Snow is down. Doors are going on!

Today found all the snow staying on the ground. So I delivered the doors to their new home through the yard.


The lawn tractor just wasn't up for the job today.


With my neighbor's help, we set the doors down on the frame and set everything square. I then drilled for the carriage bolts and lag bolts that hold it in place. A good layer of PL-500 adhesive is helping, too! Good thing it works down to 10° F!


In place, and bolted down.


Like the new trim color? This is foreshadowing for a next-summer project!


To seal the opening...first a 2x6 across the base. Then a pair of 2x10s on edge. These are all glued and bolted in place. Then there is one more 2x10 that slips under the initial 2x6 and is bolted to the original concrete foundation. I'll build a water-shedding roof for this eventually.

Here is the inside of the top of the doors. Note the old hinge--left for history sake and because I couldn't cut it!



Alright. That was a monster of a job. And COLD! But these doors beat the heck out of the old rotted ones! THANKS for the support!

My body hurts! Timne for bed...

It's supposed to snow by noon Saturday!

So I got the doors painted on Friday night...after warming up the garage.


How about this for our new trim color on the house?


By Saturday morning, the paint was tacky, but not dry. Some extra heat and a fan did the trick!





Turn your head sideways to the left for this one...
How to prep the sill plates in a blizzard...

It was snowing at 7 AM...and just pickedup all morning! So I worked under a tarp in (under) the snow

Plates on three sides are held down with expanding concrete anchors. This is the bottom sill plate that the door base will sit on.

The snow got too crazy to place the doors this afternoon! Time to move snow...

Beat the Winter to the Cellar!

Yesterday began a quick race to get a set of replacement cellar doors on the basement outside entrance before the winter hits hard. The old ones are less than beautiful... Frankly they are rotted and pretty worthless.

Many thanks to Mom and Dad for the support...we have a set of doors that I am in the process of fitting to the entry!


Here are the old doors. Much punishment with a hammer turned out to be better than a cut-off wheel to remove the old metal hinges. They are out of the way now!


Here is what is left of one hinge after removing it. I've not much to say for the door either...


Here is a pair of 2x10s to become the new frame. It's getting pretty dark out!


I cut them at the top ends to bevel to match the house. I'll build a mini-sloped roof to merge the doors to the house wall. I'll create a set of flashing pieces to route the water away...




This is the beginning of a sill for the base. I'll get some sill-seal and then anchor these down with bolts...

More soon!

A New Refrigerator!

Okay, so the old fridge just has to go! By efficiency standards alone, this project will be a huge savings in the long run!

Here is the process:


First a new water line comes in from downstairs.




How about we clean out the old fridge! Nice girl. Yucky stuff!

Nope, don't think the bigger, new one will fit here!



But the old wallpaper has to go! And Sophie finds the treasures...



Happy birthday, honey?!


Now to get it in the door...




And some hooking-up.


The boys are all about ice water all of a sudden!


Lets turn in this way! "Geez, this new fridge is awesome!"


Okay, enough projects for today!

What's next?!

The Back Threshold...

11/4/07

So here is an leak for you!

This is the rotted threshold after we started taking it apart.




Sure like the recipro saw!






All better...a new green threshold.


And now it's white! AND it seals.

Ben's Breezy Window...

October 29th... Winter is sneaking up on us!

Old window sills rot. This was pretty mushy. And way up in the air on the second floor over the driveway!

With Josh's help, we removed the mushy one and replaced with a fresh piece of green timber. A bit of caulk, and Ben will have a much warmer room!

See for yourself:

Roof time!

I think next in our successions was the roof.

The shingles need some repair here and there. But it seems like another significant need was for ventilation.

So I removed the ridge cap on the main house and added some ridge ventilation.

Here is the photo play-by-play:

OK!

So here it is November and it's been a while! But fear not, the house keeps on giving!

Here come some updates on the roof, a window a door, and now to the kitchen...

How do we know?

The exit is in place. The holes are fairly sealed. Now to know when the bats have left (or if they have). I will do some watching in the evening at 'bat leave the house' time. But beyond that, I'm not sure how I decide that they are out.

Any good ideas?

Time to redo about 8 feet of ridge cap shingles on the main house. In the process, I'll add some much needed venting.

-EJK

On to the bats!

Isn't it great to have nature in your house!

Yesterday I filled up all the bat holes I could find! Two cans of spray foam later, I'm closer to sealing the attic.




I built a seal with a bat exit for the last opening...where we've seen the most bat activity. The idea is that the bats can leave through the piece of pipe, but won't be able to find their way back in through the plastic tube connected to the end of the pipe.

No idea if any left last night through the exit. My attempts to video the hole as dusk yielded no results. But maybe they left without telling us.

Now we'll wait a few days and see what happens next!