Just another Tuesday in Paradise

Well, the day began with Ray the fence guy bringing the WRONG gates.................the ones he brought are reminiscent of the detention yard at San Quentin. I guess the fence company missed the adjective "decorative" while taking my order! The new ones (four feet high with a fenestration on the top) are on the way...I hope.

While we were working, a couple came via Craig's List and purchased two left over cabinets that we couldn't fit into the plan...turns out they used to go to a church that we went to when I first moved here. Small world here in Cincy.

Then, Greg the Mason showed up. I got Greg's number from an advertisement on the local hardware store bulletin board and I realize this is a hazardous method of finding a contractor.

Unlike the previous three masons who have stopped by (Let's see; there's been Earl who has not stopped back as he promised to do several weeks ago, AND John's brother who complained about Mexicans while he was here (he has not been back either...It's been suggested I try a Mexican instead); AND Bernie...who I would term politely as arrogant and condescending (there are more colorful terms). Here's the scorecard: Earl, $4700; John's Brother, ? and Bernie, $14,000 (that's right, $14,000). I like Greg; he has an old pickup truck with a six pack in the back and accidentally cut himself on the aluminum sheathing of the front porch. My kind of guy!

Greg comes in at about $3000 btw.

He was the first to suggest that we remove all of the sheathing on the front porch so we could see what we were dealing with. So, I spent all morning getting Greg's revenge for him and removing all of the aluminum foil from the front of the house:

House sans
railings and aluminum flashing...we hates aluminum siding...it is going to die.
Actually, it looks much worse than this!

Meanwhile, I have put a working toilet in the upstairs bathroom while the downstairs bathroom remains a large hole. Unfortunately...I tried to repair a leaking valve in the basement and ended up removing said valve and twenty two inches of galvanized pipe.

Now this is interesting...you cannot connect iron or galvanized pipe with copper pipe...as the previous owners attempted to do. (You didn't know this now did you?...ok, neither did I). You need to use something called a "dielectric coupling" which allows the copper and the iron or lead to get along better. Otherwise, you will have the iron pipe full of rust at the worst possible time.

I know that I will get to Lowe's and they will not have one...or two...but we will see.

Hopefully we'll have the mason situation nailed down before the house collapses and a working toilet by the next installment...thanks for watching!

Deano

No, we're not burning heretics at the stake or anything...at least not lately...these are fence posts for the new fence. The weather turned nice after a rainy weekend, so Ray the fence guy showed (by himself) to start the job.

And while my back was turned, Mark helped him with something and Ray offered him a job as his helper hadn't shown up for several days. (Okay, I was expecting a CREW for the amount we paid for the fence!).



I spent the morning digging up weeds that had become bushes over the last few years, to get them out of the way of the fence. Some of these required that I get the Sears Craftsman Chainsaw working, after purchasing from one of me neighbor's drinking buddies last year.

I don't know anything about chainsaws...people from New Jersey don't do this. After a few swipes at a dead tree, and in view of Mark's new gainful employment, Ray, the neighbor's ex-brother in law, came to save the day!



The second tree proved hard to pull down...so Mark returned and it took all three of us to get it down!





That's Mark on the right, Ray on the Left


At least, I actually got an outside spigot working today...that's the first working water in the house

But we found yet more termite damage too...the whole downstairs bathroom will have to be gutted.


And then, there's this little number!! ======>

OK, let's play the "What do you think it is game?"

Huh? Ok, what is it?

No, the gutter is fine...there is some kind of underlayment falling out of the wall...but that's not the most serious issue here...look harder!

Yes, if you looked closely, there is a LIVE romex electric cable...in the gutter. This apparently was added by someone who desired an extra outlet in the upstairs bathroom...and the easiest way to do that, of course, is to run the electrical service outside of the house and up the wall.

And you thought you had seen everything!

Later!

Deano

Before and After Shots:

#1...January, 2010


#2...February, 2010

# 3...March, 2010:

Getting There!


Deano

Almost Spring in Cincinnati

<===== This is the Garden Gate, aka "The Gates of Hell" from a prop at church. Here's the outside plan: there is a hodgepodge of fencing around the property now...I am having a company install a new privacy fence around the rear and sides of the property...from the railroad to the house...and a more decorative fence and gates about midway across the driveway. This will give us a front and back yard. I am leaving part of the cinderblock wall that used to be a garage wall at the rear of the property and will raise it to about ten feet. The plan is to create an outside theater and to show neighborhood movies. Sort of reminiscent of this photo which we have in our bedroom (O. Winston Link)...but without the cars:

This week so far I've taken advantage of warmer weather to transplant three Redbud trees, two ornamental grasses, several Rose of Sharon sprouts and a Forsythia bush. We also moved the shed from the old garage foundation to next to the house...two of us inside, pushing up on the roof and walking...must have been a funny sight!

I also dug a tunnel under the walkway and ran a three inch drainage line from the gutters so rain will no longer drain into the basement.

No, still working on the bathroom ... still no water..... Today, the plan is to install two joists in the downstairs bathroom floor and put down some concrete backer board...while Mark learns how to do hardwood flooring.

Thanks for checking in! Deano

Wow, been kind of late writing a new post about our old house.

First, I brought over the dog the other day and she pooped on the floor; so I put her outside and she ran away...two hours later a lady brought her back and said she had been run over by a truck...not injured, but the truck ran over her between the wheels and kept going. I felt terrible, course, the fence will be put in next month!



There was issue with the primer I bought at Lowes,' I asked for a "beige" color and they tinted the Kilz primer...Lavender! It looked kind of nice but we don't have anything that would match it, so the beige topcoat is being applied to the left and right parlors...hopefully tomorrow.

We still do not have the water on...the reason is that I have just finished sweat soldering the seventh burst copper pipe in our HUD "winterized" home. I will never trust the government again. Both toilets are cracked also...and consider this:

Below, I'm in the crawl space under the front bathroom (used to be part of the porch). Termites must have had a grand time dining because several beams are just...gone...the end of this one fell down and took the copper pipe connecting the toilet with it! I removed the remaining beam with the sawzall and sweat soldered the joint...it appears to be fine but the toilet is cracked from freezing and must be replaced...I have no idea how I will replace the beams.

Now, when trying to sweat solder, remember: make your joints shine, sand 'em down and use lots of flux. Mine look pretty amateurish but they are holding as far as I can tell.

The walls in the front of the house should be done this week and I will put down the hardwood flooring...then start on the kitchen at the back of the house...which is just a sea of random cabinets and holes in the sheetrock at this point.

I'm planning to put an eight foot fence at the back of the property by the railroad just because kids keep using our yard for a shortcut when they walk along the tracks...there is a three foot high masonry wall...the remnant of a garage...that I have thought of building up to ten feet and using to show "neighborhood" movies. It would be reminiscent of a drive-in movie, like the one in the O. Winston Link photo on our bedroom wall...the train in the background behind the movie. Well, it's a dream anyway...



In two weeks, the Ringling Brothers Circus Train wil be parked at the Lunken Field yard and Spring will have come to Cincinnati...at least, that gives me a warm feeling when I see the silver cars off of Beechmont Avenue....I've had enough of winter!

Later!



Deano

Everything you've always wanted to know about Termites

We knew that there was some termite damage here and there...but when you deal with old houses, things are always worse then they seem and when you start addressing one problem, you find another and another and so on.

The Parlor Right floor was a little "bouncy" near the fireplace but no damage was visible except in the far right corner of the photo below. Because the furnace with its octopus of ducts was directly below, I had to fix the problem from the top which meant removing floorboards.

Termites are attracted by moisture and I suspect that the moisture came from bad sheathing on the fireplace chimney...around the hearth, all of the beams were damaged or destroyed.



Now this is a piece from one of those beams...the termites had gone right through the grain and eaten the best part. We'll have this framed and call it "Termite Art."


I tried to pull up about one third of the "swamp pine" floorboards with a crowbar but since they were tongue and groove, it required that a circular saw be run along the groove to cut off the tongue. The saw is old and the depth kept changing...making matters more difficult.

I removed all the damaged splinters and framed around the hearth with 2x8 pressure treated lumber... using a bottle jack, by the way, below the hearth, just in case that the concrete might want to crack.

Each damage beam was "sistered" with the same 2x8 lumber and bolted in place with large bolts, washers and nuts.
The floorboards were replaced, best that I could...some had split but these will be covered with new flooring anyway. The bad news is that I have found damage even on the second floor but everything seems solid up there. I suspect that the front porch deck is a goner too.

The place is sure a mess...the lesson to be learned is to do one task at a time...not three or four but us ADD guys just don't know any better.

More next time....

D

MELTDOWN!

Okay, we're freaking out...just too much work to do and too much old age.

Joyce finished spackling three walls in the left parlor on Sunday and gave up...she's been sore ever since...five walls and two ceilings to go and that's just the ones that have been stripped of wallpaper so far.

I've replaced four burst pieces of copper pipe in our "HUD Winterized" house and keep finding more when the water is turned on...and promptly off again.

Meanwhile, the biggest mistake I have made so far was to buy the hardwood flooring when we are just not ready for it yet...it is sitting in a pile in dining room waiting for the walls to be finished in the two parlors...against the manufacturer's advice.

I've given up my priorities...and built a work bench in the cellar (my mother hated that term...not sure why, but it's a CELLAR and not a basement).


Then, after punching several unnecessary holes in the walls of the downstairs bathroom...I finally found the copper vent pipe that we need to tie into...looks like the entire room will have to be gutted...just like the one upstairs. Some of those holes look strangely like a fist. :-(

By the way, ever get one of those "Handyman Awards" emails...with photos of things put together with duct tape or something...I think this one takes the cake!


Yes, folks...that's a regular old non-GFI electrical outlet between the toilet and the bathtub. I believe you may find this as an entry in the classic book "101 creative ways to kill your spouse."

I hope Joyce's father didn't do the wiring...he did most of the neighborhood during the 1960's.



So, I gave up for the day and decided to start the taxes instead...turns out we made too much money...due to the unprecedented fact that we now have tenants that actually pay the rent! ...and found out that our wonderful government is now charging a penalty if you made more than you thought you would...so much for hard work!

More next time....Don't worry...be happy!

Deano