Al B's House rework

[AlanB]

Well for whatever reason, I have slowed down on posting here, but we have been hitting a couple good licks at the house. Both Hanna and I got some type of Bug on Sunday that set us both back a bit, but we just kind of went at a slower pace and still made some headway.

Hanna has been suffering from dizziness here the last month or so, and the doctor's have not found anything. Got to love that, I forget exactly what the doctor called it and big fancy words to Hanna, she came home and told me concerned about what it meant, so I translated for her...... You are getting dizzy..... Anyway, we hope to sort that out, but so far, no joy.

On Saturday, I got the last two ceiling fans up, nice to have that done.

So, Sunday I set out to demo the kitchen, and Hanna finished tiling the bath. She did get all the tiling done, and is now working towards finishing the grout. She said she is going to go with the standard grout and sealer, she had started with the epoxy grout, but it was such a mess to clean up and use that she feels it is not worth the effort. Hope that is not a decision we pay for later, but that is not my line of fire.

So, pick 2196 is where the sink and counter were, pulled all the paneling and insulation out, figured I would just leave the drains,,,,, YEAH, right, leave something in this house? So if you jump to picture 2200 you can see what the drain pipe looked like. Kid you not a bit, that pipe was flowing water.

2197 is the dining room, went ahead and pulled the insulation off, cleaned it up somewhat, pulled the little stub wall out between the dining room and the kitchen so the kitchen will migrate a bit farther down now. Also shows the new ceiling fan, of course the plastic trim ring was bent out of round, took me probably an hour to figure out why it would not work / fit. Do have to say, I called Hunter and they are shipping me out a new one, should have it tomorrow.

2198 shows the living room, with nice new ceiling fan, found these $200 Hunters on Clearance for $100 at HD. Not sure I like the style all that much, but LOVE the quality of Hunter ceiling fans, and at $100 each I will live with the style. the fan in 2198 is hanging on a new ceiling box, with new wire ran too it, that is always fun crawling about in the attic, chasing wires, and running new..... Yeah, I like managing Hazmat for a living.

So, 2199 is the joint that had me worried Sunday, could not sort out what to do with it, or exactly what it was, but did not really want to mess with it, but new I would in the end. That is the sink drain into the main stack CI pipe........ So read here and there, decided to go with a Fernco sleeve again, not mess with the joint in the CI, put some goopy putty (that is the technical term for you non Hazmat folks out there )on it if it kept leaking.

Buddy Jim came over, and us two and a sawzall started going at the drain... pulled the vent stack out and were running the pipe back, going to unscrew it from a joint, and this fitting shown in 2199 spun loose.... DANG (yeah, those that know me know a different word may have been used)

So in for a penny, in for a pound, away we went, nothing was really holding the galvanized into the CI, figure worst case, I get pissed, cut all the CI out to the septic and start over....

It was definetely the Oakum and poured lead type joint I had read about, and never fooled with. Figured with about 40 years Aviation Maintenance experience between Jim and I we could sort it out somehow....................... so the pipe comes out easy (yeah, glad to just fix it right, it came out real easy) and we start trying to figure out how to get out the lead and oakum. Start with a wood chisel, thinking it would be soft, but afraid I was going to crack the CI in the process, thought about heat, but not sure of the sewer gas, and the electrical and the wall and window that was right there. Started drilling with a holesaw, and it went pretty well about half way down, but would not clear enough to keep going and the side loading was bogging down my 1/2" milwaukee drill...... Then came up with cutting it like a pie with the sawzall. Cut out about 6 small segments, put the small chisel between the segment and the CI wall, and popped them right out,,,, got about 4 of them out, and collapsed the remainder of the ring on itself and pulled it out just SLICK and clean... YEAH BABY

Then I need a Fernco donut..... Call Fernco,,,, wont sell to me, there are hundreds of sizes, yaddy dahhddyy da.... Call the big local plumbing shop, Fernco Dealer... Nope, NOBODY stocks anything like that, nobody works on CI,,, blah blah blah, we can order for you. Think a minute...

Call Redneck Jeff, my bud that run's the Hardware store and I affectionetly call my Local slum lord... (due to the number of rental houses he owns )
Jeff's question is what size to what size??? and how many would you like course he keeps a full range on the shelf............................. So run down and pick up a CI 2" bell to PVC 2" rubber donut sleeve.... $3.48

So the house continues on, taking a bit of a break today, both Hanna and I are just wore down. Hit it hot and heavy tommorrow night and the weekend though. Need to get that door in, drain in, more electrical in the kitchen and some drywall going on. One step at a time as we continue to eat this elephant....

So Mudcat, where you at in Fl? My dad is in Paisley and I run down that way occasionally.

 

[AlanB]

Got some pictures to go in from last weekend, but have just been going quite a bit here lately and have not taken the time.

Highlights are.
New door installed in the kitchen. Cutting a door sized hole in the brick with a 14" cutoff saw and diamond blade standing on top of a ladder holding said saw sideways with it running full tilt, does not add up to FUN in my book.....
New locks installed throughout house, all matched kwiksets. Now I need to go back through and flip all the locks right side up.
Got Hanna a big Pawleys island hammock for mothers day, hung it where I thought would be perfect but the trees are too close together. Have to clear some other area.
When you have a hammer in your hand, everything looks like a nail was running the "ho" on Sunday, clearing some debris, and Hanna points at a 40' poplar tree and says she wants it out............ Dig a 5' hole behind the tree, and go to the other side about 8' up and push..... it is just too cool.

Hanni, one of Hanna's freinds was over, and say's, why doesnt the well look like a well? Well? I don't know, but thought it would be pretty cool, so that is what we are going to do. Need to fix the well head first, and the feed pipes, and the foot, but it will look like a big old timey well when I am done. Pictures to follow.

We burned one of the big burn piles, and will be trying to do some more as well. Going to set up a blower to do smaller piles we can feed easier.

Hanna got the grouting finished up, and cleaned up, I got the shower stuff installed and everything operational. A little more silicone, a curtain rod, and some cover plates, and the bath will be done.

Got an estimate of $400 to do the drywall in the kitchen and dining room (I buy materials) I was thinking go for it, Hanna say's I can do it.... I told her she misstated that, she can do it if she thinks it is not worth $400 but the answer will be here next week, more on that later.

Got an estimate of $1320 to redo the hardwood floors. Not sure where we will go on that, but I am leaning towards hiring out more and more and being done with it.

Hanna's brother called again, and has some layoff time right now (Mason in Germany) Hanna wants him to come over for a month, Mingo says (yes, his name is Mingo) he cannot be on Layoff that long with the boss.... Hanna calls Mingo's boss (good freind of ours ) so Mingo is "laid off" for the next month and a half he will be here Monday for a month to help get some work done on this place

Got some of the wiring in the dining room done, one box left there. Put in a couple quad boxes so we have some more outlets.

MikeB came up last night from Nashville and we ran around a bit at the Tractor shop..... MikeB 's wife will probably ban him from up here again, he went back with a 6' HD BB in the back of his truck....... Of course as I was sitting in the used NH SS, my wife calls me........ What are you doing she asks,,,, uhhhhhhhh,,,,, spending $6500 more of your money..... she was not amused...

We sat down last night and he was ready to put in the electrical for me, but mostly I needed someone to talk with and logic check what I was doing on so many of these projects. It is just so nice to be able to sit and sound out what I am doing, against someone knowledgeable and somewhat "uninterested" as in, no financial stake in it. we went round and round the house just looking at the projects, seeing what could be done different or better or am I doing it ok. He had a ton of great insight and experience to add which I really appreciate.

Last couple days I have taken Babe out (NH 1925) with BB and trying to smooth over all those places with ruts, which collect water and breed mosquitos viciously. Mike and I were getting eaten alive last night by those dang things. I am going to have to make a concerted effort to get rid of that standing water and to poison what I cant so the mosquito's don't win in the end.

Couple of bud's from work are coming over tonight and we are moving the shop. (or at least parts of it) which for me means I am changing my base of operations.

My bragging corner, today is the last day of school for my daughter Christina.

She did not have to take any finals this semester. She has a 100 in every class for this semester Hope she can keep that up through college.....

Life is good, we are eating the elephant one bite at a time. Mingo is coming so some of my focus will change, the kids will be out of school, so they can help some more, some things I would like to go faster, but really, does it matter? Part of the adventure is the journey itself, not the destination.

 

[AlanB]

And some picks to back it up.

2299 outside the door

2295 inside view

2297 the saw that got the better of my back....

2300, the pile of "FILL" material

 

[AlanB]

Then a couple pic's from Sunday I think.

2301, yeah, we can at least think about relaxing got to find some trees a bit farther apart though....

2302, My ho "Lil" on fire tending duty

2303, Hanna saying, yep, I like well water for the plants......

2304 look at me know, when I grow up, I will be a cool looking wishing well

2305 one of the brush piles going to the land of "away"

 

[WhyNot]

Alan, congrats on the progress so far but, unless you placed a steel lentle on the inside of the brick to support the ones above the door way you may have to remove the framing and door to put one in so the brick and mortar will not crack. If you plan on putting up trim on the outside (face) of the brick you could leave the door and framing alone and put the lentle on the outside and cover it with the trim. Either way I would not wait to long toput one in if there isn't one there already.

 

[AlanB]

Steel lentel is in mind, was going to place it from the outside.

That was one of the things that MikeB and I sat and talked about for quite a while, I think I will hide it with a "fan" detail, echoing the window, and I think the boss said the steps would be round as well.

I am going to have the guy that did my window install come back and do the trim in aluminum, I am going to fill in around the door with PT wood, then balance my uneven gaps with wood, then cover the entire mess with aluminum trim and it should be right at the end.

Thanks for the insight though, it is comments just like that, where I miss things from lack of experience or knowledge or plain old forgot to see it, that make this forum so great.

One of the things I have not quite figured out is how to cut in to the mortar to put in the steel. Then again, I bet Mingo will know, and that is a project right up his alley

I can hear the "ohhh gott ohhhh gott ohhhhhhh got what have you done Alan" now.......

 

[MikeB44]

MikeB came up last night from Nashville and we ran around a bit at the Tractor shop..... MikeB 's wife will probably ban him from up here again, he went back with a 6' HD BB in the back of his truck.......

I think I get 1 free pass. It's the 2nd time I get banned.

I got a flat tire one Sunday morning chasing a pack of dogs out of my neighbor's pasture. A few weeks later I got a 2nd and most permanent flat - same tire - when I found a missing harrow chain for him in the cattle grate entrance to his driveway. The Mrs. told me I couldn’t play with him no mo…

Of course as I was sitting in the used NH SS, my wife calls me........ What are you doing she asks,,,, uhhhhhhhh,,,,, spending $6500 more of your money..... she was not amused...

No she wasn’t.

When we got to the house, I was set to tell her, “You know, that skidsteer is a really good price and Alan could really use it.” Instead it quickly changed to “It was a good thing you called when you did.” (I didn’t need a ban from 2 Mrs.’s)

Seriously though, we’re both really lucky to have such wonderful wives. Seriously. (Psst Alan - when can we go back to the tractor shop?)

He had a ton of great insight and experience to add which I really appreciate.

Read: Been There had it fall on my head so i wish i had Done That! (Not to be confused with BTDT!)

Last couple days I have taken Babe out (NH 1925) with BB and trying to smooth over all those places with ruts, which collect water and breed mosquitos viciously. Mike and I were getting eaten alive last night by those dang things. I am going to have to make a concerted effort to get rid of that standing water and to poison what I cant so the mosquito's don't win in the end. .

I think if you have any mosquitoes left after last night, they came from a couple of counties away. It looked like a F5 tornado starting up when we were leaving. One of the stop signs a mile away looked like a super ball mounted on a bungee cord. I was thinking I’m glad to have 600 lbs of box blade in the back, until I saw it floating up in the air. (Fortunately the rain started and was heavy enough to knock it back down again.)

Hope you didn’t get any damage at the house.

BTW – saw a media clip somewhere that said that bluebirds, blue jays, and crow populations have hit some record lows due to mosquitoes and West Nile virus. Perhaps that water problem needs a quick temporary solution (health department here puts stuff in the water to break the egg/larva cycle.).

My bragging corner, today is the last day of school for my daughter Christina.

She did not have to take any finals this semester. She has a 100 in every class for this semester Hope she can keep that up through college.....

Awesome job Christina! Most excellent work. Keep it going!

Part of the adventure is the journey itself, not the destination.

I agree. As long as you can keep from driving over harrow chains along the way.

 

[AlanB]

Mingo, the man, the myth, the legend is here now and we made a dent in it today.

The first project he wanted to get on was the stairs, and he also started working the transition between the living room and the Dining room (no picture yet)

I kept hitting at the wiring, trying to get it sorted around so that we can hang the drywall and move forward on that.

Mingo hung two sheets of drywall as well between the dining room and the bathroom.

We got a lot of the insulation in, and I got the 2X4's hung horizontally to hang the upper cabinets on.

Dean and Christina pitched in some today, that was nice.

Got the concrete mixer up and running,,, of course it is a redneck concrete mixer as I have it up on blocks in my yard

More photo's to come, I was pretty beat this evening, and pictures where not high on my list.

2312, form's up (done last night)

2313, Redneck concrete mixer

2314 Dean, actually held his attention for long enough to make him work (Mingo is Dean's Pad (pronounced BOD) which is godfather, this is a big deal in our part of Germany)

2315 I was trying to get a picture of Mingo, and he hates it,,,, So had to get one while he was not looking

2316 In the middle of pouring it up.

Sorry no end of evening pics, but will try and get some tomorrow.

 

[AlanB]

Things that make you go dooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

So, I have been diligently getting my wiring in prior to hanging my drywall.

New boxes, new wires, new outlets,,, nice, neat, checked out tightened down etc.......................

Bought a Rotozip last night to cut the boxes out with in the drywall.....

Had hung the drywall last night on one side, and looked and saw the outlets seemed a bit recessed.... Just thought it looked odd.....

Then thought about other job sites, and realized that normally when the drywall went up, saw pig tails of wire in the boxes and no outlets.

Then realized that you need to plunge the Rotozip into the box,,,,, bad / hard to do with outlets already in there............

Then realized that the outlet ears were below the drywall on the one sheet we hung.......................

CRAP.

I think sandman said it best though in his thread where he got hit by the train.

NOTHING serious, just takes money to fix.... (and in this case, it is just time not even cash money)

Sometimes inexperience shines through brightly

I think I will have a doctoral degree on doing things twice when this house is done though

 

[gemini5362]

they make a fairl inexpensive adapter that fits inside the box and extends it out for recessed boxes. I think I saw them at lowes