A weekend of dust

Posted on October 21, 2019 by

We spent our weekend once again focused on the kitchen remodel.

This time we moved the drain about a foot and a half to the right and saw the electric line to the island buried. And, of course, like all renos when you start taking things apart, you find things are not as they should be.

In this case, we found crumbling drywall board and a hammer line where the original electric to the peninsula was pushed into the wall. Since we don’t want to be on This Old House as one of those home repairs that didn’t actually repair everything, we are doing it right as we go forward, including replacing a very expensive water line in our attic.

Ah, well, I just need to win the lottery and everything will be great:D.

In the meantime, everyone is having a difficult time adjusting to using paper plates and cups. In other words, no one is using them and I’m hand washing everything. Fun times.

It’ll be worth it in the end. I just wish the dust didn’t get everywhere. And some phantom keeps leaving handprints on my range.

Until next time.

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Bathroom Remodel, Part II

Posted on October 18, 2019 by

It was weird how the first few days so much seemed to get done. By Day 4, progress had slowed considerably. This, of course, was due the the sheer number of cuts. We were after all putting large tiles in a very small space.

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They left a racing stripe around the top and built a niche for the shampoo and soap bottles.

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The tile went all the way up to the ceiling, and then they made the decision to raise the wainscoting on the walls to give plenty of room to cover the sink.

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The color doesn’t show so well, but the racing strips are different shades of blue and the back of the niche is glass shards, also in blues.

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The shower floor complete with drain. My son hasn’t complained that the glass floor tiles are slippery.

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Finished with all but the shower doors installed. We originally had a blue vanity but the drain layout would not accommodate it. So we were left with one that matches the tile instead of stands out.

Either way, The bathroom is now fabulous and my son and his cats are very happy. All that remains is some patching of the drywall, the light/fan installation, and some paint before we hang the mirrors and shelves.

Until next time.

 

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Bathroom Remodel

Posted on October 16, 2019 by

It seemed to take forever, but then ‘boom’ it was done.

The hubbinator, our son, and I cleared out his room and prepped for the renovation over one weekend.

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No way were we touching that tub removal.

It took 2 days of sawing then our plumber reworked the pipes (and capped them during the reno).

By then end of day three, we had flooring in the bedroom and most of the bathroom, plus the tub had been roughed out.

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Yes, we opted to remove the tub and replace it with just a shower. Tune in on Friday for the big reveal.

Until next time!

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Rolling Along

Posted on October 14, 2019 by

We spent most of the weekend deconstructing the kitchen. I say deconstructing, because this isn’t the fun and exciting Demo Day see on my favorite HGTV shows. Nope, this was slow and methodical (mostly because of the hubbinator) so we could find out what was behind the wall.

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Despite the fact that the cabinets were crumbling, they were a pain to remove and actually came out in one piece.

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The peninsula has hidden surprises underneath the cabinets. Like blocks of wood the cabinets were attached to.

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We did need several trips to Lowes and HomeDepot. Yes, we picked up a new blade and surprise, we didn’t actually need a blade to cut it out of the packaging. Score!

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We even picked up 2 new ladders. Our old one looks like it might had survived nuclear testing in the 1950s.

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When all is said and done. We will have someone come out on Saturday to begin work on removing what he wants of the soffit, then comes the reworking of the electricity, HVAC vents, and drain relocation and hood vent relocation to accommodate the higher ceiling and new kitchen layout. The sink and dishwasher will be removed and replaced with a utility sink.

We bought 2 rolling carts to have counter space and to move stuff quickly out of the way while others work in the kitchen. I had originally purchased 2 of the small carts that hold the microwave, then I found the work bench above. And well, that works much better, plus we will use it for holiday buffets after the remodel is finished.

Now, I have to go back to work and am, quite frankly, looking for a break.

Until next time.

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The week in review

Posted on October 11, 2019 by

I took the week off to be here for the contractors during the bathroom remodel.

I did get some writing done.

The bathroom isn’t quite done and neither are any of the projects I had planned. But I’ve made my peace with it. After all, I did learn some new things.

The top being that I cannot be in one place for a long time. I apparently am a hoarder and this was made apparent to me when I cleaned out my kitchen cabinets, to empty them in anticipation of the kitchen remodel. Worse, I still haven’t gone through stuff to get rid of things. I will tho. Maybe.

Weeding takes a lot longer than I thought. Even it if is not weeds but grass growing where it shouldn’t be. Also, my method of weeding is here, there, and everywhere not methodical as one would expect from a scientist.

And lastly, while quilting my daughter’s Star Wars blanket I am watching Doctor Who and various horror movies as I stitch pieces of my flesh into her blanket (I only use one thimble). So I am not at all sure how well she will sleep under the quilt. Her cat seems to be sleeping quite well on top of it as I work.

It was nice to be off.

Until next time.

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Long Overdue

Posted on October 9, 2019 by

Before work even began on our son’s bedroom, we had to remove an old wall AC unit. It had been there since the house was built and had become obsolete when we upgraded all the units in the house.

We should have asked for it to be removed by the folks who installed a new unit.

But we didn’t because we like to do things ourselves. Apparently, six years was just the right amount of time to work up our nerve.

I had hoped it would only take a few hours to remove the unit and trim, take down the old panel and install a new one.

I was about an hour off.

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Still, it didn’t turn out too bad. But obviously, it needs to be painted. I’m beginning to think of that as the story of this renovation. Looks okay; needs paint. And the cans need to be recycled and the site cleaned up. Sheesh. We’re getting there:D

Until next time.

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Failure to Plan

Posted on October 7, 2019 by

I took the week off work. Not to do anything exciting. Nah, I have a list of things to do that need to get done before other projects get done in the home renovation sphere.

Fun times.

But exhausting, so I thought this would be a great time to make some Halloween and Autumn jewelry.

Except, I failed to plan well.

My son moved some of his room into my craft room, and now I can’t get to my beads or wire or string or… Well, you get the idea.

So now I’m making a list of things to do for today. And I’ve written on the front, back, and am now turning it sideways to squeeze more in. I’m thinking I should chuck the paper and take a nap:D

Until next time when I will post pictures of the demo/reno so far.

 

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