Project Images
Vacation Week!
Sunday, July 1. 2007
Jess and I decided that since we don't have any money to travel this year (see the french door project) we should take a week off to take day trips and work around the house. That is how we spent this last week.
Last Sunday we went to Target and got blinds for the living room and curtains / curtain rods for the windows and door in the dining room. We were able to get the blinds installed in the living room and the curtains put up on the windows in the dining room but we couldn't put the curtains on the french doors because the molding around the door had not been installed yet. We also couldn't finish the curtains in the dining room because we purchased all of the curtain rods they had in the Taunton Target.
Monday morning we had to head down to Plymouth for dog training and before we left we ordered a dumpster from the trash company so we can get rid of the debris from installing the french doors and the new floor. The dumpster was to be dropped off Monday afternoon when we got back from training. After training we stopped by the Target in Kingston and Jess was able to get the curtains and rods for the living room. Since it was getting hot and we had already walked a lot we put off installing the new curtains and filling the dumpster until the next morning.
At some point during this process I got the idea that I should attempt to install the molding around the door so we can finish the door project. I called my father and told him of my idea and he said I could try it and "I should buy extra molding" if I was to attempt the project. Gee thanks! He said he would rip a few pieces of wood that could be used to build out the door frame to match the wall and I could pick them up on Tuesday night.
Tuesday morning we got outside at 8:00 AM and started to throw all of the construction debris into the dumpster. I wasn't outside five minutes when I got stung by something on the back of my left ankle. That hurt but I managed to tough it out and get the dumpster filled in a few hours. Jess cleaned a lot of junk out of the basement so a lot was accomplished. When all was said and done we probably had 3/4 of the 15 yd^3 dumpster filled up.
Since it was so damn hot on Tuesday that we didn't want to work all day so we went right to work installing the curtains in the living room. Let me tell you something, if this programming thing doesn't work out I think I will start a career doing home decorations. I am like a curtain installing machine (and I mean that in the most masculine way possible). Actually, I just install the rods. Jess does the pretty work installing the curtains themselves. That night I got the stuff from my father to install the molding. This includes the wood, air compressor, the brad nail gun, and the finish nail gun. That's right folks, he actually let me use the nail guns without adult supervision (he must be gaining confidence in me).
We didn't get to installing the molding until Thursday. Around 8:00 AM we went out to Lowes and got 4 pieces of 3" x 1" x 8' pine (we couldn't find any finished molding so we went with normal pine). It didn't take all that long to get all the molding up. Jess was a big help because I had someone to talk out the measurements with so we were able to get everything cut properly. It took a bit of extra effort because I mitered the spots where the molding came together (I didn't have to but it looks better!). The hardest part of the project was keeping the dog away from eating the nail gun, compressor, and hose. She takes great offense to these machines.
As soon as the molding was installed, Jess got to work staining it and I went downstairs to hack apart a piece of the baseboard heat to cover up the gap left in the corner. It only took me and my trusty Dremel about 9 cutting wheels to cut this cover to size. It was not fun and left me covered with metal shavings. Actually, "not fun" is not a good way to describe it. "Really freakin' sucks" does a much better job.
Saturday morning we were finally able to install the curtains over the french doors. It wasn't a lot of work as I am now a professional curtain rod installer. I want it to be known that the curtains and blinds we have in the living and dining rooms are about 1,000,000 times better than the vertical blinds that used to be there. Not only do they look nicer, but when the windows are open and the wind blows we no longer have to listen to the blinds smack together.
To see the pictures of the new curtains, blinds, and molding click here.
Also on Saturday I had to rewire the entertainment center to make room for my new XBox 360. Due to the fact that the XBox is very sensitive to heat and it has the largest power brick I've ever seen I had to clean up the wiring in the cubby that holds the game systems. That made for a great deal of fun but looks really good.
The Wii and XBox 360 in their new home.
Note: The lawn across the street still has not been mowed.
Last Sunday we went to Target and got blinds for the living room and curtains / curtain rods for the windows and door in the dining room. We were able to get the blinds installed in the living room and the curtains put up on the windows in the dining room but we couldn't put the curtains on the french doors because the molding around the door had not been installed yet. We also couldn't finish the curtains in the dining room because we purchased all of the curtain rods they had in the Taunton Target.
Monday morning we had to head down to Plymouth for dog training and before we left we ordered a dumpster from the trash company so we can get rid of the debris from installing the french doors and the new floor. The dumpster was to be dropped off Monday afternoon when we got back from training. After training we stopped by the Target in Kingston and Jess was able to get the curtains and rods for the living room. Since it was getting hot and we had already walked a lot we put off installing the new curtains and filling the dumpster until the next morning.
At some point during this process I got the idea that I should attempt to install the molding around the door so we can finish the door project. I called my father and told him of my idea and he said I could try it and "I should buy extra molding" if I was to attempt the project. Gee thanks! He said he would rip a few pieces of wood that could be used to build out the door frame to match the wall and I could pick them up on Tuesday night.
Tuesday morning we got outside at 8:00 AM and started to throw all of the construction debris into the dumpster. I wasn't outside five minutes when I got stung by something on the back of my left ankle. That hurt but I managed to tough it out and get the dumpster filled in a few hours. Jess cleaned a lot of junk out of the basement so a lot was accomplished. When all was said and done we probably had 3/4 of the 15 yd^3 dumpster filled up.
Since it was so damn hot on Tuesday that we didn't want to work all day so we went right to work installing the curtains in the living room. Let me tell you something, if this programming thing doesn't work out I think I will start a career doing home decorations. I am like a curtain installing machine (and I mean that in the most masculine way possible). Actually, I just install the rods. Jess does the pretty work installing the curtains themselves. That night I got the stuff from my father to install the molding. This includes the wood, air compressor, the brad nail gun, and the finish nail gun. That's right folks, he actually let me use the nail guns without adult supervision (he must be gaining confidence in me).
We didn't get to installing the molding until Thursday. Around 8:00 AM we went out to Lowes and got 4 pieces of 3" x 1" x 8' pine (we couldn't find any finished molding so we went with normal pine). It didn't take all that long to get all the molding up. Jess was a big help because I had someone to talk out the measurements with so we were able to get everything cut properly. It took a bit of extra effort because I mitered the spots where the molding came together (I didn't have to but it looks better!). The hardest part of the project was keeping the dog away from eating the nail gun, compressor, and hose. She takes great offense to these machines.
As soon as the molding was installed, Jess got to work staining it and I went downstairs to hack apart a piece of the baseboard heat to cover up the gap left in the corner. It only took me and my trusty Dremel about 9 cutting wheels to cut this cover to size. It was not fun and left me covered with metal shavings. Actually, "not fun" is not a good way to describe it. "Really freakin' sucks" does a much better job.
Saturday morning we were finally able to install the curtains over the french doors. It wasn't a lot of work as I am now a professional curtain rod installer. I want it to be known that the curtains and blinds we have in the living and dining rooms are about 1,000,000 times better than the vertical blinds that used to be there. Not only do they look nicer, but when the windows are open and the wind blows we no longer have to listen to the blinds smack together.
To see the pictures of the new curtains, blinds, and molding click here.
Also on Saturday I had to rewire the entertainment center to make room for my new XBox 360. Due to the fact that the XBox is very sensitive to heat and it has the largest power brick I've ever seen I had to clean up the wiring in the cubby that holds the game systems. That made for a great deal of fun but looks really good.
The Wii and XBox 360 in their new home.
Note: The lawn across the street still has not been mowed.
Trackbacks
Trackback specific URI for this entry
No Trackbacks