Adventures In Home Ownership

A Little Bit More Done

2012-05-15T12:19:00.002-07:00

We planted wildflowers in part of our garden bed last fall. They started growing in October, and it never got cold enough to kill them, so come April, they took off like a shot! We've got bees visiting them pretty regularly

Our tiny little garden consists of 4 strawberry plants, 2 pea plants, and 3 tomato plants, one of which can be seen here. We put newspaper down to control weeds, and punched holes in it for the plants.

Next to the garage, we have some wild California poppies. Last year the cluster was much smaller, but I took the dried pods and sprinkled them all along the side of the garage. They really seem to be taking off!

The wisteria really took off this year. Its very fragrant. Its ruining the fence though, so I will have to move it some day. I'm going to see if I can get some cuttings to root so I can transplant some of it.
The fuzzy vine is our Kiwi vine. I just learned that you will only get kiwi fruit on new growth sprouting from last year's growth. Its also in a bad space. I hope to take some cuttings of the kiwi as well, and move it to a arbor or vine runner I plan to build along the back fence near the garage.

And finally, I replaced the hinges on the rear gate, as they were both rusty, and the bottom hinge had pulled out. They had also used the wrong kind of screws, short stubby machinist/wood screws instead of deck/wood screws. It swings much better now.
I also put new pull strings on all the gate latches. I used braided cording, which doesn't fray or unwind as much, and you can tie better knots in it.

Whole Lotta Work

2012-05-09T18:06:00.001-07:00

The Deck

Finally repaired the deck. Some of the cedar boards had rotted through, and became unsound. The original deck used 16' boards, but I couldn't find any at the local Lowes, so I bought 8' boards.

Because they were half the width, I had to mount a piece of pressure treated 2x4 to the center beam to provide a screw down for some of the boards.

I used deck screws to put them in, instead of nails.

The Front Yard

After digging up the creeping butter cup and afflicted sod, I put down some Scotts lawn patch, which is paper pulp mixed with grass seed. After a couple of weeks of watering, its starting to sprout.

I also added lime and iron to the yard, which is killing off the moss in some areas, but others seem unaffected, so I plan on doing a few spot treatments.

Landscaping

Dug up the arbor vitae and whatever the heck those little half-dead bushes were. Then we ripped out all the weeds, broke up the clods, and raked it out. Over this we laid down some medium cedar bark mulch. We plan on planting some lavender by the walkway, and installing a couple of lamps of some sort to light the steps; either solar or low voltage powered.

The vitae were left out on the lawn with "Free" signs, and someone picked them up the next day.

The area on the left was covered in St John's wort, and was ratty as hell. We dug up the St John's wort and blackberry canes, add used extra concrete blocks from the back yard to build up the little wall. We don't know what we are going to plant there yet, but it already looks a lot better.

Of Cats and Cherry Trees

2012-04-28T10:04:00.002-07:00

The Colonel

Aka "Colonel Sanders". He came to us on Halloween, walked in the front door with some trick-or-treaters. We had no food and no litter box at the time, so we gave him pets, shooed him back outside, and continued to give kids candy. Our neighborhood has a lot of communal cats.
The workday, my wife texted me a pic, "I guess we have a cat now" it said. She heard meowing outside, opened the door, and in walked the colonel.
So on my way home, I picked up some cat food, and a litter pan with cat litter, and decided to house him till we could get him to the vet for a checkup and check for a chip.
Luckily, he had no chip, no serious health issues, and a even temperament.

Overall, he is a very well behaved cat. Turns out he was just under a year old at the time, and not yet fixed. But he was very mellow, knew how to use a litter box, didn't spray, and put up with us quite well. After a few months, he discovered the joys of the clothes basket, boxes, bags, and even the dryer when Katie is trying to unload it

He's also managed to climb on top of the kitchen cabinets, and its a useful skill to have. Usually he's underfoot in the kitchen when we are trying to cook; but toss a few treats up there, and he will chase after them, and then lay down to survey his humans.

Cherry Trees

Many of our streets are bordered by cherry trees, some likely as old as the neighborhood itself. From early to mid April, they bloom, and it is a sight to behold. Here are three of the loveliest trees in our area.

Guess Things Just Got Busy

2012-04-26T18:57:00.000-07:00

Ch-ch-changes

Almost a year since our last posting. My how time flies. Let's see, what has happened?

Oh The Cat Came Back The Very Next Day

We got adopted by a cat on Halloween. He came inside for a bit, and we had to turn him out because we had no food. The next day he was back, and has stayed ever since. We call him Colonel Sanders, and he's a cute tuxedo cat, if a little aloof. He's learned to jump on top of the kitchen cabinets, which is actually good because it keeps him out of the way when we are cooking.

House

Another winter with baseboard heat, another winter where our wallets were devoured by electric bills. Did slightly better since I found a digital thermostat that could handle the required current. New siding and bath updates are just going to have to wait; a mini split heat pump is going to be our first big purchase. We'll save about 50% on our heating bill even without improving the attic insulation.

And that's another project as well. There is only about six inches of crappy blown in insulation in the attic, and its full of old roof material. I plan on pulling it out, and putting down two layers of fiberglass batts. I know blown is supposed to be better, but you have to do it just right, and if you disturb it, say from doing repairs, there is no easy way to get the lost R-value back. With batts, I can move it out of the way if I need to fix something.

Also, the rooms upstairs have no insulation in the walls or ceiling. So we're going to have to tear out most of the dry wall, install fiberglass in the wall, and then put XPS up in the joists in the ceiling. As a benefit, we'll be able to get rid of that hideous plaster-spatter texture.

Back Yard

We turned over the soil along the fence last year, and planted half of it with wildflowers last fall. Suprisingly, they started growing in September, survived all winter, and we had our first blooms in mid April. The other half, we pasted newspaper down to kill any weeds, but the windy fall blew most of the newspaper around. It was very difficult to keep down.

Come spring, we had blue bells pushing up through the paper. So the past two weekends, we dug up the bluebells ( about 30 plants worth ), turned over the soil, and planted a small teeny garden. We have two tomato plants, two pea plants, and some marigolds for color.

Also during the fall, a windstorm blew the top out of our bedraggled magnolia, so we've chopped most of it down. Eventually the trunk will support a bird bath.

In the planting area next to the back of the garage, we pulled out the weeds and laid down mulch. The lavenders are doing great. We found a old trellis which I stuck between the lavenders, and I plan on training the cherry tomato there to grow up along it.

Oh, and we planted some Strawberries too.

We're still weeding and mulching, but its looking much better, and the sedum has started taking over underneath the walking stick. Where it grows, no weeds can get between its roots. Plan on planting more as soon as I can find more mats.

Lawn

Lawn is a bit of a mess. Creeping buttercup has invaded the grass in the front yard, and roundup doesn't really kill it, though my neighbor was kind enough to tell me that Weed B Gon will. Its so deeply embedded, I dug up the old turf, scraped off the soil, and laid down some Scotts yard patch, which is grass seed mixed with shredded paper. I still have the other patch I need to fix.

I also have laid down two applications of Iron to kill the moss, and lime, because moss likes acidic soil. Already, it looks like the yard is starting perk up, and the moss is dying back.

Welp, thats it for now. Will be posting some pics shortly...

Busy 4th

2011-07-05T21:24:00.001-07:00

So, finally got around to getting the outdoor faucet replaced. Found a plumber who could come out on Saturday, and I was up early doing some preparatory work. The vent for the stove ( it has a fan between the burners, so sucks down ) exits through the skirt board next to the faucet. And there was a electrical connection in the crawlspace that was not in a junction box.

So before the plumber came out, I removed the old skirt board and vent, and I rewired the electrical connection and put it in a junction box. The plumber then installed a new frost resistant faucet. Once that was all done, I cut a new skirt board, and installed it. Now, it looked like no rats have ever crawled up in the duct work, but to make sure, I installed a piece of hardware cloth in the duct, and then installed the new outside vent. I then caulked around the outside vent and then swiped it with a caulk tool for a professional appearance.

And while this was going on, we discovered our toilet fill valve was leaking, it was running all the time. As the 4th was approaching, we simply turned off the toilet fill valve between uses.

Monday, we went out to a park for a BBQ which was part of a volunteer requirement effort for a outdoor theate. It was nice out, and we bought some bedding, in case our friends who were there were intending to camp over night. Well, that didn't happen, but they had friends who were having a 4th party, and we got invited along, and had a lot of fun. We didn't finish till late, so we crashed at our friend's place overnight, and then drove back home around noon.

Then it was off to the hardware store to find a wrench for the toilet, install the new valve, and voila, a long weekend comes to an end.

A bit more work

2011-05-07T23:24:00.000-07:00

Preparing to replace the outdoor spigot, since it broke. I crawled under the house to get a look at the plumbing, and it might be a little interesting getting the new spigot in there.

On the outside, the spigot is a few inches away from the stove vent. The stove vent is a old metal flapper one. So when I get the plumber to come out, I will need to remove the crawlspace panel so we can fit the new one through. At this time, I plan on replacing the old vent with a new louvered one, and I will put a bit of chicken wire inside to ensure no critters get in.

Last week I finally got around to raking up some of the moss in the front yard. Neighbor had a turf rake, but it really cut up the turf. So I tried the garden rake, and it really worked well, pulling up a lot of moss, and leaving behind bare dirt between the tufts of grass.

Today, I finally got around to working on the lawn some more. I laid down some more Iron Sulphate, and then reseeded the bare patches where the moss was raked up. Tomorrow, I will fertilize the yard, and with this damp weather, hopefully the lawn will start turning around.

Backyard wise, forget-me-nots have taken over a entire garden bed along with some blue bells from the neighbor's yard. They are quite pretty, and choking out the weeds, so no reason to bother them for now. Also, the local miner bees seem to love them, and last week after I mowed the front yard, I saw about of them buzzing around the grass. Yay, pollinators!

I also need to work on clearing out moss in the backyard, cleaning up the beds, planting some groundcover so weeds don't take over, and probably getting rid of a couple of the trees. The magnolia is pretty sorry looking, and the cherry tree has mostly dead branches. Cutting out those two will let in more light to their beds, and I plan on getting a produce garden ready for next year. Groundcover wise, the beach strawberry is native to WA state, and not only propagates easily, but produces small edible berries.

Every Home has a Rhythm

2011-04-28T19:29:00.000-07:00

Its not rats in the attic, its the outside gate rattling by the window when the storm blows. The noise bounces off the ceiling and it sounds like it is coming from upstairs. Only the fact it came and went with the wind showed it was just the wobbly outside gate. The back door gets harder to close when its warm out. In the evening, the house pops and moans slightly as timbers cool. The refrigerator pops as it kicks out the cubes from its ice maker. I've listened attentively for the telltale tap of deathwatch beetles, but none have been heard.

It has been a damp, cold April, one of the coldest on record here, and I've been limited to working outside to the sunniest days. The grass is finally starting to grow again, and since the last time I mowed it, is in serious need of a trim. But perhaps, between the iron sulphate and increasing sunlight, it will help choke out the moss.

Heating bills ate us alive over winter. Whoever thought baseboard heat was a good idea in any climate, should be drawn and quartered. But between the PUD programs, the tax return, and my soon to be paid-off student loans, we should be able to get a heat pump installed. Between a heat pump, and programmable controls that can set the thermometer lower at night, our bills should be a lot lower.

The outdoor faucet was leaking, it never seemed to fully recover from the cold weather. I tried to tighten it down to get a seal, and then turn it on, only to hear a snap. No water, the valve stem had snapped with the valve still closed. I tightened it back down, and will need to call a plumber. The faucet itself is likely almost as old as the house. No one makes parts for old outdoor brass faucets anymore. I'll get a freeze-resistant one installed, and save the old brass one. Its too pretty, too weathered to just throw away.

The wife is off doing the theatre thing again. One last hurrah, a show she really wants to do. But its burning her out again. One last hurrah, at least for a long while.

My job is going well. Finally getting some shares in the startup.

Weekend? What's that?

2011-03-20T20:04:00.000-07:00

So since we've been in the house, the shower has always had a small leak. After months of trying half measures to fix it, I decided that the overall caulking job would have to be redone. So I removed the sliding glass doors, then disassembled the frame, and took it all outside.

I then scraped up all the old silicone caulk, using mineral spirits to make it swell, and worked on it with a paint scraper and razor blade till I had removed most of it. I cleaned the sliding glass doors as well, and then reassembled the frame partially to check fit. The cleaning took most of Saturday, and by the end, I was pooped. Also, even with all the windows open ( warm day finally! ), I was woogy from the fumes.

So today, I finish assembling the frame, and realize I need new bumpers for the frame. So back out to Lowes, grab some shower door bumpers, and a new set of caulking tools, because I was unhappy with my current set.

So I joined the frame back together, and caulked all the seams. The DAP Pro Caulk Tools I picked up worked great, allowing me create the perfect size bead exactly where I needed it.

And so, after letting it all dry for 3 hours, I was finally able to take a shower, aaannnnnnnd, no leaks!

After all that was done, I decided to rake up the leaves in the yard, and then I started work on replacing the dryer vent. I pulled the dryer away from the wall, and found that the dryer tube was merely press-fitted onto the dyer. I then went outside and pried the old dryer vent off. The tubing looked to be in good order, but the external vent hole and internal hole did not line up. At some point, the layout of the laundry room was changed, and it wasn't a straight shot through to the dryer. I also noticed that what I thought was aluminum siding is really heavy gauge steel siding. The vent hole was irregular, and the tubing barely fit through it without snagging. So I cut down the metal tube that came with the new vent, and duct taped it to the vent. I then pulled out more of the vent tubing, cleaned it up, and wiggled the metal tube into the tubing. Then, I worked it back into the hole, using a rubber hammer to tap it in as it was a tight fit. Flipping open the vent and looking inside, everything looked good, so I then used some sheet metal screws to anchor it to the siding. There is still a small gap that needs caulking, but all my exterior paintable caulk turned gritty overwintering the garage, so I will need to pick up some more and finish this last step.

But it's already a lot nicer looking.

Round and Round we go...

2011-03-14T20:00:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the slow updates. For the past two weeks I was helping the wife work on props for a show she was 'rescuing'. Lot of painting and staining. They came out looking real nice.

Exercise wise, I am still working out with my dumbells, but they are getting to light to really be useful for strength training. I did get some money for my birthday, so I am investigating my options in terms of what kind of weights to get. I also plan on getting a bench, and setting it up in the garage.

Also, a few weeks ago, we attended the local home show. Our heating bills have been extremely high during the winter, we just have those crappy baseboard heaters. They only get about 3.5 btu / watt, and just chew up power. So while at the home show, we asked a few of the heating / cooling vendors about our local power district discounts for getting a ductless heat pump installed. With two heads, it will set us back about $6000 including installation. But, we could likely halve our heating costs in the winter, and we'd get A/C as well.

We also looked at some cork floor tile flooring, and I really like it, but all the vendors say you can't put it down over existing vinyl, you either have to remove the vinyl ( our lowest level is 1970s vinyl likely chock full of asbestos ) or screw down more plywood on top of it, and then tile that. If we did that, it would raise our kitchen even higher. So we just have to pop up the nasty modern vinyl tiles, and lay down better vinyl on top of that.

I've also been fighting a leak around the sliding door frame of our shower, its gotten on the floor, and damaged that cheap fiberboard floor trim by making it swell. Compared to what it was, I had gotten it down to a trickle, but it is still happening ever so slightly. So some weekend, I am going to remove the track, pull everything off, and caulk and seal everything. Its the only way to fix it. Then I will need to pull up and repair the fiberboard floor trim, and replace it with something that doesn't act like a sponge. I mean, toilets are known to overflow, so why was this stuff EVER put in the bathoom? It swells and holds even the smallest amount of water.

So those are some of the projects I am lining up for this. I will probably work on the shower door this weekend.

Sound House, Sound Body.

2011-02-12T12:53:00.000-08:00

I've learned to live with the house. I know all of its normal little noises now. So the house is sound.

Which brings me to my next topic, having a sound body. My wife has been working out on her routine, which is mostly cardio with some weight exercises, and over the past month, has really started to sculpt her body. Not a lot of weight loss, but she has gained a lot of muscle tone, endurance and strength. She started cooking healthier ( some of the 'diet' recipes are really good ), and I would go for walks with her, but not much else.

About 4 weeks ago, I decided to really start tackling the garage, and I had to move some 4'x8' plywood sheets around. I was afraid I was going to throw my back out, because my arms were wavering, and my back could barely handle the load. That lit a fire under me.

I had bought a 30lb dumbbell set a few months ago in yet another failed bid to get in shape. So I started reading around, seeing what people said, and I stumbled across this article from Men's Journal. Basically, the Soviets figured it all out. You can improve strength w/o a gym membership, and if you train for strength, you won't bulk up like Arnold. But you can also train for endurance or bulk up if want. It depends on how much weight you lift, how many reps, and how often. It also points out that getting immediate benefits from pure cardio is TOUGH ( thats why I despised all my previous attempts using treadmills or stair steppers, all the pain with very little visible gain ). So I broke out my copy of Strength Training Anatomy ( perhaps the best muscle anatomy reference for artists I have ever seen ), selected exercises I could do with dumbbells that would evenly work most of the major muscle groups and started working out.

A week later, I was back in the garage and having to move those plywood sheets yet again. And it was a lot easier. I wasn't grunting and I wasn't afraid my back would get hurt. All of this after one week of using some dumbbells and following a few rough guidelines! I am now addicted and I work out with weights three times a week.

Other things that have changed from when I started strength training:

I slipped and fell on the ice a few years back, and my lower back would invariably be sore in the morning. That doesn't happen any more
Even if I don't sleep well, I still function better on what sleep I do get
My IBS has resolved itself. Nor more intestinal cramps, gas, etc.

My pants are getting looser due to the lack of bloating. I still have belly fat, but now I can see how much I have

I don't have to use my inhaler as much. I wake up with less congestion and fewer sinus issues.
My appetite has evened out. My sweet tooth is vanishing. My 'hunger' seems more normal now. My habit of grazing all the time is fading away.
You know how weightlifters can make their pects dance? I can do that too. Not as impressively, but is

The 30 lb is starting to get too easy for me. I will soon need to buy a heavier set of dumbbells, and I've been looking at the various quick adjust PowerBlock dumbbell options. I will need to get a bench soon as well, which will expand the kinds of exercises I can do.

A whole host of studies have be done on strength training. It can work your heart as much cardio ( my heart rate definitely rises ), you are better able to survive surgery and injury than people who do pure cardio, and the health benefits are quicker and more immediate.

I certainly wish I had done this sooner. I also wish school and HS PE programs focused more on personal health development, and simple strength training, which would have been much more useful to me.

Crazy week...

2011-01-30T10:29:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday, while driving back from errands, a nice rock hit our windshield and left a lovely star crack in the top layer of glass, about the size of a dime. And then this Monday, as I was driving down our alley, starting my journey to work, I got a nice dent from someone pulling out from the apt parking lot in the alley. Their insurance company accepted full liability though, but it was still hassle. The car is drivable for now, and I have a appt at the body shop, and a they are paying for a rental. So it isn't too bad.

Drafty Home Sweet Home

Well, I don't feel any obvious drafts, but we do need to improve the insulation. In the mean time, there is no reason to heat rooms we don't use a lot. So last weekend (when we got the glass chip) we bought a tension curtain rod, and curtain, and hung it in the doorway to the laundry room. It seems to be working as the laundry room is noticeably cooler, and the baseboard heater isn't coming on as often. So this weekend, we got a tension rod and curtain for the doorway into the entryway. This morning, the entryway is cooler as well. We can take it down when company comes over, but it should help reduce the heating needed for the living room when we keep it up.

If we get really fancy, we can buy some of that thermal curtain fabric and make thermal curtains, which should work better than just a plain air barrier.

Spring Cleaning

2011-01-23T18:37:00.000-08:00

So it finally warmed around here, and the sun peeked out a little bit. We ran some errands, and I picked up some painting tools for the summer, when the weather warms up.

I also picked up some more door trim for the side door in the garage, and replaced. I replaced the weather stripping for the back door last week when it got cold, which removed most of a draft. I need to replace the weather sealing along the bottom of the back door, and the garage door itself.

The kick plate for the side door of the garage is not nailed or screwed into the floor, but is a part of the door frame, and its broken loose on one side. So I will need to cut it loose the rest of the way, and then add a kick plate which I can anchor to the concrete floor.

Plans for the New Year

2011-01-11T20:47:00.000-08:00

Our first winter in our old home has proven to be a chilly one. While the walls do have blown in insulation, the floor appears to seep cold air from the unconditioned crawlspace, even though there are insulation bats between the joists. The baseboard along the outside walls also gets REALLY cold. This tells me we may losing a lot of heat around the rim joists. Or, because the wedged the skirtboards for the crawlspace underneath the siding, around the outside, this is allowing cold air in. Either way, it will need to be fixed.

Our heating bill has been as high as $250 so far. So something has to be done. But the good news is, anything we do will save us a lot of money. We've been wanting to paint the house to freshen it up, but this is a lower priority than making it more energy sound.

Digging around, I found out our local PUD offers low interest ( 3% ) loans for a variety of home energy improvements. For loans as large as $5000, this works out to about $50/mo over 10 years. So we've started drawing up a list on projects to undertake when the weather warms up.

Spray foam insulation between the joists in the crawlspace. Either 2 inches for air sealing, + bats, or spraying the full recommended R-Value. Will need to see which is cheaper or better
Improving all the door seals.
Adding insulation around the upstairs bedrooms. They are partially insulated. I don't know if its because a lot of it was torn out when the roof was redone, or the guy who insulated for the old lady who used to own this house back in the 90s, ripped her off.
The stairway ceiling has no insulation AT ALL, its only separated from the roof by the thickness of the rafters! We'd need to tear out the drywall, and drop the ceiling a few inches, backing the new drywall with solid foam insulation. We can't backfill the gap with blown, because air needs to circulate up to the roof vents.
Improving attic crawlspace access, covering the old door, and putting entrances in the closets, and a another won along a wall to give complete access.

So the biggest one I think is sealing and insulating the joists in the crawlspace, and fixing the outside siding to improve/remove air infiltration. Then work on the upstairs insulation. Some we will do through a pud loan and contractors, and some we can do ourselves.

Upgrade Complete...

2010-11-27T13:30:00.000-08:00

So last night, the wife got help to see why the living room was so hot, and it turned out the fancy programmable thermostat had died. These things use a triac to control AC, and when triacs fail, they fail in the ON position.

After shutting off the power and removing the thermostat, I noticed one of the wires was scorched, one of the screw-on caps looked overheated.

Here is what I learned:

Heaters were installed in 1995 or so.
We have 2 heaters rated at 2250 watts / 240V, which is 4500 watts on that branch
Circuit is 240V with 20amp breaker
Max power circuit can theoretically provide is 240V * 20 amp = 4800
National Electric code recommends branch circuits only ever carry 80% of theoretical max, or 3840 watts
Thermostat was only rated for 3600 watts!

Turns out, it is impossible to find a programmable two pole 240V programmable thermostat in Home Depot or Lowes that can carry ~4000 watts. So we had to go with a older mechanical/relay one for now.

Now we have a thermostat rated for up to 5800 watts, but the branch circuit should only carry about 3840w. Calculating the size of the living room at 24'x12', and that a moderately insulated home needs about 12 W / sq foot, the heaters' output should be 3456 W. So we are over capacity. Luckily, the dear old lady who had these installed in the 90s chose "pic-a-watt" heaters, produced by King heaters in Seattle. In these heaters the elements have staggered power settings ( 1000W, 750W, 500W) and by removing the front plate you can pop off a connector and reduce the amount of heat produced. I went to the heater closer to the smaller entry way room, and popped off a 750W connection, dropping the total load on the circuit to 3750 W for both heaters. This is still a couple of hundred watts above the recommended heating level for our living room, and below the NEC recommended load for the branch circuit.

Now, why are 2 pole thermostats important? Well, on a 240V circuit, both the black and white ( or red ) wires are hot, so a single pole switch or thermostat will only disconnect the black wire, leaving the hot neutral still energized! This can lead to a nasty surprise if our intrepid repairman has not shut off the power at the breaker panel before working on the heater. Ideally, I should go back and mark the white wires in the heaters with red, to denote the circuit is 240V, and the neutrals are hot.

UPDATE
Disassembled the old thermostat, it was built in 2001, and a internal 5 amp fuse had blown. I don't know what that fuse was for, as the thermostat was rated for 16A, but its not replaceable.

House Needs More Vespene Gas.

2010-11-24T18:19:00.000-08:00

Well, not really, but it seems there are a lot of tweaks/projects to be done. Had some very cold nights, and nothing seemed to freeze, until my wife tried to do some laundry that required cold water. No water came out. So while she went to the neighbor to get it washed, I pulled the washer from the wall.

First I disconnected the cold water hose, and tried to get some water out into a bucket. None came out, so it wasn't the washer. I then had to pull back one of the trim boards around the back of the house, and look for the pipes. They were insulated under the house, and no signs of leaks, so I suspected the water pipe was frozen up in the wall. The pipe is bare up in the wall, and tacked with clamps directly to the external wall. So it must have gotten cold enough to freeze a bit. But since we have not seen any pressure drop, nor any sign of water under the house, I was hopeful the pipe wasn't ruptured.

I called the Everett Water utility district, because back in August, I noticed the meter out front was leaking a bit, and they sent someone out to examine it. Well, its not leaking right now, but I had them test the shutoff valve so, worst case, I could shut it off, since its supposed be above freezing tomorrow. I mentioned my problem to the utility guy, and he said he has the exact same setup at his house, and he's worried about his washer possibly having problems as well. Thats the PNW for you!

I ran out to pick up some drinking water in case we would have to shut off the pipe tomorrow, and when I got back, I tried the washer one more time. This time the cold water worked! As it turns out, she had started the dryer to dry the tablecloth which she had washed at the neighbors, and this must have thawed out the obstruction!

So we shut all the taps, and I went out to the water meter, and watched to see if the little spinner moved, which would indicate a active leak. No spinning! Looks like we dodged a bullet.

Anyways, the whole layout of the laundry room is screwy, and the drywall job is just plain bad in spots. So if I feel its a big enough issue, I'd tear out the nasty cabinets, move them to the outside wall, and then run the washer water lines up a interior wall where they are less likely to freeze. And in the course of doing that, we'd be able to fix up a lot of the drywall finish issues.

Snowageddon.

2010-11-23T16:23:00.000-08:00

The Ice Strikes Back...

In typical fashion, we had snow coming down on Monday, and Seattle / WADOT seemed to wait till the last minute to begin deicing/plowing. Many of us left work early on Monday to beat the deadlock, and it took some bus riders 12 hours to get home!

House is doing ok, but I think our biggest problem is air infiltration from the crawlspace. I can feel it running up inside the walls if I remove a outlet cover, and as the sun sets, I can feel drafts as the walls cool. Yesterday was a bit chilly, but today we opened up all the window shades when it was sunny, and it helped warm the house, and should keep warmer over night.

I am awaiting our first winner heating bill with trepidation.

One the potentially positive side, days this cold are few and far between. Above about 25 or so, these drafts or other effects aren't as noticeable. Also, I may call the PUD and ask when this house was refitted? I suspect the modern insulation was added under a PUD efficiency program, but it looks like the attic insulation is incomplete. If you peak in the little attic door, it looks like the attic rooms are properly insulated in the walls. But crawl on the joists around the corner, and they are bare. I am suspicious that the contractor may have cut corners.

The good news, is air infiltration may be our biggest problem, so it may be simply a matter of installing a vapor/air barrier in the crawlspace to limit the heat stack effect, and perhaps a modern mechanical air vent/exchanger.

Just got off the phone talking with PUD. The only updates that have been done under PUD programs was the weather stripping. So the insulation may have been done on a side-deal with a older owner and was never inspected.

I'll call tomorrow and get some historical heating bill info, beyond what the seller's Realtor told us. Also, the PUD offers a variety of low cost loans or cash incentives to help with upgrades.

I'm thinking we can start off small and work up. If this were Wisconsin, it would be a much bigger deal...

Let it Snow...

2010-11-21T11:45:00.000-08:00

Snowing here today, coming down pretty good, but the outside temp is still a little too high for it to stick around. House is holding up pretty good. Overall, the house is holding up pretty good, but the floor is a little cool. I suspect this may be a tradeoff between energy efficiency and having the pipes freeze on a really cold day.

I suspect next year we will undertake some more winterization.

Been Kinda Busy.

2010-11-06T15:18:00.000-07:00

Did a lot of running around in October, enjoying the final days of summer. We went to a few quilt festivals, and enjoyed the beauty the Pacific Northwest offers. Its really incredible how quickly one can get out into forests and farmland.

So what has happened? Not much. The house has been pretty cozy, and we've been visiting the docs and finally getting some checkups done. I have had low-grade asthma for a LONG time, and while moving out of the big city has helped it, the asthma inhaler is helping a lot more. Overall, we're in pretty good health, just need some vitamin D (everyone does up here), and eat a bit better.

Couple of weeks ago, a windstorm came through, and blew off the top of our magnolia. It didn't hit anything thankfully. Judging by the break, at some time in the past limbs on either side had broken off, and so all that was holding the top to the tree was a narrow piece of wood. We broke down the wood and put it in the yard waste bin.

Knob and Tube :P

And then last week, I decided to investigate the old dim lamp in the entry way. It was using 40 watt bulbs but not making much light. Dad felt it might be wired on some really old fashioned narrow gauge knob and tube wiring, and thus was overloading the wire and leading to a brownout. So I took it apart, and low and behold, the wiring into the wall is K&T, but otherwise looks fine. The problem is it looks the interior of the lamp was repaired manually, and they had rewired the lamps in a kind of voltage divider setup, so that each lamp was only getting like 60V. Plus all the wire into/out of the sockets was looking pretty bad. I think the lamp itself is more of a hazard than any old K&T.

So, we will at some point need to replace the wiring. But removing the old lamp, and putting up a new one with a couple of low wattage fluorescents will give us more light, with less strain on the old wiring. Luckily, it is a short run down the wall to the modern switch, so hopefully pulling it out and running new wire won't be too bad

*EDIT*

On second thought, I may just have to go with a electrician, but this could get fun. :P

On the Road Again

2010-10-05T22:00:00.000-07:00

Another Quilt Show

So last saturday, we went to another quilt show in a nice northwest town. It was really a nice day, and the town is right on the water, and has a lot of old town charm. The Quilt Museum is in a old Victorian mansion, which was rebuilt in the 70s after being damaged in a fire. The future creator of the Nickelodeon show "Hey Arnold" painted a mural in the restored spire.
So we looked at quilts, had some lunch and ice cream, enjoyed the day, and then headed home.

More Home Work

So two Sundays ago, after we got the slow leak in the crawlspace repaired, I managed to crawl up under the house and stick some insulation bats back under the bathroom. It was tight, with the crawlspace narrowing to less than a foot near the pipes, and it wasn't a perfect job, but it is better than it was.

Flipside

The house next door has been gutted, resided, painted, new windows installed, and they are working on the inside now. The re-roofed the rear of the house, but did not fix the wonky timbers under the roof, so it still looks saggy. They put new plywood under it, but didn't re-brace or replace any of the beams. Also, when they closed in the porch, they didn't lift it up to remove the sag, so it still droops on that side of the house. I am happy it is getting renovated, but the corner cutting is worrisome.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Work is finally slowing down, so moar pics from when my parents were out here.

Fixing the fence

Dad tore down part of the fence, and we spent the next several days putting it back together, fixing all the rotten wood, and straightening the gate so it closed properly.

My mom and my wife spent a good day trimming back all the bushes, and cleaning up the garden. The smoke tree was cut down to a stump, and its already sprouting back.

Another pic of the garden.

More Pics Coming Soon...

2010-09-25T16:58:00.000-07:00

I promise.

Today was warm and sunny, and we drove out to a nearby outdoor quilt show, and looked and quilts while enjoying the sun.

Also, last weekend, someone bought the house next to ours! They've been gutting it all week, and today they are putting up new siding.

And Now Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Program...

2010-09-18T18:33:00.000-07:00

Sorry bout that folks, for the past 3 months I have been working on a very large project at work, and finally, this week, I can see the end of the tunnel. There is some polishing left to be done, but all the heavy lifting has been completed. So that is what has been preventing me from updating this blog.

Saturday and Sunday, Dad and I crawled around under the house. For being one hundred years old, all the timbers look brand new. Two of the pillars supporting the front end of the front porch will have to be replaced, but they will last till spring. No sign of insect damage, or anything major.

Even without the proper number of vents, the crawlspace was dry, with no signs of water accumulation or pooling water on top of the existing vapor barrier. We did find a few rat turds here and there, and a few larger droppings, likely possum, but they looked to be very dried out and old. We bought some more vapor barrier and extended it all the way to the edge of the skirting, and also added support wires to hold up the insulation where it had fallen down. Up near the bathroom plumbing, the ground level rises till there is only about a foot of clearance. The insulation had been taken down when the plumber repaired a leak around the tub which was required by our terms of purchase. I noticed the insulation was damp, and it turns out one of the copper pipes has a pinhole leak due to a improperly filled solder joint. The leak is extremely slow, but it was getting soaked up by the insulation. So for the near term, I pulled out the wet stuff, and staged the new insulation nearby, ready to be installed after I get the repair to the pipe done. We also covered the water line that runs to fridge with insulation to protect it in winter, but I don't think the crawlspace ever gets freezing cold.

At the same, after having enough of crawling around down there, we took a break and worked on repairing and straightening all the neglected wooden fencing on the property. By Tuesday, when my parents left, we had all the fencing and gates repaired, and the yard as a whole looked a whole lot better.

Long Time, No See.

2010-09-12T12:06:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delay folks, my parents out last week helping me button up the house for the rainy season, and in general getting things fixed up. It was a BUSY Labor Day weekend.

On Wednesday, after my parents had arrived, I had arranged for the gutter people to come out and hang new gutters. The old ones were coming loose, a 20 foot long section had already fallen off, and the facia looked bad in places. So they came out, and rehung the gutters, and when they pulled the gutter off the front porch, some of the underlying wood bracing was sagging or improperly repaired. This started a entire new adventure, as my dad felt it necessary to re-brace the porch roof, and the gutter guys said they would return the next day to finish the job. Now, given the roofing debris I've found, I knew the house was re-roofed at the absolute last minute; but apparently the patio wasn't re-roofed soon-enough, as some water had gotten in. They had repaired it somewhat, but it was a bad job, and my father worked to repair their 'repair'.

Thursday came and went, the gutter folks had gotten hung up at another job site, so the wife and my parents worked on the fence and garden, tearing out the rotted wood, digging a post hole for a new fence post. Mom and the wife had trimmed back a lot of the bushes, dug up several ferns that were taking over, and in general improved the overall look of the back yard. I met them in the front yard where dad had finished working on the porch roof. I noticed that they had attached a gutter to the front dormer, over obviously broken facia. After some squinting in the sunlight, dad agreed.

Friday, the gutter people returned. Dad had rehung the facia on the front porch, but the gutter people said it would cost $125 to reattach the gutter on the front dormer after replacing the facia. My wife called me at work, and I replied that they said they would replace bad facia at $3/foot, and that if they had hung the gutter w/o replacing the obviously bad facia first, it was their fault, they were going to fix it for the flat rate of $3/foot. So dad calls the company owner, and the wife plays good cop to his bad cop, and the workers took down the gutter, repaired the bad facia, and rehung it. I don't get why people try to pull this stuff, especially in the day of the internet where everyone posts reviews. They make a mistake and yet expect the customer to pay for it. It was like a 6 foot section of facia, it took 15 minutes to repair the issue!

Anyways, more to come...

Notes for today

Well, I will post the rest of what we did tomorrow, along with some photos, but today I did some more cleaning up around the house. In the back, there was a cracked skirt board, which also had a hole in it where the electrical service used to come out of before heading to the garage. From the presence of rat droppings ( only a few ) under the house, I knew I had to patch things up.

For now, I've patched the hole with a piece of plywood using liquid nails, and I screwed the cracked part of the panel back into place. Along the side, where we saw gaps under the skirting where critters could crawl in, I stuck bricks in the gravel to hide the gap.

Up front, the two posts supporting the front of the porch have some water damage. They will need to be replaced soon, but to buy some time I cleared the mulch away from the corners where they are located so that they dry out quicker. On one side, I replaced the mulch with gravel, put down a large flat paver, a brick on top of that, and then arranged the gutter chain so that it directed water on to a rain splash guard and out onto the lawn. The brick is under the guard to give it a good slopes so the water will run off properly. I did the the same on the other side, but I haven't replaced the mulch yet. But directing the rain out into the yard should help immensely.

Having my dad tell me the house looks sound, and poking around in the crawlspace over labor day has reassured me immensely. I am now accepting the house as a comfortable, safe home.

This Boring House

2010-08-25T21:08:00.000-07:00

Sorry folks for the lack of updates. Been busy putting out fires at work, but everything has calmed down now.

We walk around the neighborhood almost every evening, either going to the park on the bluff to watch the sunset, or walking down some of the really nice areas, and look at all the fine grand old homes. The weather here is awesome, though it is supposed to cool down for the next several days.

My folks are flying out, kind of a working vacation. They're gonna help with getting this house ready for the rainy winters here, and hang out with us.

Not a lot to post about today. Sorry.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

2010-08-22T11:41:00.000-07:00

Our living room, from the kitchen. Sorry about the mess, still unpacking in the midst of other projects as well.

Entryway. Why dark blue? I don't know. The closet needs some help, its pretty spare. And the wall finishing is paint over wall paper that has started pulling away from the walls in areas. I think when they painted it, the moisture in the paint loosened the paste.

Yay! Another project. The hole the electrician left in the wall of my office. There was a unused but wired junction box crammed down in there. Thats not up to code, so to get it out and rewire the other boxes, he had to cut a hole. I have the supplies to fix it though, shouldn't be too bad.

Inside wall of the pocket door that hides the stairs leading up. Never finished apparently, another small project. Notice the nice mint green paint? The carpet on the stairs is a deep emerald green, and the baseboard is a dark Kelly green.

The Wife's craft room. Its pale pink with pinkish carpet. The window looks out over the front of the house. The upstairs rooms are on the small side. The ceilings are only slightly over 6 feet high, and the doors are narrow, almost miniature. But my wife likes it because it makes her feel big for once. ;) (don't kill me)

Our kitchen. We just finished painting the outside trim on the the kitchen window. Its aluminum, but the bottom had been trimmed on the outside with wood, which was never painted. I'll take a photo of our handiwork later. But I think we did pretty good, sanding it, wiping it down, priming, and then painting.

More photos coming soon!

You may find yourself in a beautiful house with a beautiful wife

2010-08-21T18:20:00.000-07:00

So here it is. Yes, the color scheme isn't the best, and the front yard is a bit brown. These pictures were taken just after we had moved in

And here is part of the backyard, with the bushes after we trimmed them back a bit.

Interior shots coming soon!