Friday, they shut the factory down right after work, so I couldn't update the blog and tell you how the roof held up.
It held up fine!
Of course, the rain was not nearly as hard out at the house as it was at the factory. This renders the roofing results inconclusive at present. I expect good things during the next downpour, though!
I took a lot of pictures this weekend; maybe I'll post some tomorrow!
Monday, August 31, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
It's Raining!
Hey, you guys, it's raining!
I hope the roof is holding up!
I gotta run home and see if our days of taking on water are over!
Peace!
I hope the roof is holding up!
I gotta run home and see if our days of taking on water are over!
Peace!
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
More Backstory
Last time I went into the backstory, I mentioned we found a goldmine in an outlying area. There were several cheap houses out there. It was a nice, quiet part of town, and we had never really explored it before. By this point we had a different real estate agent; the first wasn't really responsive any more when we'd call her up. This new one, however, was more than willing to take us around to whatever houses we wanted. Well, we found a few houses that looked really good in their photos, went and saw them, and realized that photos do not tell the whole story. The place we were really interested in had obvious foundation issues, and it was so small that we couldn't really fit any furniture into it.
The best fun came the next time we looked at houses; we saw one that had been in a fire. The place was CHE-EAP, but it was half burnt, and that would require redoing all of the electrical wiring in the house. Also, one of the bedrooms was adjoined to the attic, which was itself adjoined to the great outdoors.
We considered the "Fire House" for a while. We went to a book on current contracting prices and figured that it would cost more to get the place up to snuff than to buy a house that wasn't burned out.
It was a while before we really looked at houses again. By this time, we were looking at renewing our lease at the apartment complex for another year, and we didn't have any good housing prospects, so we signed up to stay on the third floor. With an increase in rent. [sigh.]
1 Cor 3:13-15 - Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
The best fun came the next time we looked at houses; we saw one that had been in a fire. The place was CHE-EAP, but it was half burnt, and that would require redoing all of the electrical wiring in the house. Also, one of the bedrooms was adjoined to the attic, which was itself adjoined to the great outdoors.
We considered the "Fire House" for a while. We went to a book on current contracting prices and figured that it would cost more to get the place up to snuff than to buy a house that wasn't burned out.
It was a while before we really looked at houses again. By this time, we were looking at renewing our lease at the apartment complex for another year, and we didn't have any good housing prospects, so we signed up to stay on the third floor. With an increase in rent. [sigh.]
1 Cor 3:13-15 - Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Digging Fun!
Last night, I dug. It was interesting. I learned more about our house. The soil is very easy to dig. Almost too easy to dig. Except when it's concrete, which is what some of it is. What does that mean?
There is an area between the utility room door and the kitchen door that collects water during storms. This area slopes toward the corner between these two doors and encourages the pooled-up water to enter our home. My thought was that we could dig up the whole area and put in a drainage solution of some type.
Well, the area in that corner is really concrete, covered by a thin layer of dirt. The concrete slopes toward the corner. I haven't figured out yet if that is a part of the garage addition's foundation or not, so it might be impossible to dig it up, and the drainage issue will have to be solved another way.
This challenge is not terribly upsetting, though, because I dug a little channel for water to flow into that I think is at a lower level than the path water has been taking into the house. I hope it'll keep the utility room dry during the next storm, which may be later this week.
Job 22:15-16 - Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have trodden? Which were cut down out of time, whose foundation was overflown with a flood.
(Is a leaky house a punishment for wickedness? Does the degree of the leak indicate the degree of wickedness? I'm sure I'm reading too much into this out-of-context scripture.)
There is an area between the utility room door and the kitchen door that collects water during storms. This area slopes toward the corner between these two doors and encourages the pooled-up water to enter our home. My thought was that we could dig up the whole area and put in a drainage solution of some type.
Well, the area in that corner is really concrete, covered by a thin layer of dirt. The concrete slopes toward the corner. I haven't figured out yet if that is a part of the garage addition's foundation or not, so it might be impossible to dig it up, and the drainage issue will have to be solved another way.
This challenge is not terribly upsetting, though, because I dug a little channel for water to flow into that I think is at a lower level than the path water has been taking into the house. I hope it'll keep the utility room dry during the next storm, which may be later this week.
Job 22:15-16 - Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have trodden? Which were cut down out of time, whose foundation was overflown with a flood.
(Is a leaky house a punishment for wickedness? Does the degree of the leak indicate the degree of wickedness? I'm sure I'm reading too much into this out-of-context scripture.)
Monday, August 24, 2009
Roofing Excitement!
Saturday morning, Jon came over, and we did some roofing. It was easier than expected, and cheaper than expected, to install some valley flashing at the joint of the main structure and the garage addition. Now I must wait for rain to see if we did any good. This evening I might do a little digging to allow water to flow past the kitchen door rather than into the utility room door. That part is hard to explain, so I may just have to do it with pictures. For now, here are some highlights from Saturday.
Above, Jon beats something with a hammer.
I didn't realize that tar came in paint cans. I guess I never really put any thought into the question of how tar was packaged.
Cutting shingles is easy and fun!
Jon is bending some flashing to his will.
If someone were to have taken a photo of us from the ground, it would have looked like this.
Peace!
Above, Jon beats something with a hammer.
I didn't realize that tar came in paint cans. I guess I never really put any thought into the question of how tar was packaged.
Cutting shingles is easy and fun!
Jon is bending some flashing to his will.
If someone were to have taken a photo of us from the ground, it would have looked like this.
Peace!
Friday, August 21, 2009
Serenity Now!
Yesterday, Annie had to run to teach Russian, and I was left with the house all to myself. So I cleaned, sanded, moved, put away, and swept. The house's many maladies, such as clutter, dusty floors, and general lack of serenity were largely diminished. The results are below.
Please note the open expanses of box-free goodness.
I love our floor.
This is where we do our eating.
The entryway, from the point of view of someone already having entered.
A peaceful man enjoying the serenity of his home.
Peace!
Philippians 1:2 - Grace [be] unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and [from] the Lord Jesus Christ.
Please note the open expanses of box-free goodness.
I love our floor.
This is where we do our eating.
The entryway, from the point of view of someone already having entered.
A peaceful man enjoying the serenity of his home.
Peace!
Philippians 1:2 - Grace [be] unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and [from] the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
In Which Drywalling Skill is Discussed
I'm already out of time, but blogspot just ate my post, so I have to recount it in briefer form.
We had mold behind our stove; we cut it out. Jason is posing next to the hole.
I later cut it bigger so I could put in a nice piece of drywall and attempt to mud and tape.
Note the bubble on the right hand side. That seems unavoidable with the paper tape, so the lesson here is to use the mesh tape instead.
Need to do some roofing this weekend; more details as they become available.
Peace!
We had mold behind our stove; we cut it out. Jason is posing next to the hole.
I later cut it bigger so I could put in a nice piece of drywall and attempt to mud and tape.
Note the bubble on the right hand side. That seems unavoidable with the paper tape, so the lesson here is to use the mesh tape instead.
Need to do some roofing this weekend; more details as they become available.
Peace!
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
How our Living Room Looks
Dear Reader,
Perhaps you are wondering how our living room looks right now. I don't blame you. With all the remodeling news we've posted, you might be confused about how we survive in such a war zone. It's time you were allowed to see the state of our home.
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Annie thanks you for visiting, as she speaks on our stylish phone. Note that it is cordless. We are living in the future.
Pro 24:3-4 - Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established: And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.
Perhaps you are wondering how our living room looks right now. I don't blame you. With all the remodeling news we've posted, you might be confused about how we survive in such a war zone. It's time you were allowed to see the state of our home.
.jpg)
Annie thanks you for visiting, as she speaks on our stylish phone. Note that it is cordless. We are living in the future.
Pro 24:3-4 - Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established: And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Yesterday was the Before...
...and this is the Somewhat Later. I really hope this isn't the After. Well, to contrast with the shots in yesterday's post, here are a few of how the garage room looks now.
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Please note that the level of the debris is lower now. The box towers have definitely been taken down a notch.
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There really is an airyness to the whole place now. You can move through it!
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Much of the furniture that cluttered this room earlier now resides in a more appropriate arrangement. I have pictures of that, too, which I'll post tomorrow.
As for now, I gotta run and help a friend with his own home project.
Peace!
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Please note that the level of the debris is lower now. The box towers have definitely been taken down a notch.
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There really is an airyness to the whole place now. You can move through it!
.jpg)
Much of the furniture that cluttered this room earlier now resides in a more appropriate arrangement. I have pictures of that, too, which I'll post tomorrow.
As for now, I gotta run and help a friend with his own home project.
Peace!
Monday, August 17, 2009
Pictures
When we moved in to the house, we were still working on the floors. This left the garage bedroom the only place to deposit our possessions. We then departed for a weekend, and when we returned, we took photographs of our tightly packed storage area.
Upon entering the garage room from the living room, one notices a bed frame on the wall to the right and a DVD player immediately ahead. What's that on the left? Let's turn a little...
Ah! Now we see that the pedestal for the dinner table is sitting on top of our mattresses and boxed springs! In the right half of the shot is another table, turned upside down because it would fall down otherwise.
Looking a little closer in the far corner, much is revealed. Hygiene products, for example. And a lamp. Is that a doorway in the background?
Indeed it is! If one uses discernment, he may see past the bookcases and the upturned coffee table to behold that the utility room beyond houses our couch, a desk, and a window. Somehow, I failed to mention the cardboard boxes. I guess they're more like the tapestry over which this whole melodrama unfolded.
This was about two weeks ago. Things are much different now. The floors are done in the living room, bedrooms, and bathroom. Our furniture is out and in use. The garage room now allows safe passage without fear of brigands or rockslides. Perhaps I'll put up some pictures tomorrow to show the transformation.
Upon entering the garage room from the living room, one notices a bed frame on the wall to the right and a DVD player immediately ahead. What's that on the left? Let's turn a little...
Ah! Now we see that the pedestal for the dinner table is sitting on top of our mattresses and boxed springs! In the right half of the shot is another table, turned upside down because it would fall down otherwise.
Looking a little closer in the far corner, much is revealed. Hygiene products, for example. And a lamp. Is that a doorway in the background?
Indeed it is! If one uses discernment, he may see past the bookcases and the upturned coffee table to behold that the utility room beyond houses our couch, a desk, and a window. Somehow, I failed to mention the cardboard boxes. I guess they're more like the tapestry over which this whole melodrama unfolded.
This was about two weeks ago. Things are much different now. The floors are done in the living room, bedrooms, and bathroom. Our furniture is out and in use. The garage room now allows safe passage without fear of brigands or rockslides. Perhaps I'll put up some pictures tomorrow to show the transformation.
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