Almost completely done

Probably some pics tonight, but after a weekend of busting my butt, the room is nearly in move-in condition. I had to do a bunch of cleaning, polyurethane the 3 doors (2 coats each inside and out), stain and poly the moldings around the stairs, finish the tile floor, put in a molding at the transition between the tile and carpet, stain/poly/install the banister, and install the carpeting over the weekend. I had told myself I wasn't going to bed last night until the room was 100% complete, but after almost 5 hours of kneeling on the floor doing carpeting and tile and also coming up a little short on the carpet tiles, I threw in the towel at around 11:20. I still have a few weeks off from school so I'll get there soon enough. Elana and the boys may start moving some stuff down into the bookshelf today just to get started.

Merry Xmas

Call it a Christmas present that I'm finally getting around to posting pictures :) Sorry for the delay kids and sorry for having not the greatest pictures... not only am I a terrible photographer, but the lighting is tough downstairs and I haven't gotten it right yet. The stairway picture gives the best view of the colors, but if you can't figure out what they are, just think 15 and o baby! Supplemental decorations will be added to enhance the experience...

Really... I did take pictures

School finally finished up last night for the semester so maybe I'll get a breather now. I'd really like to try and do the cleaning downstairs and finish up the last couple odds and ends this weekend. No racing and no homework means I might just get a chance... Stay tuned.

Painting complete

So the painter finished up on Thursday, but I was away and I just got to take the pictures last night. Hopefully I can get them posted tonight. There are a few little odds and ends I need to do (paint-wise) around the stairs and then we're ready to do carpeting and finish everything up. We had originally hoped we'd be down there by Xmas, but now it looks like New Years if things go well. The bike racing season is over and school ends this week so there should be time to get some work done.

Shhhh, it's a secret

So the absence of posts has been the result of being over-busy and also that I'm keeping the paint scheme for the room a secret. I hope it looks as good as planned. As of right now, the celing is painted and everything is primed (twice). If they guy was able to make it today, paint should be flying right now. I'll post lots of pictures when the painting is done. Oh, and I picked up the carpeting Saturday so that's all ready to hit the floor once the painter is done. Maybe during Xmas week...

Bring on the painter

Dad finished up his part today... this guy's pretty good huh?

Note the blue rings are just tape holding the pipe wrap until the glue dries:

Future home of foosball table:

Future home of tasty treat storage:

Workshop off in the distance:

Standing right about where the basketball hoop will be (you think I'm joking)

Finally somewhere to put the 1000 books we have in this house:


I got your storage right here pal:


Laundry chute:

Where's your roof box hiding?

Way behind

I will definitely get pictures up tonight... the room looks incredible! The bookcase is done and the storage cabinets will be done today. The painter starts Tuesday so that's a sign that things are winding down. More tonight...

Holiday break

No work on the room since last Wednesday, but I do need to get the pictures of the bookcase up tonight. Painter is waiting in the wings and Dad just has a couple days or so worth of finish work to do. Carpeting has been ordered and will be in in about 2 weeks so we're still on pace for a pre-Xmas move in. Sad thing is that we've realized that the work is only starting once the room is done since moving into it changes half of the house as we shift rooms around. Fortunately, right around the time of completion of this room I get rid of 3 of my commitments for about a month (bike racing, summer class project, current class) so I should have time to do something useful other than sign checks...

Hope everyone had a good turkey day...

This guy passed wood shop

So Dad has certainly been busy the past several days. Maybe I need to cut down on the amount of coffee I leave for him :) Note: most of the woodwork seen was all done today...

Kinda tailed off here...

Ok, sorry for no real updates this week. There's a few reasons:

1) Crazy busy
2) Much like a little sheetrock looks like a lotta sheetrock, a little joint compound looks just like a lotta joint compound
3) Crazy busy

Today is a momentous day in some regards because by the end of the day we will have heat and outlets and we may be ready to paint. We have to go select and buy said paint and then next week starts getting into finish work, paint, etc. Me and the boys will put down the carpeting basically last and then we'll be ready to go. Pictures this weekend.

Days 5 and 6

Well I was busy and a little sheetrock looks kinda the same as a lotta sheetrock so I skipped Friday. Dad hung 22 sheets today... solo... and he's 61... the man is a workhorse! The room could be painted and heated by week's end...






And yes, I apparently need to clean the camera lens...

Day 4, Houston, We Have Some Plumbing

Day 4 saw the framing get finished, some more subfloor put down, and the heat roughed in. Completion of subfloor and then it's on to sheetrock tomorrow...




Blowtorch vs. styrofoam insulation... guess who won:

Day 3, Let There Be Light

So the significance of today's picture, which looks just like yesterday's picture, is that it was taken with no flash. We actually have honest to goodness working lights with switches and everything... well sort of (as seen in picture 2).


This can't be to code (yet) ...



In between helping to pull wires, Dad has also managed to get most of the place ready for sheetrock once the plumbing for heat is roughed in. There's a definite chance this could look like an actual room within the next few days.

Day 2, electrical day

So today's updates are a little less noticeable, but no less extensive. The electrician was the busy bee today and the outer walls are all framed and insulated. By tomorrow night there could be real lights down there.

Day 1

And so it begins:



My prediction is that the bulk of framing and subfloor is done tomorrow. Electrical sometime this week I think. Plumber comes Thursday to rough in heat.

Basement, Day 0

Work starts tomorrow. Here's where we are now:



Pretty much looks like a basement. You can see evidence of me trying to do something useful for the past year or two before finally giving up.

Kicking things off

As I mentioned in my other blog, I had to accept the fact that if my family wants to have some elbow room, I'm going to have to hire people to do it for me. Fortunately, Dad was feeling up to the task for most of the projects. Phase 1 starts Monday. I'll try to post regular photo updates here.