Light at the End of the Tunnel
September 29, 2017
Is there light at the end of the tunnel?
Who the heck knows. While it sometimes feels like we’re moving at a snails pace, we are getting closer. And I’m long overdue to share with you some updates. I believe I posted last somewhere around April, and clearly I was delusional.
HERE IS A WHIRLWIND SNAPSHOT OF WHERE WE’VE COME SINCE THEN.
We started the summer by working more on getting the basement HVAC and electrical done, framing done, drywall up, and painting done.
When it came time to drywall we rented a drywall lift tool. It was a worthwhile rental – it allowed Bruce to single-handedly put every single piece of drywall into place on his own – and being a rental it forced drywall to happen fast! Worth every penny! 😀
He drywalled the ceilings…
stairwell (THAT was fun)…
and basement walls.
Then he mudded the entire thing (is mudded a word?) and I helped sand between coats and later painted everything.
While he was drywalling downstairs, I was using the empty kitchen to paint trim:
I also patched, re-textured, and primed and painted all the ceilings on the main level. That drywall primer was the worst!
At some point this summer we took a little break from inside work to add some privacy fencing. The sides and back had already been fenced in with chain link, but we needed fencing up at the house. We decided to extend the privacy fence into the side yards a bit so that the patio feels more secluded.
But back to the inside. Now, finally, I believe we might be getting close to completion! Bathroom fixtures are installed and the tile floors are done:
Bruce is almost done hooking up the plumbing lines on those basement bathroom fixtures:
Once we’ve tested all those fixtures to ensure the new pump and plumbing are working properly (ie no basement flood) we’ll move onto installing this beautiful flooring throughout the rest of the basement:
After flooring is in we’ve got electrical to finish and baseboard to install – and the basement will be done! 500 square feet of added living space!
And what about the main level? We’ve made progress there too: all rooms are painted, window trim is done, electrical is done (except in the kitchen), and my dad helped us out by installing ceiling fans in the bedrooms:
Once we’re done traipsing through the house for basement work we’ll refinish the original hardwood floors and add the trim, and the main level will be d.o.n.e. (except for installing the kitchen…just a tiny thing).
I’m working on some detail stuff while I wait on Bruce to finish the basement plumbing hookups. I found some benches for the dining area that needed a paint job:
Bedroom closets have their shelving now (trim and doors will go on once floors are refinished):
This week I got all the curtain rods installed, and am in the process of hemming all the drapery panels:
And I even finished our little pantry nook. Here’s a sneak peek:
I plan on posting more regularly from now until completion, because that’s the whole point of this blog!
What do you think – can we can say there’s light at the end of the tunnel??