Can I put this back together?
Bill & Gene Carter from Del Rio, TX visited 10/30
FOR THE WEEK ENDING November 5, 2006
HIGHLIGHTS
1. The carpenter crew showed up early Monday morning and worked every day this week on the balcony. They carefully removed and labeled the trim around the sagging corner of the balcony and braced the timber support members with steel plates. It gets pretty scary watching the welding of metal taking place around 100+ year old lumber. There is probably 2 more weeks of carpenter work in the plan.
2. The RUUD heat pumps are now fully operational. During the cleaning of the coils, the guys spilled solution on the floors and left spots. A return trip is scheduled this week to see if a chemical mix will get them out. Keep your fingers crossed.
3. OSHA Babe (OB for short) expanded her skill set this week. She spent quite a few hours pondering over toilets, pedestal sinks for bathrooms, a neat looking sink for the kitchen, faucets, shower hardware for clawfoot tubs,... (Can you say "Ka-ching, Ka-ching, $$$"?) OB even can tell you the seat height of normal and comfort height toilets. You go, Girl!!! (P.S. from OB-what an education I got! What will they think of next? Did you know there was such a thing as a quiet-closing seat that you can remove for easy cleaning? Where were those when the three boys were home!??!?)
4. The bathroom and kitchen floors are beyond preservation. The mastic-laden linoleum left a nasty coating that I've not been able to remove with strippers, KrudKutter, scraping, or sanding. The bathroom floors have been patched multiple times and would not look good even if they could be cleaned. In removing the floor of the downstairs bathroom, I discovered the plumbing maze (see picture above). This gave me the inspiration for this week's blog title, "I CAN TEAR IT OUT. CAN I PUT IT BACK TOGETHER?"
5. OB took on paint removal from a small door on Saturday. Five hours and a pint's worth of $60/gal special paint remover later, we've decided that the old paints don't come off easily. For the exterior, I'll probably invest in some high end, vacumn assisted equipment. Preping and painting the exterior will probably be a lifetime effort. Van Gogh, move over!
6. Visitors during the week included my dear Aunt Gene and hubby, Bill (pictured above). They were in San Antonio for a doctor's appointment and came by for a tour and lunch at LuLu's - home of monster-sized chicken fried steak and 3 lb. cinnamon rolls. Saturday visitors included the Shadden family from church. They have an amazing story of coming to the Lord. His Word is powerful. Other visitors included a neighbor from one street over who has been working on his house for 3 years, the masonry contractor, and a carpenter who is working up a proposal for a deck with water heater/softener closet and converting the carport to a garage.
NEXT STEPS
1. The balcony work is getting to the point of attempting to plumb our problem column. That may happen this week. Additionally, one of the crew is rebuilding the brick bases for the 2 rectangular columns that are butted up to the house.
2. Masonry work on fireplace & chimney is scheduled to begin this coming Saturday.
3. OSHA Babe's training is being expanded to include sander techniques. The interior door frames and baseboards could be featured as her handiwork.
4. Plumbing work gearing up. We may be buying materials late this week. I'll be spending time under the house strapping pipe to the floor joists. My neighbor, a plumber, is helping out.
5. The 2 hydraulic lifts that belong the owner prior to the person we bought the house from (would that make him the "grand owner"?) are being worked on to get them movable. Don't get me started on the saga of how many days he didn't show up as promised to begin working on the equipment. I had the certified letter in the front seat ready to be mailed when he finally called on Thursday morning and did actually show up that day. The Lord does answer prayers to resolve problems directly vs. with the involvement of the "law."
6. The Port-A-Potty contract will be extended beyond the initial 2 months until the indoor plumbing is completed.
5. OB took on paint removal from a small door on Saturday. Five hours and a pint's worth of $60/gal special paint remover later, we've decided that the old paints don't come off easily. For the exterior, I'll probably invest in some high end, vacumn assisted equipment. Preping and painting the exterior will probably be a lifetime effort. Van Gogh, move over!
6. Visitors during the week included my dear Aunt Gene and hubby, Bill (pictured above). They were in San Antonio for a doctor's appointment and came by for a tour and lunch at LuLu's - home of monster-sized chicken fried steak and 3 lb. cinnamon rolls. Saturday visitors included the Shadden family from church. They have an amazing story of coming to the Lord. His Word is powerful. Other visitors included a neighbor from one street over who has been working on his house for 3 years, the masonry contractor, and a carpenter who is working up a proposal for a deck with water heater/softener closet and converting the carport to a garage.
NEXT STEPS
1. The balcony work is getting to the point of attempting to plumb our problem column. That may happen this week. Additionally, one of the crew is rebuilding the brick bases for the 2 rectangular columns that are butted up to the house.
2. Masonry work on fireplace & chimney is scheduled to begin this coming Saturday.
3. OSHA Babe's training is being expanded to include sander techniques. The interior door frames and baseboards could be featured as her handiwork.
4. Plumbing work gearing up. We may be buying materials late this week. I'll be spending time under the house strapping pipe to the floor joists. My neighbor, a plumber, is helping out.
5. The 2 hydraulic lifts that belong the owner prior to the person we bought the house from (would that make him the "grand owner"?) are being worked on to get them movable. Don't get me started on the saga of how many days he didn't show up as promised to begin working on the equipment. I had the certified letter in the front seat ready to be mailed when he finally called on Thursday morning and did actually show up that day. The Lord does answer prayers to resolve problems directly vs. with the involvement of the "law."
6. The Port-A-Potty contract will be extended beyond the initial 2 months until the indoor plumbing is completed.
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