going to pay someone to drill 12 holes, attach 12 screws, and then drill through the necessary shelves to get power to the bottom. That's all that's required.

    MIL is dropping me off some clean laundry this morning. I think I'll ask her to bring me a drill too.

  • annkh_nd
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    cal_quail, your cabinets are so beautiful! And I love your horizontal pulls. I really wanted to do that, but it didn't look right with my cabs and pulls. Your combination is perfect!

    I've been slogging away on my table refinishing project. I thought I was about done - 4 coats - but I screwed up somehow with the last coat, and ended up with unsightly brush marks.

    So I sanded the dumb thing smooth again (not down to bare wood, just enough to get rid of the brush marks). Then I started in again, this time thinning each coat with 20 - 25% mineral spirits. Three coats, and now it's smooth as a baby's butt! Luckily the weather has been absolutely perfect for the job - not too hot, too cool, too humid, or too buggy. I lucked out.

    I put the last coat on last night (Wednesday); it's going to stay in the garage until Tuesday evening, so it has some time to cure before we use it. Tuesday is the deadline - my son comes home from his summer job that day, and four of us won't fit around the card table (with just three of us it's pretty cozy.

    I might just have to put glass on it - I'll have to see how the finish holds up to daily use. This is our only table, so it gets used for 2 or 3 meals a day.

  • brightm
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    So beautiful annkh!

    I've filled my first drawer!

    I've already gained a drawer because that was two drawers worth of stuff in my old kitchen!

    DH wants to wait until it's 'done'. I disagree. I'm going to put back some/most non-food items, as we're missing shelves in our pantry.

    I'm also realizing, since I was one who couldn't fathom planning this all out ahead of time, that it'll be a bit of a dance. I'm putting things onto the Super Susan and I put something on, I take something off, I put something on, etc.

    I got the power supplies settled for the UCL. I don't have to drill the shelves. :) I was able to fit it in behind them, so just one hole at the bottom to get the power out.

    I realized that when I measured, I forgot about the dimmers (dimming at the units rather than wall switch). This leads me to believe that I should hook everything together before I start drilling holes. I thought that was just me wanting to 'play with the parts' but I think it's a good idea.

  • annkh_nd
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    cal_quail, I DID plan everything out in advance, and I still did a bit of shuffling when it came to actually putting things away. And, like you, my new drawers were bigger than the old, so things like towels and ziplocks weren't nearly as crowded!

    Adjusting shelf heights was great fun - I ordered extra shelves for all my uppers, so I can store things without stacking. I thought I would like plates in the easy-reach corner, but it didn't work as well in real life as it did on paper.

    I had looked forward to that day for so long, but in fact, it was still a lot of work, even knowing where most things would go. Doing some of it now, rather than waiting until the end, makes it a more manageable exercise.

  • CEFreeman
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    annkh, your table is incredible. Did you think it would look so beautiful when you started? You really did a great job.

    A final, finisher's trick I learned is kinda interesting. The final sand, after the 220 or 320, is to put your hand inside a luck sack and rub it all over the piece. It is shocking how much more smooth it can still be. However.

    Yours being a working table, I'd also suggest glass. It'll need longer to cure and after all your hard work I cannot imagine messing that up. The first kid that did will live that horror forever, because someone will always bring it up and the ring, dent, whatever, will always be there, staring at them...

    I just put not 3, but 5 hosta in the ground. I reran a soaker hose for these new, in-ground lovelies. I spread around a bunch of chips that were piled in that garden, waiting for me to do something with then. I can't wait for the people to come dig out the crape myrtles they want. I want the space for a path.

    I'm considering a nap.

  • brightm
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks annkh.

    I forgot to mention the name of the granite: Mesquite.

    We ordered new doors back in Jan/Feb when we ordered new windows. Since I was told that the finish would be spectacularly better if we had them finished off-site by a furniture etc. finisher, that's what we're doing. But it took me months and months to pick colors. So, they're finally fitting the unfinished door today.

    Of course the finisher is getting married and I'm heading back to school soon, so I don't know when they'll be installed. Sometime in the near future, I hope. ;)

    MIL brought a drill. Corded! The horror! Once I got over that, I realized it was probably a good thing not to have the battery weight when I'm worried working around the new cabinets anyway. DH is about to head off golfing. I will do it then!

  • rmtdoug
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Annkh - Were you the one asking about what kind of wood your table was? The one shot straight down at the top looks a lot to me like birch does.

  • schicksal
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    That door ROCKS! It's about the best one I've seen on this site, but I'm biased towards that style.

    My only functioning drills are corded, except for a couple of manual ones I use that are probably very much antiques now. They work great though. Try giving one of those a spin sometime.

    This post was edited by schicksal on Thu, Jul 31, 14 at 15:47

  • annkh_nd
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Yep, rmtdoug, that was me. I'm leaning toward ash - I hadn't thought about birch. Thanks!

  • schicksal
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I'm done early today. The baseboards I cut yesterday are in, called and the first coat of paint is drying. There really isn't much else that can be done at the moment.

    I found out today that the people in a rental I own are moving tomorrow so the kitchen project over there starts Saturday. It looks like the last time anything happened in there was the 1970s. Here's a before pic with all the cabinets in there. It will be a quick demo at least.

  • a2gemini
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    CEF - Ouch!! I have seen some nasty looking wasps popping out of the ground. Last year, I was nailed by wasps on 2 different bicycle rides - Slipstream effect - wasp was stuck where you leg bends at the hip - yup - pretty ugly and then had a delayed reaction to the stings and broke out in hives all over.

    Thanks for the compliments on the glass. The glass is meant to be hung. They were from a glass artist in the finger lakes area of NY. (Geneva)I have to look at the card - but his name was O'Neil. Texas - I can put you in my will but hope that is a long way off!

    So with the addition of the glass shells - my kitchen is officially finished! OK - it took me 2.5 years to find the shells, but who is counting.

    Gosh, so much happening. Cal - I could 't wait either - and my OCD DH was on wits end with the boxes in the great room, so yup, we unpacked.

    Schick - You are amazing - one project finishing and having to start another one!

    Ann - I need to re-finish my DR table and buffet - it is 1950s Willet furniture which was made in Kentucky. My DM managed to keep it nice for over 50 years and then managed a few massive scratches.

  • schicksal
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I wish the kitchen at home was finished... There are still more things to do but I don't have the materials here yet. Maybe mid September if I'm lucky.

    What's the table look like?

  • oldbat2be
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    A2 - Love the pictures! Best of luck to repairing the buffet, sounds like a well loved piece. It's been years since we've grown vegetables, but I'm pleased to say that our lawns are looking pretty good (been hanging out on the lawn forum, feel free to ask me about fighting crab grass).

    Hope you're getting some good bike rides in... lately DH rides with me while I rollerblade. (90 MM wheels are incredibly - scarily - fast!).

    Those pictures of your glass are wonderful, can't believe they are as large as you describe.

    Schicksal - are you available for rent? The things you get done... Fabulous picture 10:45 AM on Monday - hah! just realized that wasan inspiration picture and not yours (was so focused on the ceiling).

    Haven't posted because of lack of progress. Painted DD's room (and ceiling), the wrong color (sigh). Repainted. Haven't tackled the map room yet. Maybe this weekend? Tons to do outside, have way too many plants I dislike. On the plus side, I have conquered crab grass. Drive XLR8 + MSO application. If someone knocks on your door and starts preaching the benefits of both, please, grant me a few minutes to talk through the benefits....

    Christine - hope you're recovered from the stings (OUCH!).

    annkh - love the doll wedding dress! Would love to see a picture of you in your dress. Mine is still in the box. DD has probably already outgrown it (but I should open it and have her try it on). She's 17.

  • rmtdoug
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Finished installing the main floor in the bedroom and closet today. As suspected, the room is trapazoid (like the rest of the house), out by 1 1/2 inches. I still have the storage area to do but ran out of flooring. But....there is a squeak! EEK! It comes from the old flooring underneath, which is fir and badly beaten up.

    I don't know how I missed this squeak. I noticed it today when I started. I either have selective hearing and ignored it or I'm going deaf. I'm not pulling up the new floor to fix one squeak, but I should be able to get to it from underneath when I remodel the living room. Either that or I will ignore it until I forget about it. It's an old house and ignoring its eccentricities is easily done if one lives in it long enough.

  • schicksal
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I'd grab the squeak while you have access from below.

    The more I think about the other kitchen I'm starting soon, the more I think that the sink really would be better off over by the window. That may be where it originally was. I really don't want to move utilities, but might end up having to. For perspective, there is an old doorway to a porch that was enclosed around the 1930s to the left end of the cabinets, and inside that doorway is where the (modern) breaker panel is.

    I don't know the size of the room and would like to use as many cabinets I already own as possible. Here's a picture but of course, everything depends on how big the room is and how many cabinets I have/whether or not they fit. They're really nice, I'd like to use them here.

  • rmtdoug
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    My gut feeling is leave the fridge where it is and slide the range down the wall. I would move the sink.

    If you do the half-bath, it looks like the door opens to the kitchen. If so, a pocket door might work best in that space. You certainly have the skill to do that. You could then put pantry space around the area of the H/W heater.

    Not sure about the electrical panel above a counter. Should check first if that will be a problem.

  • schicksal
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Luckily the panel faces into the enclosed porch instead into the kitchen.

    A pocket door would be a real challenge - immediately above the pantry is a stairway. They go up from the 1st floor to a landing, then turn back around and pass immediately above the pantry to reach the second floor. I would also be tearing into plaster and lathe which I learned last time I did that, is something to be avoided if at all possible.

    The fridge serves as a huge visual barrier as one enters the kitchen and keeps the door from the dining room from opening that way. In person it looks really bad. I don't remember quite why it couldn't be shoved over some but from what I remember if it were you could no longer open the cabinet door all the way or get things inside.

    I forgot about the dishwasher... I already have one of those to install there. A lot of what I can and can't do depend on how big the room is. I'm sure it's smaller than I remember. The house is a 1919/1920 foursquare with the original floorplan in a historic area. The lack of changes are one of the best things about the place; all trim, windows, doors, hardware and the fireplace are original.

  • rmtdoug
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I thought about that regarding the panel after I posted.

    Swapping the fridge and stove would be another option but that creates a safety hazard at the stove, traffic-wise. That is my situation now and it is not comfortable at all.

    Will the pantry space allow the height of a fridge? The fridge in that space and the rest in storage would open up the room quite a bit for the sink and range and DW. But you lose the half-bath option.

  • schicksal
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    It might... The ceiling is short though, and at an angle. I am also trying to play within the confines of the cabinets I have been storing to use at this place. The place is a 3/1 and making that 1 a 1.5 would be huge. The number of bathrooms was an issue last time when renting it out.

    I will be able to measure tomorrow. Can't do it yet because they haven't finished moving out apparently. I took an inventory of cabinets and am hopeful that they will work here.

  • CEFreeman
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    So Friday the lady from the Mid-Atlantic Gardening board over there came with friends and her brood to start stripping downed trees. They're taking all the branches off and sorting them into thicknesses.

    When they get enough, we'll be renting a digging thing to make trenches. It was beautifully overcast, so they got a lot done.

    I, OTOH, did pretty much nothing. Went to the store and got more Citristrip and some hose mending things. I'm trying to work my soaker hoses in a logical pattern with my newly arranged garden.

    This thing ain't your mama's garden. It's at least 48' long, (yes, feet) by 24 at it's widest. It's got full-sized (now! Yeah!) maples, a 'Golden Dawn' redwood, a London plane tree and many other large shrub & crape myrtle things. I cleared out a TON of stuff (with more to go) and am going to move 4, full-sized Buddleia. It's opened up a garden I can wander through! Pathways!! I'm amazed at its development. Yes, when I get that new phone activated, I'll definitely post pictures. I'm up to 20 hosta in the ground and admit to ordering 8 more. GIANT hosta, for the back of the garden, along the fence.

    I have to remind myself I did accomplish things. Small, but every step moves forward. I'm into my annual, summer doldrums and depression. I just realized this Friday and that always helps me wade through it. The sun grinds me down. I'm so grateful for a cloudy day! We've been 17 days without rain at my house, although all around me they've had nice strong rains. Sometime I'll tell you about an 'atmospheric trough.'

    Have a good one!