The day was cool and blustery, finishing with rain. A kind of day I used to call an “Eagle Harbor day.” Eagle Harbor, Mich., on Lake Superior where I summered as a kid at my grandparents’ house and where my parents and uncle still have summer homes (though my parents are selling theirs). An Eagle …
A tale of two days. Sunday’s “day of rest,” and our gentle efforts with insulation. Monday’s return to hardcore demolition and construction. First, the back wall of the kitchen: And the upstairs half-bath: There’s lots more we can do as the outside weatherproofing is completed. But we also need to put up the lower half …
Another thing I left out from Thursday’s report was the delivery midday of the building supplies I’d ordered in anticipation of being ready to proceed with interior projects. 56 sheetrock panels, 45 2x4s, 5 6×6’s, assorted long pressure-treated beams, a bunch of strapping, a pallet of insulation, and a potpourri of 3/4″ pine stock in …
First things first: Remember, dear reader, where we left off yesterday? This was the scene: Where rotted holes had gaped just hours before, nearly complete replacement siding was rising from the foundation to envelop the front of the house. This is the scene tonight: Reid and I knocked out the remaining rot from the second-floor …
Morning dawned demolishment. Reid (unseen) smashing a sledge at the rotted siding from the inside. Midmorning, and all the siding is gone; starting from the northwest corner, the rotted studs are replaced and the new kitchen window is roughed in. The unconventional framing below the window allowed us to not tamper with the existing electrical …
So, we did some things. My wonderful sister Susan and her lovely husband Ric (and their beautifully trained dog Nick) visited yesterday, really just a flyby, but we were so very grateful that they were willing and able to take the time from their Maine vacation pergrinations to check out our adventure in the woods. …
When we decided to take down the inside staircase (poor stunted irregular thing) in favor of the “outside” or porch staircase, we also necessarily committed ourselves to winterizing the porch, not just “some day,” but before this winter. I however was a bit slow on the uptake and didn’t fully recognize the need to properly …
Weekend Among other things, we got a fence up around our baby vegetable garden: The peas are extremely happy and we expect to harvest a bunch tomorrow in order to spur continuing crops. Even at half-size the peas and even the pods are so sweet and delicious right off the vine. We also have three …
Some of you asked for a diagram: The challenge and a photo are in yesterday’s post.
Project du jour: Continue on the bathroom. Goal: Finish with the tub in position, leveled and test-fit, ready for plumber next week. Steps: Vacuum and sweep obsessively. Cut and install rock wool (Roxul) insulation. Pad where necessary with 1-1/2″ styrofoam panel insulation. Call electrician for advice on how to handle existing wires. Measure, cut, and …