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. 

The wooden ceiling begins

Been waiting for this since before I owned the house.

A three row repeating pattern. 

Looking good. Pictures of the final results to come very soon.

Let's build a wall and close in this room

The guy who was doing our ceiling foam insulation took FOREVER to show up, canceling three times before he finally showed up. Unfortunately, he waited just long enough to let the Inspector General go on vacation for twelve days. Not knowing we were going to have to wait, we had turned in our lease termination on the Beech Glen house. So that means we didn't have the option to just sit around and wait. I had wanted to wait until inspection to build the attic half-wall, but now it needed to be done. 

Some crazy angles and twisted turns, but it all worked out. Honestly, it's one of the most intensely satisfying things I've done on the house so far. 

Picking Paint

The Missus had a paint theme in mind, but there are still decisions to be made. Four samples from Sherwin Williams painted on a wall that will be hidden by wainscoting was the perfect way to see the colors in large swatches. 

Once a color was picked, she started in the laundry room with some coverup primer. She finished it with two coats of primer and a couple coats of paint all in two or three nights. 

Bathroom assembled

A couple weeks ago we borrowed our old friend Rusty for one last trip to Home Depot. 

But who needs a truck when you can strap plywood to the top of a Volkswagen. 

Almost done with the bathroom. Yep, it looks as good in person. 

Small chores equal big advances

There are lots of small, menial tasks that lead up to big changes. Most of our next couple weeks' work will be those little jobs. Tonight the Missus stripped wallpaper in the bathroom in prep for painting tomorrow. 

I added a couple more pieces of drywall. One more trip to Home Depot and we should have everything on sight to finish the house.

I also added the nailer boards for the half wall that will block off the attic. Small but important jobs.

In with the new, a piece of the old

We have to wait until Monday to give the Inspector a call, so today we spent some time plodding along with our list of tasks needed to move in. First up, a new mailbox. 

The other projects we filled the day with were centered around drywall. 

Whenever my Dad would work on a house or a kitchen, he would always leave something in a hidden location. It was usually his name and the date he did the work, but sometimes he would leave a note. When we starting working on the house I grew up in, he allowed me and my sisters to write notes on the drywall behind the brick hearth. And when I built kitchens with Dad, he allowed me to sign my own name on the cabinets I built and installed. It was a simple way to leave our mark on the world.

I've avoided talking about my Dad because this project has been emotional on more than one occasion. I carry a tape measure that bears the name of his Cabinet Factory etched into the face. His speed square is now mine and bears his initials, DES. I've used the finish hammer he had from before I have memories, and the red framing hammer he bought for me that matches the one he used for all my teenager years. His chisels, screwdrivers, nail guns, circular saw, table saw, utility knife, chalk line, and so many other tools have all done work on this house; not in his hands but in mine. 

Today my emotions bubbled to the surface. I was about to sign my name and the date on the back of a piece of drywall before I hung it, but then thoughts about my Dad starting flowing from my heart through the pen and ended up on the sheetrock. His old habit of leaving memories in the houses he worked on, had found it's way to a house I purchased five years after his death. Tears and more tears, and then more tears after that. It was long overdue. I miss you Dad. 

Time for some Bathroom work

Why exactly did I put insulation in that interior wall you may ask? Furthermore, why is it thicker than normal wall insulation? Both good questions. The answer is a simple one... I like to use the facilities in peace and quiet, so I added some soundproofing to the bathroom. Yep, I went there. 

Our tile guy finished up the bathroom today as well. The Missus is beyond happy. The vaulted ceiling and wood ceiling is my favorite part of the house; the Bathroom is hers. 

Too funny not to remember

Second item on the Director's list

The other thing the Director said we were required to do was add expanding-foam insulation to the exposed rafters. I had been hoping to use fiberglass batt insulation, I had even purchased it, but he said that wasn't enough to ensure the proper R-Factor rating of the house. So I was forced to go back to the original quote I collected when getting the mortgage. That also meant another almost one thousand dollar expense. Ugh.

First step was closing off the opening from the previous attic into the front porch rafters. Enter some old boards we had acquired years before with our friend's Andrew & Megan. A few funny notes scribbled on the boards for future owners, and up they went. 

This morning the insulation company finally showed up. I had gone to the house early in the morning and finished the wall insulation and added boards where the old attic vent had been. So when they showed up, I left.

We had a couple Food Tours in the afternoon. When they were done we jumped in the car and drove to the new house, eager to see the finished product. Checkmark the second and last item off the Director's list. I'll call him Monday morning and when he gives me the thumbs up, the real rebuild shall begin. One month to go until we move in.

First item on the Director's list

Some random pictures from the last few weeks...

Our friend Steve and the Missus working on some drywall:

My attempt at pushing the output of a small gauge extension cord and cheapo surge protector:

The first of two items on the Inspection Director's list of required repairs were upper jacks (support boards) on the new windows we put in the laundry room. In my inexperienced mind, I thought my cross timber was good enough, but it turns out I was missing the point of the board altogether which is to keep the top of the wall from sagging. I took out the old boards, cut off the 2x4 uprights, adding a new 2x6, and then adding a full 2x4 along the outside. Last step was a few mini supports above the 2x6, and the replacing the insulation. 

After getting pictures of the new jacks to send the Director, I set to work on that pesky termite wall from the very first day of demo. I built up the supports on both sides of the door from the kitchen into the laundry room, added jacks on both side of the door utilizing the old doorway 2x4's, and then put in the new header. One new doorway complete.

A pizza dinner on the porch in between jobs is how we roll. Every job complete is one step closer to being done and moving into our new house.

Staining like a boss

During the couple weeks of mental anguish trying to figure out how to deal with the notes left by the angry Inspector, one evening the Missus and I finished the hardwood floor in the kitchen with some donated pieces of oak flooring. When done we drove over to our friends Chris & Sarah's house to drop off the flooring nail gun, and they took us upstairs to show us a door they made in their future baby's bedroom. The color of the stain caught our eye.

A couple days before, the Missus and I had purchased seven different colors of stain trying to figure out what we wanted to do with the ceiling boards. We tried all seven colors on the same board, not completely happy with any of them. So when we saw the stain on the door in our friend's house, it immediately caught our eye. They sent us home with a sample, along with a rough recipe.

After some tweaking of the original recipe, we settled on our color. It was a great feeling. Our friend Steve made a road trip to stay with us for a few days, and the three of us stained one hundred boards and set them all to dry, all within an hour or so of work. An awesome day.