Rehabber’s Rehab

Our countertops were installed today.  We now have SURFACES.  Places on which to put things.  A covering that keeps the dirt out of the drawers.  And the sinks are installed.  We have to get the plumber back to get running water to them, but in terms of appearances, we are starting to get there.

The bathroom and kitchen look like what they’re supposed to be now, and I know that we are so close to utilizing them for their actual purpose.  In a few days I can (or Thor can) wash dishes in the dishwasher and not the tub.  The countertops in addition to the microwave that Thor and Matt installed last weekend are turning the room into a usable space. The microwave was a bit more trouble than we thought it would be because the electrician put the plug a little too high and at first we thought a part was missing.  All the worry was for nothing and eventually it went in.  This increased our quality of life also because we were able to move the old microwave out of the office and are able to start to use that space for its true purpose.

I think I am most pleased with the bathroom.  It is a remnant that we choose in the middle of a snowstorm on a Friday afternoon.  All of the slabs of granite were frozen together and it took 6 guys to pull them apart so that we could look at this piece.  It looks awsome with cabinets and the slate we already have in there.  There was definitely a moment of worry when we chose it because we didn’t have any samples with us to make sure it matched, so I was doubly thrilled to see how good it looked.

The kitchen is thrilling too.  We were finally able to settle the debate over whether the countertops were black or not.  They are not.  They are green with black, gold, and white flecks.  After this weekend it will work like how it’s supposed to too.  As I type, Thor is in the kitchen installing the tambour (appliance garage) in the kitchen corner.

Framing complete, plumbing roughed-in, and electrical racing to get done. That can mean only one thing, INSPECTIONS.

Inspections are like the big toll bridge and the inspectors are the trolls. If you fail your inspections you cannot pass go or collect (spend) $200. The next month is huge for us, because I actually have two weekends off to work. So in theory we could do insulation the first weekend, an insulation inspection during the week, and then drywalling the next weekend. Then the spackler could come in, followed by the floor guy, and some quick painting which would allow us to install the cabinets after Christmas just before the new year. That would be a level of completion that we thought was impossible just a couple of weeks away.

But this whole schedule rested on the decisions of inspectors who could ridicule the slightest problem.

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The house is busy with plumbers, electricians, and me an amateur tiler.

The plumbers finished with the rough in last week, which allowed us to set the new tub, take out the old one, and finish the final walls to gut. No more plaster and lathe! All that they have left to do is set the toilet when we’ve tiled the bathroom floor and set the sinks when the cabinets and countertops arrive.

The electrician also started working when we tore off the roof. He basically had three projects: Replace the old electrical panel that was a cobbled together set of fuses with a new bigger service; set all the new electrical lights, recepts etc. in the kitchen, bathroom and backroom; and three, update other parts of the house like lights in the livingroom (where there were none) and smoke detectors in every single sleeping room of a 1000 sq ft house (Oak Park overkill?). The electrician took a mini break to tend to his birthing wife, but was back on the job the NEXT DAY much to Liz’s shock and dismay.

With the tub set, we could start tiling with our recently chosen slate tile. This was only mildly aggravating because our tile was actually a lot of little pieces glued to a vinyl mesh that was a foot by foot piece. Every other tile I picked up would loose half of its little pieces. But it made for relatively easy work around the fixtures because you could get away with cutting the mesh more than tile.

I have been feeling oppressed by my house lately.  This has been coming on for about a week or two now.  If you have noticed a lack of posts, it is in direct correlation with (what feels like) a lack of work.  When we are busy working on projects, walls are coming down, windows are going up, I feel good.  Although the situation is not ideal, we are making progress that gets us closer to the end.  Lately, through, it seems that I have been living with 2×4 studs and dirty floors forever.  Instead of coming home from work and having a wave of relaxation and relief wash over me as I sit on the couch and take my shoes off, I just look at the dirty floor and insulation flecks on the couch and feel my skin start to crawl. 

I can barely stand to take a shower any more.  The bathroom is so disgusting and dirty, and cold.  It is impossible to keep warm with the draft that blows in between the plastic sheets.  It used to be that my shower is what got me going in the morning.  Now it is a thing I dread getting out of bed for.

Thor tells me I am a trooper, and to keep it up, and I just sigh.  I don’t even feel up to telling him where to shove it anymore.

Things are happening at the house.  The plumber was there all last week.  But the things he is doing are largely imperceptible.  Sure, a new copper pipe appears out of the wall every once in a while, but it hasn’t changed my life any.  The water pressure is still as bad as ever.

But, real change is happening today.  As I type, Randy, Thor and Matt are ripping off the roof of the sunroom and putting a new one on.  I only hope they have it back up when I get home, because it is supposed to be 28 degrees outside tonight.

As of today we have one working sink, one shower and one toilet, and they are all in different rooms of the house.  Pictures coming soon.

Here’s how it works.  You can take a shower upstairs, but there’s only 3 walls in the bathroom with the fourth covered in plastic.  Needless to say, it’s a bit drafty.  You can go to the bathroom, but you have to go to the basement, steer clear of the mess, and wearing shoes is a must, and the toilet is in a room Liz refers to as the dungeon.  Then you can wash your hands, do your dishes rinse your face, and clean out your painting tools in the utility sink.  One stop shopping, if you can find the basement light, which Liz still has no idea where it is.  I just leave it on all the time for her.

The plumber arrived and started taking out the old cobbled together lead pipes and backed up drains.  Not only were we adding new plumbing for the new shower, second vanity sink, kitchen sink and gas range, but we were also taking the opportunity to do some cleanup and upgrading.  (more…)