What I did at my house today...

[MJ1987]

Got my second window done and installed last week. This one is in the "master" bedroom. Still have one more to do in that room. I'm thrilled with how tight it fits. There's a triple track storm on the outside, so energy efficiency seems great--no air seepage at all, which is nice considering it's in the teens here today.

Working on the doors for that room now. I refinished the inside of the main door since it was painted, but left the original finish on the hallway side. They're super dry and dirty, so I scrubbed them down with Murphy's Soap, let them dry, and then used a coating of Feed-N-Wax to finish them. See side-by-side photo. Door on the left is done, right is as it was before. Notice the test spot on the right door near the top left. Results are subtle in the photo but pretty dramatic in person.

I've staged the basement so I can strip and heat gun windows and doors. It's working out well, though ventilation isn't ideal, given the lacquer thinner and sander. Electrician got new led strip lights into the basement, too, so it went from a dungeon to the Vegas strip! Excited to keep plugging on!

[Gothichome]

Now your into the swing of it MJ, looks just as great as the first window you did. Now that your all set up we’ll expect every thing done by spring.

[MJ1987]

Now your into the swing of it MJ, looks just as great as the first window you did. Now that your all set up we’ll expect every thing done by spring.

From your lips to God's ears!

[Corsetière]

MJ1987, it is looking incredible! Congrats!

My current project is getting rid of construction debris. I filled 50 contractor bags so far! I think I will fill another 50 this weekend. There's just so much junk in the basement. We broke down the old dry wall down there and I just never got around to removing it. So now this fun project is happening!

[Corsetière]

It was a very productive day. We installed 4 door sweeps, to help with the drafts, got the heat connected in the powder room finally, and hung up this heavy shelf.

Door sweeps! That is what those are called! Thanks, I was trying to think of the name to search online...


Shelf looks great!

[Willa]

Door sweeps! That is what those are called! Thanks, I was trying to think of the name to search online...


Shelf looks great!

There's a chain of dollar stores here - Dollarama - that had door sweeps for $ 2.50/ea. I bought one to see how terrible it was - and it was fine. Aluminum with some kind of rubbery-plastic sweep part. They have really improved the draft situation. The front door had some bad modifications that make it fit poorly into the frame, so it will need to come off during the summer months to get properly rehung. Anyhow - the doorsweeps even help with that.

Now about those 50 contractor bags of debris you've been collecting. Was there just a big pile in the basement that you've been ignoring ?

I made a pile in the backyard, from the kitchen demo, but there was suddenly a giant dump of snow so the pile is completely buried. I'll have to wait until the snow melts to make that be gone, which might be March or so from the looks of it. If you can, get those 50 bags gone before they get buried.

[awomanwithahammer]

It was a very productive day. We installed 4 door sweeps, to help with the drafts, got the heat connected in the powder room finally, and hung up this heavy shelf.

I am pretty sure the shelf had been the top of an 1880's mantel as it was 58" wide x 11" deep x 1.5" thick , and had the ghosts on the bottom of where the supports would have been. I looked all over for cast iron brackets that were big enough and not terrible looking. There were some nice ones from the UK but shipping was cost prohibitive. A local Kijiji seller had these. It is actually two different but very similar brackets, not antique.Lots of fussing to find the studs, and to attach one bracket through old masonry (original chimney is below new drywall). I am really happy to have the shelf up.

Funny that you should post this, Willa--I just bought these brackets on Craigslist. Also not antique, but cast iron and very nice. I'm planning to use them for shelves in the kitchen.

Your shelf looks really nice, and I like your brackets.

MJ1987, I'm really liking the windows and doors. I can definitely see the difference between the two doors, not subtle at all.

Corsetiere, I don't envy you at all! I chose to do Bagsters instead of getting a dumpster for demo. I'm not sure I came out ahead, though. I had at least 4 pickups, and I think a dumpster would have been cheaper.

I guess I'm on hold at my old house until after Christmas, since I'm getting my house ready for a multi-family dinner on Christmas Eve. My family plus my two kids' in-laws, for a total of at least 20 people!

I did get a cabinet put together the other day. I'm anxious to get them up, but I'm trying to be patient.

[Vala]

stained.jpg (363.94 KiB) Viewed 300 times

Started refinishing/restaining again, on doors that were taken off the hinges and put in the attic with 1 side painted, I think it turned out nicely.

[Corsetière]

Now about those 50 contractor bags of debris you've been collecting. Was there just a big pile in the basement that you've been ignoring ?

I made a pile in the backyard, from the kitchen demo, but there was suddenly a giant dump of snow so the pile is completely buried. I'll have to wait until the snow melts to make that be gone, which might be March or so from the looks of it. If you can, get those 50 bags gone before they get buried.

Yeah my plumber busted down the drywall rooms in the basement because it was too hard for him to fix things with all those crazy little rooms down there (which were at one point being rented). So since it was just construction debris and not anything super gross, I just let it sit while I worked on other more noticeable things.

I had gotten a quote to have someone haul it out and it was over $500! So my plan is to slowly toss the bagged stuff (stored in my garage) and then get a Bagster pop up dumpster for the old 2x4s and toilets, etc. The Bagster is $30 and the $120 for removal of the first Bagster in my area. Additional loads are $90 if you have a single pickup date.

Plus given my situation, I am best off doing it myself so I don't have to deal with worker safety regulations since I won't be paying anyone, etc. Who knew simple waste removal could turn into such an ordeal?

[Willa]

[quote="awomanwithahammer"]
Funny that you should post this, Willa--I just bought these brackets on Craigslist. Also not antique, but cast iron and very nice. I'm planning to use them for shelves in the kitchen.


Those are nice very brackets !