Just so you know... We're not professional

Disclosure. We are not professionals. We do know enough to know that how we baffled (baffled??) in the attic was incorrect. But we did it wrong anyway. Because it was so so so much easier. And possible even. And far less time consuming. And probably just as good. For us anyway. I think it will be good. The thing is, we need to insulate the attic. Because the insulation that is in the attic right now is almost useless. Look down I can see cracks of light shining through from the main floor. Look up and I see sunshine, which means if I sat long enough, I could watch snow, rain, hail and other elements that are supposed to stay outside, inside. Anyway. The baffling (I don't know if I can say that.. maybe I can. I'm going to leave it.) will keep the insulation from going to the sofetting. Which is also not done right, and is at this moment serving no purpose but to look pretty, but we'll fix that. Some day. Like after we're finishing all the mudding and painting and flooring and counter topping and we're moved in and we've seen if the light fixtures look ok and we're actually living in our house. 

 Holes. You can see the main floor.

Our attic before baffeling.

So, Josh crawled in to our ultra dusty attic and laying on his back where the roof hits the ceiling, yes in that claustrophobic space, and stapled in baffeling wrong. And I shone a flashlight at him. And handed him baffles and said things like "you're amazing," "you're manly," "you're really pretty," "are you dead from inhaling this dust yet," "I hate you for making us buy this house that needs baffeling that is impossible to put in correctly in this ridiculously dusty, stupid, dark, small attic," and "thank you for working so hard to make us a beautiful house, I love you" over and over.

But it's done! Yay. Tomorrow is insulation time. Who's excited? I am!!

Foam baffeling. So nice.

Also. We have a new furnace! One that runs. All the time. Well not ALL the time, but whenever the thermometer tells it to! And it's small. And pretty. And we got a humidifier too. So exciting. Also they took the old, bulky, I don't know how they got it through the stairwell let alone lifted it furnace away for us. So amazing. They were really great. I would recommend them to anyone. Them being a company called Design Air. Really nice. They didn't give me one weird look when I showed up unexpected with my baby and watched them put it in. Not that I noticed anyway. Which is really nice of them. 

York. Yay.

Also. I got flooring! Many people know this, but there was really nice bamboo flooring at Costco that was cheap. I think they've basically carried it since they first opened. I'm sure of it. Okay, not really. But I am pretty sure they've had it for the last 5 years. Don't quote me on it, but I really think so. Really really. But they don't anymore. Anymore meaning, since February. Not the Costco here, not the one in Calgary, not the one in Regina. I called. So we were sad. We thought we were going to laminate. Which would have been fine. But not bamboo wonderful. When shabam, what?! That's right, shabam! A Windsor Plywood flier fell on my lap. Not literally, but I was cleaning up all the fliers from the table and there it was. Bamboo flooring. For a decent price. Not $6, or even $4. No friends and readers, they had it for $1.99 a square foot. Which was only .01 cent more than the laminate we were looking at. And it's more beautiful than the Costco version. Lots more. Less red. Oh I'm excited.

Did I mention it's really nice?

*sigh*

 Pretty bamboo flooring.

Many many boxes of beautiful hardwood.

Jodi comes and tries her hand at insulating.

This is Jodi. She is my sister. In-law. I think she's awesome. If you know her, you do too. She came and helped last night. But for the first time ever I didn't take the camera, so I didn't get an action shot. She brought my brothers. And dad came so we didn't mess up his electrical. This all said, we had a full crew. We got lots done. It was Jodi's first time insulating. She's basically a natural. And now she can cross that off her things to try list. Nothing like an itchy face to prove you've done some work. With everyone's help, we got the basement wired, the insulation 98% complete, the toilet taken out, the plumbing for the washer started, and one wall is vapor barriered. The biggest wall too. So that's something.

The toilet we took out was basically touching the wall. If your aim was off by an inch you would have bruised yourself. I'm sure of it.

Well. My baby is showering me with drool and attention. I better go be entertained. I'll take some pictures. Maybe something fun will happen. Oh! And I owe you a story. I got permission.

Toasty

Get you all pumped up for the basement framing and follow up by telling you nothing. Keeping you in suspense. In the dark. So uncool. Well enough is enough. Tonight is the night that I welcome you to our pink basement.

Ta dah!

We had two guys come help on Saturday. Amazing. Thank you Mike and Don. Your hands were a huge help and extremely appreciated. Josh (obviously) and dad were also there and between the four of them all the rigid foam got up and half the basement was framed Saturday during the day. And yes, I did show up. I believe I stayed long enough to put up 5 mmmmaybe 6 pieces of rigid foam, do a little taping, snap a couple pictures, bbq some hamburgers (in the rain, just saying) aaaand... nope that's about it.

As if that wasn't wonderful enough, later that day these two gangstas showed up. 

There are a couple funny stories that could and should be shared here, but I need to get permission first.

On a less hilarious note, with Curt and Josh's help, we (and I am including me this time) got so, so close to finishing framing I'd basically consider it done. We got almost all of the top half of insulation up (we need some electrical done on the bottom half before we can insulate). We got ready for the electrical to be done. And I spent another moment attempting to defeat my white whale... the bumpy wall. I would call the day a success!

If you refer to the picture above, of Curt and Josh, you can see a before picture. Here is an after.

Pretty decent right? The rigid foam (all the pink stuff) took sooo long to put up. But our extra arms and legs diligently finished it. (Did I say thank you? "Thank you!") Our ceiling is just short enough that every piece had to be cut down. And then the joists are all awkward and such, so dad spent a lot of time cutting small pieces to put in between every one... tedious to say the least. I know, because I then spent time cutting pieces of the insulation to cover the rigid foam. I almost finished. My face got really itchy.

Our basement is already warmer than it was before, which is wonderful. The only thing better than seeing your work, is knowing it was worth it. Toasty.

On a main level update, I think I picked out all of my light fixtures. I've exchanged a couple of times already, and I had a few that I hadn't even thought about. You know what, I just lied. I still need a ceiling fan for the living room, but I can't find one I really really like. AND a light for the pantry. And not to deceive you but I don't physically have the bedroom lights either.... I want to go to Ikea for those. But technically I have picked out what I want for those two. Light fixtures have not been easy.

My light fixture problem occurs with the whole open concept idea. Combined with having a lot of different light locations. Our house will be bright if nothing else. I have two lights in my kitchen, which I chose track lighting for. We're putting a chandelier of sorts over our table, which will technically be in the kitchen and living space simultaneously. The afore (it's telling me 'afore' is not a word. Blogger is an hater of Old English) mentioned ceiling fan for the living room. A hallway light. And last, but not least, a side entry light. The two track lights in the kitchen are the only ones that are the same... I thought about making the hallway light and entry way light the same, but dad mentioned it would be extremely difficult to change a bulb in any light fixture that doesn't hang down in the front entry, and a light that hangs in the hallway would be a hazard, so that didn't happen. Now (well not really "now" now... but eventually) if you stand in the door way to the kitchen, beside the chimney, you will be able to see 5 different light fixtures. This will be a true test of my decorating skills. 

Back to the basement.

Pink Panther

Dad being his wonderful self, patiently putting up small pieces of rigid foam between every joist.

You can see our half insulated work.

 Discussion!

Working hard.

On a different note, still related to my life (because really, that's what blogging is all about... right?) Caed stood by himself for... 30? seconds. Amazing. He promptly fell with a crash (more a scare than any pain) afterwards, so he may never do it again, but it was crazy. Crazy cool. Crazy unbelievable. Crazy he's growing up really fast. Crazy. 

I never got why parents always said that "growing up too fast". I didn't feel like I grew up too fast. Those first 18 years kind of seemed to take close to forever... I'm sure I felt every second of it (not in a bad way, I had a wonderful childhood). I mean my birthday's didn't come fast enough. And Christmas... was that really once a year, or did we skip it every other year? But we did. We all grew up too fast. One minute we're helpless and completely dependent and then we walk, which is just the beginning of "I have nothing to wear" and "Why do I have to make my bed? I'm just going to mess it up again". And soon, so soon, we're crying and saying goodbye. (And then hugging and saying hello again, because we need our laundry done.) But I can't think about that. Instead I'll focus on training so I have the endurance to keep up to a running toddler. 

Speaking of running, everyone was saying how busy it's going to be when he starts walking. I asked Josh how much different it could be, he's already into everything and going everywhere, where else is there to go? Josh - "Up." Which is probably true, that's something to look forward to.

Tired

I'm tired. We've been at the house lots lately. I'm going to be honest. Josh has been there a lot more than I have. I don't know how he does it. Either way. I'm tired.

I've also been mudding the same section of wall and ceiling for four days now. It was really bad. I should have taken a picture. Regardless, because of the difference in thickness between the drywall they used 50 years ago and the drywall today matching it is not easy. So it's bumpy and gross and it's getting better, but so so slowly. I will defeat it though. I will. 

So while I mudded the same piece of wall and ceiling, my brothers joined my husband and they took apart the basement. It looks so big now! Wow. There were two bedrooms and a bathroom that needed to be taken apart. They got most of it down last night. The sub-floor and exterior wall in the one bedroom needed to be finished tonight. The garage is once again full of junk.

Dad busied himself with electrical work. He got some more plugs working for us, which will be wonderful because between extension cords and few plugs, it was sometimes a chore getting something to work. But now it does. He also let me strip some wire when I was done mudding. That was pretty fun. He has cool tools. 

Dad putting a plug in the chimney.

 Josh hydrating. It's important.

Notice the lack of wall. Yay! You can also see Josh cleaning up the wall.

Curtis working really hard.

 Curtis lifting up the sub-floor by himself.

Lifting the sub-floor together.

I think one of my favorite things that keeps on being repeated is "what were they thinking?" It's true. I mean, sand under the shower, an inch and a half of insulation on the walls, the peep whole*... what were they thinking? But I also imagine in 50 years from now someone taking out my pantry with the rigged up platform it sits on, the dry wall... in general, the hole above the cupboards, and the unpainted strip there also, saying "what were they thinking?" My imagination makes me giggle every time we see something silly. Because we're silly too. I do hope the cycle repeats itself some day.

*I forgot to ever mention this. Not only did the original bathroom not have a shower, it had a small cupboard above the sink. But this cupboard was not an ordinary cupboard. Oh no. Once opened you realize it is not actually a cupboard at all. It is a small door leading to the laundry room. I'm really, really not sure what they were thinking. Laundry chute? 

To help orient you - this picture is taken facing the hallway. The little 'cupboard' you see is looking out into where the laundry used to be. You can actually see the door to our bedroom, which has not moved, through it.

Weekends

Okay okay! I won't look at anyone's doors. I'll just be and if anything catches my eye... well I'll look at that.

This weekend has consisted of lots of work on the bathroom. And lots of moving everything upstairs. Next weekend we're having a work party. A few people from the church are graciously sharing some of their time and skills with us and we'll hopefully get the basement framed and insulated. Which would be really exciting, because if that happened, as soon as our furnace gets put in (14 more days!) then we'll be ready for our energy audit and hopefully get some grant money to help pay for some of the new insulation and walls. 

For the first time ever, Saturday evening, I did more physical work then Josh. Look out world, my thighs are getting toned. I've been carrying all of our stuff from the basement, upstairs. And many a trip it has taken. I'm going to be honest. I did not pack well for this move. I slowly hauled stuff from our condo to the house for a month and then, as it was our last day in the condo, we just threw everything else (also poorly packed) into the two bedrooms in the basement. You can only imagine what this might have looked like. I mean, yes, there was a few boxes actually packed. Mostly you would walk into one of the rooms and just see... stuff, everywhere. Blankets, jackets, toys, games, food, kitchen appliances etc. I was not proud of this but the thought was "it doesn't really matter because we're going to finish the main level before the basement". If this came true I would have had time, room by room, to put stuff away nicely. This clearly did not happen. I don't even have a bathroom yet. BUT! it's getting close! So close.

So while I was running stairs, Josh was sitting in the bathroom, making it look pretty. See.

My wainscoting. I do really, really like.

Then I got tired of moving boxes and running stairs so I installed a new light fixture. It took longer then it should have and I dropped the screws and (Josh told me the technical term but I completely forget, something that starts with an 'm') the little, orange, plastic things you put on wires, so many times. It was actually more frustrating than installing the fixture in and of itself. But then I flipped the switch and there was light!

All three lights would actually work if I had more bulbs. All the light bulbs in the house have passed away in the last week. This is the last one I had.

Since we were really excited about how close we were getting we put the vanity in, just to see. Remember this - 

That was real. If you look close you can see the old light fixture too. No longer can you see that light fixture or the built in medicine cabinet or the floor boards. No, friend, it is now a little more like -

YAY! Try to ignore me in this picture. I wasn't trying to just sneak in, but I thought that the vanity should have it's beautiful tap on, and instead of actually installing it, because we wanted to get home and maybe to the playground, I held it. Also the wall is really dirty. If you dusted for finger prints I'm almost certain you would find that they all belong to one Joshua Reimer. But the wainscoting, and the vanity, and the fixture, it looks like a real room!

Well, the main level will not be complete by next weekend, but maybe, jjjust maybe one room will be.

Curtain doors

I have found my calling! Grout. Doing grout is wonderful. Plus I'm really good at it. You would be too! I didn't even mind having to wash the floor four times within an hour. First you wash the floor. Then you slap on some goo, otherwise known as grout. You use this cool spreader thing (it's technical term might actually be "grout spreader" but I can't be sure). It looks tough, but it's really foam on the bottom. And then you spread, and it fills your spaces, and it looks really nice. It spreads really nice too. Like soft butter on toast. 

Then we wait. 

Wash the floor three more times, and viola, your tile looks finished and pretty. The only part I didn't find thrilling was the cold water I had to wash the floor with. We don't have and sinks or basically any running water except the main, and it's c-c-c-cold. Regardless - worth it!

My really pretty, getting so close to being done, bathroom.

This is actually a picture I got online. The one with the handle is my favorite!!

So while I'm doing all the fun jobs like painting trim and wainscoting and grouting tile (in my defense I also started hauling stuff upstairs so we can finish the basement next weekend and not have to be worried about that anymore) my lovely husband is doing all the 'bleh' jobs. Like cutting tile around round bathtubs. Oh yes friends, it looks beautiful and I am so excited to use it, but this bathtub was not easy to tile around. Because even with a tile saw (thanks again Kendra!) rounded cuts and tile are not like the pink and blue smartie... so not getting married.

It looks so good though, because Josh is amazing, and I'm picky and made him redo anything I didn't like. I'm nice like that. Aside from professional grouter, I would make a first class supervisor. 

He also sanded the finished drywall in one of the bedrooms and cleaned it out. I suppose the next couple of nights will be about moving our junk upstairs. Whoo....

Thanks once again wonderful husband!

Oh, and we bought doors last night. They have to be shipped, so we won't have them for a bit. It's because I wanted the pretty ones. And I'm spoiled. But I've mentioned that. Silly me getting all into doors. I didn't even notice doors before this little project. Now I can tell you that in the show parenthood two of the families houses have the doors I got and oh yes, I will be looking at your doors next time I come over. Unless I come over when we're done this project, because then I won't be looking for inspiration and how you did what and, hey, maybe I should get light fixtures like that... (I've returned and bought three different fixtures for the kitchen already.)

Door I could have just picked up and gone home with. 

 Door I really, really wanted.

They were on sale. So I did it. I'm really excited. And when we finally get a toilet installed and I still don't have door I will happily say "Dear pretty bathroom, I shall hang a curtain in your doorway and I will be ok with everyone hearing what's about to be done."

Follow-through

Here's the post about the rest of the weekend. 

So two coats of mud done. One to go! Yay! In the back two rooms anyway. I'm slowly finishing the first coat of the front room... ssslllooowwwlllyyy. It's kind of the sort of thing that I'm doing while waiting for Josh to finish getting something else ready so I can do that instead. (Third coat almost got completed last night... so close.)

Know what's sad? I used to think I was all independent. If I really had to do something I could get it done. Feminism rules! I've been proven wrong lots. Like sometimes I can't even get the drywall pail open. And I tried to mix mortar. The mixer is really strong. Long story short, it's all making me even just a little bit more thankful for my Josh. Not only is he strong, but he also knows what he's doing. Unless I've seen Brian or Holmes do it, I just don't know.

So I hope by now you've realized that I have a great family. Dad has done all the electrical up to this point, and he'll probably finish. Curtis, Josh and Dad do all sorts of other chores for us, like demo, or helping put cupboards up and moving appliances, putting in insulation, sub-floors and many, many other miscellaneous jobs that need to get done. I don't even know where we would be without them... a lot less far than we are and lets face it, despite all that we're still much further behind than we would have liked. Also, mom and dad babysit. Which is awesome. Cause then I can not be a slacker. Ridiculously helpful. Oh and also the whole giving us a place to live that's not a disaster and dust filled and which has functional toilets... that's pretty huge.

So on Monday, Josh (brother) made 1950 size door ways into 2012 size door ways. I've already mentioned he helped tile. Curtis put corner bead on a bunch of corners and then painted a lot of wainscoting (like a lot of painting).  So when we're done tiling, that will pretty much be ready to put up.  Yay! Wonderful family.

Josh in his newly renovated, higher doorway.

Josh putting safety first. (I laughed too. He insisted that the ear part was attached to the helmet so he had to wear it all while cutting tile. I found that explanation did not make him look any less silly.)

Curtis painting.

And painting.

Josh holding up a piece of drywall that has glue on it. I was supposed to be grabbing the drywall gun so he could screw it up. I decided to take a picture instead.

Josh measuring.

Josh dry walling.

Mudddddding! Yay! How fun.

To conclude this post I shall show you a picture of my shower head (and faucet any everything) because I think it is beautiful and I am as excited about it as my sink faucet.

A good reason to get clean.

Oh and did I mention how much I appreciate my family? I really, really do.

Tiling

I'm going to be honest with you. I don't think I'm cut out for home renovation. Oh yes, I'm capable. I can do most things. Perhaps not well, maybe not fast, but they'll get done. At first I don't even mind it. However, half way through a job it seems much less exciting. Mudding, even painting. Yes, the first coat on the first wall is very rewarding. After that, it's just work. 

Now Josh. He would do this for a living. I believe I told him one day that maybe we could flip houses. I said this because he wanted to. This was a silly thing to say. I mean I probably would if he wanted, but I shouldn't have actually admitted to it. Now there is a seed planted, "she'll maybe flip houses with me." Which is as good as "we're definitely flipping houses someday" in his head. 

I do enjoy picking stuff out. I could do the job of an interior decorator. I can shop for pretty light fixtures, pick out paint colors, and furniture. Even doors and trim I enjoy looking at. I mean I'm not saying I'm good at this either, but at least I enjoy it. No I am not planning on being on becoming an interior decorator, but the idea of spending another persons money on pretty things is very intriguing. 

Anyway, I did say I was going to tile. And I did. Start. It's not finished. 

Dad and I put in the in-floor heating on Saturday. It was actually pretty easy. A bunch of reading instructions (because I'm a girl and I do things like that.) Some quick math, which wasn't as quick as it should have been considering it was pretty simple multiplying and dividing. Then down it went. It felt like it took very little time, though I didn't actually time it. Albeit I didn't have anything to do with actually hooking it up to the thermostat part, I left the electrical for dad, but I still think it went fast. I felt accomplished. 

Dutifully reading the instructions in my big wonderful bath tub.

In-floor heating!

Pretty thermostat. Thanks dad!

Then the water proofing membrane, because Holmes insists we make it right.

Dad mixing mortar. 

Josh spreading mortar.

No, this is not the color of the floor. Hello water proof.

That had to dry for 24 hours, which turned into 48 hours. Then tiling. We had a really nice friend lend us a tile saw. Which is wonderful. (Thanks Kendra!) I forgot to take a picture. So Josh cut and I spread and together we started to tile the bathroom. Then Josh (my brother) took over and we did maybe half of it. Then it was supper time.

Tiling lost its glamor after 5 tiles. They make it look easy on tv. It is not as easy as they make it look. My second tile was too high, but I couldn't fix it entirely. I declared it "Good enough!" for two reasons. First, it was being very stubborn and you can't lift the suckers up once they're down, the really suction. Second, it will be covered by the vanity. I'll know forever there is a tile that is too high, but know one else will. My third tile has a sunken corner. The fourth tile Josh destroyed while trying to cut a hole for the toilet. It got a little better after that.

Also disappointing- it's not like paint or trim or kitchen cupboards. Tile does not immediately look pretty. The grout is apparently extremely important to the esthetics of the tile flood. So you're laying the beautiful tile, and it is beautiful but instead it looks dirty and messy and just not really that nice. We also picked out 24 x 12. We thought it would look awesome. (It probably will.) But it's heavy. So we're laying ugly tile, they're not spacing easily, it's messy, your hands are caked in mortar and it was decided that we won't do tile again. Except on the kitchen back splash... and probably if we flip houses. But it felt better saying it.

The laying of the first tile.

Josh helping, cause he wanted to try tiling.

A glimpse of what it will kind of look like finished. Man pictures really improve what the house looks like...

We did do more then work on the bathroom. I'll tell you about it tomorrow. (Or maybe the next day.)

"And wwee'rre back in the game!"

After lots of working hard and away from home (Josh, not me), a little holidaying (pick me, pick me!) and some more working away (Josh again...) the house has finally received some much needed company. We went for a few hours today. Josh got a bunch of dry walling done and I... wait for it... painted!! The bathroom walls are complete. The ceiling it awaiting its second coat (a job for tomorrow) but the dark blue is done. Fini! And I know you're curious. So here is a picture.

Now you're all thinking, "Ashley, it's not that dark..." Don't be fooled my friends, camera's can do tricky things.

Advice: If you have a plan that is awesome, impressive, "diabolical" even, don't post it on your blog. Even if the subject never, ever reads your blog, if you post your most wonderful, maybe a little bit evil, and absolutely brilliant plan on your blog, the the subject you were planning to outwit will decide that tonight is the night they will read your blog. Thus, your spectacular, well thought out, and dazzling plan will be discovered. You will no longer be able to use it and you will end up having, in my case, to do what you set out not to do. If we recall, this is task was to mud...  or not to mud.

Also I have a guilty conscience and a compassionate personality*. So when Josh is at the house always and I am, ah hem, not, I feel like anything I AM capable of doing I should probably help do. 

Further more, my hideous living room ceiling was dry walled over, and in appreciation of the effort, as it isn't an easy task to dry wall a ceiling, particularly alone, my resolve was weakened.

Long story short, my plan was found out, I am compassionate*, and my husband works exceptionally hard (I am extremely thankful and proud of him), so I did some mudding.

And took a picture so you could all be proud of me*.

 And maybe a little but in awe*.

Because I'm a good person*.

Not for my skills, do not be confused.

Sha bam drywall, consider the first coat of mud done. What what.

Pretty ceiling!!!

Tomorrow I'm going to try to be helpful again (I know, right, what's wrong with me? Twice in two days? Explanation: we are on a time limit, this has nothing to do with my good person. All the insulating needs to be done by the end of March, and because we need to finish the main floor before we do the basement (since the basement is storing all of our stuff which would be in the way of any work that needs to be done) I thought I should start being a little more helpful. Also, we have a bunch of money waiting for us, which we are paying interest on, but we don't actually get until the work is done and the house is reappraised). I'm going to try to do the bathroom floor. We're doing in-floor heating and tile. I'm sure it will be interesting. I have done neither in floor heating, nor tile before. Neither has Josh. Or my dad. Stay tuned.

*I really can be humble...