Thank goodness for the pictures, or I surely would forget everything I worked on this week. I spent another four days at Grandview, and the place is really shaping up!! Lots of pictures, and not a lot of commentary tonight, I'm pooped. Of course I always say that...
I'll start by thanking my lovely and helpful neighbors Jake and Bobbie for donating their old washer and dryer to the cause. Right now they are on the carport at home, but I think I'll take them back on my next trip. When I got them I noticed that the plug didn't match the outlet in the laundry room at GV, so I asked Jake about it. He said he knew I would come up with this question.
Of course there are all sorts of outlets and plugs in the world of electrical stuff. The gray plug on the right with three prongs came with the dryer. Jake explained that in the 'old days' the ground wire was the same as the neutral, but now the ground is a fourth wire in this type of plug so I would need a new "pigtail" which is the black plug and a length of wire that can be easily swapped out on the back of the dryer. Which I did. Now the dryer matches the outlet that was installed at Grandview by the previous electrician.
I have been working away on the laundry room there - this week I installed some molding and sprayed some Great Stuff (expanding foam sealant) in the holes around the plumbing in that room. I'm narrating without pictures, because I forgot to document that part. I also figured out where the leak was coming from in that room. I removed another piece of drywall, and realized that when I shoved in the nailer last week (the 2x4 installed in preparation for a drywall patch) I bumped a piece of PVC pipe in the wall. This particular PVC pipe had been left in there when they re-did the plumbing, and it happened to be vented out through the roof but connected to nothing on the other end. It was hanging on by a bead of caulk up there, and I dislodged it. I shoved it back up there temporarily but I will return armed with some roof nails and a tube of tar... and with a spare shingle from the pile in the basement I will attempt some roof repair. Bet you can't wait for that episode!!
Another thing I did this week wasn't so smart. I called a refrigerator repair man. What the heck was I thinking?? OK, the fridge wasn't keeping things cold on the top shelves, and was freezing anything I put in the bottom drawer. The freezer wouldn't make ice. My friend Rory told me to listen for a fan, because that would be the problem. I did and didn't hear it. If I had popped off the plastic cover to the fan I would have saved $100. The repair guy did just that and saw that someone had replaced the fan motor and connected the wires with electrical tape, and all it needed was a couple of wire nuts!! I could have screamed - if I wasn't so polite I would have run him out of there right then and fixed it myself. I was caught in a moment of weakness - my half and half had gone bad and I let my guard down and grabbed the phone book. NEVER AGAIN!! PS the picture is showing you ICE which is now made by my ICE MAKER which is a real treat when it's 90 out. And that's not Dr. Pepper it's Coke.
A fun project I got going this week was the interior of the pantry. I decided to use T111 paneling that resembles bead board. I lined the inside and installed the recessed light. The wood strips you see are to support the shelves - it's salvaged yellow pine from something else I demolished previously. There are more shelves on the right that you can't see. The whole interior will be painted - I'm thinking a cream colored semigloss. Despite the resemblance I decided against making it into a sauna, since I need the storage space and the whole state is a sauna anyway.
And now for the biggest project that got (almost) completely done this week: The kitchen window. I was feeling a little nervous about this one - I knew there would be a hole in the wall until it was finished, so I couldn't really leave the house until the windows were back in. I'm getting to the point now though where not much scares me, and if it does I just dive in anyway and see what happens. I do think about you all often though and it gives me strength and motivation to have lots of stuff to show you... thanks!!
The first step was to build a frame. I used the frame that was in the wall for measurements and built this out of pressure-treated 1x and 2x wood. Roscoe decided it was a good place to take a nap because he likes to be as much in the middle of everything as possible. Rufus is content to stay at a safe distance from the action.
Now this is definitely as much fun as it looks. I broke out the heat gun today - remember the one I bought at a yard sale months ago? I originally had planned to just put in the new frame and use the windows as they were. But since I had them out, what better time to try a little stripping? Never done it this way before but I'm a convert. If you have ever used chemical solvents to remove paint, you know, well, it sucks. Messy, hard to clean up and you can't walk away until it's done. This was a breeze and you can turn it off for a break any time you want. I had one boo-boo when I held it in a corner a little too long and a tiny fracture appeared in the glass, but I learned my lesson and kept moving.
I didn't worry about getting every iota of paint off, because I planned to repaint anyway. After a good sanding, this is what they looked like. I did prime the outside before re-installing them, but will finish the paint job next week.
I didn't mention yet that Jake and Bobbie came to visit me today. It was their first visit since we looked at the place in January, and they were thrilled with the progress. Bobbie was watching the activity from the breezeway, and I enlisted Jake to help me position the new window frame, which I am proud to tell you fit perfectly.
Another benefit of having friends visit is that they pick up the camera when you are engrossed in what you are doing. Here I am fine-tuning the shims and nailing the frame into place. I know flip-flops are not OSHA approved footwear, please don't report me.
I put one screw in each hinge, just to hold the windows in place until I return. I will have to chisel out the wood where the hinges go, and install a sill and stops (the little piece of wood that the window butts up against when it's closed). I'm also going to get with Dave, maybe this weekend, to order some cranky hardware. Then I can build screens, and it will be done. Maybe.
Jake also ventured into the electrical panel with me, and put in the wires I had run for the oven and the fridge.
Don and a guy named Rich came by on Wednesday and put in the door to access the garage, and I failed to get a picture of that but it looks amazing. It's so nice to be able to get into the garage so easily. I'll get a pic for you next time.
It's lots of fun to be there now that the AC is working. I have my favorite things: my two doggies and a big project, what more could a girl ask for?
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