- Moved all the big stone slabs out of the backyard - Outlined all the beds-to-be in the backyard with bricks - Graded an 8x16 ft area along the back of the house (where we dug out foundation) - just me and a shovel - Transplanted a rose bush. Pretty sure I killed it. - Used pile of dirt under dead pine trees to fill in holes left from pavers
Basement wall demolition started today with Brian, Kyle, Perry, Alex, Aaron, and Jeff. I came back from the hardware store after a couple hours and continued on into the evening with Brian, Nicole, Aaron and Kyle.
- Demolished all wooden walls in basement (and wood rack) - Identified & removed nails from salvageable wood - Continued pipe insulation - Started removing the toilet (half the floor bolts are stuck)
- Improved the new wood racks in the carriage house - Organized, sorted, and cut the wood in the carriage house - Moved the salvageable wood from the basement to the carriage house wood racks - Sorted the trim in the attic and removed any that wasn't door/window trim - Threw more junk in the dumpster - Cleaned out the top floor of the carriage house (done for now)
This past weekend (Aaron, me, Brian, Nicole, and Kyle):
- Shoveled muck out of street and alley (unbelievable amount) - Raked out beds, front yard, and parking strip down south side - Cut back ivy off sidewalk, fence, and side of house - Removed ivy from the corner of the front yard - Removed vines from south side hedges - Removed last header & stud from basement wall (wedged into place) - Removed more wires & electrical conduit from basement - Brian & Nicole continued basement pipe insulation (finished third roll) - Reworked backyard bed placement
Dumpster is now full.
Gutter installation and basement repairs are both scheduled for Tuesday.
On Tuesday the rain gutters were installed, all the masonry repairs in the basement were done, we removed the rest of the toilet from the basement, and Aaron continued removing vines from the fence. Yesterday the dumpster was hauled away and Aaron came up with a design for rail post caps for the front and side entrances.
I noticed water escaping between the roof and the new gutters on the north side during the rain (site of a preexisting leak), and they're returning tomorrow to investigate.
I assume they also installed downspouts to route the water away from the foundation once it hits the ground?
Yes. One of them crosses the pathway to walk between the houses (terminating in the front yard), so that'll need to be converted to an underground tile at some point. The one in the backyard is likely to become a rain barrel.
They also gave me a quick lesson in drilling out the downspout rivets so they can be removed for painting, and gave me a bag of extra rivets to replace them afterward. They also provided (per my request) a few extra pieces of downspout for when one inevitably gets crushed underfoot.
Gutter installer returned today and installed a piece of flashing between the roof and gutter where the leak was occurring. It was caused by the roof deteriorating down to wood in a small area at the valley between two parts.
- Scraped loose paint off basement walls - Dave started installing new basement lighting - Worked on backyard landscaping - Worked out strategy for finishing basement for Expo - Big Home Depot trip for basement & backyard supplies
Took it a littler easier this weekend as we had different guests in town on Saturday and Sunday.
- Dave installed a ceiling light fixture in Perry's room - Dave installed the rest of the new basement lighting - Continued landscaping backyard - Accepted delivery of pea gravel for backyard - Covered backyard in weed barrier - Shoveled and spread 3 yards of gravel
Aaron and I planted all the perennials in the front yard, and about 1/3 in the backyard. I moved the first 5 wheelbarrow loads of the second pea gravel delivery into the yard.
Dave fixed the light switch in Perry's room (entire box had to be replaced, big mess), put the floodlights on a switch, and installed a dimmer in the basement. He also reconnected power to the carriage house as step 1 for improvements out there.
Aaron finished planting perennials, I shoveled 10 more wheelbarrows full of pea gravel into the backyard (filling in the edges of the main area) and put the rest of the 50/50 mix into trashcans for storage.
Thursday
Aaron and I assembled and setup the new backyard lighting and fire pit. Raked out the pea gravel to level it. Ate dinner out there, because, DAMN, it's awesome now.
I bought and transported at 28' extension ladder (and 6 ten-foot plants) on my station wagon's roof. I have no roof rack. It was a thing. It involved twine lashings.
Yesterday, Aaron worked on the post caps and a gate solution for the north side of the house. We discussed the remaining basement & backyard plans for before Expo. Dealt with Cardboard Mountain in the foyer (we rely on Amazon.com for so much of this stuff it's crazy).
Finished backyard ground cover (pea gravel into back corner, 2 more yards) Began cleaning out basement for Expo (sweep & vacuum, brush down walls, remove more junk) Cleaned out & scraped paint off iron tub in carriage house for making it into a planter Cleaned backyard chairs
Aaron built and installed a fence gate! Aaron continued work on the post caps for the porch stair rails Brian collected quotes on finishing the basement floor Demolished pantry shelves in basement (omg nasty) Moved more stuff out of the basement to the carriage house Installed a large floating shelf in the kitchen Brought an extra bed back from parents' house
Brian spliced the backyard lights where a squirrel chewed thru them Aaron did *all* the yardwork Lincoln prepped basement walls for painting & rustoleumed some shelves Lincoln demolished the wall & doorframe on the last flight to steps to the basement
And listen. That last line item sounds like a couple hours work. But when it's a FRIGGIN' FALLOUT SHELTER it becomes a day-long demolition. Triple layer drywall, metal flashing between the trim and frame, and enough nails to hold it for another 50 years if it hadn't met my crowbars. Gigantic mess.
Primed, patched, and painted basement stairwell Scraped, brushed, and drylocked many more basement walls Finished rustoleuming basement shelves & put them to use Hung Nicole's wall garden in the kitchen (this is getting a horrible review on their website - required 10 screws, a plank of wood, and probably 90 minutes of labor to accomplish this)
Jackie was here helping all weekend, yay! Ryan, Brad, Jimmy, and Esti all helped last night too.
Yes, but I decided July was my month off (from big stuff). After a year and a half of spending nearly all my free time on major projects, we needed some respite, especially after the big push to finish things for Expo. Aaron's been doing killer work on the yard for the last month.
Here's a small list of other things:
- cleaned up from Expo (took about 2 weeks) - cleaned out the foyer, carriage house, and office - fixed all the wall hooks / shelves in the bathroom - repairing a kitchen cabinet door - unhanging & patching the wall from the failed wall garden - put up a hammock in the backyard - fixed the rain barrel once and for all - hung some things on the first floor walls - moved the keyboard out of the pub - removed some weed trees from backyard - got a security system installed - ordered some elm trees for along Calumet - ordered curtains for Perry's room
We're looking at getting the bathtub planter finished and the carriage house's dangling gutter removed in the next week or so. I also have to wage a battle with Detroit bureaucracy over my incorrectly assessed property taxes.
- Dave installed 3 outlets & a light switch in the basement - Dave has begun reworking the carriage house electrical system - I ordered antique replica light switches for the rest of the house (minus bedrooms, bathroom, and kitchen)
Today:
- Separated lead & glass in the pile of twisted lead glass windows in the carriage house - Cleaned up the carriage house interior (prep for reinforcing it) - Filled a bagster - Aaron added a new guard rail to Kyle's bed (he insisted on moving it away from the wall) - Made a new to-do list
We'd put away our to-do list when Expo started and left it away for 2 months. There will be a blog post soon about why it returned now, but suffice to say: we're seriously underway again.
Comments
- Moved all the big stone slabs out of the backyard
- Outlined all the beds-to-be in the backyard with bricks
- Graded an 8x16 ft area along the back of the house (where we dug out foundation) - just me and a shovel
- Transplanted a rose bush. Pretty sure I killed it.
- Used pile of dirt under dead pine trees to fill in holes left from pavers
Was *awesome* weather out for yard work.
- Demolished all wooden walls in basement (and wood rack)
- Identified & removed nails from salvageable wood
- Continued pipe insulation
- Started removing the toilet (half the floor bolts are stuck)
- Improved the new wood racks in the carriage house
- Organized, sorted, and cut the wood in the carriage house
- Moved the salvageable wood from the basement to the carriage house wood racks
- Sorted the trim in the attic and removed any that wasn't door/window trim
- Threw more junk in the dumpster
- Cleaned out the top floor of the carriage house (done for now)
- Shoveled muck out of street and alley (unbelievable amount)
- Raked out beds, front yard, and parking strip down south side
- Cut back ivy off sidewalk, fence, and side of house
- Removed ivy from the corner of the front yard
- Removed vines from south side hedges
- Removed last header & stud from basement wall (wedged into place)
- Removed more wires & electrical conduit from basement
- Brian & Nicole continued basement pipe insulation (finished third roll)
- Reworked backyard bed placement
Dumpster is now full.
Gutter installation and basement repairs are both scheduled for Tuesday.
I noticed water escaping between the roof and the new gutters on the north side during the rain (site of a preexisting leak), and they're returning tomorrow to investigate.
They also gave me a quick lesson in drilling out the downspout rivets so they can be removed for painting, and gave me a bag of extra rivets to replace them afterward. They also provided (per my request) a few extra pieces of downspout for when one inevitably gets crushed underfoot.
- Scraped loose paint off basement walls
- Dave started installing new basement lighting
- Worked on backyard landscaping
- Worked out strategy for finishing basement for Expo
- Big Home Depot trip for basement & backyard supplies
Took it a littler easier this weekend as we had different guests in town on Saturday and Sunday.
- Dave installed a ceiling light fixture in Perry's room
- Dave installed the rest of the new basement lighting
- Continued landscaping backyard
- Accepted delivery of pea gravel for backyard
- Covered backyard in weed barrier
- Shoveled and spread 3 yards of gravel
Saturday: Bought perennials & porch baskets at Eastern Market, did weed barrier edges around backyard.
Sunday: Bought perennials and new porch chairs at Home Depot, cleared ivy & leveled back corner of backyard.
Monday: Spread 2 yards of compost/topsoil mix in front & back yards, placed plants where they'll be planted in backyard.
Aaron and I planted all the perennials in the front yard, and about 1/3 in the backyard. I moved the first 5 wheelbarrow loads of the second pea gravel delivery into the yard.
Dave fixed the light switch in Perry's room (entire box had to be replaced, big mess), put the floodlights on a switch, and installed a dimmer in the basement. He also reconnected power to the carriage house as step 1 for improvements out there.
Aaron finished planting perennials, I shoveled 10 more wheelbarrows full of pea gravel into the backyard (filling in the edges of the main area) and put the rest of the 50/50 mix into trashcans for storage.
Thursday
Aaron and I assembled and setup the new backyard lighting and fire pit. Raked out the pea gravel to level it. Ate dinner out there, because, DAMN, it's awesome now.
Finished backyard ground cover (pea gravel into back corner, 2 more yards)
Began cleaning out basement for Expo (sweep & vacuum, brush down walls, remove more junk)
Cleaned out & scraped paint off iron tub in carriage house for making it into a planter
Cleaned backyard chairs
Aaron built and installed a fence gate!
Aaron continued work on the post caps for the porch stair rails
Brian collected quotes on finishing the basement floor
Demolished pantry shelves in basement (omg nasty)
Moved more stuff out of the basement to the carriage house
Installed a large floating shelf in the kitchen
Brought an extra bed back from parents' house
Brian spliced the backyard lights where a squirrel chewed thru them
Aaron did *all* the yardwork
Lincoln prepped basement walls for painting & rustoleumed some shelves
Lincoln demolished the wall & doorframe on the last flight to steps to the basement
And listen. That last line item sounds like a couple hours work. But when it's a FRIGGIN' FALLOUT SHELTER it becomes a day-long demolition. Triple layer drywall, metal flashing between the trim and frame, and enough nails to hold it for another 50 years if it hadn't met my crowbars. Gigantic mess.
Scraped, brushed, and drylocked many more basement walls
Finished rustoleuming basement shelves & put them to use
Hung Nicole's wall garden in the kitchen (this is getting a horrible review on their website - required 10 screws, a plank of wood, and probably 90 minutes of labor to accomplish this)
Jackie was here helping all weekend, yay! Ryan, Brad, Jimmy, and Esti all helped last night too.
Here's a small list of other things:
- cleaned up from Expo (took about 2 weeks)
- cleaned out the foyer, carriage house, and office
- fixed all the wall hooks / shelves in the bathroom
- repairing a kitchen cabinet door
- unhanging & patching the wall from the failed wall garden
- put up a hammock in the backyard
- fixed the rain barrel once and for all
- hung some things on the first floor walls
- moved the keyboard out of the pub
- removed some weed trees from backyard
- got a security system installed
- ordered some elm trees for along Calumet
- ordered curtains for Perry's room
We're looking at getting the bathtub planter finished and the carriage house's dangling gutter removed in the next week or so. I also have to wage a battle with Detroit bureaucracy over my incorrectly assessed property taxes.
- Aaron put the post caps on the front step rails
- Started budgeting / prioritizing the next round of projects
- Dave installed 3 outlets & a light switch in the basement
- Dave has begun reworking the carriage house electrical system
- I ordered antique replica light switches for the rest of the house (minus bedrooms, bathroom, and kitchen)
Today:
- Separated lead & glass in the pile of twisted lead glass windows in the carriage house
- Cleaned up the carriage house interior (prep for reinforcing it)
- Filled a bagster
- Aaron added a new guard rail to Kyle's bed (he insisted on moving it away from the wall)
- Made a new to-do list
We'd put away our to-do list when Expo started and left it away for 2 months. There will be a blog post soon about why it returned now, but suffice to say: we're seriously underway again.