We spent most of the day taking down the rest of the interior wall of part of our kitchen-to-be. We discovered evidence of multiple animals rooming between our studs. Multiple kinds of bees and wasps - paper and mud nests/hives. The expected mice, with their dirty, cottony bedding. Chipmunks with literally hundreds of black walnut shells! A messy straw bird's nest. And a couple snake skins, unclear whether left there by their original owners or drawn in by other animals as bedding material.
There are one- or two-inch gaps in our exterior beside every rafter tail, and that looks to be where most of the animals entered. How fantastic that they have all lived peacefully together in such close proximity! I suppose our wall is like the habitat a big, dead tree provides.
Just after sundown, I heard a flapping in the kitchen. A little starling, gorgeous in its iridescent speckled black coat, returning after a long, hard bird day's work, no doubt had been quite surprised to find its nest half blown out. Hekate, too, was immediately intrigued and moving in fast to investigate. I opened the kitchen door wide and herded the pretty bird out. Smart bird, it did not attempt reentry.
What I would give to watch all these creatures snuggling in their nests. Especially the chipmunks! I am seriously tempted to leave the rafter tail gaps and fasten up glass interior walls!
This is my bit of a blog. Rambling words about rambling days. No focus and nothing ambitious. I seem to write most about local color, nature, and animals, and there is an incomplete chunk about my road trips of 2011.
Showing posts with label home improvement. Show all posts
Showing posts with label home improvement. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Light Demo in Progress
The interior of the exterior wall of our kitchen-to-be is pretty patchy with different board-like materials, ranging from a thick sort of cardboard to various vinyl floorings to various wood panelings. Covered with a few different wallpapers and plastic contact paper.
I was content to just paint it over and leave it for now. But (among many other deficiencies!) it really bothered my honey. So I decided to cover it over with a new layer of wallboard or paneling, TBD.
Tom, the contractor, convinced me we may as well remove the old patchwork first. And, as long as we're doing that, insulate between the studs. And also, he will be able to add the new plumbing and electric in-wall. So that's what we now are looking at doing.
However, I think neither of us expected the solid wood interior boards. From the holes we investigated, there appeared to be nothing between the cardboard/vinyl/paneling patchwork and the studs. The wood boards are old and cool, but I'm not sure how they affect our insulation plan. I'll see what Tom thinks tomorrow.
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| 4PM Today |
Tom, the contractor, convinced me we may as well remove the old patchwork first. And, as long as we're doing that, insulate between the studs. And also, he will be able to add the new plumbing and electric in-wall. So that's what we now are looking at doing.
However, I think neither of us expected the solid wood interior boards. From the holes we investigated, there appeared to be nothing between the cardboard/vinyl/paneling patchwork and the studs. The wood boards are old and cool, but I'm not sure how they affect our insulation plan. I'll see what Tom thinks tomorrow.
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| 8PM Today |
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Shed Organization
Besides the falling-down barn, there are four tiny outbuildings on this place. Shirley left two of them pretty full of stuff. Motley troves to which I added, with careless convenience our first days here. So I wanted to go through everything, and get straight what we have.
The weathered wood shed, Larry told me, one of his and Shirley's other brothers (fourteen kids in their family!) once operated as a lemonade stand. Complete with flip-down serving counter, still there with hinges. I organized it as a garden shed, with garden tools and furniture.
The other shed I worked on, designed to look like a miniature red gambrel barn, is a common type in the area, made by the local Mennonites. I organized it for general utility and household storage, for now.
In the back corner of that shed, I found an old, cast-iron stove. I don't know if it literally weighs a ton, but I couldn't budge it! I suspect it's from the mid-to-late twentieth century, when one of the H. brothers or Papa H. still lived in the cabin.
I like its streamlined, modern shape and would like to learn more about it. But haven't been able to find any pictures or info about stoves like it yet. It's stamped "U S," which Karl suggests signifies Army surplus. I found also, there is an long-running stove maker called US Stove Company.
The stove has a coat of possibly decorative paint on it, and I'm not sure if that's safe to fire up. But otherwise, it looks in possibly ready working condition, no cracks. There are two old chimneys in the cabin. Perhaps one could be re-opened, and we could have stove heat as a main heat source. I don't actually know what fuel the stove takes though - wood, coal?
The weathered wood shed, Larry told me, one of his and Shirley's other brothers (fourteen kids in their family!) once operated as a lemonade stand. Complete with flip-down serving counter, still there with hinges. I organized it as a garden shed, with garden tools and furniture.
The other shed I worked on, designed to look like a miniature red gambrel barn, is a common type in the area, made by the local Mennonites. I organized it for general utility and household storage, for now.
In the back corner of that shed, I found an old, cast-iron stove. I don't know if it literally weighs a ton, but I couldn't budge it! I suspect it's from the mid-to-late twentieth century, when one of the H. brothers or Papa H. still lived in the cabin.
I like its streamlined, modern shape and would like to learn more about it. But haven't been able to find any pictures or info about stoves like it yet. It's stamped "U S," which Karl suggests signifies Army surplus. I found also, there is an long-running stove maker called US Stove Company.
The stove has a coat of possibly decorative paint on it, and I'm not sure if that's safe to fire up. But otherwise, it looks in possibly ready working condition, no cracks. There are two old chimneys in the cabin. Perhaps one could be re-opened, and we could have stove heat as a main heat source. I don't actually know what fuel the stove takes though - wood, coal?
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Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Replacement Flapper Valve for 1969 Eljer Toilet
This is my contribution to the collective web knowledge about toilets! I have an old Eljer toilet, possibly from 1969. I recently successfully replaced its worn-out flapper valve with a PlumbPak “Flush valve assembly for Eljer Touch Flush,” purchased at Lowes.
Stamps inside toilet tank: PAT 101 697 (or possibly 191 697) and 2 623 216
Inside lid: 5540, MAR 14 1969, 2036, and PAT 191 697
Stamps inside toilet tank: PAT 101 697 (or possibly 191 697) and 2 623 216
Inside lid: 5540, MAR 14 1969, 2036, and PAT 191 697
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Tiny Bedroom, Cheap Makeover
I recently made over my small bedroom in Bed-Stuy. My objective was to create a room generically appealing enough, to raise its rent enough, to pay for its makeover within a couple months. The room is currently available, so the jury is still out on whether I have succeeded.
The first photo is what I started with (before). The second photo is what I made it into (after).
Friday, August 22, 2008
Hot Shot Drain Cleaner (Thumbs Up)
This stuff works.
It comes in a soft, cloudy bottle, looks brown, encased in a clear plastic bag. Flashy Draino and Liquid Plumber sat beside it on the hardware store shelf. The quietly self-possessed store clerk assured me in gentle, broken English, it was "the best."
It pours a deep magenta, like beet juice.
It comes in a soft, cloudy bottle, looks brown, encased in a clear plastic bag. Flashy Draino and Liquid Plumber sat beside it on the hardware store shelf. The quietly self-possessed store clerk assured me in gentle, broken English, it was "the best."
It pours a deep magenta, like beet juice.
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Home Improvement
I got a home-improvement bee in my bonnet this weekend. I moved all my furniture around and am pleased as punch with those results.
On the other hand, I accidentally re-painted my kitchen white. I had intended to paint it and my sitting room a moderate khaki-sage green, but . . . it's just white.
Painting in progress
Painting done. See? The green is white.
Admittedly, the paint went on light, but paint does darken as it dries. The perplexing thing is that this paint exactly matches the old pillow case I taped to the wall and brought to the store for color reference. I suppose the discrepancy is just that the semigloss of the paint, spread on the wall, reflects so much more light than the totally matte pillow case. I'll have to try again!
On the other hand, I accidentally re-painted my kitchen white. I had intended to paint it and my sitting room a moderate khaki-sage green, but . . . it's just white.
Admittedly, the paint went on light, but paint does darken as it dries. The perplexing thing is that this paint exactly matches the old pillow case I taped to the wall and brought to the store for color reference. I suppose the discrepancy is just that the semigloss of the paint, spread on the wall, reflects so much more light than the totally matte pillow case. I'll have to try again!
Tuesday, July 4, 2006
New Vacuum
I've been effectively without a vacuum for two or three months. I'd been trying to acquire a second-hand one via purchase, friends or family, or freecycle. After several offers similar to $80 for machines with list prices of $39.95, no other leads, and increasing filth, I finally lost patience. I bit the bullet this past weekend, shelled out $49.84 plus tax, and bought a new vacuum. My last vacuum cost $39.95 and served me well for six years, so I don't mind the price.
Look what I collected in the dust cup my first run round the house!
In fairness to me in my albeit moderate house-cleanliness, I think most of this filth came from the carpet on my stairway and area rug in my bedroom. Plain old broomstick technology just hasn't been cutting it on the carpet.
Waste
I loaded my broken, old vacuum into a garbage bag. It just seems such a waste of plastic and, doubtless, energy, pollution, and slave wage labor. I'd wanted to avoid more such waste by buying second-hand. Alas.
Look what I collected in the dust cup my first run round the house!
In fairness to me in my albeit moderate house-cleanliness, I think most of this filth came from the carpet on my stairway and area rug in my bedroom. Plain old broomstick technology just hasn't been cutting it on the carpet.Waste
I loaded my broken, old vacuum into a garbage bag. It just seems such a waste of plastic and, doubtless, energy, pollution, and slave wage labor. I'd wanted to avoid more such waste by buying second-hand. Alas.