The Final Countdown (or) Inspection Projection

Let me begin by apologizing for the erratic feel of this post. I've worked on so many bits and pieces over the last couple weeks, and hit on so many interesting things to share that it's hard to focus on just one. With that in mind...

I grew up in Kansas, about a mile outside the city limits. I learned how to do plumbing, roofing, put up drywall and siding, and generally how to fix and/or build a house from my dad; however, we never had to mess with any building permits. Being outside the city, we could do what we liked, for the most part. The most we ever had to deal with was reporting some of the larger modifications (like when we built a whole house as an addition to our existing house) for tax purposes. And even then, it was hardly anything formal. Living inside the city, however, I have to deal with permits and inspections; it's a whole new world, and it puts some remarkable constraints on what I can and can't do.

Headway (or) Decisions Through Injuries

Ok, so, it's been a really long time since I updated anything. Not that nothing has happened - far to the contrary! Lots of things have happened! However, one unfortunate occurrence is that the blogger app for my phone no longer seems to want to upload pictures. That means that I need to copy pictures that I take with my phone to my desktop to add them to a post. Which explains why this post that I started in July is only being posted now.

That out of the way, here's the bit from July:

This is the hottest part of the year, but I'm still pushing ahead with construction. I could be working more, but it's been 100 degrees outside, so forget that!
As noted in the title, I've made some serious headway, at least as far as construction is concerned.
Electrical: Finished, except for tying it into the main house wiring.
Sewage and sewage vents: the new bathroom is 100% complete, and the master bathroom has the major sewage pipes in. Huzzah!
Framing: exterior framing is 100% finished, and interior framing is done except for where I need to make holes in walls (such as the nook, or the bedroom-to-closet doorway).
Siding: In progress; of the seven sections, two are complete, one is nearly complete, and one is partially complete. The "hard spot" is one of the ones that I finished; the exterior door is in, and all the siding has been installed around it. Huzzah!

Progress! (or) Non-Livable Space

It's been over a year since I wrote anything here. That is a really long time, and I'm sorry that I haven't been able to get much done. There are all sorts of projects that have been left unfinished, but sometimes, life gets in the way.

That said, we've finally begun step one of The Big Project! As a planner, a dreamer, and a super-logical person, I have always had big plans, and this house is no exception. I have a huge spreadsheet with all sorts of bells and whistles that tells me what I should work on, what projects cost, and even how far I have to go before I am done with everything. It's a staggeringly huge project, overall. That's why I've chopped it into smaller pieces. For instance, the top-level plan includes "Finish Upstairs", which has the sub-task "Build Addition", which includes "Complete new bathroom", which includes "install toilet"... you get the idea. Well, up to now, I've been stuck with working on all those smaller pieces: making drawers, filling holes, that sort of thing. Today, however, I am pleased to show you the really, really big piece I've been working on.

Weekend Work

And what a weekend it was! My family - at least, my parents and two of my siblings - visited for the weekend, and I took advantage of their offer of help. Here are a few of the many things we accomplished:

The Playhouse

This is probably the biggest thing overall that was accomplished. Dad took the lead in this project, since he's the best at carpentry. I had previously purchased all the lumber we needed, and had assembled the basic supports. We cut all the cross boards, and set them in place; it turned out that I was three boards short in my calculations, so I had to go back for more lumber, but it all worked out. And look at how well it turned out!

Tile! Or: Small Projects Make Me Feel Like I Can Actually Finish Things!

I'm sure you are all looking forward to a "finished refrigerator shelf system," or a "finished siding" montage. But no! Instead, it's a brand NEW project!

A few weeks ago, I was discussing my plans for a corned of the kitchen - the laundry area, to be precise. I've always thought the area under a washer/dryer should be tiled; tile is hardy, sturdy, and washable. It doesn't scratch, and it doesn't bubble and warp when it gets wet. It's also a lot better looking than fake wood floors or linoleum. Anyway, I was discussing how I'd like to build a lovely tiled area back there. It made sense, because the eventual plan is to tile the kitchen with pennies, but there will be shelves across that wall, which means either we lay pennies on both sides, or we keep the fake wood. Or, we make it its own space, and tile it!

The best part of the whole plan is that it really isn't a lot of work. Friday, we removed the old flooring, down to the ancient tile I didn't realize was there.

Wood Floors

I love wood floors. I really do. Carpet can be soft and padded, and tile can be very beautiful, but wood is far more than that. It's smooth and comforting, warm and comfortable. The wood in my house is ancient, at least as far as my part of the world is concerned. It has been worn smooth by countless footsteps, all the edges softened and all the splinters worn away by the best sandpaper of all: human skin. Ok, that may seem a little disturbing, but if you think about it, it's true; the best violins have been caressed by human hands, the softest jeans are the ones that you've nearly worn through, and the most comfortable shoes in the world have been wrapped around your feet for years.

When carpet wears, it gets thin and gray. It gets used up. Tile doesn't really wear much; I suppose there are comfortable, worn paths in England or Italy, where those tiles were in use for thousands of years... but rock tends to be pretty stable. Wood, though, is soft. Even the hardest woods will be worn down over time. But, unlike carpet (or clothes), when it's worn, it's still just as functional. All those hands and feet and bottoms sliding over baseball bats, floors, and chairs smooth every bump to perfection.

Of Shelves and Structures

Recently, I've worked on a lot of little things, but nothing I can point at and say, "Look at this amazing finished project! I've made huge changes, but most of those changes are "make a bigger mess," rather than "make a smaller mess." Still, we have gotten a few things done, here and there. You will see a difference in my "to do" list - including some parts that were rather unexpected.

The biggest section that's been marked off my list is my security section; I wasn't planning on working on any of that for months, if not a year. However, I got a good deal on equipment, so I went ahead and installed it. I don't have all the automation in place that I will want, but the important pieces like window or door intrusion, and smoke/fire alarms, work just fine. I need to learn more about the system so I can hack in some of my own devices... but, that can wait.
Meanwhile, I've also been working on some hard-core remodeling. I've decided to tackle the Kitchen - a bit early, I know, but we are so low on kitchen storage that it just needed done. Plus, this is a "stand alone" improvement; unlike moving sinks, installing floors, or repainting all the things, all this required was making a huge mess.