Continuing (mis)adventures in home improvement
The Other Kim
Our last installment left off at waiting to hear about the asbestos
removal. Well...the company never contacted me but scheduled us and
called the a/c company, who called us to say that we were scheduled for
Friday, April 27, in the afternoon. Great...that's completely not what
I suggested, but what choice did I have? I was just hoping they would
be here early enough for me to pick up the girls from school. I did
bribe Ryan to leave Irvine long enough to pick them up and drop them off
at home, just in case. Friday arrives and we go on the assumption that
Ryan will be picking up the girls. I was pleasantly surprised when the
removal company got here at 11 AM and said it should take no longer than
3 hours to do the work. I called Ryan and left a message on his phone
letting him know that he was off the hook. As it turns out, they were
done in less than 2 hours start to finish.
So now we have the ducting removed. At 7:30 AM Monday morning the
installers arrived to get started. I wasn't sure how long they would be
here so arranged to have Mike pick up the girls in the afternoon. I did
my driving for work right after dropping the girls at school so I was
home before Ryan left for his classes. Other than being cooped up in
the house all day everything went fine that day. Got the old heater
taken apart and removed, the new one in and hooked up, and started
working on the ducting in the crawl space. They called it a day shortly
after the girls got home.
They were back at 7:30 AM Tuesday. This day was when the wiring and
other electrical stuff was done. This was also the longest day in terms
of actual work done. Again, I had time in the morning to do what I
needed, and I had Mike pick up the girls from school. I probably could
have gone out safely, as the company is fully insured and everything,
but I figured someone else could do the chasing around for a change <g>
And this was a long day for the crew; finally picked up around 6:30 PM.
I sure hope they get paid well 'cause one of the guys was here the whole
time and definitely earned his pay that day.
Today was when the ductwork and all the little things were put together.
Ryan had early classes today so I left the workers here when I did my
driving in the morning. They likely didn't even notice I was gone
'cause they were up in the crawl space most of the day. They're still
here, but I have a/c going right now, and it's nice :-) Don't really
need it right now, but they had to test everything, and since it's
drawing less power than the fan I was using we're keeping it on because
we can <g> In fact, Ryan just walked by, put his hand near one of the
registers and smiled; he wants to try to get the inside of the house to
freezing <g> I'll just set the thermostat to somewhere in the 80s
tonight 'cause we don't need it on yet even during the day; it's only
been in the low 70s lately.
So now I just have to wait for the permit inspection. The company owner
is going to set this up, and I told him that between 10 AM and 2 PM is
best for me. Let's hope the city understands.
Now I still have to decide on colors for the house. I know I said I'd
get pictures for anyone who wanted to help me decide, and I've been a
slug about this. I'll get some tomorrow and send them to whomever wants
a say. Just remember that I have children who would be embarrassed by
hot pink with purple polka-dots and neon green trim <g>
The Other Kim
kimagreenfieldatyahoodotcom
Liz
I still like the idea of slate blue/grey with the darker blue trim and
the red door!
Liz
voting against orange with florescent green....
The Other Kim
> Boring, boring, boring! How bout La Puente High colors? Black with
> orange??
That would take care of my Halloween decorating <g>
> I still like the idea of slate blue/grey with the darker blue trim and
> the red door!
I'm still leaning that way myself. The big question is what about the
garage door? The same as the main house, like it is now, or matching
the trim?
> Liz
> voting against orange with florescent green....
I'm sure the neighbors wouldn't appreciate it, either, especially
whoever called the city to complain about our lawn, or lack thereof, a
few years back.
The Other Kim
kimagreenfieldatyahoodotcom
Liz
program where you upload a digital photo of your house and you can try
paint colors.
Given your proximity to Irvine, I'd have to vote strongly against any
beige of any kind! <g> How about you do it light and if it's boring,
throw a coat of the trim color on it?? Or are you hiring this done?
Normally I'd go with the darker color but it does tend to emphasize the
garage as opposed to the house. What about the gate? Will that remain
the same? Or will you paint it to make it 'pop'? A crisp black against
those blues could be striking and make it the focal point. Making the
garage door match the walls diminishes it - again, leaving the eye drawn
to the front door.
Liz
leaning toward the light
The Other Kim
> I'm not certain, but seem to recall that one of the paint stores has a
> program where you upload a digital photo of your house and you can try
> paint colors.
> Given your proximity to Irvine, I'd have to vote strongly against any
> beige of any kind! <g> How about you do it light and if it's boring,
> throw a coat of the trim color on it?? Or are you hiring this done?
> Normally I'd go with the darker color but it does tend to emphasize
> the garage as opposed to the house. What about the gate? Will that
> remain the same? Or will you paint it to make it 'pop'? A crisp black
> against those blues could be striking and make it the focal point.
> Making the garage door match the walls diminishes it - again, leaving
> the eye drawn to the front door.
>
> Liz
> leaning toward the light
Yeah, going with a beige would be out <g> Honestly, some of those
developments in Irvine are scary in their conformity. I don't refer to
that city as Stepford for nothing <g>
I think I've decided to keep the garage door the same color as the rest
of the house. There's trim around it, so there's no need to draw more
attention to it. We're having a contractor do the work 'cause they'll
do the whole cleaning, patching, and painting and do it right, and
they'll get the job done a lot quicker.
I haven't thought about the gate, but that's something I could probably
do myself. It would just need the rust sanded off first. I think we
have a paint sprayer in the garage somewhere to make the job easier.
The block wall it's attached to will remain its natural color. I don't
understand why people here like to paint over block walls, bricks, and
stonework. We even had someone ask about the possibility of painting
our fence that's around our house. Why bother, when the wood is
weathering really nicely (except for the area closest to the neighbor's,
where their sprinklers have attacked it)?
The Other Kim
kimagreenfieldatyahoodotcom
k
I agree, painting brick and cement is mostly a futile exercise, looks
terrible usually and wears off.
The exception is besser block of course, the grey colour looks awful
after some time, and they seem to attract black mould like a magnet
but its still 50/50 as to whether this is better
Another thing thats been done here lately by the "trendy" people among
us is to rub concrete over brick walls, and usually its coloured
concrete (I think they add something to it when making it)
As for the neighbours, they are lucky to be able to use a
sprinkler ;) I havent seen one in use since Moscow ;). I think
recently the sign of affluence here is to actually have a lawn that is
green ;)
Liz
Excellent planning skills my friend! :) Preparation is worth more than
any other part of the job.
>>
>> I haven't thought about the gate, but that's something I could probably
>> do myself. It would just need the rust sanded off first. I think we
>> have a paint sprayer in the garage somewhere to make the job easier.
>> The block wall it's attached to will remain its natural color. I don't
>> understand why people here like to paint over block walls, bricks, and
>> stonework. We even had someone ask about the possibility of painting
>> our fence that's around our house. Why bother, when the wood is
>> weathering really nicely (except for the area closest to the neighbor's,
>> where their sprinklers have attacked it)?
I'm with you on the wood fence, but do like some block painted. If I had
oodles of cash, I'd stucco over the block walls here and make them match
the house. Instead I'm growing a fig vine over the ones in the front.
Ugly pink things my mother hated all her years here. The green is so
much better.
Your fence is cedar - painting it would be a crime, I agree.
>>
>> The Other Kim
>> kimagreenfieldatyahoodotcom
>
>
> I agree, painting brick and cement is mostly a futile exercise, looks
> terrible usually and wears off.
In humid climates, perhaps. Not everywhere.
>
> The exception is besser block of course, the grey colour looks awful
> after some time, and they seem to attract black mould like a magnet
> but its still 50/50 as to whether this is better
Again, we live in a desert area - no mold here. I wonder what besser
block is? Just cement block?
>
> Another thing thats been done here lately by the "trendy" people among
> us is to rub concrete over brick walls, and usually its coloured
> concrete (I think they add something to it when making it)
Yes, there are colorants sold to mix in during the mixing of the
concrete just as there are during the making of the blocks themselves -
except in the case of the grey ones where none is added. It can help if
used right. My home is coated with what is called stucco here - as is
Kim's - the colorant goes all the way through and in 55 years, it's
never been painted. The sun has done some damage though and it's faded
unevenly. We'll paint before selling.
>
> As for the neighbours, they are lucky to be able to use a
> sprinkler ;) I havent seen one in use since Moscow ;). I think
> recently the sign of affluence here is to actually have a lawn that is
> green ;)
>
LOL, we still are allowed to water here. The trick is to water less
often and more deeply but most folk don't bother. Waste of water imnsho.
Liz
k
are rough as guts and really good at soaking up water too. I
remember throwing a bucket of water straight on besser block
wall,every drop of the water was all soaked up before getting to 3-4
feet below where it hit. They are about 1' long and bloody heavy too,
but they are strong and due to their large size, its much faster to
build a wall. In some of the bars out west that are really old (like
1800) there are bricks used there that are about 2'6' long and 1'
thick and high. You would be strong to lift and place these I
think ;)
http://images.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=http://www.besser.com/mini-block/images/miniblock.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.besser.com/mini-block/&h=154&w=175&sz=12&hl=en&start=1&sig2=0hUO5oT1JNq6LLgcSPCVAQ&um=1&tbnid=XtWjXQq5Ez7nDM:&tbnh=88&tbnw=100&ei=hjw7RviCE4jEiQH5391G&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbesser%2Bblock%26svnum%3D10%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-GB:official%26sa%3DN
>
Now, you can buy in much better colours and textured finishes and
these can look fantastic on houses and walls.
>
> > Another thing thats been done here lately by the "trendy" people among
> > us is to rub concrete over brick walls, and usually its coloured
> > concrete (I think they add something to it when making it)
>
> Yes, there are colorants sold to mix in during the mixing of the
> concrete just as there are during the making of the blocks themselves -
> except in the case of the grey ones where none is added. It can help if
> used right. My home is coated with what is called stucco here - as is
> Kim's - the colorant goes all the way through and in 55 years, it's
> never been painted. The sun has done some damage though and it's faded
> unevenly. We'll paint before selling.
>
Ah, "cement render" is the local name for stucco (or "bagging" a wall,
as the cement is often rubbed on the surface with a potato bag to make
a surface effect from the cloth in the bag). I have heard the term
'stucco' occasionally over the years but didnt know what it actually
was.
>
agreed, coloured cement, it seems to retain its colour better than
paint, however you have to paint if you want to change its colour in
another 20 years when its totally out of style ;)
>
here is an example of "bagging a block wall" (actually the wall is of
besser block at left)
and the method of doing it (the 3rd picture down the page.)
http://www.burkesbackyard.com.au/blitz/archives2/2003/underground_bungalow?mysource_site_extension=printer_friendly_pages
> > As for the neighbours, they are lucky to be able to use a
> > sprinkler ;) I havent seen one in use since Moscow ;). I think
> > recently the sign of affluence here is to actually have a lawn that is
> > green ;)
>
> LOL, we still are allowed to water here. The trick is to water less
> often and more deeply but most folk don't bother. Waste of water imnsho.
>
> Liz
I havent watered anything here since 1994, (except for bucketing the
cat's bath water on the grass to avoid wasting it down the drain) and
nothing has died. It seems to get the water from the ground somehow.
It really pissed me off getting a water bill in excess of $80 today.
used to be $12.
Tina
news:1178240248.8...@n59g2000hsh.googlegroups.com...
I've noticed a trend in Downey...a city not far from Liz & Gary...and that
is to paint brick chimneys. They're painted bright red. It looks so odd to
me. I love that show "Flip this House" and I notice how they choose
cabinets, florishes and colors based upon the culture of the neighborhood.
Tina
Liz
Yeah, it does look as though your 'bagging the wall' is similar at least
to our stucco. My house was made to be stucco - so on top the inner wall
is tar paper and a sort of light weight wire fencing. Then the heavy
grey cement and finally the layer of colored stucco. It is a very common
building technique here in the Southwest of the US.
Not so much in other parts of the country.
Liz
>
> Tina
>
>
Hi Tina! :)
Yeah, I like that too. When there are too many colors, textures and
building materials it can look tacky. Even a plain jane house such as
mine can be made to look worse or better with the right accents.
Before we sell this one we'll need to determine the best style for the
exterior. I think changes must be made.
Bright red chimney is not an option though - yuck. I would like to cover
the brick around the fireplace in the living room though - maybe with
tile... That would update it a lot.
Tina
"Liz" <Snip>
> Yeah, it does look as though your 'bagging the wall' is similar at least
> to our stucco. My house was made to be stucco - so on top the inner wall
> is tar paper and a sort of light weight wire fencing. Then the heavy grey
> cement and finally the layer of colored stucco. It is a very common
> building technique here in the Southwest of the US.
>
> Not so much in other parts of the country.
I was trying to remember what we call besser block....cinder block.
Tina
Tina
"Liz" <
Hi Tina! :)
>
> Yeah, I like that too. When there are too many colors, textures and
> building materials it can look tacky. Even a plain jane house such as mine
> can be made to look worse or better with the right accents.
>
> Before we sell this one we'll need to determine the best style for the
> exterior. I think changes must be made.
>
> Bright red chimney is not an option though - yuck. I would like to cover
> the brick around the fireplace in the living room though - maybe with
> tile... That would update it a lot.
Yeah, tile would be good....lots of fun options. Let's see, the major three
for a flip is granite slab counter, travertine tile on the floor and
stainless steel appliances. Cracks me up.
Tina
Liz
Cookie cutter houses - the sad thing here is that so many people tile
over the oak floors with cheap tile. The house for sale next door is
done so poorly you could trip on it and each room is a different shade
of off white 2' tiles - clearance prices I'd guess. Or stuff left over
from other jobs. Either match it or make it different enough to not look
pitiful.
It is funny how they make all the makeover houses look exactly alike -
no imagination.
Tina
news:v%r%h.944$LJ3.371@trnddc02...
You're right. They think of the design that most of the people want so they
can sell it. I do adore seeing something tacky come out darling.
Tina
Liz
Yeah, those programs are fun and I feel that I've learned a lot from
them. The house next door is up for sale - we critiqued it during an
open house walk through. I'm making my list of what else this house
needs: front bathroom almost totally, kitchen floor, repaint inside,
closet doors? outside paint and some landscaping, all in addition to
getting rid of a load of crap!