The Helpful Hardware Place

Pre-mix Paint
Originally uploaded by zostra

You know the tagline for Ace Hardware, right? Ace, the Helpful Hardware Place. It's true. Today I went to Pastimes Ace Hardware in El Cerrito to have my paint mixed. I'd met this lovely woman, Chelsea, there about a week ago and she told me what I needed to do to get the paint mixed there. They don't computer-match, but if you let them know the type of paint they can get the proper formula and mix it with the old fashioned tint machine (all these big tubes on a wheel that measures out the tint). I called ahead and Chelsea had all the formulas ready to go when I got there. I got to watch her put the tint in, and we mixed up all of the paint for the house. While we did this we chatted about paint, and a few other things. She mentioned how much she liked to paint. I told her where the house was & told her if she wanted to see the colors up on the walls to come on by any time (she's particularly fond of the orange for the second bedroom). She showed up. And painted. For almost two hours after she got off work. On a Friday. How cool is that?

Patience

V-cap-less corner
Originally uploaded by zostra

They tell you that remodeling takes longer than you think. That you will spend more time, more money, and more effort than you thought. Anyone who knows me knows how I like to plan, organize, be prepared, have a list, check things off. But how do you check off the v-cap that is backordered from Japan for an unspecified amount of time? That they didn't tell you was backordered until after you'd ordered the rest of the tile? Sigh. I have patience. But I don't have my v-caps.

Finding Studs

Peter & Dad searching for studs
Originally uploaded by zostra

The cabinets went back in the kitchen today. Dad and Peter started in on the tiling of the counters. This involves mudding cement backer board onto the plywood that's on top of the cabinets. Before the mud can set, the backer board is screwed into the plywood. Backer board for the backsplash is then screwed into the studs in the wall, as demonstrated by Dad & Peter. I helped with the tail end of things. It was too cold and wet for the cement on the wallboard to completely dry from yesterday. Maybe tomorrow.

Paint!

First Yellow Coat
Originally uploaded by zostra

I took today "off" (do furlough days really count as days off?) to work on the house. I picked out baseboards and door casings at Rafael Lumber (ask for Allen...he knows his stuff!) then met Dad & Uncle Peter at the house. Today I/we managed to get a second coat of mud on the new drywall, prime the kitchen (mostly), paint the kitchen (mostly), patch several holes with drywall, prime one bedroom on the walls & ceiling that weren't drywalled, sand & wash out one bedroom closet, figure out where the kitchen cabinets need to go back in, accept a washer/dryer delivery, figure out that the stacking unit for said w/d is included in the purchase and is inside the darn dryer (no wonder it wasn't on the order), figure out which bathroom sink/pedestal/faucet I'm going to get, and explain to my credit card company that no one has run wild with my account except me.

New Skill #17,325

Insulation
Originally uploaded by zostra

I've learned many, many new things since buying my house (and I've only owned it 3 weeks!). This weekend was my favorite so far. After discovering some unfortunate spores (i.e., mold in the walls) under multiple never-ending peels of paint in the the outer walls of the bedrooms we decided to rip out the drywall and replace it. As this fun activity was not in the original budget it seemed prudent to do it ourselves. The fact that my cousin Tony has done a fair amount of drywalling, and was willing and able to come help out made the decision that much easier. So, for 1/10th the cost of having professionals do it, we took out the sheetrock on four walls (2 exterior walls in each room), put in insulation, put up new drywall, and are now in the process of mudding it, which takes about three days because of drying time between mud applications. A nice combination of deconstruction and construction, very task oriented, and you really feel like you've accomplished something at the end of the day. Thanks, Tony et al. You rock. Sheetrock, to be exact. Oh...that was bad...must have been all the dust I inhaled.

Aioli

Aioli
Originally uploaded by zostra

Friday night I took the night off and went to Daniel's for dinner. He'd made a full aioli, which means not just the mayonnaise-cum-garlic sauce, but the blanched vegetables, poached fish, boiled eggs, bread, olives, and rose wine (OK, he didn't have boiled snails, which technically do go with it, but I wasn't too critical...). It was marvelous. Way too marvelous. We decided once a year is our max, since we both couldn't stop eating the sauce (or the rest of it).

Today we put protective paper all through the house to keep the shiny floors beautiful while we sheetrock & paint. We didn't finish until well after dark, and there are still no lights in the house except the one clip-on construction light we had to work by, so I didn't take any pics. I'll get some in the morning before the sheetrocking starts.

Shiny floors

Shiny floors
Originally uploaded by zostra

Floors are progressing. And the varnish is quite volatile & aromatic. Whew. Two minutes in the kitchen and I had to leave. Wallboard in the kitchen is all patched & mudded. Ready to be sanded & painted this weekend.

Fishes

Mural
Originally uploaded by zostra

We're in limbo (sort of) waiting for the floors to be done & to dry. So today I bring you a mock up of the tile mural that's going to be behind the stove. Eventually.

Floor Sanding

Floor Sanding
Originally uploaded by zostra

They started sanding the floors today...I'm not sure what all the different colors mean at this point. I am going for a water-based stain, which should keep the floors light, but will also show some of the differences in stains that have been applied over the lifetime of the floors. Hopefully not this much difference though. Hmmmm.

Honu

Honu
Originally uploaded by zostra

Nothing happened Monday at the house, primarily because we are waiting for permits/inspections today. But a friend of mine is stranded in the UK, and she's using this as one of her diversions. She knows who she is, and she knows why this picture (taken January when I visited my brother & nephew in Hawaii) is just for her. I hear that they are starting to fly again over there...hope you get home soon & safely, Honu!

12? Really?

First Blood
Originally uploaded by zostra

It is not at all necessary to put 12 nails into 6 feet of door trim. Nor is it necessary to use 2+ inch nails to do so. Really. 4 or 5 would do. 1-1/4 or maybe 1-1/2 if you want to go really crazy. But 12 is overboard, 2+ inch nails is just overkill, and 7-8 coats of paint without ever taping or sanding is just too much. Which is why all of the baseboards & door trim came off this weekend, to be replaced. And why I have several bloody, bruised knuckles. Stupid nails.

The Unexpected

Paint Peeling
Originally uploaded by zostra

Paint can peel in very large sheets, particularly if it was never applied properly. Grout sealer can give you a contact high. Dishwashers ordered in mid-April can take until June 3 to arrive. But if you need appliances, go see Cassandra at the Orchard Supply Hardware in El Cerrito. She's awesome. If there was ANY way to get that dishwasher here earlier, she would have figured it out.

Evidence

Where?
Originally uploaded by zostra

One might think that this is simply another hole in the ceiling at the new house. Thankfully, one would have misinterpreted the evidence. This is in my apartment. Where they continue to attempt to determine the source of the leaks that I've lived with the last two years. The most interesting thing...when I got home there was not only a big hole in the ceiling, but there was also bird poop everywhere. Someone had gotten into the living room & left evidence of their presence all over the back of the couch and on the table and on a notebook and...and...and. This morning while admiring the hole in the ceiling, another bird came in. After some scrambling to contain the cat and get the windows open, we managed to get the bird out. For now.

Ceiling, with holes

Ceiling, with holes
Originally uploaded by zostra

Did you know that re-wiring involves lots of holes in the walls? Did you know it involves holes in the ceiling? Did you know that it makes you feel like you've really made the right decision when your electrician tells you that not only were there no appropriate junction boxes in the incredibly under-wired house, a fair amount of the wiring in the ceiling was taped together and was "a fire waiting to happen"? Well, now you know. And perhaps, just perhaps, the next time we plug in a hair dryer to try to dry primer in really wet weather, the lights won't dim...

Washer Hookup

Washer Hookup
Originally uploaded by zostra

Some of that shiny plumbing that was in a pile on the floor is now installed. A lovely new water hookup for the washing machine. Sort of beautiful in an industrial, functional way.

Shiny Plumbing

Shiny Plumbing
Originally uploaded by zostra

Getting ready to put in the new connection for the washing machine. More electricity stuff (the electrician did that, not us). More spackle. More holes patched. More holes made (see electricity note). More paint samples picked up.

The Outside

Front View
Originally uploaded by zostra

There was finally enough sunshine (for a few minutes) for an outdoor picture. Which allows you to see the big patch o' dirt that is the front yard. And the old sink hanging out in said patch. Today was primarily washing out the nasty cabinets in the kitchen, removing the broken medicine cabinet & corroding vanity, and some scraping. Lots of little things, but productive.

Bedroom paint samples

Bedroom paint samples
Originally uploaded by zostra

Yesterday we took the day off to help Kath celebrate her 40th. Today I learned how to grout tile. Went fairly quickly, and looks fantastic. Also put paint samples up in all of the rooms, and settled on colors for everything but the bathroom. Even that got closer to decision-making. Thanks to Laurel & Daniel for coming over to help, and of course to Mom, Dad & Uncle PP for keeping up the steady stream of work.

Kitchen floor is tiled!

Kitchen floor pre-grout
Originally uploaded by zostra

Dad & Uncle PP laid the tile in the kitchen floor today. I made it back from an overnight work-trip to LA just in time to help finish & clean up. Last tile laid at 9:45pm (give or take). Already makes the kitchen approximately 1000 times better.

It Begins

Tile Crew
Originally uploaded by zostra

Day one, and the sewer lateral is done (complete with a digger that Cy would have been proud of), the kitchen floors, counters, and cabinets removed (saved the cabinets to reinstall) and my tile crew (Dad & Uncle PP) are ready to go.

Oh my, what have I done?

Old Kitchen
Originally uploaded by zostra

I went and bought a house. A little (807 square feet) one, on a great block, with a lot of projects contained within. Starting with the fact that it was stripped of everything...appliances, kitchen faucet, light fixtures, shower head...but it's mine. I have the keys. And the blood salami floor tiles with puce green paint in the kitchen. Painters, carpenters, and tile experts welcome.