Where I last left off the house renovations was with the stair and short wall in the dining room. Oddly, I feel like I haven't done much since then, but looking back through what I posted last I suppose I really have done a decent amount of work.
When I ripped out the wall for the plumbing, I also removed the old ductwork that was running to the upstairs bath and a small register for the dining room also. I had never done ductwork before, so it was a learning experience for sure. After a few failures of how to "build" the ductwork, I was able to install a full new run upstairs. No more black lungs (the old duct was DIRTY). The pictures are at the end of this post.
After the ductwork was complete, I decided to rip the basement door out and move it 90 degrees to the top of the steps. This created a nice little alcove type area and hides the basement door when in the dining room and living room. This was of course like all jobs so far, interesting. The light at the top of the steps appeared to be new wiring, yet all they did was take the nob/tube wiring and put a piece of romex sheathing over it. Wooo....fun.
Here are the basement door photos:
After the basement door was complete, it was time to rebuild the wall. Nothing too exciting here other than drywall. It took a bit to figure out exactly what I wanted to do with what was basically unused space, so I opted to install some inset shelves that would house special beer bottles I have collected.
In addition to the drywall, we also wanted to paint the party wall, which required me to re-plaster some areas and then do a skim coat of drywall spackle to even out the rough spots. For the paint, we wanted a texture to make it seem more like masonry so I added a sanded mixture to the base coat. Once it was up, it was WAY too light blue, so we then did a sponge technique on top of that with a darker color.
Below are the pictures of the entire duct work construction and wall rebuilding/painting (along with a few shots of a new case for my antique cameras):
This was all done since September. Well that, and the topic of my next post....the completion of BAR MINNICH....
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Monday, September 6, 2010
Updates have been slow
It's been quite a while since my last blog post. Seems like just yesterday I finished the bar, yet it was about 8 months ago. Wow.
Anyway, in that time it feels like I have done so little, but looking back at my pics I realize that I've actually been quite busy.
Going back to the rationale for the bar, I built it to better determine how to build the step between the dining room and living room. It took a bit to figure out what I wanted to do with it. Have a whole step all the way across? Then how would I stand near the bar? Where would I get a 12 inch wide, 15 foot long board nice enough to use as a step? I finally decided to build a 1/4 wall along the exposed brick wall, then make a seat at both the living room end of that wall as well as at the bar.
Below are the results (and the process):
So now that the step and bar are complete, what next? Well I first looked into doing the wiring, replacing the last bit of knob & tube that is left in the house. Of course, nothing being simple, the knob/tube is wired in a way that I can't do it piecemeal. All or nothing, and the circuit is down until all of it is replaced. So I decided that my time might be better spent rerunning the plumbing and wire to the upstairs bath.
The plumbing was a mess (as can be seen in the house pics earlier) within the ceiling of the dining room. It turns, jogs, cuts back, and generally is crazily run to get to the sink. Little did I think the same was true in the basement. Apparently someone thought it wise to run the hot water line an extra 15 feet or so, running past where it needed to go up the wall and back on itself. So I figured I could rerun it with a tad less line.
I chose to use PEX tubing instead of copper. First, it is WAY cheaper. Second, I didn't have to sweat many joints, making life much easier during installing. Not to mention I could run the PEX with slight bends, curves, and not need to be perfect. I bought 100 feet of PEX, the tools, the connectors and all other miscellaneous for slightly more than what 100 feet of copper pipe alone would have cost me. So here's a few shots of the plumbing, even though it is not the most beautiful stuff to look at:
Another bonus of the plumbing work was that I could easily replace the ancient nasty toilet in the bathroom. We opted to install this dual flush from Home Depot that scored well in testing, and it cost only $100:
Toilet
And now onto the next project....ductwork reinstall followed by refinishing the wall I removed to do the plumbing and wiring to the bathroom.
Anyway, in that time it feels like I have done so little, but looking back at my pics I realize that I've actually been quite busy.
Going back to the rationale for the bar, I built it to better determine how to build the step between the dining room and living room. It took a bit to figure out what I wanted to do with it. Have a whole step all the way across? Then how would I stand near the bar? Where would I get a 12 inch wide, 15 foot long board nice enough to use as a step? I finally decided to build a 1/4 wall along the exposed brick wall, then make a seat at both the living room end of that wall as well as at the bar.
Below are the results (and the process):
So now that the step and bar are complete, what next? Well I first looked into doing the wiring, replacing the last bit of knob & tube that is left in the house. Of course, nothing being simple, the knob/tube is wired in a way that I can't do it piecemeal. All or nothing, and the circuit is down until all of it is replaced. So I decided that my time might be better spent rerunning the plumbing and wire to the upstairs bath.
The plumbing was a mess (as can be seen in the house pics earlier) within the ceiling of the dining room. It turns, jogs, cuts back, and generally is crazily run to get to the sink. Little did I think the same was true in the basement. Apparently someone thought it wise to run the hot water line an extra 15 feet or so, running past where it needed to go up the wall and back on itself. So I figured I could rerun it with a tad less line.
I chose to use PEX tubing instead of copper. First, it is WAY cheaper. Second, I didn't have to sweat many joints, making life much easier during installing. Not to mention I could run the PEX with slight bends, curves, and not need to be perfect. I bought 100 feet of PEX, the tools, the connectors and all other miscellaneous for slightly more than what 100 feet of copper pipe alone would have cost me. So here's a few shots of the plumbing, even though it is not the most beautiful stuff to look at:
Another bonus of the plumbing work was that I could easily replace the ancient nasty toilet in the bathroom. We opted to install this dual flush from Home Depot that scored well in testing, and it cost only $100:
Toilet
And now onto the next project....ductwork reinstall followed by refinishing the wall I removed to do the plumbing and wiring to the bathroom.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
THE bar...
My office was closed between Christmas and New Years so I had about a week off. I had (have) so many projects to work on around the house, where do I start. The bar.
Okay, most people wouldn't think that a bar is the best place to start rebuilding after all I have ripped out of my house. I do, for a few reasons. I enjoy drinking, we enjoy having others over to drink, and actually, I need to build the bar before I can figure out where the step needs to go. So bar it is.
I began working on it conceptually by laying out my mental plan on the floor with tape. I wanted a bar to fit a fridge, or at least have room, so I planned a two foot deep bar, a space and a back bar area. WAY too big when I laid it out. It took up literally a quarter of the room. So I scaled it back a bit.
After the tape came the cardboard estimates. I took old boxes and made a cardboard bar to see how big it would be. I decided on dimensions based upon some standards for bar height and depth, etc. I ended up with a design of 5 feet wide, a one foot deep cabinet, and an 18 inch bar top with a 10 inch overhang. I also realized building a back bar could wait until phase 2.
I spent the week off of work building, cutting, sanding, to make the bar. No where near done in a week. So I begin working at night and weekends to complete it. I finally finish on January 24th, a mere three and a half weeks later.
All in all, I am quite proud of myself. I used nearly all salvaged materials from my walls. The shelves, bar top and some small fascia boards were purchased new. The bar structure, the boards, the rails, even the corner trim was all made from the pieces I've removed from the walls of the house. I used bottlecaps laid randomly and epoxy-ed in place as the bar top. A large amount of this bar is reused and repurposed.
So here it is....the process from cardboard cutout to final product:
Okay, most people wouldn't think that a bar is the best place to start rebuilding after all I have ripped out of my house. I do, for a few reasons. I enjoy drinking, we enjoy having others over to drink, and actually, I need to build the bar before I can figure out where the step needs to go. So bar it is.
I began working on it conceptually by laying out my mental plan on the floor with tape. I wanted a bar to fit a fridge, or at least have room, so I planned a two foot deep bar, a space and a back bar area. WAY too big when I laid it out. It took up literally a quarter of the room. So I scaled it back a bit.
After the tape came the cardboard estimates. I took old boxes and made a cardboard bar to see how big it would be. I decided on dimensions based upon some standards for bar height and depth, etc. I ended up with a design of 5 feet wide, a one foot deep cabinet, and an 18 inch bar top with a 10 inch overhang. I also realized building a back bar could wait until phase 2.
I spent the week off of work building, cutting, sanding, to make the bar. No where near done in a week. So I begin working at night and weekends to complete it. I finally finish on January 24th, a mere three and a half weeks later.
All in all, I am quite proud of myself. I used nearly all salvaged materials from my walls. The shelves, bar top and some small fascia boards were purchased new. The bar structure, the boards, the rails, even the corner trim was all made from the pieces I've removed from the walls of the house. I used bottlecaps laid randomly and epoxy-ed in place as the bar top. A large amount of this bar is reused and repurposed.
So here it is....the process from cardboard cutout to final product:
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Home renovation, a.k.a. demolishing
The following pictures show the progress my house has undergone since we purchased it in December. We made the choice to start removing walls, doorways, etc back in February, and it hasn't stopped. Luckily we haven't spent very much money on the house remodeling yet, as everything has been removing what already exists. Our first "big" purchase was last week, which is a new ceiling fan, which is now being readied for installation.
Anyway, there are captions for these pictures, as it is sometimes difficult to figure out what you are looking at.
Anyway, there are captions for these pictures, as it is sometimes difficult to figure out what you are looking at.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Thesis...doneish
Finally. After what seems like an eternity since it started, I am done my masters thesis. From a fledgling idea back in September/October, to a 50 page paper, it is finally done.
Is it my best work? No way. I got bored with the topic only a few months into the work, which was about 4 months ago. But it's done.
Now my next steps are to defend it in a week or so, then turn in the actual hard copy to be bound and stored at the University for others to read. Of course I doubt anyone will ever read it, and if they do, I truly feel sorry for them.
Is it my best work? No way. I got bored with the topic only a few months into the work, which was about 4 months ago. But it's done.
Now my next steps are to defend it in a week or so, then turn in the actual hard copy to be bound and stored at the University for others to read. Of course I doubt anyone will ever read it, and if they do, I truly feel sorry for them.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Who cares?
Since my friend was surprised I hadn't mentioned him, I will...
Michael Jackson died. WOW...so sad... Not really, I could care less.
People are shocked at my lack of care about it. At work they were surprised I didn't even like him. I never did. I remember when his Thriller video was out and everyone loved him. I didn't care for his music then, nor do I now. Guess it all feeds into my lack of liking anything pop-y or my needing the heavy thrashing noises I listen to.
I did find his death interesting though. I'm curious to know if we will finally learn why his nose became so small, his skin so white, and his chin made to look like an ass. Will they decay? If he's entombed, will his skin even shrink?
Another funny piece of this whole story was my nephew. He's 16. He didn't even know Michael Jackson was black, or that Janet was his sister. Hahahahahaha
Michael Jackson died. WOW...so sad... Not really, I could care less.
People are shocked at my lack of care about it. At work they were surprised I didn't even like him. I never did. I remember when his Thriller video was out and everyone loved him. I didn't care for his music then, nor do I now. Guess it all feeds into my lack of liking anything pop-y or my needing the heavy thrashing noises I listen to.
I did find his death interesting though. I'm curious to know if we will finally learn why his nose became so small, his skin so white, and his chin made to look like an ass. Will they decay? If he's entombed, will his skin even shrink?
Another funny piece of this whole story was my nephew. He's 16. He didn't even know Michael Jackson was black, or that Janet was his sister. Hahahahahaha
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Random...
Read this at lunch and it made me laugh. It is an excerpt of an article on AutoblogGreen about Bob Lutz from GM talking about the Volt:
The whole thing is well worth a read, which is to be expected coming from Lutz, who's quotes we're sorely going to miss when he eventually retires for good. Nowhere else will you read such choice gems as this: "As I've said, just because the grocery store expands its offering of organically grown vegetables doesn't mean it shuts down the meat counter."
Original post
Being an avid organic food eater, and also almost 100% non-vegetable eating, it really struck me as humorous.
The whole thing is well worth a read, which is to be expected coming from Lutz, who's quotes we're sorely going to miss when he eventually retires for good. Nowhere else will you read such choice gems as this: "As I've said, just because the grocery store expands its offering of organically grown vegetables doesn't mean it shuts down the meat counter."
Original post
Being an avid organic food eater, and also almost 100% non-vegetable eating, it really struck me as humorous.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Philly Rocks (for the most part)
So....I got to go to a release today...of a plan to make Philadelphia sustainable, to be the greenest city in the US. Big goals, but ones I can support.
Anyway, I got to see Van Jones present our mayor. Van Jones now works for Obama....President Obama. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Jones) He presented Mayor Nutter, who officially released Greenworks Philadelphia.
Wow. My city. Becoming THE greenest city. Can it be real?
Well, I certainly hope so. Either way, here's the plan:
http://www.greenworksphila.org/
Anyway, I got to see Van Jones present our mayor. Van Jones now works for Obama....President Obama. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Jones) He presented Mayor Nutter, who officially released Greenworks Philadelphia.
Wow. My city. Becoming THE greenest city. Can it be real?
Well, I certainly hope so. Either way, here's the plan:
http://www.greenworksphila.org/
Thursday, April 2, 2009
April Fools Day
So I read a lot of various April Fools Day posts to many different websites. Some of the funnier ones were car related, one being a Kia Soul with a wind deflector bigger than the car itself. Anyway, I missed this one yesterday, and since it ties my passion for cars with a sustainable option, I had to post it.
Link
Link
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Prague, our last long day
So today we set out to do a final few things in Prague, as tomorrow will be an early day since we have to catch a taxi at 3:50am Sat morning.
We took the subway to the tram to walk across the Charles Bridge....in the snow. We went outside today around 10, and it had been snowing for a few hours. No accumulation really, but still a weird morning. At the end of the bridge, we saw pissing moving fountains that will write what you text to a number, a wall dedicated to John Lennon, the same artists' babies from the tower on the ground with smooshed faces, and a memorial to communist era rebels.
From there we wanted to get to the Prague Eiffel tower, aka Petrin Tower. We went to take the Funicular, a tram similar to Pittsburg's hillside cars. CLOSED. So we took a tram all the way around to the top, walked to the tower, and CLOSED. Oh well, at least the view on the way down was nice.
After that, we had no goal really. We revisited the one place we went Monday to see what we missed, then headed to the center area.
For dinner we ended up at another of the brewpubs, where I had Svickova. Interesting combo of food. Our 2 meals, 3 beers, and a mug with tip was ~$30. Love the prices here.
Well, likely my last post from Czech Republic. It has been fun, but I can't wait to be home.
We took the subway to the tram to walk across the Charles Bridge....in the snow. We went outside today around 10, and it had been snowing for a few hours. No accumulation really, but still a weird morning. At the end of the bridge, we saw pissing moving fountains that will write what you text to a number, a wall dedicated to John Lennon, the same artists' babies from the tower on the ground with smooshed faces, and a memorial to communist era rebels.
From there we wanted to get to the Prague Eiffel tower, aka Petrin Tower. We went to take the Funicular, a tram similar to Pittsburg's hillside cars. CLOSED. So we took a tram all the way around to the top, walked to the tower, and CLOSED. Oh well, at least the view on the way down was nice.
After that, we had no goal really. We revisited the one place we went Monday to see what we missed, then headed to the center area.
For dinner we ended up at another of the brewpubs, where I had Svickova. Interesting combo of food. Our 2 meals, 3 beers, and a mug with tip was ~$30. Love the prices here.
Well, likely my last post from Czech Republic. It has been fun, but I can't wait to be home.
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