Adventures in Remuddling

Having people over is the biggest home improvement motivator. This Thanksgiving, we are staying in Boston and Jona is come up to visit. In order to be good hosts, we thought it was about time that we move into the master bedroom so that our guests have a place to stay. Good plan, except for Obstacle no. 1: The closet.

Continue reading “Out of the closet” »

Upon returning to the east coast after six years on the other side of the country, I started to notice a few small differences in accents and words. I’m sure many are familiar with the Boston accent, so I will not delve into that. Instead, I’m talking about word choices. Last month, a newspaper ad for a co-op bank was featured in the local newspaper. The co-op describes itself as a bank “not for the poor or wealthy, but for the thrifty and industrious” (italics mine). I have not seen the words “thrifty” and “industrious” used in ads in San Francisco.

Continue reading “New Englandy Words” »

The good thing about contractor garbage bags…. they’re thick and sturdy. They could probably be used as a vapor barrier if you’re in a pinch. I’ve seen people use them as makeshift rain ponchos.

But it’s Thanksgiving. And I bought a BIG turkey from the local farmer’s market. 19+ pounds. And any good chef knows a bird needs to be brined before roasting. Suffice to say, a 19 lb turkey just won’t fit into a 1-gallon ziploc bag you buy at the grocery store. Especially when there’s 2 gallons of brine for the bird. But it could probably fit into a 30 gallon garbage bag. But ordinary trash bags just won’t do. I needed 3 millimeters of thick, dark contractor grade plastic. mmm….

Continue reading “Multiple Uses for Contractor Garbage Bags” »

Last weekend, we installed the closet organizer, thus finishing the master bedroom closet.

Yes, there is a light at the top of the closet, which Tig installed. No more fruitless searches in the dark for a wardrobe item.

But wait! There’s more!

Continue reading “Smelling the cedar…obstacle #1 removed” »

Well, we failed to move into the master bedroom in time for Thanksgiving. The first obstacle, the master bedroom closet, we conquered in time.

The second obstacle…

Continue reading “Obstacle #2″ »

Winter is quickly coming. And we don’t live in California anymore

For most older homes, the biggest area of heat loss comes from the attic. Usually it is not insulated and/or not sealed well. I’m in the process of sealing it by using duct board and that instant-foam-in-a-can stuff to block all the holes. Sealing around the chimney is pain because you need to use metal flashing and heat resistant caulk.

Continue reading “Thrifty & Industrious (pt 2)” »

It is with a heavy heart that I disclose our latest obstacle to moving into our master bedroom. For a couple months now, we’ve been hearing a creaking/cracking noise whenever we run the shower upstairs. This was not a problem with the first floor unit, so we were alarmed when the sounds started soft and got a little bit louder. Keep in mind that we had just celebrated a lovely bathroom remodel. Our remodeling egos were fragile and just starting to feel good about the work that had been done. The walls were all closed up and tiled over.

Continue reading “Obstacle #3 The walls are alive with the sound of PVC” »