Monday, March 31, 2014

To Do List and Future Projects

Tiny the ceiling paint off white so it's not so, "in your face"
*Strip and refinish the doors
Make a hatch for the attic
Refinish the cast iron sink
Repair the crappy floor patch
Foam under the counters to reduce drafts
Paint the living room, kitchen, bath, and Rini's room
*Strip and refinish base boards and door frames 
Move the box wood shrubs
Move the holly bushes
Plant shade plants
Redo the landscaping
Install gutters
Install soffit vents and attic rigid vent boards
Vent bath fan out the soffit
Install French drain
Grade soil away from the house at 5% 
Clean up the barn
Install windows in the out building
Install solar panels on out building

*not sure if I want to do this or not

Saturday, March 29, 2014

Near Future Goals

I need to get a chicken coop put together. Even if it's just a simple tractor for now. I really want a few egg layers of my own. They don't have to be prolific, infact, it would be better if they weren't. 
I have plenty of scrap wood to work with. Just need some chicken wire. A saw would be nice. A nailgun too. A sawsall, a table saw, a chainsaw, a grinder. Oh, I need so many saws. A saw mill... 

Today's Progress

It was another dreary rainy day. So I decided to poke my head into the attic and check for leaks. I didn't see any. While I was up there I decided that it was a good day to finish off the gable screens. To be honest though, it was atleast 10 degrees warmer up there than the outside, and I can only feel cool air when I get within 3 feet of the gable vents. It's pretty likely that I will need to install soffit vents, and I still don't get why they never did. Oh, they where cheap. Right. A ridge vent is basically issueless without soffit vents. I know people like to argue about it, but when you consider basic physics and thermodynamics, the reasons are clear. Plus, the temperature in the attic, the mildew on the rafters, all point to a lack of ventilation. The roof is only 3 years old, but I'm sure 3 Georgia summers has aged it faster than it would have with proper air circulation. Also, what's more expensive? Putting in the damn soffit vents, or replacing the roof way sooner than you should have to. A lot of things point to a cheap and shitty flip job. Flippers should not be aloud to exist. They are real estate parasites. Oily tricksters. 
Also while I was up there, I began bagging up the huge straw squirrel's nest. So far I've filled 4 garbage bags, and have atleast 2 more to go. How the inspector missed this I don't know. Oh, he never actually entered the attic. Useless! The nest is also next to the fireplace that does not have the insulation damed away from it. So the cellulose is just drifting into the fire box! Once it catches, the huge nest would be next, and voila, problem solved. The nest is also ontop of the recess lighting. Probably because it was warm. Geeez. I would not recommend Jared Marsden of Athens, GA. Not if you want a decent inspection. Go with a place that offered a gaurantee or something. Learn from my mistakes. OK?
Oh, and the chimney box has multiple water leaks. I'm not sure why. Sigh. 
Next I need to finish top plate sealing and sealing the gaps in the siding.

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Today's Progress

Hauled fallen 6 red cedar across 5 acres by hand. Spread the leaves over the proposed food plot and covered it with a tarp. Did battle with the compacted Georgia clay to finish out the herb garden plot, and began adding Black Kow to mix in.  
Oh and of course, more sanding in the master bedroom. Just need to finish sand and it's ready to prime!

Monday, March 24, 2014

3.24.14 Progress

Is it raining yet? I keep hearing something that sounds like rain. Oh, it's the stove with the simmering glass. Now they are simmering in vinegar. Anyway. Today I kept on digging out the compacted clay where the herb garden will be. I tend to get a late start and work until dark. Plus, my daughter keeps telling me that, "Maybe I should stop working and play instead. Because playing is exercise, and work is not." She's 4.
The cat chased us around with a rat offering that she then played with herself before eating it. Ick. I also found a mole she had slain, but didn't want to eat, so I tossed it over the fence. Poor thing. Yesterday she brought me 2 mice. She's really helpful, or we have an infestation. I opened up the crawlspace so she can go under and hunt.
Then I worked on regrading the southeast side of the house. I think I'll plant sunflowers and wildflowers. Something not to picky about soil, and can help suck up some of that ever present moisture.
I'm still trying decide if I want raised beds or not.
Decisions, decisions.

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Today's Progress

Today was a filming day which took up most of my time.
I worked away at the compacted clay where I want my herb garden. It's like cement! I mean, I've never ran into clay like this before. We have clay up north, but this is unreal. Like I'm hacking into some ancient cob structure or something. Who knows. Maybe a Cherokee dwelling or something. So I didn't get too far with that. I brought the old soda bottle from the barn to the house to look at it more. It's "The Double Line" from Athens, Ga. I'm not sure if it's old or what.
I also put all my blue glass pieces I've found while grading the southern end of the house. It looks like they took an old Ball canning jar, like the antique one I have, and melted it in a fire? Or there was a fire at one point. I have no clue. I'm constantly asking myself, "What the hell happened here?" I put all the pieces in a pot with some dish soap and have been letting them simmer to clean them off. I'm going to put them in a jar I found in the barn and put them on display. I also found some purple out house glass pieces too.
We went up to Home Depot in Athens for stuff, like drywall screws, and roofing screws. Three bags of Black Kow, more joint compound, and even free lumber scraps. I tried to exchanged my botched paint for an exchange but it didn't work out. In the mist of all my looking around for prices and other stuff I forgot roof flashing! I get so disoriented in big box stores. Now I'll have to go to Lowe's here, hopefully before it rains. It was suppose to start raining today and last about a week. I'm scrambling to get stuff in the ground and the roof squared away. And the master bedroom still isn't done. But I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I just need to build out that patch more and I'll be done. I finally secured the drywall where is was rubbing against an old nail and I could patch it without the patch popping off. I tried to also secure the bouncy wall behind our bed, but in that case I think the wall is missing a horizontal piece of 2X4 and the drywall it self looks a little bowed. So there wasn't anything I could do at the moment. If I could some how anchor the two neighboring walls together and pull them tight, that would probably do it. Like the old homes with walls that are actually held together with long bolts with stars at the end on the outside. Look it up.

Saturday, March 22, 2014

Today's Progress

Finished the southern roof facia sealing project. I had to some back and seal the smaller gaps with silicone. I also got up on the roof to check out the chimney leak. Apparently where the roof meets the chimney there isn't any flashing. So now I need to go get some. 
I continued digging out and de-rooting the herb garden. As well as adding some coarse sand to help with drainage and break up the clay. 
I also sanded the bedroom some more. But still need to build out the patch some more and secure the dry wall in a few places with screws.
Lastly, last night, after lowering all those boards down in the barn, and rubbing elbows with a rat snake in the loft, I read not to use any treated wood for raised beds. Instead, use naturally rot resistant wood like cedar. So I'll have to rethink what I'm doing. I have been dragging out some felled cedar trees from the woods. I might be able to use those.
I'm tired now.

Friday, March 21, 2014

Today's Progress

Pop came to visit today, which was nice, so I didn't get tons done. But still made good progress in the barn. I dropped down some plants that can be used for raised beds or furntiture. Then put them on the lower level floor. I moved some rotted wood in the rot pile, and rearranged the drying hand hewn planks to get more air. 
Future goals:
I would like to strip all the paint off the original doors in the house to reveal the natural wood. I'd like to move the old door from the barn loft into the shed and strip the old paint on it. There's also another old door in the garage I need to move to the shed. Geeez, the house is only 1082 sqft. And already has 7 doors! Where did the other 2 go? Actually I know. One to the kitchen was removed but the frame is still there. I'd like to remove the frame and finish it out. And another went to the mud room. It was completely removed and finished out. The frame and door are in the garage.
Another thing I'd like to do is just wander the land with a metal detector like some crazy old retired person looking for gold on the beach. But I bet there's some interesting metal out here. Maybe some civil war stuff. Or old farm junk. I found a big metal gear by the garage. What was that for?

Mommy's Reno Wishlist

Nail gun 
Air compressor
Orbital sander
Sawsall 
Circular saw
Table saw
Basically everything that was in the basement of my old house. All my dad's glorious tools. Some vintage. I loved them. Old files, plainers, tin snips. I need them now more than ever.

Today's Progress

Sealed the soffit/facial gap with flex foam, still need to fill the smaller gaps with silicone. Should I have screwed them together instead? May have to at some point. Still learning, and no one's helping. No mentors. My dad long passed away. Though he never let me near his tools. So I'd sneak. And Brad is far away. So it's self taught carpentry, and construction. Here we go!
Then I got to work digging up the spot for the herb garden is to be. Lots of roots with no apparent source. Some left over gravel and cement dust. And of course really hard clay. All in all though I think there's enough depth to plant. 
I also got to work moving most of those damn rocks they put around the house to help with drainage, but really doesn't. 
Then I added some of last years potting soil to the top of the compost heap and spread it around.
Lastly, I added another layer to the wall patch. Painted over the joint compound that tested positive for asbestos with Zinzer and mudded it.
I really need to start bringing the old wood in from the barn and into the shed so I can repurpose it. Make shelves or atleast get the raised beds in place. My sprouts need a home, and quick!

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Easy Counter Top Composter

Got some empty coffee cans? Well then let's go!
That was so easy, and cheap! Forget those expensive store bought ones. Reduce, reuse, recycle!


Monday, March 17, 2014

Rain, Rain, Rain

It sure does rain a lot here. It's like the Seattle of Georgia or something. I can't seem to get anything done outside. I've got my peppers, tomatoes, and broccoli started in some peat pods, but I have no place to put them outside. I don't think the large plot will be ready this year. The house has stolen all my money and attention over the winter. And spring snuck up on me like Jack the Ripper. It went from snows and ice storms right into mild blooming spring in a matter of 2 weeks. Wuh? Plus, being from the midwest, April always was, aways will be when you start planting. I just can't seem to adjust to the southern way.
Since I have not been able to get the large plot ready, I've decided on raised beds and grow bags. I've started hauling fallen cedar trees out of the woods to use for either the raised beds, or fence posts for the larger plot. So far it's slow going since I don't have any power tools, no truck, no gator, no mule. Just myself I guess. Kinda amish, without a horse. I would like to get a nice field horse for future plowing and manure production. But no matter what I do it all leads back to a basic problem, this house is too small. Could I add an addition? Should I even bother since the main house has a lot of major problems.