Ordinarily, I am opposed to any addition to one's backside- to include fanny-packs, butt-shapers and the likes. Our home got an addition to it's backside sometime around 1900. In this case it was a good thing or at least it probably started out as a good thing. It is a space of approximately 11 feet by 14 feet and housed half of our kitchen as well as a small pantry and half bath. Standing in the middle of my kitchen you could drop a marble, can, or anything that would roll and it would roll-baby-roll toward the back wall. We were sinking and ignoring it was not making it go away which prompted our quest to replace the joists which meant ripping up the floors.....which meant taking down walls.....and as long as we're at it let's just do the whole thing right.
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| No more floors or walls. |
Our removal of the old showed us the trouble we had been unaware of. Bad Wiring, Bad Plumbing and Bad Construction all introduced themselves. Upon inspection of the sill we discovered that some nasty wood-boring beetles had made a meal out of what was once a perfectly good sill. Now, I don't remember the name of these beetles but the damage they left behind is enough for me to want to declare war on all bugs for all time! The sill is being replaced and truthfully some of it is nothing more than dust wrapped in a thin wood shell.
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| Wonky wiring! |
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| Bad beetles! |
A friend is lending Mr. FixIt a hand today. They both took the day off from their paying jobs. I am so grateful for how God has blessed us with knowledgeable people because frankly at this stage I am no help.
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| The Great Stuff offered more resistance to be removed than the wood sill did! |
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| What light through yonder sill breaks? |
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| Sill dust- yuck! |
There are certain things about construction that I just love- like the sound of a radial saw and the smell of cut wood. I love the sound of a nail gun! I don't like "uh-oh or oop". Another sound that baffles me comes from men. It never ceases to amaze me is that men burp around other men with no thought of ever excusing themselves and the other never gets offended!
Hopefully, we will get most of the sill replaced today. As they work I blog, make snacks and lunch and keep the kiddos focused on school work that needs attention. I saw a family on HGTV recently complaining as they were "living" through a renovation that was taking a couple weeks. The parents worked, kids were in school and somebody else was doing the work! We are living through this which includes eating, sleeping, cleaning, homeschooling and doing the renovations ourselves. I am determined not to complain (it has been one week since we started). I may live to eat those words. In an attempt to motivate and encourage us I poster-tacked (love that stuff) the elevations of what our finished kitchen will look like. The nice lady at Home Depot gave them to us when we ordered our cabinets. I am resolved to look at them when I feel like grumbling or complaining.
As for now I think it is time for a run to Dunkin Donuts. We need caffeine and sugar. (No, I am not getting paid to advertise for them-though, I am willing to consider any offers.)
In the future, budgeting for renovations should always have a line item for Dunkin Donuts.
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