11/26/2012

Talks with Warren, Kenny and Darin today on flooring. Kenny, a single grain of sand or saw dust will show up through the vinyl, it has to be spotless clean. Small holes will get filled with the glue.

Warren agrees, said get 2 pair of socks, not shoes. Wear one pair as you lay it down halvsies. You’ll probably step in it, damn, hence the other pair. He also said forget the 1/16″ square notch trowel, use a 3/8″ nap roller and roll the adhesive thin. He’s done a lot of floors. The notch trowel requires a heavy roller, but you can just smooth the rolled vinyl down. If you get a bubble, use a pin to let the air out.

Kenny suggested putting a 1/4 cove wood molding in first and bring the vinyl up. Warren shot it down as we need to put the cabinets in and need square edges. I agree with Warren, we can cove the cabinets and calk the seams. Let’s go for square to the edge. Warren said if we get adhesive on the floor, we can clean it with paint thinner, not a problem. I’m thinking that’s a right away issue, before it dries.

Darin and I talked about the PEX tubes and water system, much to consider to meet code. We’ll get it.

11/24/2012

We got quite a bit done today, though not worth a picture. I called early to the local rentals looking for a PEX plumbing crimper tool, none available. Raven cleaned the masking tape off the plastic windows. The 70% isopropyl alcohol wasn’t cutting it and I needed more wood filler for the floor prep. I headed up to Bosworth’s on the corner, picked up a bottle of denatured alcohol and the wood putty. The denat works much better removing the tape gum but the paper still needs picking off by hand. Don’t leave masking tape on, take it off the same day. Write that a hundred times. Ha, but it’s true.

I crawled under and added a 16″ piece of 2x stock to the floor joist to secure the plywood seam, then screwed the seam tight from inside. We cleared out the counter frames and I puttied the floor with the wood filler, filling every crack, screw hole and blemish in preparation for the sheet vinyl floor. We did lunch of Thanksgiving leftovers as it dried.

I broke out the belt sander, has a good course belt on it, and sanded the entire floor, taking a lot off the seams to make it all smooth.

Raven opened the varnish and brushed the fascia boards with it. Then came in and vacuumed the sanding dust off the floor.

I found the graph paper and started drawing up the plumbing diagram in pen, what a mess, sharpened a pencil and redid it, better.

Rave suggested John, the water specialist across the street, may have a Pex crimper, good idea. I walked over as he was in, and yes he has one but it’s in the truck, a good one, cost him $300 but it’s paid for itself. I won’t need it for a few weeks, let him know when we do in advance. Way cool! That will save us a fortune in Pex fittings as the crimped ones are cheap but the ‘sharkbites’ cost a lot. Great.

We put the counter frames back in and cleaned up the tools. As it gets dark early, Raven headed home. I worked on the door frame as it’s sticking with the rain, sanded it with the belt sander on the high spots and a chisel on top where the sander wouldn’t fit, then hand sanded it smooth. It’ll need more paint but the door works better.

Next week we’ll get the vinyl floor in. That will be worth a picture.

11/19/2012

I talked to Hal today about PEX tubing, he said 1/2 inch will be fine, however… He said PEX tubes need a crimp tool, looked it up and they’re expensive ($60 HD) We may be able to rent one, I’ll need to research that. We can set up all the connections first, then rent the tool. That means all the plumbing, water heater and pump need to be in place before we get the crimp tool. The sink faucets can be installed with the flex tube/valves we have. Hot water needs tolerable fittings, copper, PEX or something else I don’t know, more research required. Those mags you brought may know. I’ll need to make a drawing of the water system, figure it out.

Meanwhile, we need the floor to be flush, smooth for linoleum. That’s next.

11/18/2012

I cut the wall to ceiling trim pieces today, a bit scary that as the wedge wanted to slip under the saw fence, but I got it with the push sticks, installed them. I first used the green rabbet plane to trim down the one ceiling panel overlap to fit and a chisel to fit the notch overlaps, glued a couple panel squares in the open notches, smooth. It’ll still need some putty in the smaller notches.

I also installed the light, needed to drill new holes, brought the cord in for the drill so as not to have a hot line, it’s in and works. I used a chisel on the door frame and sanded it as the door was binding with the rain at the latch. Raven can repaint it black.

11/17/2012 Ceiling done!

We got a lot done today. Raven  and I started by cleaning out the garage of saw dust in preparation for cutting the insulation on the bench in the rain. Then I noticed if we cut it under the garage door we could keep it outside, better.

We set up the saw horses and the door bench, I measured the length to center (37 1/2″) and marked it on the door. Checked the new roll for width, 15 1/2″, then measured inside, two 12″, three 22″ and one at 13″.  I marked the door at 12, 13 and 5 1/2″ widths (later changed to 8″ to meet the full width).

We suited up in bunny suits, face masks and goggles to keep the insulation off.  I pulled out the rest of the open roll, cut it square, cut it to length and 12 wide using the marks, cut four. We put the first forward section in to see how it would go, Raven stapling and taping as I cut the rest. It went up pretty quick, we figured out it’s easier to tape the wide bats on the bench (wearing leather gloves as the latex sticks to duct tape), then install them big.

Insulation up

We stopped for lunch, grilled cheese and tomato soup. Suited up again and started putting up the panels. Raven had sorted them in order front to back with the D side up near the front of the garage, easy access. Not so easy getting them installed, fighting gravity with the hammers and crooked necks.  Figured out start in the center and work out so it lays flat, last nail near the wall.  The nailers were too narrow, hard to get that close with the hammer without bending the nails. I ended up using a big tapered bar punch to get the second ones in. I cut a 1×2 to use to hold the panels up wedged to the floor, that helped.  As it gets dark early, I got a clamp light to see. I had to trim a few panels to make them fit with the jig saw, but they went up alright.  Wow, what a chore, done with the bunny suits.

Ceiling done, Hurray!

Took pictures (above). I’ll need to cut some trim pieces for the corners, pulled out a short 1×2 and figured out the table saw cuts, a diagonal cut to split it in 2, then another cut to match the wall to ceiling angle, but with the fence on the left to make the cut. It’ll work, maybe tomorrow, nailed to the wall as the plate runs long.

11/10/2012 more ceiling

Another productive day, a bit cold and windy but the sun was out. Raven started on more paint detailing as I drove up to the corner to drop off the stainless sink counter with Luis to get the corners welded. He’ll do it at work this week with MIG or TIG, makes a cleaner weld with the gas shield.  I also stopped at Bosworth’s for adhesive to tack the roof down, congratulated Harry for winning the fire district election.

Back home, set up the saw horses and door bench in the sun and pulled out the other door skin for the next large ceiling panel number three. I measured it, then brought out the smaller second as a pattern. Spring clamps to keep the stuff from blowing over, marked it, went back in and rechecked the side measurements, uh oh, they’re different, made the corrections and cut it with the jig saw, fit it, still tight in the middle, trimmed and fit it a couple times until it was right. Raven helped me fit it in place.

She put more finish nails in the D side fascia board as I pulled out a full sheet for the next large panel. This time I measured everything and laid it all out, still using the second pattern but making sure it was right, cut the full sheet to length, then cut the panel, saving the cut off for the smaller 1 of 2 pieces. Fit it and trimmed it a bit, it works, though the ends tend to buckle in, they’ll need straightening boards installed.

Raven climbed up on the roof and glued down the loose flashing panels and roof nailed them down. I cut the last large panel from the last full sheet, measured twice, fit and trimmed it. I had to remove the over table light first after getting the measurements, cut a diamond in the panel center line for that.  Then cut a new second panel from the pattern as it had torn using the second half of a full sheet. The front panel is flat in front, measured and cut it from the last full sheet remnant. They’re all cut and loosely in. Rave helped me pull them all out as I need to cut the edge forms to keep the panels flat on the sides.

I cut all the edge formers on the table saw a little tight and tapped them into place, using whatever junk wood was around as they won’t be seen.  I drilled and toe nailed them into place as it was just beginning to  get dark. Rave packed up the tools as I finished up, then headed for home.

It’s too dark for pictures and no light inside, I’ll get some tomorrow and post them here.

ceiling nailers

11/3/2012 ceiling started

Well we got some done today.  Raven arrived as I was just getting out with a fresh cup of coffee for me, yea. I opened the garage and emptied the lumber I bought last night from the back of the car, just 6 1x2s and 2 2×4 studs.  Raven started detail painting as I dug around for the scissors, found them and cut up some card stock patterns for the ceiling panels. It’s a fairly complicated join to work around the horizontal beams and still have lumber to nail to.  I also cut a piece of card stock to match the arc of the roof rafters. We’ll need nailers attached to the beams to match the arc, so I cut up a couple 1x2s into 10 pieces 16″ in length on the table saw, drew in the arc and cut them on the band saw. The top end will need a 2x spacer, I found an old piece of treated 2×4 and chopped 10 blocks. As some of the  beams needed extra spacing I sliced up some scrap thin paneling to roughly match the block size. I dug around for Dad’s nail box and found the right length and a drill to match the nails as the short blocks would split without a pre-drill.

I called Rave in and showed her how to put them up using a carpenter’s square as a depth gauge to match the rafters and a squeeze clamp to hold them up while drilling and nailing.  She put them up as I went to work on the end nailers.

I ripped a 2×4 stud in half wide, cut to four 36 1/2″ pieces on the table saw. Using the card stock arc I drew the line and band saw cut one, checked the fit on the rafter, good. I used that one to mark the others but needed to drum sand it to get the fibers off for a clean line, cut the rest. As Rave was finishing up and back to painting, I nailed them to, cutting a relief for the light wire in the one over the table area.

I put some pipe compound on the outside forward gas lines and wrenched them tight. Also cut 1/2″ slices off the other 2×4 and fitted the vertical frames around the windows, still needs nails or screws.

I cut the first aft simple panel using old door skin 75″ x 14 1/2″, not simple as I needed to leave a half rafter for the next panel around the beam and still cover the rafter in the middle, 3/4″. The next panel was a mind boggle, around the first beam and mate the first panel then get the width right to leave a 3/4″ space for the next to nail 15 1/2″ in from the wall. Drew a few too many crossed out lines getting it, cut it and tried putting it up reversed. It was too tight in the middle and tore getting it out, not bad, cut some off and refit it not reversed, it fits OK. The tear doesn’t show. If we have enough stock I’ll re-cut it as a pattern, else just glue it.

 

Enough for the day as Raven is taking me out for a belated birthday dinner at the brewery, yum.

11/1/2012

Saturday is good, should be cooler than Sunday and that’s good for vardo work. I need  to put pipe compound on the gas lines out front and cap the water heater tap, then bubble test the gas lines. I’ll need to open the panel under the stove , the forward valve has enough clearance too. I’m thinking a sheet of flashing bent round to fit the ‘D’ wall opening on the forward valve with a cutout to fit over the pipe to isolate the insulation. Maybe a piece of duct tape on the other side of the pipe. That way you can turn the valve off and on without itching. The outside lights need a small piece of panel to cover the inside access ports screwed in for easy access to the electric boxes. The light switch next to the door needs a frame as well as the breaker box (thinner). Of course all the corners need quarter rounds, the router table is already set up to cut them using a push stick with care, stay away from the cutter. We should buy a couple 2×4 8′ studs to make the end arc braces and to cut up for the inside window frame uprights, plus several 1x2s to to make the arcs on the cross braces. I’ll try to pick some up tomorrow eve.