lost forest

We managed to get the floor done just in time for our visitors last week. There is a small piece at the bottom of the stairs that we have to figure out as well as a small strip near the far wall where the last row ended up leaving a gap (we were supposed to end with a full plank width, but there’s a couple inches left to fill). We moved our futon down there (where we were planning for it to go anyway) and set up a couple cots for extra sleeping space for our guests.

We still have some wiring to do, a ceiling to figure out what to do with (it had been previously finished with drywall, so there’s leftover glue and such on the exposed floor joists – we’re thinking drop ceiling, but there is some ductwork to work around), and lots of trim work (most likely rough sawn wood boards, ideally from our own forest).

The stove is on the hearth! The stove is on the hearth!

Wednesday night something momentous occurred: the 700 pound wood stove was moved  to the hearth. It was a good time to have good neighbors since much manpower was required. It still needs assembly of the other 2 legs, then the pallet can be dismantled/removed and other stuff assembled. This means several things:

1. We deemed the “hearth from hell” done good enough (still needs front trim obviously).

2. We can continue installing the flooring now that the stove is not sitting in the middle of the floor. Well, after cleaning up the floor first.

3. Installing the floor means that painting is done! 3 gallons of primer + almost 5 gallons of paint (2 coats) = 1 tired painter (me)

4. The fact that painting is done means that drywall finishing is done. Worst process ever. Yay, Steve!

5. The Hallelujah Chorus is ringing at our house, or at least in my head.

I’ve been wanting to make something out of some of the photos I’ve taken around here and I’ve always liked the idea of sending a postcard note instead of a regular folded card in an envelope, so I’ve been trying out different ways to make them myself. There are tons of places to order them online, but press printed cards are more expensive and are not as “on demand” as using a 4×6 print. I’ve tried a few options now for the back of the card and the one I think I like best is technically too thick and gets scuffed up going through the mail (USPS postcard rate max thickness = 0.016″). I have one more thing to try next.

I like using seasonal photos. Here are some of the ones I’ve made lately, mostly for thank you notes or birthdays:

Because we didn’t have enough projects in the works already, we made a not-quite-regulation-but-close-enough/use-leftover-wood-in-the-barn cornhole set. We just bought some paint (kids each chose a color) and matching fabric for the bags. The feed corn for the squirrels came in handy to fill the bags.

Ages 6 months ago, I wrote part 1. We’re not done yet, but making slow progress. I haven’t been helping. Case in point: the wood stove hearth.

The hearth, with a crazy number of specs from the wood stove manufacturer, had to be built before we could install the stove (which we hoped to have in before winter was over — make that next winter). Not one, but two layers of cement board under the tile was one such requirement, along with distance away from walls, etc.

I have somehow managed to curse this part of the project. First, in an attempt to clean up scraps of 2×4, drywall, and cement board from the basement, I threw away a small angled piece of cement board that was actually NOT scrap since we needed two layers. A few other needed pieces I  happened to save in the barn rather than pitch, but we’d still have to buy a whole new sheet of cement board to replace it. Not too bad, right? Just go to Home Depot and get another one for $9.98. Not even that expensive of a mistake, right? No! It’s never easy. Steve goes to get it and comes back empty handed because apparently they don’t have the same thickness stuff. “Yes, they do,” I insist because their website says there are 143 pieces in stock at our store! So I go back the next day, tell my sorry story, and inform several workers that they do indeed have what I’m looking for. I can see a whole pallet way up high nearly touching the ceiling. And no, it’s not the same thing as the stuff they have on the floor already. After waiting for the forklift to fetch the whole pallet for the one piece I need, I eventually get it home. But, after all that, it’s slightly thinner than the original stuff we bought, despite having the same label.

That’s only the first of our “different batch” problems. Today, I laid out the tiles that I bought months ago and realize that one of the three boxes is from a different lot, something I didn’t even think to check at the time. You can see the difference on the middle section of tiles below. Oh, and 2 tiles were cracked. So, we’ll try some rearranging tonight, but I’m expecting to have to pack them up and haul them back to the ol’ Home Depot to exchange for others. The website says they have them in store… 😛