It’s Wallop Time

Busy weekend for chores.

Something tells me with 9 weeks left to go in this pregnancy, this is only the beginning.

First Saturday morning was installing the new microwave.

Though only Abigail is depicted in this staged photo, Jen’s Dad played a huge role pointing out my mistakes and adding a third and fourth hand.

In the end it all worked out and looks great.

Cool thing is it doesn’t kill the satellite radio when it runs. Which also means (at least in my head), it’s probably not killing my brain as bad either.

Saturday afternoon turned to the basement. Monday morning the chimney/stove guy is showing up for the pellet stove, so i had to get things back in order.

I started shortly before this.

Finished with this by 10pm.

That included a trip to Lowe’s (with The Peanut) to actually buy the polystyrene and more insulation. It’s a complete hack job. Our goal is “something temporary”, so I bought the 1/2″ polystyrene to use as a vapor barrier. It’s only cut and fitted between the studs, so it’s only sort of a vapor barrier. Yeah, the insulation is R15, but if those walls get wet the fiberglass, wood and drywall will too.

Eh.

Sunday I continued with the insulation.

The goal was to finish the corner and use the 4 sheets of drywall I had, so I had to insulate and (half-ass) vapor barrier at least that much. I started shortly after 9am. I think I had all the insulation up by noon or so. There were two sections that were smaller than the standard 16″ spaces, so that added some time.

You may notice in clicking all these pictures and viewing them larger a white wire hanging from the ceiling near the window. That comes into play later.

I debated a while what to do with the flue.  You’ll notice the gap between the sheet of drywall and the front wall. If I’d started the drywall against the other wall, the seam would have been right in the middle of the flue. That didn’t seem strong enough for me, so I decided to offset the first piece, then cut the next piece and fit it around it.

Well now I know why you don’t do such things. The machined edges of drywall fit real nicely next to each other.

A machined edge and cut edge do not.

Eh. This is temporary. It’s not even gonna be painted.

Moving on.

I got all the drywall up and the stove cleaned by 8pm or so.

Hopefully the guy tomorrow gets the flue connected and everything back to official working order.

There’s still a shit-ton to do (the receptacle next to the stove doesn’t actually work), but at least he can get in and get out.

Remember the white wire I pointed out earlier?

That’s the thermostat wire for the stove. All that time I had it hanging in my way, it never occurred to me that I needed to run it behind the drywall.

Doh!

Dumbass.

That’s where I needed Jen’s Dad.

Eh.

I’ll figure something out. There are options.

Once the stove is working again, the next project is finishing the nursery. I’ve got bead-board to finish painting and trim to finish installing, etc. etc.

Then maybe I can get back to the basement and finish up the temporary project before the next baby comes.

Abigail needs a playroom!

– b