1. First project: My photo wall. Photos from most of the travels I have done from 2006 to 2008. My trip in 2009 excluded as per 'other' person on that trip, and I have never been given the photos from it. Well and good though. My first attempt at making this house mine.
Thanks Walmart for your website photo upload
for print pickup later.
http://www.walmartphotocentre.ca/album/default.aspx
for print pickup later.
http://www.walmartphotocentre.ca/album/default.aspx
Thanks Ikea and Urban Barn for your sweet photo frames.
2. Second Project: My faux-fireplace. It needed a touch of Jess. It was white before. Bland. Not me at all.
3. My Roof: It had old, old, old, old asphalt shingles on it that my inspector told me would only last one more year.
Of course I wanted it done right, environmentally friendly, and so I wouldn't have to bother with it again in 25 years. Metal shakes. Metal facia and soffits in the original trim color. No painting for me!
4. Attic insulation: Got blown in done to bring the R20 up to an R50. Ah ye-yeah yeah!
5. Basement Windows: All windows replaced with energy efficient ones. Bye-bye metal frames that were so easy to break into.
6. New Furnace and Tankless Water: So old that the hot water tank was passing rust through and staining my bathtub. So again with energy efficiency in mind and creating more space, the tankless water tank option was a no brainer.
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| Ick! |
However, now that I have it, I have realized a tankless with a tiny tank attached is better, since it takes some time for the water to be heated up given the distance water has to travel in the pipes and if you are just washing your hands or face, you don't want to run the tap forever defeating the purpose of energy and water savings. I have gotten used to washing my face in cool water. No biggie.
My Furnace is awesome, heat kicks in so fast and I can preset temperatures so I'm not wasting heat or energy. Love. It also has a vent so that I can have the fan running in summer, so I constantly have fresh air circulating and it actually cools too, so no need for A/C. But my plaster walls help with that too.
Points 3, 4, 5 and 6: Thank you Great Canadian
and Especially to Chip.
and Especially to Chip.
7. My Foundation: Given the crack in the concrete found in the basement and the leak over winter's constant freeze and thaw, excavation all the way around the house, patching cracks, water proofing membrane, R10 insulation with added drainage feature, sump pump installed, weeping tile installed with vertical weeping tile at each window, with window wells installed, and cedars saved, was all done in one fell swoop. Though, I do need to give them a call about bringing in more rocks for drainage in my window wells.
8. My Grade: We needed to raise the grade in the front yard and sides at least 2-3 feet. Which is was it must have at least sunk since it was built in 1946. The sinking cracked the concrete path to the house, and the prior owners had done a new concrete sidewalk to the back, but too bad it was below grade, effectively causing a trap for water to lay stagnant with no where to go but down the side of the house to the footings.
Managed to reuse broken concrete, salvaged rocks and stepping stones already out front and in back, and transplanted the plants my yard already had. I can't wait until spring! Though Fall looks pretty good on my yard too.
Thank you Marc Dickner of 'One Guy & A Shovel'
marcdickner@gmail.com
Looks like my entire floor of my basement and subfloor, has to be torn out, and put back, also meaning bottom 4 ft of all walls has to be done, so really the full wall as I want to add insulation, etc. So I might as well also do my basement bathroom, which I wanted to tear apart, make bigger and way, way, way nicer.
But that means, breaking concrete, moving plumbing, moving floor drain, moving water meter, and adding wall insulation. Oi!
I sent another email to my adjuster, out of frustration from, yet again, not hearing from their company of choice after calling and emailing, that things need to move forward now. We shall see.
10. My Upstairs Bathroom: So since my downstairs bathroom needs to be gutted, might as well do my upstairs bathroom, because the cast iron drain of my tub is so long, it dips quite a bit into the downstairs bathroom ceiling. My upstairs bathroom is pretty much completed, sans towel bars, and the downstairs bathroom still awaits its turn.
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| Shiny! |
Thank you Time Line Construction. Especially to Paul and Leo.
And that brings us pretty much up to date and in debt the first time ever! It is very indicative of me. If I'm going to do it, I jump straight in, 150%. All in or no point to be in at all, right? Hence my coworkers attempt at helping me out...
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| Thanks Kim and John |
