House 1 kitchen floor ; house 2 replacement windows and tub surround
(posted from home)
(This post covers 26 November to 8 December, 2010)
----------------------------------
Wednesday, 8 December -
We had planned to go home yesterday but since Orat's sticking around today we decided to move our 'weekend' back a day. While Orat and I installed the new tub surround (in house 2), Labashi continued her painting project in the bedrooms. She painted two of the ceilings yesterday and they look great. One odd thing, though... the ceiling in the middle bedroom shows an odd square-shaped pattern when the ceiling light is on. This apparently comes from the oblique lighting from the light fixture washing across the less-than-perfect plaster surface. We will have to change the light fixture to minimize that effect since it makes the ceiling look like it hadn't been painted properly.
Orat and I again used the 'Tuff and EZ Sturdifit' tub surround from Home Depot. This five-part surround is much thicker than other surrounds. The material is a quarter-inch thick while that of most other surrounds is less than an eighth of an inch, making the molded-in components fragile and prone to damage. The el-cheapo versions are less than a $100 while the Sturdifit costs $187.
We did have a problem with the installation. The walls are not even so we had some lifting of the corner panels off the adhesive. Orat made up braces to the opposite wall of the bathroom to ensure these two spots are pressed into the adhesive well until it has fully set.
We also had a problem with the tops of the panels not matching well enough due to the less-than-perfect walls. I'll have to make up some trim from vinyl stock to hide the mismatches. But that's not a bad thing. The top of the unit is a bit plain anyway so adding a bit of trim along the top edge will make it look better (if I do it right!).
We worked until 1300, then Orat departed for his five-hour drive home and we headed for York Haven. That evening we watched all five episodes of the latest 'Entourage' DVD from Netflix.
----------------------------------
Tuesday, 7 December-
Today Orat and I worked all day preparing the bath area for the new tub surround. The old shower assembly was a surface-mount unit which featured an incredibly-ugly look with flimsy construction and leaky connections. So that not only had to go, but Orat demonstrated his master-plumber skills installing the new plumbing for the tub controls and new shower and the gate-valves for the supply lines.
That afternoon we installed the new drywall and used plaster-patch to patch up the defects in the plaster wall and cover the seam lines.
Labashi finished up the patching in two of the three bedrooms and painted their ceilings.
That evening Maypo joined the three of us at Tito's for supper. LOVE the horchata and the flan!
----------------------------------
Monday, 6 December-
More Cburg. I finished up the cladding of the picture window and front door this morning while Orat installed the new fir six-light back door and its threshold. Labashi has been patching the many, many holes in the plaster walls of the three bedrooms for the last couple of days.
That afternoon we ripped out the old tub surround and I began the not-fun task of removing the old adhesive from the wall. We used the sawzall to cut into the wall to remove the crumbling plaster so we can install new drywall for an 18-inch height up the wide wall and 26-inch height up the fixture wall.
That evening we met Maypo for supper at the Norland Pub, then went to Lowe's for drywall and plumbing fixtures. We also bought tile to finish out the trim on the house 1 tub surround and quarter-round to trim the sides of the replacement windows in house 2. Oh, yeah...and a tub drain assembly and threshold.
---------------------------------
Sunday, 5 December-
Another work day. I sanded the flooring leveller first thing this morning and cleaned the floor in preparation for gluing down the vinyl. The actual gluing wasn't bad at all and we had our new floor in place by mid-morning.
We then turned our attention to house #2. Maypo and Orat installed the new replacement windows while I worked outside (in 38 degree temps and wind) on the aluminum cladding around the front door and the picture window. Maypo helped me fit the intricate sill cover for the picture window.
By day's end all the replacement windows were in place. We still have some trim work and caulking to do but all in all it was a very productive day.
We again had supper at Maypo's. Fantastic ribs!
----------------------------------
Saturday, 4 December-
This morning we drove to Chambersburg yet again for a weekend work session. Orat is coming down and Maypo is working with us.
I first made a run out to Sam's Flooring in St. Thomas for flooring supplies-- adhesive, threshold, and five sheets of lauan plywood. Part of our quandry was deciding how best to re-cover the kitchen floor and Sam's once again provided good how-to advice. I also like their adhesive much better since we can put it down wet rather than have to wait for it to tack up before putting down the vinyl.
We spent the afternoon putting down the lauan and then covering the joints with leveller.
That even we had dinner at Maypo's.
----------------------------------
Friday, 3 December -
Today I finally had a chance to get out on the motorcycle. I took the Concours into town to the Tollgate Starbucks, hoping to read the paper and relax, then ride a bit more. Unfortunately, I forgot my wallet. I was just walking into the Starbucks when I realized I had no money. I ended up just suiting up again and heading home. Rats!
I spent the rest of the afternoon on the Web, looking up info for our work session this weekend and helping Labashi get started as an Ebay seller. By day's end she had posted her first item for sale.
-----------------------------------
Thursday, 2 December-
Today was supposed to be a day off from work for us but we spent much of it rounding up supplies for this weekend's work session in Chambersburg. We bought the 10 x 14 roll of vinyl flooring for house #1 and while we were there (at Home Depot), we bought the tub and shower surround for house #2.
I also looked for embossing leveller and vinyl floor adhesive but again didn't like the available options.
That evening we had supper at the Hillside and then watched four episodes of 'Entourage- Season Two'.
-----------------------------------
Wednesday, 1 December-
Today we installed the one-row tile backsplash behind the kitchen counter. We used a construction adhesive rather than a thinset mortar because we were attaching the tile to a Formica surface.
Last night was a very rainy night so we checked the basements of both houses. The first house was fine but the second had some water intrusion along the walls and into the sump pump. I also noticed a drip from the bathroom vent pipe and followed that to the attic. It appears we have a small roof leak around the vent pipe.
That afternoon we went to Lowe's and bought interior paint for the second house. I also wanted to buy adhesive for the vinyl sheet flooring for the kitchen but didn't like the options. We had been planning to just pick up the paint and continue on home but decided we'd better drop off the paint at the heated house rather than leave it in the van to freeze overnight.
That evening at home we watched 'The Cove', an excellent documentary about the slaughter of dolphins in Japan.
------------------------------------
Tuesday, 30 November-
Still in Chambersburg today. This morning Labashi continued cleaning the basement kitchen as I worked to attach the new countertop to its base cabinets in the main-floor kitchen. I had some problems with the countertop not sitting completely level and we had to pull it out so I could make some minor adjustments with the block plane.
That afternoon we laid out the tile for the backsplash and were ready to start when I decided I had better call the manufacturer of the adhesive I was planning to use. I learned it's not the best choice so dashed off to pick up two tubes of the other stuff.
In reading the directions to the new adhesive, I saw I needed to sand the glossy surface of the Formica we're going on the old backsplash before proceeding. I wasn't careful enough in my sanding and strayed too high, forcing a re-painting of the surface. Installing the tile will have to wait until tomorrow.
We turned our attention to the bathroom. We brought in the toilet from its storage place outside, cleaned it up, and installed it using a new wax ring. Labashi then went back to cleaning downstairs and I re-hung the bathroom door and the towel and TP holder.
We had supper at Quiznos (LOVE the Baja Chicken sandwich!), then went on to Lowe's. We bought a few supplies and a 9-light exterior door for the back of the second house. Hopefully Orat can install that door this weekend if the weather cooperates.
-----------------------------------
Monday, 29 November-
Today we drove Mocha Joe back to Chambersburg to get back to work on the houses. I spent an inordinate amount of time trimming pieces of wooden paint-stir sticks to fit precisely under a section of the kitchen counter. We had had to cut the countertop quite dramatically to fit, leaving the section behind the sink vulnerable. It is only an inch wide and of course is made of pressed-wood covered with laminate so it doesn't have much stiffness. The wood pieces I cut today will provide proper support to this section.
Once I had that done and Labashi gave the backsplash wall another coat of pigmented shellac we were ready for tile. But we don't have it yet. After lunch we drove to the Hagerstown Home Depot for the backsplash tile and to look for a few more items. We need a new exterior door slab for the back door on house #2 and we need a storm window for the picture window on house #1. We struck out on both.
We didn't get back to the house until nearly 1700. I finished a small job of installing the shower flange (it required cutting a custom spacer) while Labashi made supper. Afterwards I walked up to Maypo's house to talk about fastening down the countertop while Labashi turned her attention to cleaning up the kitchen-unit in the basement bar.
Maypo and I worked on a network speed problem he has been having since moving into the new house until well past 2100 and Labashi worked even later on the house, cleaning up the kitchen area in the basement.
---------------------------------
Sunday, 28 November-
I was up very early this morning-- around 0430--- and couldn't get back to sleep for a couple of hours. But that just led me to sleep in till 0830.
We had breakfast with our guests (Labashi's sister, her husband, and their son) and then said a fond goodbye mid-morning.
Labashi went shopping for a range to replace our damaged one. I wanted a motorcycle ride today so thought I'd join her. I found her at Sears and we checked out several models without coming to a conclusion.
We then split and I rode the Concours down to the Tollgate Starbucks for a coffee and the papers while she went on to Home Depot. I was convinced Home Depot didn't have anything because of my searches on the web yesterday but sure enough she found one. And it was on a Black-Friday-weekend sale. We ordered it that evening.
That evening we started watching 'The Botany of Desire' on Netflix Instant but both of us started falling asleep part-way through so we abandoned until later.
-------------------------------
Saturday, 27 November -
I spent the morning on the web, researching high-definition videos made by the latest versions of digital single-lens reflex cameras. I'm amazed at some of the results, particularly from the Canon 5D Mark 2.
That afternoon we had visitors. Labashi's sister and family from the Northern Virginia area had visited Mom and Dad today in Mechanicsburg, and then came to stay with us overnight. We shared good pizza from Two Brothers and spent the evening chatting, mostly about the 13-year-old's school. He's enrolled in a program which, with the parents permission, segragates the boys and the girls for all 'core' classes. We were very interested to learn how this program is working and it appears to be doing quite well.
------------------------------
Friday, 26 November-
I spent much of today researching electric ranges. I bought a one-month subscription to Consumer Reports and began reading everything I could find about ranges and which of them are available from local sources. The top brands from a reliability standpoint are Hotpoint, GE, and Westinghouse so I was matching up features and colors to the Consumer Reports reviews. Naturally, the reviews are crippled by the manufacturer's rapid model-number changes. You can find a CR recommendation for the model with the features you want but chances are that model won't be available from the local stores you'd like to buy from. I was also frustrated with CR's poor search engine. I'd search for a model number and get a no-find only to later find that same model on the Consumer Reports web site via a Google search. No wonder Google rules.
That evening we watched a Netflix Instant documentary about Jean-Baptiste Basquiat.
******** END OF POST ************
(posted from home)
(This post covers 26 November to 8 December, 2010)
----------------------------------
Wednesday, 8 December -
We had planned to go home yesterday but since Orat's sticking around today we decided to move our 'weekend' back a day. While Orat and I installed the new tub surround (in house 2), Labashi continued her painting project in the bedrooms. She painted two of the ceilings yesterday and they look great. One odd thing, though... the ceiling in the middle bedroom shows an odd square-shaped pattern when the ceiling light is on. This apparently comes from the oblique lighting from the light fixture washing across the less-than-perfect plaster surface. We will have to change the light fixture to minimize that effect since it makes the ceiling look like it hadn't been painted properly.
Orat and I again used the 'Tuff and EZ Sturdifit' tub surround from Home Depot. This five-part surround is much thicker than other surrounds. The material is a quarter-inch thick while that of most other surrounds is less than an eighth of an inch, making the molded-in components fragile and prone to damage. The el-cheapo versions are less than a $100 while the Sturdifit costs $187.
We did have a problem with the installation. The walls are not even so we had some lifting of the corner panels off the adhesive. Orat made up braces to the opposite wall of the bathroom to ensure these two spots are pressed into the adhesive well until it has fully set.
We also had a problem with the tops of the panels not matching well enough due to the less-than-perfect walls. I'll have to make up some trim from vinyl stock to hide the mismatches. But that's not a bad thing. The top of the unit is a bit plain anyway so adding a bit of trim along the top edge will make it look better (if I do it right!).
We worked until 1300, then Orat departed for his five-hour drive home and we headed for York Haven. That evening we watched all five episodes of the latest 'Entourage' DVD from Netflix.
----------------------------------
Tuesday, 7 December-
Today Orat and I worked all day preparing the bath area for the new tub surround. The old shower assembly was a surface-mount unit which featured an incredibly-ugly look with flimsy construction and leaky connections. So that not only had to go, but Orat demonstrated his master-plumber skills installing the new plumbing for the tub controls and new shower and the gate-valves for the supply lines.
That afternoon we installed the new drywall and used plaster-patch to patch up the defects in the plaster wall and cover the seam lines.
Labashi finished up the patching in two of the three bedrooms and painted their ceilings.
That evening Maypo joined the three of us at Tito's for supper. LOVE the horchata and the flan!
----------------------------------
Monday, 6 December-
More Cburg. I finished up the cladding of the picture window and front door this morning while Orat installed the new fir six-light back door and its threshold. Labashi has been patching the many, many holes in the plaster walls of the three bedrooms for the last couple of days.
That afternoon we ripped out the old tub surround and I began the not-fun task of removing the old adhesive from the wall. We used the sawzall to cut into the wall to remove the crumbling plaster so we can install new drywall for an 18-inch height up the wide wall and 26-inch height up the fixture wall.
That evening we met Maypo for supper at the Norland Pub, then went to Lowe's for drywall and plumbing fixtures. We also bought tile to finish out the trim on the house 1 tub surround and quarter-round to trim the sides of the replacement windows in house 2. Oh, yeah...and a tub drain assembly and threshold.
---------------------------------
Sunday, 5 December-
Another work day. I sanded the flooring leveller first thing this morning and cleaned the floor in preparation for gluing down the vinyl. The actual gluing wasn't bad at all and we had our new floor in place by mid-morning.
We then turned our attention to house #2. Maypo and Orat installed the new replacement windows while I worked outside (in 38 degree temps and wind) on the aluminum cladding around the front door and the picture window. Maypo helped me fit the intricate sill cover for the picture window.
By day's end all the replacement windows were in place. We still have some trim work and caulking to do but all in all it was a very productive day.
We again had supper at Maypo's. Fantastic ribs!
----------------------------------
Saturday, 4 December-
This morning we drove to Chambersburg yet again for a weekend work session. Orat is coming down and Maypo is working with us.
I first made a run out to Sam's Flooring in St. Thomas for flooring supplies-- adhesive, threshold, and five sheets of lauan plywood. Part of our quandry was deciding how best to re-cover the kitchen floor and Sam's once again provided good how-to advice. I also like their adhesive much better since we can put it down wet rather than have to wait for it to tack up before putting down the vinyl.
We spent the afternoon putting down the lauan and then covering the joints with leveller.
That even we had dinner at Maypo's.
----------------------------------
Friday, 3 December -
Today I finally had a chance to get out on the motorcycle. I took the Concours into town to the Tollgate Starbucks, hoping to read the paper and relax, then ride a bit more. Unfortunately, I forgot my wallet. I was just walking into the Starbucks when I realized I had no money. I ended up just suiting up again and heading home. Rats!
I spent the rest of the afternoon on the Web, looking up info for our work session this weekend and helping Labashi get started as an Ebay seller. By day's end she had posted her first item for sale.
-----------------------------------
Thursday, 2 December-
Today was supposed to be a day off from work for us but we spent much of it rounding up supplies for this weekend's work session in Chambersburg. We bought the 10 x 14 roll of vinyl flooring for house #1 and while we were there (at Home Depot), we bought the tub and shower surround for house #2.
I also looked for embossing leveller and vinyl floor adhesive but again didn't like the available options.
That evening we had supper at the Hillside and then watched four episodes of 'Entourage- Season Two'.
-----------------------------------
Wednesday, 1 December-
Today we installed the one-row tile backsplash behind the kitchen counter. We used a construction adhesive rather than a thinset mortar because we were attaching the tile to a Formica surface.
Last night was a very rainy night so we checked the basements of both houses. The first house was fine but the second had some water intrusion along the walls and into the sump pump. I also noticed a drip from the bathroom vent pipe and followed that to the attic. It appears we have a small roof leak around the vent pipe.
That afternoon we went to Lowe's and bought interior paint for the second house. I also wanted to buy adhesive for the vinyl sheet flooring for the kitchen but didn't like the options. We had been planning to just pick up the paint and continue on home but decided we'd better drop off the paint at the heated house rather than leave it in the van to freeze overnight.
That evening at home we watched 'The Cove', an excellent documentary about the slaughter of dolphins in Japan.
------------------------------------
Tuesday, 30 November-
Still in Chambersburg today. This morning Labashi continued cleaning the basement kitchen as I worked to attach the new countertop to its base cabinets in the main-floor kitchen. I had some problems with the countertop not sitting completely level and we had to pull it out so I could make some minor adjustments with the block plane.
That afternoon we laid out the tile for the backsplash and were ready to start when I decided I had better call the manufacturer of the adhesive I was planning to use. I learned it's not the best choice so dashed off to pick up two tubes of the other stuff.
In reading the directions to the new adhesive, I saw I needed to sand the glossy surface of the Formica we're going on the old backsplash before proceeding. I wasn't careful enough in my sanding and strayed too high, forcing a re-painting of the surface. Installing the tile will have to wait until tomorrow.
We turned our attention to the bathroom. We brought in the toilet from its storage place outside, cleaned it up, and installed it using a new wax ring. Labashi then went back to cleaning downstairs and I re-hung the bathroom door and the towel and TP holder.
We had supper at Quiznos (LOVE the Baja Chicken sandwich!), then went on to Lowe's. We bought a few supplies and a 9-light exterior door for the back of the second house. Hopefully Orat can install that door this weekend if the weather cooperates.
-----------------------------------
Monday, 29 November-
Today we drove Mocha Joe back to Chambersburg to get back to work on the houses. I spent an inordinate amount of time trimming pieces of wooden paint-stir sticks to fit precisely under a section of the kitchen counter. We had had to cut the countertop quite dramatically to fit, leaving the section behind the sink vulnerable. It is only an inch wide and of course is made of pressed-wood covered with laminate so it doesn't have much stiffness. The wood pieces I cut today will provide proper support to this section.
Once I had that done and Labashi gave the backsplash wall another coat of pigmented shellac we were ready for tile. But we don't have it yet. After lunch we drove to the Hagerstown Home Depot for the backsplash tile and to look for a few more items. We need a new exterior door slab for the back door on house #2 and we need a storm window for the picture window on house #1. We struck out on both.
We didn't get back to the house until nearly 1700. I finished a small job of installing the shower flange (it required cutting a custom spacer) while Labashi made supper. Afterwards I walked up to Maypo's house to talk about fastening down the countertop while Labashi turned her attention to cleaning up the kitchen-unit in the basement bar.
Maypo and I worked on a network speed problem he has been having since moving into the new house until well past 2100 and Labashi worked even later on the house, cleaning up the kitchen area in the basement.
---------------------------------
Sunday, 28 November-
I was up very early this morning-- around 0430--- and couldn't get back to sleep for a couple of hours. But that just led me to sleep in till 0830.
We had breakfast with our guests (Labashi's sister, her husband, and their son) and then said a fond goodbye mid-morning.
Labashi went shopping for a range to replace our damaged one. I wanted a motorcycle ride today so thought I'd join her. I found her at Sears and we checked out several models without coming to a conclusion.
We then split and I rode the Concours down to the Tollgate Starbucks for a coffee and the papers while she went on to Home Depot. I was convinced Home Depot didn't have anything because of my searches on the web yesterday but sure enough she found one. And it was on a Black-Friday-weekend sale. We ordered it that evening.
That evening we started watching 'The Botany of Desire' on Netflix Instant but both of us started falling asleep part-way through so we abandoned until later.
-------------------------------
Saturday, 27 November -
I spent the morning on the web, researching high-definition videos made by the latest versions of digital single-lens reflex cameras. I'm amazed at some of the results, particularly from the Canon 5D Mark 2.
That afternoon we had visitors. Labashi's sister and family from the Northern Virginia area had visited Mom and Dad today in Mechanicsburg, and then came to stay with us overnight. We shared good pizza from Two Brothers and spent the evening chatting, mostly about the 13-year-old's school. He's enrolled in a program which, with the parents permission, segragates the boys and the girls for all 'core' classes. We were very interested to learn how this program is working and it appears to be doing quite well.
------------------------------
Friday, 26 November-
I spent much of today researching electric ranges. I bought a one-month subscription to Consumer Reports and began reading everything I could find about ranges and which of them are available from local sources. The top brands from a reliability standpoint are Hotpoint, GE, and Westinghouse so I was matching up features and colors to the Consumer Reports reviews. Naturally, the reviews are crippled by the manufacturer's rapid model-number changes. You can find a CR recommendation for the model with the features you want but chances are that model won't be available from the local stores you'd like to buy from. I was also frustrated with CR's poor search engine. I'd search for a model number and get a no-find only to later find that same model on the Consumer Reports web site via a Google search. No wonder Google rules.
That evening we watched a Netflix Instant documentary about Jean-Baptiste Basquiat.
******** END OF POST ************
posted by Bezabor&Labashi | 23:59
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