The cabinets are in!

Around the second month after we owned the Beacon Fixer Upper, we had figured out how we were going to do the kitchen. About a week after that, all the cabinets arrived and were sitting sat in storage just waiting for us. A couple weeks before our final deadline to move, I called off work and installed all the cabinets as a surprise for the Missus. It was such a grand sight to see them all set up and ready for countertops. Those last couple weeks saw one major project after another completed almost every day. This was one of the big ones. 

Kitchen Cabinet amendment

One of the missing components the previous owners of this house never had, was heating ventilation into the laundry room. If you remember, this was the room annihilated by termites, and had to be completely rebuilt from the ground up. So while we were working on that, we cut a vent into the room and had our HVAC contractor run ductwork. Since the floor is concrete in that room, he ran it through the wall. With that wall being the back of the kitchen, I cut out the back of the cabinet to accept the ductwork and reinforced the floor with spare shelf wood. 

Like a glove.

Moving Update

I know many of you have been waiting for the promised pictures of the completed ceiling, the floor, the drywall & paint, the kitchen, and more, and I do promise to get those pictures up soon. Last week was a crazy week for us which left very little time for more than a quick FaceBook or Instagram post here and there. Our apologies for the followers who keep checking in, but you'll probably have to wait another week or two. Here's an update on the move and why we won't be posting much for a few weeks...

Our electrician came on Monday April 26th to finish the final touches on the electrical work. He hooked up sockets and switches, ran wiring for the HVAC system, installed lights and receptacles on the front and back porches, and then set about testing everything individually. What I can imagine he expected to take only a day to accomplish, for many reasons ended up taking four days. But by Thursday afternoon he had wrapped everything up and cut the old power to the house in anticipation of a passing inspection and the hookup of our brand new electrical system the next day.

The Buncombe County inspector came out Friday morning for the final electrical inspection. Everything inside the house checked out A-Okay. Everything outside was also good to go. But when he started to do the HVAC inspection, he found that the outdoor HVAC unit was run with a 30 amp breaker instead of a 25 amp breaker. With a quick flick of his wrist, the inspector failed the whole house. And just like that, all of our hard work and anticipation and planning flew away in the breeze. Just like that, our move into our new house had been halted. At that moment, all of our hard work was for nothing.

A few phone calls and Alli had found us temporary housing, but that did very little to lesson the punch-in-the-gut feeling that now hung over our heads.

Our church family and other friends showed up in force Saturday morning and moved all of our belongings from Beech Glen to Beacon. Sunday afternoon the Missus and I scrubbed and swept and dusted the old house and took all the remaining items out, closing a five year chapter of our lives. It was a quick and busy couple days, but fairly depressing that it hadn't gone as planned.

When we are finally able to get into the house, I'll update everything and share as many pictures as I can. Thanks for following; we'll be back soon.

Oiling the floors

A month into our project, our friend Chris from Balsam Designs told us about a new flooring technique called, "Oiling" versus stain and poly. The name of the product is Rubio Monocoat, which is a non-toxic covering developed in Belgium. It's more expensive, but goes on in one coat and is buffed in versus brushed on. It creates a sealed floor that is one hundred times better than older, so-called traditional processes. Our friend Ryan came over and gave us the quick 101 on how to get started.

Here's a sneak peak during the process, but you'll have to wait for the final pictures until tomorrow when we go to check it out. 

The Kitchen walls

I forgot to add these pictures last week. Our friend Matt was volunteered by his wife to come help us, and up went the wainscoting on the sink wall. 

Drywall dust every-stinking-where

The Missus is going to punch me for sharing this photo, but the dust on her behind was too good to pass up.

For four straight days she sanded this part and that part, intermixing more mud and joints and detail in between. And holy frijole, that shiznit gets everywhere. So, so, so very annoying. 

But after all that work, late Friday night April 21st we finished drywalling for good. The next afternoon we were going to start finishing the floors, so all that dust had to be completely removed. First a broom, then a shop vac, then a vacuum, followed by the a microfiber dry dusting, then a tac cloth over every floor surface, and finally a microfiber wet wash. Lots and lots of work, but it's all going to be worth it. 

The ceiling above, the floor below

We rented a large orbital sander to take off the sixty-plus years of dirt and grime and that terrible burnt black spot in the living room. Our friend Dave spent four hours running the machine by himself while I led a food tour on a Saturday afternoon. That man is my hero.

And now down into holes and corners for finish it all up.