Date

Description

$$$

Hours

01-11-06

I just figured I'd post some pics at this point. It is NOT done. We are still awaiting delivery of the new cabinet hardware and the new range hood. Also, I have a little more trimwork to do and some other sundry bits that I won't call attention to now. Still, I know folks are chomping at the proverbial bit so I'll present this gallery for the time being. Later, when things are done, I will update it.

01-02-06

More work on backsplash bits, trim, caulk, switchplates, outlet covers, phone mounts and the odd doorbell repair was completed. :) I'm about out of energy on this project and there are still small things left to finish. Ugh...

01-01-06

Don't tell Jeremy, but since we replaced the countertops and their dimensions were different than the old ones, I had to re-cut one of the backsplash pieces. Damn and shoot. I managed fairly well, but still made some small mistakes that I won't admit to unless you can see them and call me on it.

I got backsplash pieces glued into place.

12-31-05

I refit the sink and reattached all the plumbing. No leaks!
The ends of the countertops were glued on and trimmed. Not perfect but not bad for my first time.
I managed to put up new shelves in the closet-cabinet-counter space without tearing huge holes in the wall.

12-30-05

Don and I make a trip to Lowe's (in Jake's Suburban) for those countertops and some other neverendingly annoying bits of things we need.

I spend the day fitting the new countertops with Don's help while Loretta and Annalisa clean and re-line all the cabinets and drawers with cork (drawers) and shelf paper (cabinets).

12-29-05

We lost most of a day looking at replacement ranges. In the end, Mom and Dad decided to give us their old (mildly broken, but less broken than ours) range.
Annalisa has decided she wants all new cabinet knobs and pulls. They are ordered.
We decided to replace the countertops with the pre-cut stuff from Lowe's.
A new range hood that actually vents to somewhere outside the kitchen will be ordered shortly.

Somewhere in here I managed to put 3/4" quarter-round in the corners of the closet-cabinet-counter space.

12-28-05

A day later and stuff is sticky, white, brown, lighter brown and blue-green-green-blue-ish. After a break to go on a small museum trip, we drag Sam into the labor force for a while. Sam helped me lift and secure the microwave and the cabinet above the microwave, to the wall. Thanks Sam. The scope of the project has creeped (crept, is creeping) a bit and Jeremy is toiling over cutting a new backsplash for the counters.

Now, about that scope creep...
The range died. I dunno why. We pushed it back into place and plugged it in and it went "klang" and the clock and oven controls were dead. I didn't see it escape, but the smoke musta got out somehow.

Miranda and Jeremy have to leave for the rest of their visiting itinerary and Jim and Diane have to head home. Thanks Miranda, Jeremy, Jim and Diane.

12-27-05

OK, to start this off I have to say this wasn't my idea. I'm still not entirely certain how it got started. Whomever it is that knows, doesn't seem to be admitting to it.

First, it was kinda like this.

Then... Began a re -modeling/-furbishing/-novation/-finishing of our kitchen!?!
We were eating breakfast with my sister, brother-in-law, and all my cousins. Someone said something. I honestly don't remember what. Suddenly it was all like sharks to chum, buzzards to carrion, alleycats to canned tuna... Something like that, I was a bit spun-about to be honest.

Paint chips hit the floor (where did they come from?). Wallpaper hit the floor. The telephone hit the floor (ok, so that was my own doing, but it was theraputic).

Before I knew it, people had returned from Home Depot with paint and stuff and the fridge and range were int eh middle of the kitchen floor. Much "eeww-ing" and "yuck-ing" ensued when what was underneath became visible. Also before I knew it, the cousins had to leave. Their part done and with Elise applying the first splash of paint, we said goodbye and turned back to what chaos they had wrought. Thank you at this point to Anna, Elsie, and Nora for their help.

Around this time, the previous generation becomes aware of the lunacy that has overtaken us. Lunacy it would seem, similar to the common cold, is contagious.

Dad and Jim were dispatched to obtain some plywood to panel the closet-cabinet-counter space. Mom and Diane went for more paint and other sundry items. Jim and Dad measured and cut the plywood. Diane painted Miranda, Jeremy and my dear wife Annalisa. Dad and Jim joined in at the end. I, attended mostly to structural type issues and did very little painting at this point.

Somewhere in here, Annalisa's parents arrive. They were warned of the construction zone they'd be entering... Oh, about 15 minutes earlier in a phone call. Far too late to back out graciously. Gotcha.

Late at night, after everyone had gone to bed I looked about and regained my equilibrium. At this point I have two words for you, dear reader, "Tom Sawyer".

12-10-05

Dad and I installed Sam's parent's old cabinets in the basement. Much more storage room is the happy result. Reorganization of the kitchen and kitchen-type-stuff has begun.

12-00-05

The guy from Basement Doctor came and finished what they started AFTER making me wait another day and a half past the time they'd scheduled to re-complete the job. Apparently their guy had an accident and couldn't make it. In order to find this out, I had to call them (over an hour after the latest time they said they'd be in contact to tell me when to expect them). I am not pleased with the job, for two reasons.
One, I am left with suspicions as to how well the job was completed (after finding that one portion of the job wasn't even touched and after the job taking almost half as long as predicted).
Two, the remediation of my complaint on their uncompleted work took too long and was delayed too many times without enough communication.

11-27-05

I used the holiday weekend to get some more done in the attic. I screwed plywood down over much of the center surface, so we can walk and store stuff up there easily.

11-21-05

Finished the installation of the attic vent fan.

11-17-05

Basement Doctor was paid as they said they were done. I couldn't be there to check things so Annalisa took a look around. She couldn't see what I saw when I got home...
Part of the mold remediation is to vacuum all the junk and muck off the foundation and joists before spraying with a anti-fungal spray. It is obvious that they didn't vacuum at all. There are leaves and twigs and dust and cobwebs and all sorts of stuff still visible on the foundation and joists. I called to complain (not more than a few hours after the crew left) and they scheduled a team to come out almost 2 weeks later, on the 29th.

11-15-05

The contractor (Basement Doctor) started working on the basement today. The plan is to rough cast the basement walls and do mold remediation while they are at it.
Also, and more importantly, they are going to underpin the front entrance where it has started to fall away from the house (due to soil loss under the foundation).

11-12-05

Installed the roof vent for the bathroom vent fan.

11-05-05

Repaired some roof shingles on the steep portion of the roof (front).

10-31-05

Dad was waiting for me when I got home from work. He quickly shimmed and finished screwing in the framing. Then I climbed up into the attic and Dad supported the stairs from below (with a little help from a pole-jack). I quickly screwed it in a couple places and then we proceeded to shim and square it up. We finished this JUST in time to go downstairs and answer the door for the first Trick-or-Treater (a button-cute youngun in a Minnie Mouse outfit).

After dinner and after the Trick-or-Treaters had stopped coming to the door, I cut the ends of the stairs to the proper angle and length. Left to do... The plaster repair, trim and paint.

1(*2)=2

10-30-05

Earlier this week I purchased some hideaway attic stairs ($64.96) and an install kit ($24.94). I also prepared for this project by pulling some old knob-and-tube wiring out. There's still quite a lot of it hanging around, some of which I am sure is still active. Today I picked up some 2x12 and 2x8 lumber, screws, and sawblades in anticipation of great messmaking ($59.48). Dad came over to help me start the installation.

We managed to keep the mess to a minimum by covering everything in the room with a tarp or sheets. It's a good thing too... Going through the plaster and lathe makes a LOT OF MESS. Dust everywhere. Hack. Wheeze.

The hole is cut and the rough framing about 75% complete. I need to shim it a bit and put a bunch more screws in.

$149.38

4(x2)=8

Started the project of sealing up the house for winter. Many supplies purchased.

08-28-05

Basement cleaning was accelerated and intensified and Annalisa and I made a lot of progress. You can actually walk around a bit now. I still have a bit of a sick feeling that some problems were simply shuffled elsewhere, btu I'll take care of them in due time.

I finally finished constructing the shelves that Bill gave us. They take a long time to put together but really help a lot. Thanks Bill!

I rebuilt Annalisa's old desk (formerly her father's desk) and she will use it, at least for the time being, as her jewelers workbench. We added to it by attaching the old dresser top with mirror to the back. I'll mount a light on it eventually.

Some of the plans for the near future are to take some old kitchen cabinets Sam offered us and put them up for storage. We may utilize some as a workbench base too. I'm looking for some used or very inexpensive flourescent light fixtures so we can add some real light to the dungeon. I'll be working on rewiring the basement so there are a reasonable number of electrical outlets along with the improved lighting.

08-27-05

Annalisa and I cleaned up in the basement.

4

07-30-05

Installed a battery powered backup sump pump in the basement sump.

$$$

3

April

Floors refinished by Randall and Mikey. It cost a lot, but not as much as you'd think.

$$$

$$$

March

I jacked up and shimmed the joists under the dining room radiator. The only cost incurred is in what I paid for some oak to cut up to make shims. I was originally looking for yellow pine, but couldn't find any locally. I'd like to replace the oak with yellow pine someday.

$$$

10

03-10-05

Cleaned up underneath the dining room floor where the joists sit on the foundation. The problem is that the floor under the radiator is sinking.

I found out why, now I need to find out what to do to fix it.

zero bucks

3

07-26-04

I climbed up there and fiddled about. I tried to mix the roof paint but it was like trying to stir the great oily bog with a cattail... So I ran over to Mom and Dad's and dug around in their basement until I came up with a thingie that you stick in your drill to mix paint with. Add an extension onto that and when hooked up to my corded drill you get SUPER MIXER! SLING PAINT ALL OVER YOURSELF WITH GREAT AND AMAZING EASE!

...Great...

I painted and cleaned up a little afte that but it just wasn't the same kind of fun now that my shoes and pants looked like they'd been spat upon by some prehistoric silver-metallic-slime-toad.

zero bucks

1

07-25-04

Bought more stuff for repairing the roof.

I got quite a lot of old loose crap peeled up from the roof and did a lot of wire-wheeling to clean up the surface. There are little perforations everywhere from rust. I primed it all with Rust-Olium primer.

$26.95

7

07-24-04

Bought a bunch of stuff to repair the roof over the sitting room. I even got started on tearing up the loose paint a bit.

$128.09

3

05-16-04

This morning, I had everything pretty much in place. I got started at about 8-ish. It wasn't easy, it was like 100° up there, but it is now in place and I think I will recover.

Oh... Roofing cement makes an unholy mess.

?$$more roofing cement

6

05-15-04

I got up around 6am with the intention of installing the attic fan. I soon came to realize that I couldn't reach the point in the roof where it belonged. So I had to build a contraption that would extend my reach... safely. 'Cause damn thats high.

Dad came over in the evening to help me get the contraption on the roof. I tied a rope to it, threw the rope over the roof, and dad pulled on the rope while I pushed and maneuvered from below. Our neighbor Mark suddenly showed up on the roof 'cause he was afraid I'd kill myself. But it was under control. However, it was a good thing he showed up after all since I needed help moving the contraption to the center of the roof.

?$$? fan, roofing cement, nails.

4

We bought and installed a new air conditioner.

We put the awnings back up for the summer.

$$AC$$

2

03-28-04

I "reappointed" the usage of the closet in the kitchen. No longer a pantry it is now an additional workspace.

See the pictures.

zippo

4

02-05-04

1

02-04-04

Free

0

02-02-04

Purchased some dryer vent hose, some copper fittings, a washing machine special faucet, and a roll of aluminum tape.

Made a mess.

Also managed to hook up and make operational the washer and dryer.  Perhaps worth the mess?

• Disconnected the wire to the old dryer receptical and reconnected it to the junction box for the new one.
• Removed the old dryer vent and installed another section to make the length correct.
• Cut out the old washer drain pipe and glued in a new setup.
• Turned off all the water and (here comes the mess) cut into the water pipes to "T" into them for the washer supply.  Guess what?  I didn't have the water off...
• Yelled for my wife that I needed help.
• Yelled again.
• Yelled as loud as I could.
• Finally she shows up.  My bucket is full and I am getting wet.
• I eventually locate the hidden main shutoff and get the water turned off.
• Solder in the new pipes and fittings and everything buttons up nice.  But I am wading in a mess now, of course.

I have a mess to clean up but I think everything works now. We'll know for sure when we try to do a load of laundry.

I'll clean up tomorrow.

???$$$

3

02-01-04

I installed a second 20amp receptical in the double receptical box for the washer so that it didn't look empty.  I also adjusted the location of the 30amp dryer dreceptical so that I could fit covers on both recepticals... and I did that too.

I cut and soldered as much of the copper tubing as I could without digging into what is already there. After picking up a coupe things at the store today I will be ready to finsh the job in one evening... or so I plan.

2.5

01-29-04

3

01-28-04

Installed the new programmable thermostat in the living room. That frees up the old one to be installed in the garage this weekend.

I also ran the wire through the joists for the dryer and installed a junction box below the area where the current receptical is so I can just unhook it and tie it in with a minimum of fuss.

3

01-27-04

$19.70

01-26-04

$78.30

01-22-04

Purchased a bunch of stuff for the washer/dryer project.

• A bunch of copper tubing stuff... like tubing, threaded ends, T's, 90's, soldering kit, couplers.
• A PVC S-trap.
• Metal junction box and cover, receptical and box.
• 30amp receptical.
• Two 20amp breakers.
• Electrical conduit and fittings.

$69.19

01-21-04

I brought home a piece of the old model train setup to use as a platform for the washer and dryer.  I had to beef it up with two additional 2x4s.

Annalisa and I tried out a number of different locations before we finally settled on one.  I spent a whiel working up a shopping list this evening and tomorrow or Friday... I go shopping for pieces parts.

zero bucks

2.5

November

Tore up the rug.

zero bucks

14(x2)=28

October

Installed the chandelier in the dining room.

1

June

Rewired the office for the computer and with a new run of co-axial cable and phone.

some bucks??

~6