So we're having a closet built in the den for extra storage. I thought about doing it myself, but decided to hire it out so it'd be done right.
As usual, dealing with Construction Masters is maddening. Here's a summary of my day today ...
"Sure, Scott, we'll be there Monday morning between 8-9." - Friday at noon.
"Well, I don't know where the crew is I gave the job to. I'll send a second crew right over." -10 a.m.
"Sorry, we got hung up at the shop getting supplies." - 1 p.m.
"Well, looks like we'll need to go get some extra 2x4s. We'll be back in half an hour." - 1:45 p.m.
"Did the boss say this would be a one day job?" - 3:10 p.m.
"That's about all we can do for today. We'll be back tomorrow morning between 8-9." - 4:37 p.m.
You know what "That's about all we can do for today" means? Carrying in some drywall and paneling. Stacking 2x4s outside. Pulling quarter-round and molding. Taking some measurements.
For that, I spent a vacation day.
Showing posts with label home improvement. Show all posts
Showing posts with label home improvement. Show all posts
Monday, September 8, 2008
Monday, September 1, 2008
I'll miss you most of all, Comfy Chair
When I was a kid, we had a hound dog named Red. One day, he was gone and Mom said Dad had taken him up to the cabin. Our yard, despite being a double lot, was too small for him she said. And at the cabin, he could chase rabbits and have more fun.
I never did see that dog again.
Hopefully, the same won't happen to Comfy Chair.
I loaded her up on the Jeep today for the trip to the cabin.
Once we got there, I put her in a place of honor in the bedroom my branch of the family sleeps in during hunting season. In fact, she's right next to my bunk now.
So after years of dedicated service, countless football games on TV, hours and hours of PlayStation, thousands of meals eaten while sitting on her and lots and lots of naps, she's now retired to the country. Where, hopefully, she'll have several more good years serving as a spot to sit while putting on hunting boots and post-hunt napping.
(And yes, Jennifer is horrified the slip cover was that grungy.)
I never did see that dog again.
Hopefully, the same won't happen to Comfy Chair.
I loaded her up on the Jeep today for the trip to the cabin.
Once we got there, I put her in a place of honor in the bedroom my branch of the family sleeps in during hunting season. In fact, she's right next to my bunk now.
So after years of dedicated service, countless football games on TV, hours and hours of PlayStation, thousands of meals eaten while sitting on her and lots and lots of naps, she's now retired to the country. Where, hopefully, she'll have several more good years serving as a spot to sit while putting on hunting boots and post-hunt napping.
(And yes, Jennifer is horrified the slip cover was that grungy.)
Monday, August 11, 2008
How'd you spend your Sunday?
I spent mine on my knees, installing laminate, engineered, composite, imitation hardwood flooring in the den. It sucked.
Once I got a few rows installed, it actually got easier. The problem was the weather. I was using a jigsaw to cut boards, but it started raining Sunday afternoon. Since I didn't want sawdust all over the house, I was doing it outside. The rain put a kibosh on that.
So I thought I'd finish it up Monday morning, but it kept raining.
Hopefully, I'll get it finished before too long.
Oh, and what was Jen doing while I was working?
Once I got a few rows installed, it actually got easier. The problem was the weather. I was using a jigsaw to cut boards, but it started raining Sunday afternoon. Since I didn't want sawdust all over the house, I was doing it outside. The rain put a kibosh on that.
So I thought I'd finish it up Monday morning, but it kept raining.
Hopefully, I'll get it finished before too long.
Oh, and what was Jen doing while I was working?
Thursday, July 17, 2008
I hate the previous owner of our house
With the baby en route, the den is going to go from the man room/PS3 haven to an office and (eventually) playroom. We didn't want the old lousy carpet out there, so I'm going to rip it out and install hardwood flooring out there.
After Thursday night, I decided to get a jump on pulling up the carpet out in the den. Mainly, I wanted to see how difficult it is going to be and check the condition of the old garage floor. It didn't take long for things to get complicated. Why? Because of this ...
Yep, that's right. Parquet flooring underneath the carpet. Flooring that's in pretty good shape.
So now do we just go with that or put hardwood down on top of it?
UPDATE: All the old carpet is gone, as are the two (2) carpet pads that were underneath. What I thought was a wooden floor underneath turned out to be some sort of tile, laid directly on the cement garage floor.
After Thursday night, I decided to get a jump on pulling up the carpet out in the den. Mainly, I wanted to see how difficult it is going to be and check the condition of the old garage floor. It didn't take long for things to get complicated. Why? Because of this ...
Yep, that's right. Parquet flooring underneath the carpet. Flooring that's in pretty good shape.
So now do we just go with that or put hardwood down on top of it?
UPDATE: All the old carpet is gone, as are the two (2) carpet pads that were underneath. What I thought was a wooden floor underneath turned out to be some sort of tile, laid directly on the cement garage floor.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
HVAC and the den
Sorry again for the lack of posts. It's been a busy week. Busier than I expected.
On Tuesday, the guys showed up with our new heat and central units. Our old AC unit was a Chrysler. The company quit making AC units in the mid-1970s, so it was time for a new one.
They also removed the old wall unit heater in the den and installed duct work out to that room. Previously, the man room (aka SK's suite) would be freezing in the winter and sweltering in the summer. But, now, with real windows, a wall and duct work it's an actual useable space.
The crew was four guys, one of which was a high-school or early-college age. He got the crappy job of crawling through the attic. As Nash can tell you, our attic is not a fun place to be on a summer day. I felt sorry for the kid.
I've got a new ceiling fan to install this weekend. And I've got to patch the hole where the wall heater was located. In a couple of weeks, the carpet comes up, paint and new flooring follows that.
On Tuesday, the guys showed up with our new heat and central units. Our old AC unit was a Chrysler. The company quit making AC units in the mid-1970s, so it was time for a new one.
They also removed the old wall unit heater in the den and installed duct work out to that room. Previously, the man room (aka SK's suite) would be freezing in the winter and sweltering in the summer. But, now, with real windows, a wall and duct work it's an actual useable space.
The crew was four guys, one of which was a high-school or early-college age. He got the crappy job of crawling through the attic. As Nash can tell you, our attic is not a fun place to be on a summer day. I felt sorry for the kid.
I've got a new ceiling fan to install this weekend. And I've got to patch the hole where the wall heater was located. In a couple of weeks, the carpet comes up, paint and new flooring follows that.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
$3,400
Got a check from Farm Bureau for the damage to the Jeep.
Luckily, I think the whole thing can be repaired for less than $1,500 (especially with Nash and I doing some of the work). Cha-ching!
Adjuster woke us up this morning at 8:30 a.m. He said we'll need a new roof. Now we'll just have to get in line with a contractor. Hopefully they'll get to us before the end of May.
Luckily, I think the whole thing can be repaired for less than $1,500 (especially with Nash and I doing some of the work). Cha-ching!
Adjuster woke us up this morning at 8:30 a.m. He said we'll need a new roof. Now we'll just have to get in line with a contractor. Hopefully they'll get to us before the end of May.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
And some "after" photos
I spent the afternoon installing four new windows.
As much as some of you love Lowe's, they hacked me off today. Guy cutting custom glass didn't know how to read a tape measure. So when I said "I need this 11 and eleven-sixteenths inches by 7" he was totally confused. He wound up cutting half the panes too tall (by a sixteenth) and the other half too short (by a sixteenth).
I know, I know, I should have stood over his shoulder to double check his work. But there were two of them doing it. One kid and one middle-aged supervisor dude. And they had one of those tape measures with the halves, eighths and sixteenths marked on it! Idiots!!!
Anyway, I got them to work. I just did the ones completely broken. I'll do the cracked ones this weekend.
In the last photo, you can see my tomato plants. They survived the storm. And thanks to Charles for teaching me how to glaze a window ...
As much as some of you love Lowe's, they hacked me off today. Guy cutting custom glass didn't know how to read a tape measure. So when I said "I need this 11 and eleven-sixteenths inches by 7" he was totally confused. He wound up cutting half the panes too tall (by a sixteenth) and the other half too short (by a sixteenth).
I know, I know, I should have stood over his shoulder to double check his work. But there were two of them doing it. One kid and one middle-aged supervisor dude. And they had one of those tape measures with the halves, eighths and sixteenths marked on it! Idiots!!!
Anyway, I got them to work. I just did the ones completely broken. I'll do the cracked ones this weekend.
In the last photo, you can see my tomato plants. They survived the storm. And thanks to Charles for teaching me how to glaze a window ...
Storm window
We've been talking about replacing the old glass storm windows with some of the new impact and shatter resistant ones. Here's why ...
Some photos of the damage
Roof started leaking this morning. Got up there and saw the damage. The roof is pockmarked from the hail. Nothing went all the way through, but the shingles are in bad shape. Golfers, you know what a divot looks like on a really soft green? Imagine that all across the western side of our house.
Some photos ...
Some photos ...
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
"Aww, I ain't gonna lie — I was hung over."
As predicted, we got a light dusting of snow in Fort Smith last night. And by "light dusting," I mean "By 9:30 in the morning it had completely melted off our lawn."
The shocking part of the day came at lunch. When Jen and I ran by the house, the painters were there working.
I rolled down the window to talk to the main guy. (By the way, I have no clue how old he is. He might be 45, but looks 60. Longish hair, fu-man-chu moustache, missing a few teeth. He's lived a rough life. I've seen homeless people look better.) He comes over to the window and this exchange happens.
Me: "I'm surprised y'all are working today."
Him: "Yeah, we probably shoulda come out on Saturday or Sunday, since it was so nice compared to today. But ... aww, I ain't gonna lie — I was hung over."
Me: "Oh, nothing wrong with that. Sure was a lot warmer over the weekend."
Him: "Yeah, it was her (his girlfriend/helper) birthday on Monday and we got started celebratin' a little early on Friday night."
No word on if she has a blog to celebrate her birthday.
The shocking part of the day came at lunch. When Jen and I ran by the house, the painters were there working.
I rolled down the window to talk to the main guy. (By the way, I have no clue how old he is. He might be 45, but looks 60. Longish hair, fu-man-chu moustache, missing a few teeth. He's lived a rough life. I've seen homeless people look better.) He comes over to the window and this exchange happens.
Me: "I'm surprised y'all are working today."
Him: "Yeah, we probably shoulda come out on Saturday or Sunday, since it was so nice compared to today. But ... aww, I ain't gonna lie — I was hung over."
Me: "Oh, nothing wrong with that. Sure was a lot warmer over the weekend."
Him: "Yeah, it was her (his girlfriend/helper) birthday on Monday and we got started celebratin' a little early on Friday night."
No word on if she has a blog to celebrate her birthday.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Jen is always a good hostess
It just dawned on me that Jen straightened up the main bathroom this morning.
She hid the toothpaste, the water cup and wiped down the sink. I never do understand hiding the toothpaste, but not hiding the toothbrushes. But hey, I'm not the hostess with the mostest.
I guess she wanted it to look nice for the construction workers, in case they needed to take a whiz ... which they never did. Or, if they did need to, they did it out in the backyard or something.
She hid the toothpaste, the water cup and wiped down the sink. I never do understand hiding the toothpaste, but not hiding the toothbrushes. But hey, I'm not the hostess with the mostest.
I guess she wanted it to look nice for the construction workers, in case they needed to take a whiz ... which they never did. Or, if they did need to, they did it out in the backyard or something.
Lunch break
I'm hoping they're about halfway done.
Still need to put the wood siding (not the cheap vinyl stuff, it'll look like our sunroom siding) on the outside, insulate the inside and put up the drywall.
Still need to put the wood siding (not the cheap vinyl stuff, it'll look like our sunroom siding) on the outside, insulate the inside and put up the drywall.
Construction has started
The construction crew is here working on enclosing the den.
As many of you know, a former owner of our house had turned the one-car garage into a den. They did it cheaply, by putting in a sliding-glass door where the garage door used to be. While it was a cheap fix, it was not a good one.
Thanks to poor workmanship, there was a lip on the old driveway that caught rainwater and funneled it underneath the door. Also, they never ran ductwork to the newly-created den. With a big glass door on one end of the room, that meant it would be in the upper 50s out there in the winter and the upper 80s in the summer.
But now, a crew is here installing a couple of big, energy-efficient windows and building a wall to replace the sliding-glass door.
While I'm psyched about getting this done, I wish the weather would cooperate. It's freezing outside, which means a whole bunch of cold air is rushing into the house through the folding door that separates the den from the rest of the house. I'm wearing a tee shirt, sweatshirt and fleece pullover (Yes, the Patagonia one I wrote about last month).
Anyway, before and after photos will be coming soon ... unless I get frostbite.
As many of you know, a former owner of our house had turned the one-car garage into a den. They did it cheaply, by putting in a sliding-glass door where the garage door used to be. While it was a cheap fix, it was not a good one.
Thanks to poor workmanship, there was a lip on the old driveway that caught rainwater and funneled it underneath the door. Also, they never ran ductwork to the newly-created den. With a big glass door on one end of the room, that meant it would be in the upper 50s out there in the winter and the upper 80s in the summer.
But now, a crew is here installing a couple of big, energy-efficient windows and building a wall to replace the sliding-glass door.
While I'm psyched about getting this done, I wish the weather would cooperate. It's freezing outside, which means a whole bunch of cold air is rushing into the house through the folding door that separates the den from the rest of the house. I'm wearing a tee shirt, sweatshirt and fleece pullover (Yes, the Patagonia one I wrote about last month).
Anyway, before and after photos will be coming soon ... unless I get frostbite.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Seven hours
How'd you spend your Saturday?
I spent mine sanding the ceiling in our bedroom. And then cleaning up the dust.
The previous owner just troweled on the ceiling plaster in big swooshing motions, then never sanded it smooth. I guess she was doing a cheap or more "artistic" variation of that textured popcorn ceiling stuff.
Jen hates it. So I'm tasked with removing it, then smoothing the ceiling so we can repaint the bedroom.
I spent four hours sanding, three hours cleaning up. I swept, Shop-Vac-ed, Swiffered, mopped and Lemon Pledged everything in the bedroom. I did more cleaning today than I have in the previous seven-plus years of my marriage.
The worst part? I only got about a fourth of it done.
I spent mine sanding the ceiling in our bedroom. And then cleaning up the dust.
The previous owner just troweled on the ceiling plaster in big swooshing motions, then never sanded it smooth. I guess she was doing a cheap or more "artistic" variation of that textured popcorn ceiling stuff.
Jen hates it. So I'm tasked with removing it, then smoothing the ceiling so we can repaint the bedroom.
I spent four hours sanding, three hours cleaning up. I swept, Shop-Vac-ed, Swiffered, mopped and Lemon Pledged everything in the bedroom. I did more cleaning today than I have in the previous seven-plus years of my marriage.
The worst part? I only got about a fourth of it done.
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