Tag Archives: House projects

Busy, and Thwarted by the Weather

Posted on July 3, 2008 | 2 comments

Since starting the new job, I’ve been a tad busy learning everything I can about the new industry and adjusting to the new lifestyle. Plus, since I’m getting home earlier, I’ve been going on as many evening bike rides as possible. (The bike path itself has been fascinating with the ongoing heavy rains – there are places the path is closed entirely due to flooding, and many others where the river water laps up along the edges.)

My fancy new back doors came in a few weeks ago, and after frantic scheduling, my sister came down with her truck and helped me bring them to the house. (It’s cheaper to bribe her with lunch than pay the Depot $59 for delivery!) The doors have been parked in the garage ever since, forcing a very cautious maneuver every time I pull the car in – which is daily now. Every time my dad and I have aligned schedules (thrice, so far), it has rained on our parade. And not gentle-we-can-work-in-this rain. No, we’re talking monsoons. The kind that you can’t even consider working outside in, especially since there will be a gaping hole in the house for a couple (few?) hours. But cross your fingers for Friday…

Meanwhile, all the rain has been great for the living things in my yard! My tomato plant boasts the first few green tomatoes beginning to ripen, and some of the herbs are doing well. In the front flower beds, I did indeed wait too long to plant the zinnia bounty, but they’re starting to grow. Note to self: start them much, much earlier next year – like early May, or even inside in April. The nasturtiums are growing, but no blooms yet.

And in the back yard, the mulberries have taken over. Everything is purple and goopy and gross, and there’s a nice, rancid odor of ranting berries. The poor garage roof is purple, and the squirrels and birds are in heaven. We cut that tree back so far last fall, but it grows like a weed!

The rain has also once again meant a bit of very minor flooding in the basement, reminding me of the urgency of fixing it once and for all. Perhaps that’s a good rainy day project.

Onwards and upwards. Plenty more to do.

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Easy Electric

Posted on June 7, 2008 | Leave a comment

I bought my timer switch last weekend, read the directions, and realized that it may be a better daylight project since it entailed cutting power to the circuit with the hall light.

Finally, I got around to it today. I cut power – thanks to some previous owners for meticulously labeling the breaker box with “Living room – South Wall” type detail – and tested my switch to make sure it was good and dead.

I pulled off the faceplate – there are three switches right there – and evaluated the situation. The switch had obviously been there since the Carter administration (at least), as it took some prying to expose the poof balls of black schmutz and insulation. The switch wasn’t grounded at all. After a minute of gentle tugging, I realized wire snips were the easiest way to cut the old wire from the switch – after I triple-checked that the power was indeed off.

One of the joys of an old house is the old wiring. While the breaker box has been updated, some of the internal wiring is, well, old (and I have some old, retired outlets to prove it!). The wires in the wall are wrapped in black cloth. I used my wire snips again to gently peel back about half an inch of insulation so I could fit the wire into the caps with the new switch wires. I lined up the wires, made my connections, grounded the thing (an improvement already!) and then struggled to get all the new wires back into the hole. I kept at it until the (much whiter) new timer switch was nearly flush with its old, almond neighbors. Then it dawned on me that before I finished the arduous tightening, I should probably turn the power on and make sure that everything was connected right. Success!

In many ways, the hardest part of the whole project was getting the faceplate back in place and lined up. It’s still not quite perfectly flush, since the new switch is a tad larger than the old ones, but it gets the job done. I set the program – lights on at sunset, off at 2 AM – and we’re good to go.

It was my very first solo electric project – hooray!

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Next Up: A Timer

Posted on May 29, 2008 | 3 comments

I like having my front porch lights on when I come home in the dark, especially in winter. Plus, studies show that a block whose homes are lit up have less crime. In my neighborhood, it sure can’t hurt. And since I switched to the snazzy new CFL bulbs, the electricity impact is relatively negligible – though I did discover, less than two weeks after installing the first pair, that they are susceptible to brownouts.

In winter in northern Illinois, it gets dark by 4:30, long before I get home from work. Around Christmas, I string up Christmas lights on the inside of my porch windows and use a plug-in timer so they come on at sunset and go off about bedtime. I flip on the porch light when I get home. In summer, I flip on the light when it gets dark – lately around 8:30. But in summer, I wake up to blazing sunshine at 6 AM – and the porchlights are still on.

This weekend, my friend Sarah was showing off all the great updates her dad helped her with recently, one of which was a neat automatic timer for the front lights. Rather than plugging into an outlet, it’s designed to fit in the existing switch slot. The model she got can be programmed for your timezone, whether or not you adjust for Daylight Savings, and your local area. From there, she was able to set it to have her lights on from dusk to dawn – exactly what I’m looking for.

I think I’ll stop by Home Depot and pick one up.

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Doors ordered!

Posted on May 18, 2008 | 1 comment

After comparison shopping, Home Depot matched – and beat – the best price I had found, so my doors are on order. I should have them in 10-14 days, so I’m just a couple weeks from a shiny new door! And it will indeed be shiny steel. I found I could order a fiberglass door in my super-special size, but it would have been more than double the cost. I’ll spend that money elsewhere, I’m sure.

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Darn Doors

Posted on May 13, 2008 | Leave a comment

File this under “who would have thought…”

It’s past time to replace my back door. The existing one is very, very old wood that has warped with age, and the glass leaks cold air and wind like a sieve. Plus, the existing storm/screen door doesn’t quite fit the opening. When I first moved in, there was a sizable – probably 4-5 inches – gap at the bottom through which Collette escaped one day. After that, I rehung the door so there were two inch gaps at the top and bottom. I never leave just the storm door open for any amount of time, since I don’t want to let bugs or critters in, but if I’m bringing in several trips – groceries, namely – and I don’t bother to close the actual door, I’ll see Collette’s face peeking out from the gap.

I wanted to replace the doors last summer, but before I knew it, it was the height of mosquito season. I didn’t want to be doorless for an entire day with bugs streaming into the house. A couple weeks ago, I priced things out and called my dad, since he’s offered to use his know-how to install the new doors while teaching me how to do it.

Saturday, he came over to take detailed measurements. My initial measurements had indicated that the door wasn’t a standard size, but I obviously wanted verification before I actually bought one – especially if it ended up being a special order. Dad confirmed my fears – the door I need is a 30″ by 80″ door to fit my 32.25″ by 82″ opening. We talked about enlarging the opening, but the framing around the opening is in really good shape, and we shouldn’t disturb it if we don’t really have to. Plus, with aluminum siding, we don’t want to create an opening that would then entail needing replacement siding. Ugh. Occam – keep it simple.

So we went off to Menard’s, Mom and sister in tow. After finding the doors I had previously picked out, we looked at the specs. Yep, the size I needed would have to be special ordered. The Menard’s guy spent some time with his online catalog, adjusting options (kickplate? mail slot? what kind of hinges?) to come up with a quote. The door will likely run about $230 for a steel door with a half-light window with grills – essentially replacing the style already there. The corresponding storm/screen – with the retracting screen – will likely be more, closer to $270.

The narrow size really limits my option. It appears – at Menard’s, at least, I’m limited to steel. While steel is definitely better than the ancient wood I currently have, it is prone to dings and dents, which worries me. This door is pretty high traffic, and though I may start off being careful, six months from now when I’m struggling in out of the cold with eight bags of groceries, I may end up doing some damage. It appears fiberglass is a bit more durable – and expensive – but I don’t even have that option. I’m going to further investigate my options at Lowe’s and Home Depot to see what else I can do.

It just goes to show how home design has evolved. The back hallway part of my house isn’t original – it was added on at some point – but I’m sure 30″ was pretty standard for a door width then. Now, the standards seem to be 32″ or 36″. It’s like subway seats – as Americans have gotten larger, so have doors and seats – though airline seats have only shrunk.

I have one even smaller door in the house. The door to my downstairs half bath – which I think used to be a pantry – is a paltry 24″ inches wide. It’s pretty claustrophobic in there.

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"Deferred Maintenance" Bites Me

Posted on May 12, 2008 | Leave a comment

Two years ago, the home inspector listed several small, relatively simple repairs. I took care of most of them – things like tightening toilet bolts, replacing a faulty light switch and adjusting ceiling fans.

Others, I’ve neglected. In the ceiling of my screened in porch, there has always been a loose board. For two years, I’ve often thought to pull out the stepladder, climb up there, and nail it back into place once and for all. In the last few weeks, the board appeared to drop down a bit farther and come more detached from the ceiling. Saturday, when my dad was over to help measure for the back door, we talked about other pending projects, he noticed the board and said if I handed him a hammer, he’d take care of it right then. But dinner was going on the table, so I put it off again.

It started pouring Saturday night, and by Sunday morning, there was a nice puddle in the porch, directly below my detached board. It was leaking at a pretty steady rate, though it never filled the bucket I put beneath it. I mopped a bit and found a second spot with a smaller leak.

Once it stopped raining, Don reached up with the rubber mallet and hammered the board back into place for the moment, but it looks like it and the boards on either side should be replaced. It’s bead board – one of many such instances in the house – and I have grand plans for the porch as a whole, so this just shuffles it to the top of the list. I’ll replace the three affected boards, caulk the heck out of the whole thing, and then paint. I have two cracked windows out there to replace, too. But essentially, I want to really make that space livable. It’s screened in, which is perfect for summer, especially since it’s ringed in hanging baskets of dianthus. Late last summer, I picked up a wicker rocker and ottoman on eBay, which are out there with another lounge chair. With some fresh paint (I’m thinking a cheery Mediterranean blue), a real light fixture to replace the naked bulb and a bit more furniture, it’s going to be a great room.

But first, I think I need to climb up on the roof and figure out the source of the leaks. This could be my first roofing project!

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Happy Housiversary!

Posted on April 14, 2008 | 2 comments

It’s my second housiversary today! After last week’s vacation, I had lots to do around the house today. I did some spackling and framed and hung some pictures. Then I moved out the couch and cleaned behind it. Still in full-cleaning mode, I lifted up the heavy (iron?) heat intake grate in the dining room and vacuumed out the gross cobwebs. I found cat toys and crayons in the vent, so it’s obviously been quite awhile since it was cleaned out! I had to fend off Collette, who was circling curiously. I was afraid she would dart down into the vent, which would have been bad news. I dusted, I vacuumed, I laundered.

I also finally did my first outdoor work of the season! I went out with my rake and yard waste bag and started picking up all the leaves and sticks that have accumulated over the long, long winter. It proved too windy to rake, and after all the rain, yesterday’s snow and this morning’s hail, the flower beds were too soft to spend any real time in. But I filled half a bag with detritus and preened over my growing tulips – no buds yet, but soon enough!

This evening, I ran to Menard’s to price out some of my upcoming projects. I am definitely replacing the back door and screen door in the very near future. I priced out fencing, since mine is looking sorrier and sadder now that I’m home before dark. I have a lot of decisions to make on the fence. I want the same basic structure – a 6 foot tall privacy fence – especially since my back yard abuts the neighboring apartment building’s parking lot. I could replaced the rotting, faded, cracked, splintered wood with new wood – involving painting or staining and periodic maintenance. The new composite fencing looks intriguing, though, especially with the lack of maintenance. But I’m not sure how a white fence would look against my white house. Plus, if I stay in this house another five years, how much maintenance would I really need to do?

I also wandered through the bathroom section to look at the looming big project that I’ll tackle just as soon as I get the cash.

But for now, it’s been a happy housiversary.

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Water, water everywhere

Posted on March 3, 2008 | Leave a comment

Another warm Sunday spent periodically squeegeeing the basement. I think I’ve finally isolated the problem, though. After researching the common indicators of basement problems, I’ve tested the walls and window wells to verify that they are indeed dry, and the problem appears to be on the north wall, where the wall meets the floor. There, hydrostatic pressure is pushing water from the saturated ground through tiny cracks I can’t see – cracks that, from my research, I’ve found are relatively common in the joint between wall and floor – explaining why there’s no dampness on the walls.

Thoughts of expensive sub-pumps and foundation excavations terrify me. But before I venture down that route, I’m going to try a couple less invasive, cheaper methods.

Since it was warmer today (over 50 degrees!), the melting snow coupled with the rain shower further saturated the ground, forcing more water into the basement. I’ve noticed the past couple weeks that warmer days, I have water as the snow melts, but bitterly cold days, the ground is frozen nice and solid. I ventured out into the yard to the north side of the house, where the problem is. There’s a downspout coming from the roof and gutter, shoved into the ground. It’s only about eighteen inches from the house, and the ground surrounding the spout was rock-hard, solid ice, with puddles all around. My theory is that this spout is too close to the foundation. So once the ground thaws a bit more (and I deal with more mild flooding), I’m going to excavate the downspout and move it another 4-5 feet from the house. Hopefully, this, coupled with a bit of fresh sealant, will solve the problem. If it only floods a couple times a year – during ultra-heavy freak rains (like the 5 inches in 24 hours last August) and once during the spring thaw, I can deal. It’s the nightly post-work cleanup that’s grating on me. Fortunately, if I stay on top of it, it doesn’t venture much beyond the wall.

On the bright side, the constant water near the furnace seems to have helped humidify the house just a bit. Lemonade – made with dirty gray water.

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Anchors aweigh!

Posted on February 26, 2008 | Leave a comment

File this under lessons learned: those plastic wall anchors don’t have to be flush with the wall before you can insert the screws. Who knew?

I thought it was strange, moving into a three bedroom house, that the bathroom boasted a single towel bar. I did some initial looking at the (insanely expensive!) double bars, but after the boy moved out, it was really a moot point.

At Target last weekend, I was able to pick up a nice, double towel bar for a clearance steal of $17. Then I realized I needed a much smaller hex key to remove the old one. Thirty-five cents later and I was in business.

Saturday afternoon, hopped up on coffee, I removed the old bar and its brackets. Hoo, boy! There were a whopping seven holes behind one bracket and four behind the other. Apparently some previous owners mis-measured? I hoped that one of the old sets of holes would fit, but no luck.

I used a q-tip to gleefully spackle the gaping old holes, then spent a couple blissfully domestic hours killing time while they dried, baking applesauce cake and doing laundry. Then I dragged the power tools upstairs, measured and marked my new holes, and dug in.

Oops. Too soon. The new holes had to be right next to the old ones, and apparently I got too close and ended up with a drill bit full of spackle. Alas. I re-spackled the hole and decided to take a break to go to the movies.

Hours later, I set off to finish the job. The spackle was nice and solid, drill bit ready, and so was I. I leaned into the drill – I’ve learned that it’s a much more muscle-intensive activity than I had imagined – boring holes into my precarious old walls. I knew I was getting close when I heard bits of plaster falling into the void behind the walls. (I’ve always wondered how far down the void goes – all the way down to the ground floor? Just a couple feet? Might there be treasure in my walls? Regardless, that crumbling plaster sound always fills me with guilt that I’m hurting the house.)

Holes drilled, I pulled out the plastic anchors that came with the towel bar. I used my lighter weight hammer to tap them into the walls. Then a bit more force. Then the bigger hammer. They were stuck, mocking me with the futility of my swings. I didn’t want to hit harder and damage the wall, but they just wouldn’t go in, and each additional tap only crushed the anchor into itself further.

What was I missing? Strength? I’m not that weak. A rubber mallet that would distribute the force more evenly yet gently? A worthy thought. By this point, it was nearing midnight, and I decided to call it a night.

Sunday, while running errands, I picked up a rubber mallet. Even if it wasn’t essential for this project, I’m sure it will get some use in the future. I had plenty of other projects to occupy me (like my taxes) and had plans with Don. By the time we got back, it was late, but I showed him my sorry excuse for an installation. He shook his head, grabbed the bracket and screw, and showed me what I now know forever: anchors don’t need to be flush to the wall before they can do their job. (Though on the right bracket, despite perfectly lining up the holes, the bottom one hit the stud while the top one did not – quite the feat, if I do say so myself.)

I plan on using my new-found knowledge to finally hang the mirror in my bedroom that’s been precariously balanced on my dresser for the last 10 months.

And I’m also adding that little tidbit to the mental checklist of things to someday teach my daughters.

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Plans for 2008

Posted on December 31, 2007 | Leave a comment

I was over at a friend’s house today. She and her fiance are new homeowners, so we’ve been sharing lots of advice. On her fridge, they had posted a list of things they wanted to do or buy for their home in the next year, along with estimated costs. Such a simple, smart idea!

I’ve made similar lists – on the back of napkin, on the back of a receipt – but tended to view them as more daydreamy.

But now that I think about it, here’s my to-do for 2008:

Replace the back door. I dawdled on this all damn summer, and now that it’s cold, I’m reminded WHY this was so high on my list. Plus, then I might actually be able to have a screen door that fits, enabling fresh air in the back half of the house without aiding the cat’s escape.

Install a utility sink in the basement. Once I shut off the water to the hose for the winter, I have to clean the cat’s litter box in the bathtub, since it’s the only sink big enough.

Fix the two broken panes of glass on the porch.

Remove the wall AC unit in the living room – a remnant of the days before central air – and replace it with a window. I cannot wait to have a lighter, brighter living room.

Replace some windows. The priorities are the upstairs bathroom and living room. Depending on funding, I’d love to do the guest room and upstairs hall, too, since then the entire upstairs would be done. Bonus: They’re all the same size.

The big, ultimate project for next year would be remodeling my bathroom. To do what I want to it, I’d have to remove a wall, the tub and toilet – and might as well do the sink while I’m at it. My current tub is miniature – only 4 feet long – so I want to replace it with a corner unit and remove the pesky wall so I can actually have a functioning tub. However, since it’s my only full bath, time is of the essence. This is all pending the money to do so, though.

There are another dozen little projects I could throw on here, but these are the priorities. If I keep it short and sweet, I’ll crank through them, right? There are also bigger projects looming – like rebuilding the garage – that will have to wait until more funding becomes available.

This only reiterates my belief that I should never have a reason to complain of boredom.

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