Tag: install

More Doors from Mordor

Published on by Our Humble Abode7 Comments

Okay, the doors didn’t really come from fictitious Lord of the Rings Mordor.  What doors am I talking about?  Two new garage doors.  Our old garage doors were dented, bent, and blue.  Not to mention, they were terribly insulated.  Because the garage is a tuck under, it’s also heated and cooled.  So insulating the space as tightly as possible should save us some money on our monthly heating and cooling bill.

And, I’m pretty sure someone hit each with a car on several occasions, and it wasn’t us.  Basically, the doors had seen better days.  Before getting pricing, I had my eye on a modern style carriage door.  A local garage door company came out and gave us quotes on various door styles.  This style would cost about $1,550 per door, including installation.  Ouch.

Then Ben heard it wasn’t as well insulated at the standard raised panel door.  So it came down to price, efficiency, and the fact that our doors aren’t easily visible from the road.  And the raised panel style won in all departments at $1,650 for both doors, installed.  Two installers came here yesterday to get the job done in a few hours.  Behold, our new, white, well insulated doors.

Sure the doors look better, but we’ve got a lot of exterior work to make those shiny new doors fit in.

But, they’re not dented and that’s what counts.  Haha.  New weather-stripping should help keep mice out of the house, too.

Oh yes, we’ve had a few mice already.  This shouldn’t come as a shock considering the location, but it still grossed me out.  We’ve already caught two (while nibbling our bananas!) and if there were more, they seem to have left.  Ahh, the life of a DIY blogger is glamorous.  Wink.

I’d never really given garage door styles much thought before this.  What about you; do you have a preference?  Or just prefer something functional, regardless of the look?

Nailed It

Published on by Our Humble Abode9 Comments

Well, almost nailed it.  Guess what?  We’re thisclose to finishing the main bathroom.  Over the weekend, Ben put up most of the trim.  Then he ran out.  Of course I couldn’t wait, so I filled holes and caulked all the seams I could.  It’s looking a little rough, but we’re getting there.

But nothing is ever simple with us.  That plan we had talked about a few months ago must have been forgotten, thus causing an argument or two.  First off, the door trim.  Ben cut a piece of the casement for the top, but it looked wimpy, and I insisted suggested he beef it up to five inches.  (That’s what she said.)

While annoyed, he must have agreed because he didn’t protest.  The toilet nook (doesn’t that sound cozy) was easy to agree on.

However, the vanity area had many issues.  For starters, Ben forgot that I wanted false drawers on the front of the vanity.  Sure, we could cover it with a flat piece, but I think it needs some more character and bling.  Good grief, I want to use pretty drawer pulls.

Until Ben decides he wants to work on that, we’ve still got this going on.

He cut a piece of trim to go along the side of the counter top, and I’m just not feeling it.  Just too bulky.

And I really don’t like the way the end looks against the linen closet.

Most likely we’ll add 1/4 inch thick by 3 inch wide trim instead to make a border around the closet end.  Because the walls aren’t perfectly straight, we’ve got a gap to fill at the back of the closet.

Basically, the visible side of the linen closet will have shaker style details similar to the kitchen cabinets we built for our first house.  And faux drawers to match, please.  Then we still have to cut thin strips to cap off the chair rail.

To cap it off, we’ll add crown molding, which I still have to find.  Something simple with a little bit of detail would be great.

Gotta sand down the filled areas to get ready for priming and painting.  Perhaps between scraping wallpaper off I’ll find some time.

I know Ben gets annoyed, but I’m fairly certain he likes the results, despite my uncanny ability to request changes.  Hey, I have a vision and I’m not good at compromising.  Haha.

What differences do you and your spouse have about projects?  Did you get a project almost done over the weekend?

A {New} Roof Over Our Heads

Published on by Our Humble Abode15 Comments

Almost two months after starting the process, Ben and Handy Sammy have finished the roof.  Whew, that’s a relief.  It was a long, hot, sweaty process and I know we’re all thankful to have it behind us.  Take a look back at what we started with:

Cedar shakes and an odd solar panel hut which caused the roof to leak.  Not a good look.  I won’t get into the whole re-roofing process (partly because I don’t know every step of it, fortunately Ben does) but it took a lot of time and effort.  Working on the house part was easier, but the eight skylights in the pool room caused a few headaches.  For the two larger skylights, Ben and Sammy had to build their own step flashing.  Boo to that.  So here they are, on their last day of roofing.

In the home stretch, the boys had high spirits, striking Olympic athlete poses in the process.

Back off, ladies.  He’s all mine.  Haha.  But here’s the roof now, looking sleek and finished.

After talking with his roofing supply friend, Ben decided to use Pabco Premier architectural shingles in Pewter Gray.

A new ridge vent allows maximum attic ventilation without ugly vent holes.  Not that it matters much, because most of the roof isn’t visible unless you’ve climbed up our back yard…

The house looks sleek and modern.  Ben plans to paint the vent pipes to blend with the roof, too.

Next up, digging up the back yard to prepare for new windows and siding.  Windows are on order and should arrive in about two weeks.  Can’t wait to get that party started.

What projects have you just wrapped up?  Something outside, like a roof?  Landscaping?  Let’s celebrate our newly finished projects.

You Light Up My Life

Published on by Our Humble Abode4 Comments

Over the weekend, we enjoyed windy, gloomy weather.  No work on the roof, but Ben did some work inside.  On Saturday, we ran our usual errands, Ben washed windows, and cut the left over slab of Bubinga to fit the entertainment center.  Sunday, we had high temps in the 60’s, so we took a trip to Home Depot to get various electrical supplies.  Cooler days are better for attic work and we took advantage of it.  First, Ben ran wires for the theater speakers.

Speakers will flank the front living room window for a true theater-like experience.  The wires run from the outside wall, through the attic, and down the wall behind the entertainment center.

While he was up there, he moved the cable from the temporary place to the same box behind the tv.

Though unfinished, that is better than this:

You may have noticed the sconces are gone, too.  Ben pulled the wires completely out because we’ll never have sconces there.  Now we’ve got patching to do.

That’s all great, but I was most excited for the pendants in the main bathroom.  While painting the small linen closet, I realized just how dark that bathroom was.

Step out of the dark ages, we have created light!  Finding lights Ben and I could agree on wasn’t the easiest part of this bathroom reno.

We knew we wanted chrome pendants with hidden bulbs.  Of course the options are nearly limitless, but we also wanted something around the $50 or less price point.  One of our original choices were industrial chrome pendants for $48 each from Lowes.  Currently, the bathroom doesn’t have a ray of natural light.  We will add a Sky Tube, but Ben and I worried the downward direction of the lights wouldn’t fill up the bathroom.

Luckily, using only one rod kept the pendants high enough, giving off more light than I thought.

And we love the look.

The style of this pendant is very similar to this one from Home Depot.  Twenty dollars less each, and I like the style of the Lowes option better.

We’ve got some trim installed, but more to do.  Then filling, sanding, priming, and painting.  And grouting the tub, installing the toilet, getting the sink functional, adding functional items like hooks and such.  But we’re getting there.  I’m getting some of the finishing touches ready.  And you caught a peek at the shower curtain that inspired my revised plan.  Mood board to come soon.

What did you do over the weekend?  Have you found a cheaper version of something that you liked more than the expensive option?  That’s always fun for me.  Usually I gravitate toward the more expensive items.

Roof in the Rough

Published on by Our Humble Abode10 Comments

Ben and Handy Sammy started one of the biggest projects we’ll have to do to this house.  Re-roofing the entire house and pool room.  Not only is it a hot job, it’s rough.  They started with the hardest part, the pool room.  Eight sky lights to work around and a system of solar panels (the crazy blue thing on top of the roof) to tear off.

Before and of the tear off could start, we had to get a 30 yard dumpster up the driveway, which sounds easier than it was.  You see, our driveway winds up, and getting a large truck up there wasn’t especially easy.

Careful maneuvering made it possible.  So now we’ve got this to come home to.

Having it close to the house is a must because we have no other way to get the shakes off the roof.  An empty dumpster meant Ben could get started.  Leaking solar panels, see ya later.

For a little while, they lived in the dumpster.  Then Ben and Sam tore the pieces apart to recycle.

Ready to go.

We knew the pool roof leaked before we made an offer on this house.  But the leaks damaged the plywood.  Ben had to replace a few sheets before doing anything else.

I guess the roof project isn’t all terrible.  Do you see the mountains over the roof line?  Not too shabby.  After planning his attack method, the boys got to work.

Sheets of tar paper under the shakes made removal quicker.  Ben pried up the pieces while Sam rolled it all up into a self-contained shingle burrito.

Time consuming, but they’re making progress.  Much more than I would, that’s for darn sure.  They’ve finished tear off and weather proofing the pool room.

Just the house left.  Oy, that’s still a lot.  And that’s why the bathroom is on the back burner.  Weatherman is predicting cooler temperatures through the end of the week.  I hope he’s right, because that would make this project all the more enjoyable.