Tuesday, April 29, 2008

I call this "First Looks"

Hubby has started work on the kitchen cabinets. He feels at least if he can't be there, he can still work on the house this way.

So, here is a in progress photo of the cabinet he started on. It's going to be painted white. It still needs the drawers made, and some trimming on the side, but you can get a good idea of how it will look...and I love it!


Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Nothing much to say...

We may not be going to the house this weekend, I think hubby needs a break..although he wants to go..he decided, he may spent some quality time making the bases for the new kitchen cabinets.

We went to Lowes last night, to get an estimate on the windows. I didn't have "exact" sizes, to order them, but I now know how much they will cost. They will range from $200. - $210. per window. I need 7 at the $200. and 8 at the $210. price..so a touch over $3,000. for just the upstairs windows. I really think it's important though. We will install them, so it will save me a little money.

Monday, April 21, 2008

I'm tired....................

It actually was a nice weekend. Sorry I don't have any new pictures to show, I went and forgot my camera! Acck! How could I do that?

I did luckily have my video camera, but that does ya'll no good...but I documented our work any way.

Hubby gave me the job of attempting to clean up the plaster remnants up in the bedrooms. He didn't want to remove the moulding near the floor yet, because it meant bundling, and marking it, (see, we plan to save it and reuse it)

Soooo...I had to take the shop vac and try to suck the stuff out from between them arrrgh....we had three shop vacs with us..and it wasn't easy! It took me a couple hours, and I only finished two rooms!

The chunks of plaster kept stuffing up in the hose, and I had to keep unclogging it. Then, the filter kept stuffing up with all the plaster dust...and I would lose suction there..so I had to open it up, and bang out some dust....

I have to admit, I did a fine job of what I did anyway! It was a huge difference...but I told hubby, he had better just take the time to knock off the mouldings, and sweep out the debris...it would go so much faster in reality!

Now while I was busy up on the second floor, Hubby and his sister, took apart the "Sunporch"
Everything was so wet still...after a few weeks...so we checked out the roof again, and found more places where there are leaks. It was much easier to find them with no ceiling! Yup..they managed to gut the whole room...and fill the dumpster! Yup..another one! I haven't gotten the bill from the first one yet! It's scary....after they take away the dumpster, they are supposed to weigh them, and you pay..$70 per ton. I know all that plaster is heavy...I dumped alot of it!

No word from the plumber...no sign of the contractor....I still don't have their prices...

I don't know if we are going up next weekend or not...I mean the weather was beautiful...it was nice to work with the windows open...oh yeah, speaking of windows, I have to go to Lowes tonight, and get prices on having windows made for the whole upstairs. (there are 15 windows upstairs) They are pretty crummy...I am sure they can be fixed...but it will take a long time..some are missing their pegs to lock them..etc..but there isn't anything real special about the windows upstairs...they aren't fancy...and they are loaded with lead paint, may be best to just replace with more energy efficient windows...if the price is right. I will be curious to find out..so I am going to get an estimate.

That's pretty much it for this weekend, except we had a few visitors while we were there...Hubby's sister came to help...god bless her...His nephew stopped in to chat, his Aunt stopped in with a friend...and His father stopped by! How did we get anything done??

Ahh one last item to mention. We brought the dog up with us. It was hard getting her in and out of the car, made three stops on the way up, she was nervous with the time spent in the car, but she moped so much while we are away, we thought we would see how she did there, and make it easier on the girls, well..she was real nervous for a while in the house, we slept there. The dog, slept next to me while we slept on an air mattress on the floor...I gave her a dof cookie, and she didn't touch it.

About 2am..we hear a load of crunching..she ate her cookie...and it seemed to spark her appetite..she was crunching and crunching and crunching! Hubby asked me how many cookies did I give her...I told him, one! He grabbed the flashlight, and got up to see what she was doing...she was eating PLASTER! Argh...luckily, she is ok....it didn't seem to hurt her, but it wasn't a great thought! So I had to make sure she couldn't come in contact with anymore.

Then, (that was friday eve) Saturday evening...we went to sleep...I gave the dog three cookies to work on late night, and nope, she didn't touch them...but...about 2am...we both woke with a start..seems the air mattress sprung a slow leak, and we wound up, laying on the hard wood floors ...argh...how uncomfortable! The only thing I could think of, because hubby was stressing so much...he was tired, and wanted more sleep...so I suggested, fill it up again, and let's see how long it lasts?

So we refilled the mattress, and ~~~whew~~~ it lasted till 6:15am! We managed a night's sleep, whew...hopefully, we won't have to do that again! (laughing) it was an eventful weekend, in all aspects!

Now, Sunday, before we left for home, we spent some quality time at the house. I raked...seems, it hadn't been raked in a while...the lawn is a mess, and it seems to have remnants of maybe moles, or gophers...not sure..there are just holes all over one section of the lawn. There isn't any fresh dirt, like a wood chuck would have...I saw the tell tale signs of wood chucks at the Sis in laws house, so it isn't them. I'll just have to patch and see where it goes..but that's the last thing on my list..the house first. I just didn't want to leave the lawn looking so bad, after all the next door neighbor's lawn was cleaned up nicely. (On the one side anyway).

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

loads of things to think about

We are making a trip on the weekend to the house, we finally sat down, and hashed out where things will go. We have decided to agree with the contractor, and will make a Master bath, and a master closet. Well the closet was there, but we will make an entry from the master bedroom, and remove the other door.

The Master bath was there, but it was the only bath upstairs, so in the remaining hall space, in front of the bath, we will change it to another bathroom.

Here is a photo, of the drawn out plans we made, I hope it's visible. The lines marked in red, are the changes. There aren't many...but they will make a dramatic change.

Monday, April 14, 2008

A productive visit!

My hubby got a bunch done..more than I expected for a one day sort of thing! He managed to peel back the tin ceilings to allow to reconstruct the bearing wall, it needs to be shored up, then strengthened...then the shoring has to be removed. Then the whole wall has to be re-supported from the cellar. It was done years ago, but incorrectly.

Then his brother managed to remove the bricks from inbetween the beams, in two places, so the electric can be re-wired.

I posted new photos in my Picturetrail album.

I am not sure when the next visit will be, still waiting for word from the contractor..and waiting for the permit from the town. The waiting is murder!

Friday, April 11, 2008

Snow

Well, I have to say, the word is the snow is almost gone! That reminded me of the first trip we made up to the house, after it became ours.

There was snow on the back porch, it was hanging over the edge a good 1 1/2 feet. I being a newbie to snow country, thought it would be better to remove it, than wait for it to drop. Well.......

I grabbed the shovel we brought up, and attempted to poke it from underneath, so it would break off and fall to the ground.

It looked like snow...but it was a thick piece of frozen snow/ice! I hit it from underneath, (I stood a good distance back) and yes....it broke loose. But in doing so, it threw me back....I hit the window, luckily it didn't break! The force was tremendous! I am so lucky!

Who'd a thought! It's funny now...but at the time, it gave me such a start! I have heard of stories of the snow falling off the roof...making such a rumble...and now I know why!

The hubby is going to the house tomorrow early am with his brother...he has a few things to get started for the electrician...I mean he could start ripping the downstairs walls apart...but we didn't order a dumpster, and he won't be up there that long...maybe he can do a bit here and there, and then get another dumpster...we'll see.

I'll update you after he comes home Sunday.

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

not too good, but...

here is the picture my cell phone gave me. There are loads of lightbulbs in the area, so it was hard to get the right shot...

This is the lamp (chandelier) I like...


Monday, April 7, 2008

Hmm

Loulee asked, "what, no reclaimed doors?" We plan on using what was there...so I guess that is reclaimed enough?

The hubby and I went to Lowes, a while back, and I fell in love with a lamp they had there..I thought it would look spectacular in the foyer. It's a stained glass lampshade..it's stunning...but I found, over time, I really do like the one already in the house!


Looking at it I really like it! A bit of a washing...and it can be so different!

There is another I have grown so fond of,



I still may buy the other, to place over the Dining room table...it has a few options on the style, but they have the same coloration in them. I like it also..can't resist! Let me browse Lowes, and see if I can find it there..... Nope..I'll have to bring my trusty cell phone next time, and try to capture it!

Saturday, April 5, 2008

As I promised

I placed photos of the work on the house in my Picturetrail album!

Dh is home, and tired..but ever so relieved to be in his own bed this eve!

Considering all the work he did this week, he can't wait to get back up there to continue..looks like maybe next week! I will keep you informed!

While he was there, his sister took him to an auction...he said it was quite boring, but he did purchase something!

He bought a pair of Salt and Pepper shakers! Would you believe, the batteries on the camera died before he could give me a photo...so maybe next week I can show it off!

Till next time!

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

How strange

You take a house, maybe in bad condition..it still has the look...you know, you can imagine what it looks like with better walls...yet..the same place..just with the plaster and lathe removed..it looks like......nothing much! I seem to loose the whole prospectus of a house.

I have a cell phone pic.....




It's not the greatest...but I look at that photo..and see..nothing what I was used to seeing! I know, it's just one step closer to being better...but oh, so barren!

Well anyway, the whole Upstairs is cleared out...now for the downstairs.(ugh) A whole house looking like nothing!

Soon I will have some step by step photos, I will put them in my Picturetrail album.