Appliancing the house

It took a bit of time to get started this week, mainly because the floors were so clean and new that I didn't have the heart to coat them with dust right away.  However, Through the duration of the week tools were decompressed out of the bathroom spaces and slowly migrated to working stations.  Since the majority of wood for the trim hasn't arrived yet and the weather was less than ideal for millwork the efforts were focused on completing a number of projects that had been started over the past few months.  First and foremost was the kitchen counter top which is made in a butcher block style out of stripped recycled teak.  The other tasks primarily consisted of installing appliances and making sure they ran properly.  By the end of the weekend the counter had the first of soon to be many coats of varnish and all the large appliances except the dish washer were up and running.

Shawn and I clamping down the counter

Soon to be Framed Window

Freshly Varnished doors

Putting the second set of clamps on the counter

Stove Up and Running

Installing the Washer and Dryer

Floor vents

Turning the great room into a Fab room

attempt two at clamping the counter

fully clamped and doweled 

Drying

Kitchen Counter 1 Varnished and sanded

Drying and waiting for the second coat

Sink in the right spot first try

Made from recycled teak

Fridge up and Running

washer and dryer up and running

Dryer Vent Installed apparently next to Amber's toes

Washer and dryer mechanical

Turning the sink cutout into cutting boards

Freshly oiled block drying

Clamps

Engaged!

    This posting covers the past few weeks, and while not a lot work was done specifically by me having the floors finished has been one of if not the definitive change to make the interior look done.  That being said most of the work for the past few weeks has been fishing small flooring projects that gone on the way side (a loose board here a missing step there, etc) and clearing out all the spaces.  Since the kitchen and bathrooms had tile floors the whole operation was more or less crammed into those spaces prior to the finishing.  The flooring company was scheduled, came out on time and was in and out within three days.

    Having the floors finished left us with not a lot of things to do for the past week or so, except take some earned time to relax, have a bonfire with friends, and take the weekend off in northern MI.  More importantly than the floors though or the general grind of working, I proposed to Amber on Sunday evening to which she said yes.  So lots of great changes have happened and it looks like we will be on track to moving at some point during September.  

Varnished trim drying

Drying sticks of window casing

Cutting Down the sticks

First piece of the counter

Amber clearing floor space

Lynch grouting tile

John and Kate at the Bonfire

Shawnda Jenny and Sasha at the Bonfire

Rocky macho Man

The sign says it all

Fermented fruits of our northern expadition

Showcasing the floors

Sun room

Great Room staring to actually look great

At El Azteco with my Fiance

Dog Days of July

      The past few weeks have been scorchers here in the upper midwest, but at least muscles hurt less when its over ninety.  The going has been slow, but very rewarding.  The beginning of the end has started and it looks like we should be on schedule to be in and finished with the interior in the next few months.  Its been an exhausting week for any number of reasons so instead of writing something more we posted a lot of pictures!

Stairway to Heaven From Hell

One less gaping hole

Measuring out the treads 

Finishing the bathroom entry tile

Winning!

Plugging the floor like a gangster

Starting to laminate the countertop

Tread landings being laminated

The joy of clamps

Odysseus has nothing on this 

Milling trim

Still aspiring to be a plumber and installing trim

Window one casing done

Sills and casing

Mighty fine work if i do say so myself

Before and after window sill

casing the joint

Finish nailing

Level and leveler, wood glue and social glue

Double D...eLind

    It was an excellent weekend for work.  Friday I finished the flooring in the utility room and the last foot of the dining room.  Saturday morning Doug showed up to work with me, and progress was indeed made.  With two people at it the SOB spots (in most every room) I had left undone because they were small spaces, needed to be done by hand, poor quality subfloor, etc.  were finished by noon.  Noon as it was turned out to be the perfect time to break and borrow a table saw from my neighbor.  Once we got it set up and calibrated it worked amazingly well.  Saturday ended with only about 100 sqft left to go.

    With the goal of finishing all the flooring Doug and I hit up sunday morning.  Once we ran out of the lumber from the sawmill out of Saginaw things got a bit harry (L. Liquidators has some shitty quality).  Instead of having straight rows set ready to be nailed it took a lot of effort to remove the gaps.  Doug would hammer a screwdriver into the subfloor and then jack it against a filler board to pressure the row into line while the staples were being put in.  Despite the heat we got into a mind set of not letting it beat us.  Now I generally don't let things beat me, and I can say that is exhibited exponentially more with my dad, but when both of us are at it hell or high water wont stop something from getting done.  Flooring as it turns out has nothing on either hell or high water, we finished the installation around four this afternoon and called it a day. 

Lynch's Handy work 

Dining Room finished

Study/spare bedroom finished 

Creepin in the background

Master Bedroom finished 

Smatz Brothers 

Hallway no longer ugly

Finishing the hallway

In action 

Flooring Is finished

Utility room finished