53. Lots of Work, Not a Lot of Photos

I spent Monday through Thursday at the house, but somehow I failed to get pictures of everything, so I'll just mention a couple of things here that I can document.  I will post again soon - I actually have graduated into the 21st century... I have an iphone now and I think that means I can update the blog from the actual job site!!  We shall see.

This is a picture of that same kitchen window I'm sure you're tired of hearing about.  It's done except for caulk and painting the jamb and I think it looks pretty good.  I painted the windows and hung them with care  - I even chiseled out the jamb to fit the hinges!  I made a sill to fit and installed the window stop trim around each opening.  I will order casement hardware this week so I can crank them open and shut, and then build screens to fit as well.  I guess it's not really done at all, is it?

I also framed up the chase for the ductvwork in the living room.  Thought I had a picture...but no.  I will update with pictures, and the paneling will be going up over it this week also.

I put the 2x4's on the staircase in the back so when I return I can install some lattice so babies can't fall off the side of the stairs.  Of course they can still fall down the stairs.  Oh well, at least it will pass a City inspection.

The pantry got trimmed out, and is ready for caulk and primer.  Again no picture.  I won't be doing any painting though, until I finish all this woodwork.  I'm tripping over piles of wood, and sawdust is everywhere, nail guns and hammers and shims littering the place.  Painting is like the icing on the cake - it's hard to wait, but I will.

Except in the laundry room - I did caulk and paint most of it, in anticipation of the arrival of my free washer and dryer.  No picture.  I'M SORRY!!  I returned to Daytona on Saturday with my friend Duke from Ft. Lauderdale and the washer and dryer, so they are in the living room waiting to go upstairs (the equipment, not my friend).  I will be doing laundry in there this week - now those will be some exciting photos.

As previously promised, I waited for Duke to return to open the "vault" on the side of the house.  It's really just a concrete room built under the landing for my coffin door - and the big event was monumentally disappointing.  Nothing in there but a huge gecko.  Not sure what's going to go in here... any suggestions?

I spent the final $47 of my initial $500 furnishings budget on some bedding and lamps and misc. last week.  I'll start another $500 with my next visit to the thrift store, hopefully tomorrow morning.  I still need small furniture items - end tables, book shelves, more curtains, and I'd love to find a dining table and chairs.  I've decided I would like to have a heavy wooden pedestal table that has a leaf or two, so I'll be on the lookout for one of those.

52. Ice, Pantry and a Kitchen Window

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?

51. Rooftop Rescue

Now to get you caught up on a little of the work that got done last week.  Monday of course was a wash, and Tuesday was another cleaning/organizing day, with a little bit of work.  Wednesday I worked on the laundry room.

This is actually a picture that I meant to post in episode 47.  I have never had a set of saw horses of my own, if you can believe that, and I found these at a yard sale for $5.  The people actually were using them for a table to sell stuff and hadn't planned to sell them...  I have them set up on the back porch for this "woodworking" phase of the project.  It's the perfect place to have my circular saw, table saw, and jig saw all ready to go - all the sawdust drops down into the yard.   It's going to be a great porch one day - I've been told that I will want to screen it in, apparently there are no mozzies but the no-see-ums are a problem.

Here's the beginning of what I have going on in the upstairs laundry room.  This is where I guess you were supposed to shove the dryer vent hose.  The piece on the outside of the house is fine, but they did a nice job in here, didn't they?

This next picture is after I got the old wallboard torn off below the windows.  It had been all torn up when they re-did the plumbing for the upstairs bathroom next to it, and never repaired.  The AC is off today and the windows are wide open as you can see.  Hot, but I had a fan blowing.

Here is the aforementioned plumbing re-do, another fine job.  The drywall has been trimmed out nicely, and new nailer boards put in so I could patch it.  My plan was to build out a little cabinet to cover the plumbing - maybe a ledge to set the laundry basket on or some such.  It may be a while before I get to that part though, because one of those providential moments happened and there was a little drizzle of rain falling as I was working up here, and I noticed one drop of water!  Then another and I realized the roof that I thought was in perfect shape is not.  Later on I showed this to Don and he recommended taking that whole wall down, so it's a good thing it was raining BEFORE I did my little patch job.  I could be annoyed, but the way I see it, it worked out the best way possible.  It would suck to have that drip inside my newly repaired wall.

Don and Shawn had come by to take care of the lawn next door and once again graciously hit my little square of green stuff (can't really call it a lawn yet).  I asked them if they would help me load up the door for the basement, that needed to come home so Dave could work his magic on it.  I had just walked the dogs but they were inside when they loaded up the door and afterward we were talking and all of a sudden Don screamed "Oh my God!!" and bolted around the house.  Shawn and I looked at each other and then I heard my front door slam.  There was a noise on the roof and a couple of tools came down in front of me:  I couldn't see him, but Roscoe had crawled out onto the roof through the laundry room window, to see what we were doing two stories below on the driveway!!  I was stunned, frozen, afraid to look/move/think but fortunately when Don ran inside, the big dope (Roscoe) jumped back in the window to meet him.  I can just imagine Rufus standing there calmly inside thinking "Hey man, what were you doing out there anyway?"  It took my heart about 30 minutes to return to it's normal rate, and by then everyone else was gone.  It could have gone so so badly, but once again, somebody's got my back.

I caught my breath and proceeded to finish the drywall patch, and install a connector for the dryer vent hose - see it on the right?  Also please notice the windows are CLOSED.  When I continue the work on Monday, a screen is one of the first things that's going in, and maybe I'll even wash the windows.  I'll bring back some drywall mud and tape, and some trim so I can finish the wall before the washer and dryer go in.  Jake and Bobbie's old ones are sitting on my carport at home, waiting to be installed when I come back.

Just to complete the picture, this is what is on the side across from the windows.  It will be a nice little utility room when it's finished.  I really do get a lot done when I'm not driving two hours a day!

And the garage door that I delivered to Dave on Thursday will miraculously be done on Monday morning.  I guess it just isn't that hard for those guys to do but it is always amazing to me, and I appreciate it so much, when something gets done that fast!

50. Two Blocks From Joyland

I won't be able to post this until I am home, but I wanted to capture the moment so I'm writing this as I sit in my living room at Grandview, having coffee and a Krispy Kreme doughnut (or three). Both Rufus and Roscoe are sleeping at my feet. It's 8:00am.

It's Wednesday, and I've been here since Monday (my very first sleepover), and what a couple of days it has been. I learned that the street light that is just out front of the house shines right into the bedroom windows (it's only about 20 feet away). I didn't have a curtain for that spot, but it's going to need more than that anyway – I think that's where I'll put some 2” plantation blinds. I did staple up some curtains over the other, big window in that bedroom, which is ok until I find just the right curtain rod.

The AC works great. I have towels stuffed in the holes in the floor in the kitchen, but there are lots more that I just can't plug up right now but man it's nice to have that cold air running!! I know it may be a little wasteful, but I have been comfortable and it doesn't (quite) run non-stop. It's worth it though, I'll be turning it off when I go back to Apopka anyway, so it all balances out, no?

I put the super-clean on the bathroom upstairs, and discovered that the toilet in there rocks when you sit on it. Also that if you splash water over the back of the tub it turns up in the kitchen! Add that to the “things to caulk” list. I finally took the stickers off the bedroom door (yes, even the one that said “CLOTHING OPTIONAL BEYOND THIS POINT”). I burned through three Mr. Clean Magic Erasers on that same door – it had just a little (!!) grimy buildup from years of... well, I'd rather not think about it. It's all in the past, my wonderful little house is feeling the love now, I promise you. It is also feeling more like a home.

Monday I was taken on my first trip to the beach since buying this house. It wasn't planned - yes, you read right, I said AMY DID SOMETHING THAT WASN'T PLANNED. I brought some food from home, and Don had offered to bring his barbecue grill over since there isn't a stove, microwave, or even toaster in the house.  I was planning to cook at the house, but what I didn't know is that this guy comes fully equipped for a little beach-side tailgate cookout. Chairs, grill, even music. It was a fun time, and I even took a dip, which I hadn't done in decades.

As a parting shot I had to throw these in:  on the left is my dad in probably 1930 at Whitestone beach on Long Island. On the right is me in Fort Lauderdale in maybe 1968... and this past Monday in 2010, I again felt that childish bliss, splashing around like an idiot in the water.  What an incredible blessing to have a day like this - I hope for many more.  Thanks again Pops.

Don't worry, the next post will be back to normal:  progress shots of yucky drywall being repaired and a little roof-top drama.  I just had to share this wonderful day with you.  I hope if one day you visit my little beach side oasis, you will also experience some of the peace and joy that I am feeling as this old house comes to life again.

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49. Stuff

No, I didn't go to Daytona today.  I stuck it out and stayed home.  I got a lovely phone call this morning from Don however, that I was in big trouble, a-gain.  They got the garage door torn out, and all ready to install the new door and it didn't fit.  I'd swear it did... my tape measure must have been faulty or something.  Anyway it was an inch and a half too high, so they continued with the framing out of the wall but closed up the door with a piece of plywood in the mean time.

The good news is I got right on the phone to Dave who said, and I quote:  "no problem at all".  He will get a fiberglass door cut to fit and install it in that very jamb so when I take it back to Don it should fit purrfectly.  Fiberglass will be better than a metal door anyway, considering the salt air.  Somehow things all work out, don't they?  I guess I'll have to treat him to lunch again.  Man, this is getting complicated!!

I also wanted to take today to sort through my latest 'finds' and get them on the books.  I will admit right away that I splurged and paid $49 for this rocking chair.  It is beautiful, and probably worth $100 - doesn't need paint, a single screw, or anything!  It has a rush seat and back and I love it.  It might go right in the living room, forget the front porch.  And make sure you see the model posing with the chair:  that's my sweet Rufus (Roo-Bear) who hasn't yet made one appearance in the blog.  Roscoe is a camera hog (I'll be nice) and I had to hold him back to get this shot.

This table/desk and chair I picked up last weekend for $5.  It's solid, but the top is scratched up a bit, which doesn't bother me because I'm going to paint it anyway.  I'll use this for a desk in my Park Place guest room.  I think that makes up for what I blew on the rocker.

Some more misc kitchen stuff - lots of plastic drinking glasses, stainless steel bowls, glass pot lids (love those) and wire baskets for the cabinets that roll out.  The turquoise mugs on the left have water in them so they can be frozen.  This is an essential item for Florida living.  Last but not least, notice the burger-flipping spatula, a must-have for the avid barbecue queen.

A big giant round basket with two very nice bed pillows and some more tab-top curtains here.  I'm not a big fan of round baskets, I like the square ones because they fit together on shelves for a better use of space.  But this one came with all those plastic glasses in it for $5 so I grabbed it.

Last but not least, I found a really nice little baby life jacket for $5 - nice for visiting beach goers to have to keep their babies above water.  Oh and there was one other thing - a nice big lamp, which I forgot to take a picture of.

I am busy preparing for next week's first sleepover!!  Coffee Pot.  Check.  Bedding.  Check.  Shotgun.  Just kidding.  Oh yeah, I'll be sleeping on the couch.  I'm actually not sure how to get a bed upstairs... I haven't dared to measure yet.  I'll have both dogs with me so please don't worry, but you'll have to wait for updates because there is no internet service there!

Balance Forward:  $134

$87  miscellaneous

Remainder:  $47 

48. Le A/C: Fait Acompli!!

No I am not going to bring up the subject of the burned out building again.  You'll find out when it happens, but I promise not to mention it again until there is some video for you.

Big news is:  The AC system and hot water heater are in and functioning!  That's it, done - amazing huh?  I was standing in the kitchen when they first cranked it up and I thought - man that breeze is nice today.  Wait a minute - that's no ocean breeze, and it's DRY!!  Ahhh, so refreshing.  Then we shut it off because somebody didn't have a 16" x 20" filter.  It's ok, I didn't want it on anyway, as dirty as the house is, and as many huge wafty gaping cracks I have around some of the windows.   I think I may try a sleepover next week though - I think it will be nice enough at night that the AC won't have to work to hard to make it sleepable.  I'm anxious to start working two or three days at a time and then having the rest of the week at home - saving on gas and my own energy.

Here's what the return in the stairwell looks like.  The wind was really whipping through there today.  Love it.

And I am left with a challenging but not impossible situation in the second bedroom (especially since it's nice and cool in here now).  I'm thinking of blocking all that duct work in, and leaving just enough room on the right for a few shelves for square baskets or storage crates.  What do you think? Nice place for a full length mirror on the left, maybe.

I am shamefully remiss about taking enough pictures of Don and Sean finishing the fence.  This is one of the last panels, and it is cut and installed so beautifully to match a concrete step-down along side the neighbor's building.  I will get a better picture of it next time I promise - something distracted me from doing so today - what else is new?  They will be back Saturday to finish up the last of the fence, the gate, and install the door in the basement.  I don't know if I will be there - it is so hard to stay away but I'm getting sick of that drive!!

Here's some stuff I worked on inside - you can't really make it out but I framed up the inside of the pantry so it will be ready for the bead board paneling I'm going to use in there.  Made a ceiling and a place for the little recessed light.  Somebody suggested I put a humidor in there - I thought about a little wine fridge, but cigars?  I haven't smoked one of those in years!  (hah- just kidding).

I also finished the tongue-in-groove paneling for the half wall between the kitchen and dining room. I'm working my way around all the wood projects, because the next step will be drywall.  Then a whole lot of caulk and PAINT!  Which is my favorite part, sort of the culmination of construction.  Then it's on to the fun stuff - decorating and furnishing.

It's nice now to be done with some of the bigger expenses, so things can slow down a little.  I think with two or three days a week there, I can personally get a lot done.  I'll still need a bit of help here and there, especially when it comes to the exterior of the house, but the first big push is now over.

47. Slow And Steady Wins The Race

I have to admit, I am a little disgruntled.  I had expected a lot of excitement this week revolving around the building next door being torn down.  Not only having the view, and the neighborhood substantially improved, but I was hoping to get the big scooper to take away some of my concrete chunks and also to salvage some of the landscaping rocks from the front yard.  A little patience - I can't get used to EVERYTHING GOING MY WAY ALL THE TIME can I?  That's just not the nature of life.

So I shall focus on what did get done.  I'll start with the work that the AC guys are doing.  One of the main things that had to be done to improve the system in the house was to run duct work to the upstairs bedrooms.  Really, how can you have an air conditioning system for just the first floor of the house?  After analyzing the layout of the whole house, it seemed that right next to the chimney was the best place to run duct work to the second floor. 

This photo shows the holes in the bottom of the little bench to the left of the fireplace. Below you can see the basement and the side of the chimney where the no-longer-existing ash pit would have been emptied out.

Here's a shot through the ceiling right over the holes I just mentioned. You can see Greg's hands as he explains something to his helper, and above that the hole that will carry the ducting in to the ceiling of the second bedroom.

Here you see the completed ducting in the living room.  The one on the left is the 'return' which will suck air through a vent in the stairwell wall, vastly improving the circulation upstairs.  The duct on the right is the one that will carry cool air up through the attic and down into each bedroom and the hallway.

Here's the aforementioned duct work as it appears right now upstairs in the bedroom.  The cut out in the wall is where the 'return' register will be - you can see the staircase balusters on the other side.  Have no fear - both these ducts and the ones in the living room are going to get framed in and finished nicely, you'll never even know there are there.  Except the fact that you will have comfortable cool or warm air in the bedrooms depending on the season.  Kind of important, I thought.

And lastly, the cutout in the stairwell from the other side, with my comic relief doing his part for your viewing pleasure.

The AC guys will be back on Friday to finish up. I hope.

Meanwhile, I carried on with various projects.  The ceiling fan in the living room is finally up off the floor.  The lamps are cleaned and the thing actually works.  The drywall will be mudded in when I do the drywall finishing in the kitchen - no point in doing that one little piece right now.  I'm not sure if I'm going to reinstall that decorative medallion again - there were some issues that I'm going to try to address, but it may stay just like that.

Here is the peek-a-boo breezeway in the stairwell before I started ...

And here it is after I installed the paneling.  You have to imagine the finish molding on there, and it all painted nicely... but I like the fact that you can stand in front of the hole and feel a breeze blowing right through, as planned.  I suppose if I ever have a cat it could get up on the kitchen counter through there, but I don't think there's much of a chance of that, do you?

I've spent three days there already this week and back on Friday.  The fence looks beautiful and is so close to finished...  Don and another guy will be back on Saturday to finish that AND to replace the one garage door with a "man door".  What are the odds that I can be patient and wait to see that on Monday?  Don't bet on it.