Category: Home Renovations

This weekend was a busy one!  Between visitors and painting we got a lot accomplished.  By the end of Saturday we had the first coat of paint on all of the trim in the tv room, just in time for friends to come over for dinner.  Then after Alex went to bed we got the second coat on the windows!

Sunday we sanded all the trim again and got the second coat of paint.  Plus ryan started installing the shoe molding that got a second coat in the morning.  This was all pretty much after a visit and lunch with Mimi (Alex’s grandmother drove out for a visit).

What’s left in the tvroom?

• A coat of paint on the outside of the window sashes and putting them back in
• A coat of paint on the walls once the trim is all dry (and it has to be cut in around all the trim)
• Cut in the ceiling paint along 2 walls of  crown
• Shoe molding needs to be installed (just behind the couch is getting done, the rest of the baseboards just got painted).
• Shelves and drawers for the built-ins need to be finished (painted/shellac’d)
• Doors for built-ins need to be re-made and finished
• Doors to the room all need to be painted

I think that’s it, basically the room can start to be used now, we can start putting in the stereo for example and run the wires for the tv.  We can put the rug down as soon as the wall and ceiling paint are done … fun stuff!

Tomorrow Alex and I are off to visit the cousins since when they stopped by Saturday she was napping they didn’t get to play with her.  Then Tuesday it’s back to work!

And what a night out has been.  alex was in a good mood after a good day and she was right on schedule. Ryan gave her a bath while I made dinner, we all ate together then she went to bed.  Once she was down we got more painting done in the tvroom.  The windows, shoe molding and crown all have one coat of paint now as well as 3 out of 4 door trims.  That leaves one door trim and baseboards before we sand and re coat.

Oh and the new couch arrived!

And alex seems to have started teething (drooling and chewing on everything).

Looking forward to the rest of the weekend!

After Alex went to bed tonight I got some painting done in the tvroom.  I cut in the ceiling on the 2 sides where the crown is painted (above the couch area), then rolled about 3/4 of the ceiling (same area) before running out of paint.

Once that was done I decided to cut in on the 2 walls that will be behind the couch. I got along the crown done and around the windows. Alex woke up as I was starting along the baseboards so that will wait.

If she sleeps well again tomorrow night maybe I ccan finish those two walls. The couch comes Friday!  1/2 a room to finish is much less daunting, even if that 1/2 has more painting due to built-ins.

Off to bed.

The tv room floor is officially done, took a couple of hours (sanding, vacuuming then poly) and my back is KILLING me!  But it was done by midnight on Sunday while Ryan watched the wee one 🙂

Now we just have to pick out a rug .. oh yea and finish painting 🙂

Well it only took forever (4 separate times actually) but the priming in the tvroom is done!  Friday during one of Alex’s naps I was able to start priming again, getting a good portion done (2 doorways and some baseboards).  Then after Ryan got home I continued that evening, getting all of the crown finished, the baseboards and doorways all done.

Saturday we had an outing at Kimballs, but in the late evening I was back to it, priming the window trim and the built-ins (just the brush, saving the rolling for sunday).  Then on Sunday I got the roller out and finished up the priming of the built-ins!  Too bad it all needs to be sanded before the first coat.

The goal tonight is to get a final coat of poly on the floor since we are going to buy our couch today and get it delivered in 2 weeks maybe??

Once Alex wakes up from her nap it’s out to lunch and couch shopping!  Then back to house work this evening.

Since we went back to NY last weekend, we had no house updates, evidently that’s the only time I blog 🙂  This weekend however we stayed home and made some decent progress, even with Ryan having some last minute/unexpected work on Sunday to do.

One thing that makes it easier to work on the house (besides Ryan not working on a weekend) is that Alex takes usually 2 really good naps a day (2 hours), she’s also been going to sleep consistently around 10pm, getting up once (sometimes twice) to eat but sleeping till 7am (8am if she gets up twice).  So we’re getting more sleep in general which is also helpful.

So this weekend, we got up nice and early on Saturday and enjoyed the fact that the heat had finally broken, so we all went for a run together.  Then got showered (it wasn’t that cool out) – even Alex got a shower to cool off.  Then Ryan started working on making the crown molding pieces while my friend Robin from work stopped by for a visit.  After lunch Alex took her long nap so we got the crown molding almost all installed (we actually were short 1 piece so that didn’t make it up).  Almost done though!  I also got 2 of the 4 rosettes we need stripped on Saturday.

On Sunday we got up early (well Ryan and Alex did – they went for a run while I got an extra hour of sleep – Alex was up every three hours Saturday night which was an extra night feeding than normal, so I needed a bit more sleep).  After their run we headed out to run some errands and when we got back Ryan found out he had to work so that last piece of crown didn’t make it up yet (maybe some night this week?!).

I was able to get quite a bit done though, I got the last 2 rosettes stripped and sanded so they are all ready to be installed (which will be quick for Ryan when he has some time).  Then I installed the disconnect and the wire for the outside condenser unit (here comes the A/C!).  I just have to buy a breaker to finish the wiring and the plumber has to wire the unit itself.  Hopefully Monday we’ll have the A/C all hooked up and running – although they have to move the ducts they installed along the attic ceiling to run under the floors so at some point the A/C will be off so they can change those.

In general we have been very happy with this plumber/HVAC guy so far.  They fix/change the things we ask without complaint and even though they work short hours (in this heat I can’t blame them) they get the work done quickly.  They haven’t had any issues with the dog, even when I’ve left them alone at the house.  This week they are finishing up everything they can do until the gas line gets installed from the street, then they’ll come back and do the final hookups so we’ll have heat/hot water off of gas and we can get rid of the oil!

Now I just need to find someplace to get rid of our radiators and then our oil tank later this summer.  Very exciting!  We’re looking forward to next weekend, another weekend home to work on the house hopefully, we need to get the tvroom trim painted so we can do the final coat on the walls and floor and get this room finished up!