I’ve got a week and a half off for Christmas, and one can only socialize *so* much. We’ll be spending considerable time working on our remodel, of course.
Speaking of the remodeling project, I noticed that I haven’t post much this week. I’ve been busy at work, getting everything done before the year-end shutdown. We’ve also had quite a bit going on at home!
* Our plumber has the kitchen sink, disposal, and dishwasher working–hooray! He’s also done most of the work in the new bathroom, although two small parts have gone missing so our new shower and toilet aren’t hooked up yet. But he *did* get the vanity sinks plumbed, which is significant because one of those sinks receives the furnace condensate — No more toting 5-10 gallons of water out every day! (And no more mopping up when I forget to empty the bucket. 😐 )
* Rick, our tile setter, has finished his work. In fact, he grouted the entry about an hour before my wife’s office party started on Friday night. His work is fantastic, just like last time. He has some small touch-up work to do after the holidays, and we still have to seal all the floor grout and the shower.
* Don and J were out this week and took care of a whole bunch of stuff — hanging doors, installing vanity cabinets, building landings and stairs for the exterior doors, etc. Don’s still got to come back and finish installing the medicine cabinets in the bathroom and re-hanging Caira’s bedroom door, but the door got a bit warped and we’re still waiting for it to get flattened out.
Between our trades’ work and our own, we’ve very nearly finished our kitchen. This truly is the “heart of the home”, especially for our family. Barb and I are both pretty competent and enthusiastic cooks, and our teenage children are heading down the same path. So it was more or less inevitable that we would focus our finish-work effort on the kitchen first. The punch list for this room is now quite short:
* Eric (cabinetry)
1. Trim cabinet openings for dishwasher and wine frig.
1. Crown molding around hood chimney.
1. Re-install scribe along range backsplash.
1. Install baseboard.
1. Install foot rail along bar.
1. Adjust several doors and drawers which aren’t closing properly.
* Rick (tile)
1. Replace two pieces of cracked bullnose skirting.
1. Install bullnose piece between bar top and cookbook shelves.
* Us
1. Hang the pot rack.
1. Install two pendant lights over bar top.
1. Wire up the blower for the range hood.
1. Push the range back flush to the wall (fiddle with gas supply hose).
1. Clean the floor and seal the grout.
1. Move refrigerator into its cabinet.
1. Adjust wine frig and dishwasher (once Eric is done).
1. Run the water line for the ice maker and filtered water tap.
Our tradespeople are gone for the holidays, but I expect to finish at least half of the “Us” list today. Our camera batteries are dead, so perhaps Barb can pick up some fresh ones today and I’ll do a follow-up post on our progress, complete with pictures.
