The first was putting in a window well and a replacement window in the front of the main house.
This window project came about after tearing off the front porch last September. Once we did that it exposed an old window opening that was below grade. My box gutter work fixed the leaks in the back that flooded the basement but now water and dirt was coming into the front room of the basement so I had to put this in. I have since inserted a water faucet through the framing so now that it is September, I can water the front yard. (After everything has shriveled and died.) I have put an electrical box on the opposite side of the frame but haven't connected it yet. Maybe I can have that done before Halloween. I was forced to reorganize the basement in order to access this window. That project was 10 years overdue. This meant sorting through a pile of scrap copper and fittings which I still have to take to the scrap yard. Now here is the funny plumbing story because anyone who has followed this blog knows that I can't do plumbing without a leak. I connected a PEX line to an existing shut-off valve and ran it to the faucet set up. All I had to do was turn on the valve and watch for my PEX to leak at a connection. Well, I turned the valve which has been off for only 10 years ....
Water started pouring out of the valve and shutting off wasn't working. So I had to shut the water off to the whole house and figure out what to do. Of course the valve was now in an awkward spot since the furnace duct-work was installed adjacent to it last fall. It was fortunate that I had not taken the metal to the scrap yard because I was able to reconstruct the valve from old parts in a bucket! The rubber had deteriorated in the original valve. Needless to say a simple project took an hour longer than planned. I really hate plumbing .......
Next I'll tell you how my screen door project has forced me to re-paint the outside of the kitchen. Here is the view the wife has been yearning for. Something about a cross breeze she says ....
Nothing is ever easy with this money pit!
6 comments:
Yay! Nice work with the doors and the concrete work!
Boo on the plumbing problems. But good that you had the parts to fix it.
Maybe it's a blessing in disguise that the grass is, uh, dormant. Now you can see the lay of the land and make sure the dirt is all sloped away from the house.
Thanks Gary, I love to read the updates of Home Improvement Projects.
Jim S.
Nive work, problem is the scum people that ruin the neighborhoods in the first place will not build even with grant money. Their kind keeps the place dead of investment.
Good job, Gary! Doing roof jobs in other house projects is not easy, but you still managed to do it. Two thumbs up for that!! =)
I love what you did with the screen door, Gary! Hehe. Your wife must be glad to see those light colors. I remember the time when we painted our screen doors with pink and yellow. My mother was so happy! Women, though not everyone, adore light colors, and they appreciate them even more if they see them in their own house. :)
It's ideal to do roofing projects during summer, when there's little to less chances of rain. It's easier and much safer to work up on the roof when the surface is dry. Anyway, it was a good idea to do other things and be productive while waiting for your chance to continue with your roofing project.
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