O RLY?!

I think we have roughly reached the halfway point on our home office construction, so I decided to post some pictures of our progress. Its usable at this time, so we’ll probably take a break and move onto something else for a while. The painting and desk have been completed, and next on the list for this room is shelving and lighting. Here is a before and after picture.

We spent most of the weekend getting the home office finished up, and I should have some pictures up within the next few days. I’ve had some thoughts and concerns over the past few weeks that haven’t really fit in anywhere, so I figured I’d just make a general post. Feel free to comment of offer suggestions on any of my random questions.

Shelly: Abbey is so excited because Shelly now sleeps on the floor or in her own bed at night. I’m excited because I don’t wake up with mouthfuls of dog hair. Shelly can also go out by herself now that we have a fence, so we can let her out by herself and she goes to the bathroom and then barks incessantly.

Shop Vac: I originally bought a small 6 gallon shop vac a few years ago. This was great for the apartment, but not quite powerful enough for a house and a garage. The hose is too small and it clogs up constantly. I’ll need to invest in a much bigger model soon.

Cost of furnishing a room: I figured the cost of the wood to build the desk in the office would probably be the most expensive thing, until I saw the price for the curtains, shades, lights, shelves, pictures, frames, etc.. This stuff easily trumps the cost of the desk and all the computers.

Polyurethane: This is technically the second time I have applied a clear coat to one of my projects, and I still suck at it. The first time I used an oil based polyurethane and had trouble with bubbles and getting an even coat. The second time I opted for the water-based option based on my parent’s suggestion. This was much easier to apply and clean up, but I had the same result. I used 4 coats and sanded with 220grit in between coats. I finished with 800grit and it still has its imperfections. There must be a secret technique I’m missing. I did, however, manage to successfully refinish the butcher block counter top on the island. That turned out very smooth.

Nintendo Wii: I want one. Not necessarily for the Wiimote and all that noise, but for the virtual console which apparently offers you the ability to download and play past Nintendo, Super Nintendo, N64, and Gamecube games. Its like having 5 systems in one! I could really dig some Super Mario World, or Link to the Past.

I guess thats all for now.

The first bedroom has been completed and I have posted some pics of the room before and after we moved in.  Not a lot changed and we are still lacking a little bit of furniture, but we’re happy with it for now.

The first major project Abbey and I decided to tackle was to lay ceramic tile around the bathtub surround wall. We got a few lessons and a nice discount from Scott’s dad, the flooring manager at Lowe’s. Before I post some pictures of the project, here are a few things I learned.

• Walls are not square. I have a new appreciation for anything that is even remotely square.
• Laying tile on a wall has got to be significantly harder than a floor, especially the grouting.
• Mixing grout to the right consistency is an extremely precise process.
• Caulking is an artform. Even after practicing for an hour, my joints still look terrible.
• If I had to do anything different, I’d grout the corners instead of caulk. I chose to use caulk because the gaps beween walls are not even between each tile, due to squareness and poor cuts with the wet saw.

That being said, all of the pictures can be found here.

The refinishing of the floors has been completed and I have posted some pics of the process. The floor in the living room ended up being replaced because it could not be sanded any further. That floor now matches the kitchen. The rest of the floors were sanded, stained, and sealed with polyurethane. Here is a before and after pic of the living room.