Git R Done!

Guys, thanks again for coming up to help out. You're doing us a HUGE favor.

There are three main projects I'd like to work on while you're here (ready?):

PROJECT I
THE BATHROOM
As you can see, there is no sink and the floor is busted up. The copper pipes and drain pipe have "non-standard" placement - they aren't spaced nicely for a pedestal sink and are awkwardly poking through the wall and floor.

The floor (right now) is just the basic fir subfloor, painted over (with holes).






We bought a bathroom sink and cabinet after spending five hours in IKEA. The cabinet will fit flush to the wall or centered with the plumbing. It's a larger sink with less countertop than our current set up, but it should look nice.



Yes, the cabinet has legs, but they should be low enough that we don't actually look at the copper pipes (like we do now).

For the Floor? Janet wants to put tile down. We haven't decided what kind yet, but you can rest assured there WILL BE GROUT. We're going to pick that up after our respective night classes are over in a couple weeks. There are places in the fir strips that are uneven. We may have to extract a couple of them before we lay down a piece of 1/4-inch or 1/8-inch ply to make the surface even before tiling.

The small area around the toilet currently has linoleum in place. It functions well, but Janet and I are considering tiling that area as well (about 3 square feet at most).


PROJECT II
THE KITCHEN

There's really just the one thing to do in the kitchen, but it could turn out to be a doozy.



Ain't she pretty?!?

Our hunting trip to IKEA landed us a ginormous kitchen sink. It's so ginormous that my back is still sore from lifting from car to house. We just have to put it in.




Of course, like everything in this blasted house, there's a hitch (a couple, actually):


Potential Hitch 1: The plumbing on this sink is a nightmare. The footprint that the pipes take up isn't as bad as I first calculated, so we should be able to cut the cabinet without compromising the structural integrity of it too much.(I haven't gotten the cabinet for this sink because, well, there wasn't enough room in the car. This weekend.)



Potential Hitch 2: The new sink is a couple inches wider than the current sink. With the sink space squeezed in between the cabinet/counter and the washing machine, we're gonna have to move the cabinet to the left three inches. The upper half of the cabinet is screwed to the wall, and Janet sez that the toeplate/base (I don't know if you can see it) is floating underneath.

PROJECT III
THE WINDOW FRAME
This is all contingent on the weather. If it rains, we might be able to get it done, but it would be best if it were dry. In fact, I've been trying to get at it for the past two months, but it's been wet and windy this whole time.





As you can see, the framing around the window is F'ed up. The major windstorm we had earlier is to blame. Nothing like 80-mile-an-hour winds to pull weather-beaten wood away from the house.

We need to tear these pieces off, make new ones, stuff the cavity of the frame with insulation, prime the pieces, put 'em back up, and paint 'em. This window is one of the primary reasons the top floor of the house doesn't retain heat in the winter. The "cavity" I mentioned is where the old, long gone pulley weights for the sashes used to hang and counterbalance the window. Now that they're gone (we have newer windows), there's just an empty space that allows cold air to blast through the place.

Janet and I have tons more little things on the list, but I figured we start out with these. So whatdya say? Are you game?

Schedule!

Okay, guys. Here's a cursory schedule for the week. A couple notes:

• Click on calendar to read


• This is not binding at all. Let's have fun, shall we?


• Flight arrivals and departures are in red.


• Class times are in blue - I still have to attend my class at UW and Jan & I have a birthing class on Saturdays.

Supplies Are In

Okay, so a sinus infection prevented me from doing everything that needed to get done by Sunday evening, but I did manage to get quite a bit considering I can't bend down more than 20 degrees forward without my head splitting.

Jan and I hit Home Depot this morning and picked up the tile. It's pretty nice and simple:


We also picked up grout, sealer, a notched trowel, and floor adhesive. We still need to pick up the concrete board and tile spacers.

Here's a shot of all the things that need to be assembled:



Two sinks, two cabinets, and door fronts.

I will have a list of tools tomorrow (or before Ted leaves, at least).

Tool Report!

Okay, so. Here's a visual and textual list of tools here at the house:

• Circular Saw -blade isn't all that great. It'll cut wood, but that's about it.


• Chop Saw - Sorry, no laser sighting.


• Jigsaw.


• Mitre saw.


• ShopVac.


• A drawer full of various (staple gun, finishing hammer, clamping wrench, straps and electrical tape).


• Goggles, gloves, dust masks.


• A tool box full of various (nails, chisels, screws, hooks, and allen wrenches).


• Putty gun.


• A drawer full of sandpaper, sand sponges (for drywall), and sanding planes.


• A drawer full of blades.


• 30-foot ladder and a couple 6-foot ladders.


• 3-foot level, regular saw, tree saw.


• Makita!


• Hammers, drill bits, and various ratchet sets. (not shown)


• Crowbars. (not shown)


• Big red plumber's wrench. (not shown)


• Big jug of peanut oil so we can deep fry a turkey when we're done.

There's also this tool that keeps beeping and lighting up everytime I pick it up. I haven't figured out quite what it is -- oh, wait -- I know what it is. Written here on the side -- STUDFINDER.



It's difficult for me to say what extra tools we need. We may need something more than a crowbar to pull up the linoleum around the toilet, but we can suss that out when you get here (ie I don't think there's a need to bring a big floor scraper if you have it). We have basics. It might be best if we double up on basics. If you all have manual screwdrivers, allen wrenches, a pair of lightweight goggles, or other favorite basic tools, bring 'em. Of course, I always end up running to Lowes in the middle of something for some obscure tool.

Also, regarding sleeping arrangements, we have an extra futon bed, two couches, a couple sleeping bags (I think-one at least), a (camping) air mattress, a (camping) foam mattress, and various bedding. If you have a favorite sleeping bag you can shove in your suitcase without hassle, maybe that'd be good. Sorry, we haven't quite figured out the linen thing. Also, Rob has graciously offered his office room for a bit more privacy.

One other thing to think about is the timing on the bathroom floor project. I think it would be spectacular if we could get through the major steps without being toilet-free for more than 12-hours seeing as there's a pregnant woman and five guys in the house. I'm trying to run the scenario in my head of removing the toilet, grouting, sealing the grout (which we'll have to do with this tile since the grout is non-sanded), and reinstalling the toilet -- and haven't quite made it. Any ideas?

Oh, by the way -- that tile comes in 1' x 2' sheets with the tiles spaced and glued on the back. We won't have to lay each individual piece.

Talk soon...Tell me what I'm missing!

The Weather!

Looking okay!

This New Old House

YAY! The work is done! Thanks guys for all your help--we still can't get over all the hard work you we're willing to do for us. We really appreciate it.

Below are some pictures of the finished work.

One question remains, though. We didn't really talk about it: If a toilet falls in the backyard and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?