Running Out of Things to Do

Our work is slowing down. Now we wait for the professionals to do their part - windows, tub/shower, toilets, and sinks, and more.

Stephen putting insulation in the bath area.

The girls were amazing again. They cleaned all of the kitchen cabinets with vinegar and water.

Then they moved on to the garage and had all four sides finished in just a short amount of time.

A sample of the cabinets in the kitchen area. I won't be using this color of counter top. I'm thinking of trying butcher block. Do any of you have a butcher block counter top? If so, do you like it? Pros and cons?

I talked to someone today who does electrostatic painting. He said the metal cupboards would turn out really nice if he sprayed them. The only problem is he is on the other side of the state and he doesn't travel for his business. He recommended checking the phone book for office furniture repairs, but I didn't find anything. Guess I will have to call a couple of regular painters and see if they know of anyone who does electrostatic painting around here.

A two drainboard, double-bowl, porcelain-on-steel sink that was taken out of a local church's kitchen when they did some remodeling. I love it. But I'm not sure it will fit in my small kitchen.

Anyone know where I can get a cabinet to put it in. It is 66 inches long. The metal cabinet it was in was too far gone to use again. There is a company in Chicago that makes metal sink cabinets. I'm waiting for a price and inside dimensions of the base.

It is still in very good condition. There is some scratching in the bottom of the bowls but not a lot - more so on the left one.

Should be easier to decide now that it is at a normal cabinet height. I need to be able to visualize something before I can make a decision. We keep moving it back and forth in front of the window. I know centered would be much better, but I'm not sure I have the wall space to be able to do that. Maybe it's just a lost cause, but I think it's worth trying to see if I can work it in.

While the girls were washing cupboards, I washed the north side of the house. Two more sides to go.

We were planning on cleaning the gutters, but the wind gusts were so strong that we decided against it.

I'm still trying to decide if the original wood floor can be refinished. From the crawl space, I can see what looks like 1 x 3 tongue and groove boards. There are some nails, but not an overabundance of them. This picture was taken in the tub opening. On the bottom you can see the tongue and groove boards. Above that is the OSB board that was put on in 1993. Then a 2 x 4 stud. That all seems quite clear from this picture.

On the opposite side of the opening, it's a bit more confusing. I can see the tongue and groove, but it appears to be split. But then it almost looks like there might be another thin board on top of it - then the OSB board. Or maybe it's just me wanting there to be oak flooring.

I called a flooring refinisher and he said it was typical for a home built in 1924 to have a tongue and groove pine sub-floor. Then they would often put 3/8 inch oak boards on top of that as their finish floor. But he admitted that sometimes they just lived on the pine sub-floor. My aunt said she remembers getting splinters from their wood floor which according to the refinisher would indicate it might be the pine sub-floor.

I remember my grandmother (Busia) had red linoleum through part of the house. But that was in the 50s and 60s. Was the linoleum laid directly on the sub-floor or did they put down oak flooring before that? Considering the fact that they had nine children and little money, I'm guessing it probably is just the pine sub-floor.

But if I'm going to find out for sure, now is the time to do it. I may have to take up a piece of OSB in a closet and see what I discover.

I would love to be able to refinish the original wood. I was reading on some of the do-it-yourself forums yesterday, and a number of people mentioned they had the same type of sub-floor and they had good success with sanding, staining, and sealing it. A few of them mentioned how cold the floor was though because it lacked the insulating quality from multiple layers.

I moved perennials yesterday and today. Here are the blue iris plants I put on the south side of the house.

As I dug out the top layer of grass, I discovered there were many patches of chives. So many that the side yard was filled with little patches of shoots of chives. I'm assuming it must be wild chive. Who would plant all that?

I put most of the perennials on the south side of the garage where they will get plenty of sunshine. I can move them next year once I know the yard better and which spots get the most amount of sunlight.

The soil in the yard is dark and rich. Our first home was heavy clay, our second pure sand, our third and fourth - clay. I'm looking forward to working in this soil.

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The workers put in the new exteriors doors. It got dark before I was able to get a picture. I'm hoping the tub will be put in this Saturday.

Next on the agenda - have a pest control company come out and spray under the crawl space for powder post beetles.

In the next few days, I will paint the trim and buy some small sample bottles of Benjamin Moore paints to try on the walls.

Found this hook while I was digging up the ground for the flowers. The garage sits right where their barn used to be. Wondering what else I might find if I dig deep enough.