One Sixty: Change in the Forecast

Change in the Forecast

All did not go exactly to plan this weekend, but worked out well nevertheless.

Saturday turned out to be insanity. We were all loaded up to go to the dump first thing in the AM when Mike's truck batteries (2 of em) died. Wouldn't take a charge, couldn't be jump started, nothing. So unfortunately we had to go out and buy two new ones at the tune of nearly $200. Timing couldn't be better, eh? But you can't get anywhere without batteries - this was definitely a "have to."

By the time we got home from that ordeal, I had to run out for my luncheon date with a friend, leaving Mike to hit the dump and the deepHo solo. He was going to pick up some additional gutter connectors, the 3/4" plywood, and caulk. Outside, the temperature wouldn't budge above 20, ruining any gutter/burning activities for the day.

And of course by the time Mike returned home and unloaded everything with the help of his parents, who came by to give him a hand, it was time for him to leave to meet up with me at my parents' house for dinner!

Amazing how long all this running around can really take. Oh and all that plywood, another $200. It's almost comical how all this stuff ads up. And you don't want to know how much I had already spent over at BJ's on baby stuff on Friday. (I had coupons.)

Sunday it rained and snowed all day - further delaying any outside activities. So we stayed in. Mike did a few odds and ends for me - installed the last outlet and switch in the baby's room as well as the smoke detector. Then he started in on the floor, first finishing up the final reinforcement beam downstairs. Once that was in, he nailed down the old subfloor. (Which had previously been just, you know, hanging out on the beams, not really nailed to anything. Maybe a few nails here and there just for luck or something.)

Once everything had been nailed down and feeling sturdy, he began installing the plywood.

And once again, the moment the afternoon hit, time just flew. Mike only had time to install a couple pieces before we had to go out to our friends' house for taco night. But all in all, a very progressive weekend.

I'm sure Mike is working on the subfloor again today if not the gutters. It really is much warmer out today, but I didn't feel like leaving him a to-do list after such a crazy weekend. I haven't gotten the dreaded call from the home owners insurance co anyway, although they did send me a letter stating that they were going to call to set up an appointment.

Joy.

And as for the decision on the hardwood - I still haven't made it yet. I have until the end of the day. I just don't know.

Blog Story

My now husband Mike and I purchased this quaint home back in spring of 2004 - our first home - and, being the handy folks we are, expected to have the entire thing renovated in about a year or so.

And here we still are... renovating away.

This house needed a complete overhaul. Its plaster walls were uninsulated, its attic floor covered in 2" of bat guano, its basement - dirt and snakes, its exterior - asbestos siding, and lead paint windows in every room. The electric had not been updated and light sockets hung bare from the ceiling. Plumbing featured cast iron radiators - and only one for the entire upstairs.

We began by gutting almost the entire house from top to bottom. (sans bathroom - we needed to pee) We rebuilt the entire upstairs, with a new floor (not new carpet or wood - the once unstable framing underneath) and turned 3 small rooms into two. We reinvented the downstairs by turning a closet into a hallway and eliminating interior exterior windows and doors from old half-assed additions.

New insulation, windows, electrical wiring (including phone and CAT-5 internet), plumbing and baseboards, and drywall were all added.

We purchased kitchen cabinets from a yard sale. (None existed previously.) Our families helped us replace and purchase new appliances including the once also missing washer & dryer.

Then we had the entire house lifted - straight into the air - dug out the dirt, and had a real basement foundation poured. We updated our oil tank and burner and created heating zones.

Outside, we took down trees and planted grass. We dug out an awkward hill to create a 2nd part to the driveway and used the rocks our house once sat on as a retaining wall. We electrified and repainted the garage.

And of course, we spent many an hour on finish work like paint, trim, closet doors, lighting fixtures, hardwood floors, curtain rods, dimmer switches, and many other things everyone else takes for granted. We are still working to complete all this final finishing, but happy to report that we are FINALLY nearing completion of all little things in all rooms!

In 2008 we began overhauling the exterior by creating a new french door entryway and building a farmer's porch and garage addition. We replaced our roof and then stripped off our siding and replaced with new clapboards. We then planted two new flowering trees and a maple in the front yard - our first major landscape purchases. I'm happy to report that here in 2011, the porch is nearing completion and the back yard is on the road to recovery with some new loam and grass. More plantings soon to come!

In 2012 we plan to attack the last MAJOR (emphasis on major) job in the house - the dreaded BATHROOM! We plan to first add a second bathroom in the basement. Then, demolish our current bathroom and rebuild it, adding a second bathroom on top for the upstairs.

And that pretty much brings you up to date. The battle continues day to day as we try and complete everything.

One Sixty

Change in the Forecast

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