10 November 2010

It's been awhile since my last post and I'm entering a blog post to inform all of my readers (that is, myself) that I am still alive and kicking. Since I last wrote, me and my cousin installed a tile floor in the same basement as in the post immediately below. In flooring you are given certain givens that are hard (and sometimes nigh impossible) to overcome satisfactorily. In many other applications, like the wall veneering, things can be mitigated and jury-rigged.... but a floor has to be level. Or, as level as one can get it. It would've helped in this particular house if the guys who poured the foundation / basement floor back in the '60s had actually been sober or gave a sh-- what they were doing. We managed to produce something workable out of the nightmare scenario that was present. I have done a 4' x 5' tiling job before using adhesive and pre-mixed grout, but it would have been nice to learn the from-scratch mastic and sanded grout tiling on a level floor. It was nice to be able to work with my cousin on this one; besides good-natured ribbing about him being a Democrat, we see things eye-to-eye and get along very well.

Foremost, I think, is our appreciation for using quality materials and doing a job correctly one time, as opposed to times when a homeowner buys straw and expects the installer to turn it into gold. Doing a job right the first time is always less expensive than paying to put in shoddy materials, then paying to deconstruct and reinstall when they fail. I ran into a family friend at Lowe's a while ago who was finally buying a good-quality kitchen faucet after having gone through four cheap models in the previous 5 years. This person has a buddy who'll install the faucet for a case of beer, so that is something of a saving grace rather than paying a plumber. Now, the savings on the so-called "cheap" models is about $40 give or take. But, rather than put in a reliable Kohler or Moen brand for a one-off $200, this guy probably spent $580 to $600 on faucets in the last five years. Whereas, picking the right faucet at the outset would have saved him about $400 and four cases of beer (plus, as he said it, the "Wife Inconvenience Factor" of not having water during each of those removal and installs).

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Got Ruff a so-called "Gentle Leader" collar yesterday and after some fits and starts, he was doing pretty well with it today on a walk on the dirt roads up the hill where I like to walk with him. This collar's function is to provide some tension on the muzzle so there is no lunging or pulling while walking. Apparently, this muzzle hold is what the wolf pack alpha uses to keep the others in line; nature and 10,000 years of domestication hasn't changed this methodology. Even for the first use (and I found out after the walk that I had missed a doohickey that eliminates slack in one of the straps), it seemed to calm him down a lot. I expect to be putting it to the test more in the coming days and weeks, and I'm certain it'll get my unvarnished opinion right here on TMT.

The Stove Wall

Started a fieldstone veneering project about three weeks ago and finished it up last night. The space is located close behind a wood stove, so wallboard or wood was never possible there for the homeowner because it would be a fire hazard according to the local code. All heated elements of the stove need to be 18 inches away from wood (the upper beam's length from the stovepipe is just over 18 inches (whew!). But stone is a fine material to use in an application like this, and really fits with the rest of the house (there is a stone-lined wall directly above this on the first floor), and accentuates the post-and-beam feel in this walk-out basement. The measurements of the wall to be veneered are 7 1/2 feet tall by 9 feet wide.

I hung up the wire lath material last winter in anticipation of getting to it this season when the wood stove was idle (the cement would harden too fast if applied while the stove was in use). With it being against a cinder block wall, the easiest way to secure it was with a Duo-Fast ram-fire gun that used .22 cartridges that propel a 1" cement nail. I placed a #10 washer over the ram gun nail before I fired it so it would be sure to catch the mesh, rather than just go straight through a mesh hole. It took 4 pieces of lath, which had to be cut both for fit and stovepipe and ash door openings. The lath is very sharp, but my usual heavy-duty rubber-lined gardening gloves stood up to it nicely. These types of glove provide a great balance of protection without losing so much tactile grip.The lath is the best material and method to use because it adds a great amount of strength to the project. A bond between previously hardened cement and new cement is prone to failure if materials or specialized liquid additives aren't applied or used. With the lath, the cement hardens around the meshing and gives a strong bond.

Getting to it three weeks ago, the first step was amassing the stone that I'd be using, which I tried to keep at about 2 inches of thickness, give or take, so it wouldn't jut out too far from the 2x8s that frame it in. Some masons like to lay out a pattern on the floor and apply it piece by piece rather than determining fit on the fly. I didn't really have that luxury, but it went all right regardless. That process would be something to try to see if it quickens the pace, but as it went I don't think it would save all that much time. There would also bound to be problems in the translation between the theory of the layout and the reality of when stones go up on the wall. And I think it would kill some of the improvisation and artistry that goes into a wall like this. For example, using a photo from an old magazine as inspiration, I put in some metal tabs for support and laid in a small shelf on the left side.

I took some pictures showing the process that it takes to place a stone. This isn't intended to be a step-by-step of tools and instructions --- that is available in how-to books --- but I'll share my process here quickly, with accompanying pictures in an order that I hope this Blogger software doesn't totally boggle.

First, the stones have to be clean of dirt and debris to ensure good bonding with the cement. The cement should be mixed to a consistency that is often described as peanut butter. Those unaccustomed to mixing cement should be careful and add just a small amount of water at a time. Before applying to a stone, I take a trowel of cement and do several drops of it against the bottom of the mixing tub. This brings out some of the water to the outside of the ball of cement, congeals it a bit into a shiny surface, and makes it a little cleaner to work with.

I wet down the back of the stone because a dry stone will tend to suck out moisture from the cement too fast. I applied cement to the back of the stone, then tapped it down with the side of the trowel, making a score mark pattern, which helps the cement get into the tiny cracks and crags of the stone. I applied the stone against the lath in the position that I wanted it in, and did an initial press-in. Most stones required some wood shims (the wood lets go fairly easily once the cement is dried) to keep a consistent thickness for the finish grouting between stones. The exact time of when to add the shims is dependent on each individual stone's fit and steadiness against the wall. If shimming can be held off briefly, it will reduce the amount of clutter in the way of tapping and troweling.

I used a rubber mallet to tap the stones into place and to force the cement to work into and behind the lath. This is also accomplished with a trowel for smoothing the cement and, in tight spaces and odd corners, fingers must be used (I recommend wearing latex gloves when touching cement for any length of time, as it takes a toll on skin).

Some stones didn't require bracing, but most did. Obviously, as the stone courses got higher, the bracing boards needed to be longer. I leaned them against the stone, kept pressure toward the wall, and butted a stone on the floor behind the brace to hold it in place, and did a few gentle taps on the floor stone with the rubber mallet toward the brace to secure it.


After each course of stone was laid, I brushed them off with a brass-bristle wire brush to remove cement spots. This can get pretty dusty, and wears away at the brushes pretty fast.

The last step, once most of the stones were up on the wall, was filling in between them with cement. This was the most labor-filled part of the project. Tried using a grout bag, but the consistency of cement needed for it to flow out was a deal-breaker on this axial plane, as it would have run down the face of the stones. So, it took a while of shaping small balls of cement and pushing them into the joints (which when placing the stones, I tried to keep at about a finger-width). I usually tried to split the difference and meet at the perimeters or edges of the stones that are in a particular spot. This is also the point where I would fill in smaller gaps by pushing in small stones into the already-packed joints and then smoothing the cement around these space-fillers. I generally tried to keep a slightly concave U shape to the joints, similar to the grouting on traditional brickwork. Then wire-brushing should be done when it was almost dried. This final brushing is one of the critical points in how each stone is going to be showcased. As I just wrote, I generally tried to stick to the tradition slightly concave U shape, but there are some special considerations, such as where a few stones stick out farther than the rest. This is the opportunity to show off a bit of their profile rather than grout all the way to their edges. As much as stonework is about brute heft with a fixed, matter-of-fact purpose, there is a lot of room for artistry.

Following the final wire brushing, which leaves a lot of cement filings, I did clean-up with a Shop-Vac that has an insert bag, so as to keep the cement dust from simply recycling back into the air and redepositing on everything. This vacuum is also powerful enough to get all of the dust so it won't be tracked all through the home. I used the brush attachment to go all over the dried stones, to vacuum off whatever dust and bits of cement that were left, and then the 1/2 inch of the previously mentioned cement filings on the floor. Then again, clean-up is something that happens every day as I try to keep the area organized. Bits of cement fall to the floor --- it's a fact of any veneering like this. In all, six 80-pound bags of  S-type cement (the recommended type for veneering projects like this) were used. And proudly, I can say that the cement wastage I collected over the three weeks would fill about a gallon milk jug to about three-quarters. Not too bad.

It was a process of finding fits and trying to fill gaps (there were a lot of V-shaped gaps while setting stones that I was a little worried about, but which really melt into the picture once finished). There were small trials of having to support stones over the ash doors so they had nothing to rest on at the bottom. There were a few spots where the cinder blocks jutted out a half-inch or more than surrounding parts. You innovate and work around it, you save this thin stone for that spot. No big deal. I was able to use mostly medium-sized stones in this wall, several large stones (one up high on the right side that I particularly like) and some small stones and it all came together in a consistent pattern.

I'm very pleased with how the wall came out. A feature like this is a real eye-catcher and really turned around the look of this area for the homeowner. The time on it was about 120 hours.

The Rose Wall, Part II

I completed building the rose wall last week, with the finished pictures below.

The roses I put in the bed were a little worse for wear, but they've bounced back somewhat even in this short amount of time --- the one that looked almost dead is now sprouting three small leaves. It should have adequate growing time left to establish some roots and be able to overwinter. This bed design also makes it pretty easy to fill in around the roses with some fallen leaves for insulation. Filled the plant bed up with some nice topsoil and (according to the rose planting instructions) 50/50 mix of topsoil and potting soil around the roots. Scratched in some rose fertilizer the next day, then put on about 3 inches of brown landscaping mulch to help keep the soil from drying out.

Very pleased with this project. Altogether, it took about 50-55 hours of labor. Well, that's not including the time spent picking and loading two trailer-loads of stone from property across town. Hard going, that, prying each stone up from the soil that is reluctant to loosen its grasp. But it was a little easier using a large garden cart that was outfitted with old bicycle tires. So at least I didn't have to walk every stone down to the road. I've taken a lot of stone out of that place, and just when you think that there can't be much more usable stone left --- stone that has the flat, slightly angular faces needed for a nice-looking wall, you find an untapped section that's loaded with them.

Have an interior wall lining coming up that I've already done some prep work on and need to get finished before the season ends and wood stove heating season begins.

The Rose Wall, or 'It's Turtles All the Way Down!'

Started this a few weeks ago and it's been an off-and-on project when I've had some time between others.

As usual, I've used what was there from deconstruction (the old wall was haphazardly thrown together quite a long time ago out of available rocks and was starting to falling apart) along with bringing in a supplement of nicer-faced stone. The first decision was to step it out from being just a flat retaining wall, because of several monstrous "turtles" at ground level that are nearly impossible to build on sturdily. These are so termed because of their turtle-shelled shapes. Nothing can lay flat on top of them, without some serious back, front, and side wedging that is subject to failure when going up against frost heaves and force majeure. Better to come up with a design that avoids those turtles altogether. With consideration to how much stone/time it would take, and the fact that there were some unplanted roses in the yard --- white and red... how very Hundred Years War --- an idea to create some steps up to the higher bank merged into a raised flowerbed design, and a stone seating area. Just to note that I also offered the idea of creating a small water feature, which actually wouldn't cost too much, but with a lake about 20 feet away, this wasn't favored. It's all about choice, and giving options.

I have broken the rules of dry stone wall construction on this one, I will admit. On any given site, there are things one just has to work around, notably here are the two rocks on the left side. On top of the largest stone whose top is turtle-ish (but which couldn't very well be mitigated), I used some Liquid Nails exterior adhesive the other day. So, this is not a completely "dry" wall. The stone was solid as set and will be tied down by large stone on top of it, but I felt much more comfortable with a little extra insurance, that will last, per the copy on the adhesive tube "for the life of your project."

It's coming along pretty well, and I've had a few days of having "the hot hand," which is always a good feeling.

21 November 2009

Buffalo Bills coach Dick Jauron was fired on Tuesday this week. It's the first step of a long road toward turning the franchise back toward respectability. There's a lot that needs to be fixed in the hierarchy of the front office. The multiple-VP 'consensus' system that was initiated a couple of years ago is not what's required in the NFL. So far, the rumor-mill has generated the name of former Denver Broncos coach Mike Shanahan, who would ostensibly be brought in either late this season in an advisory role (similar to Bill Parcells' post with the Miami Dolphins) and perhaps be named as the head coach and/or GM after the season concludes. The issue of how much control a new hire would have is something that will have to be worked out. Ralph Wilson, the Bills' owner, is rightly making generic statements, but hinted that established big-name coaches are on the radar. For an owner who has run his team on the cheap for the last ten years (and who has meddled with his toy to the team's detriment since the start) I'll believe in change when I see it.
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Started building a new tailgate for the trailer this week, in addition to re-jiggering the tail light wiring. It will soon be street legal again. The tailgate is a pattern of three horizontal pressure-treated 1" x 6" boards with a 6" gap between them, and bolted together with four shorter vertical sections. Will have to post a picture when it's complete. This is, I hope, ahead of doing some more extensive repairs on the trailer itself in the spring. The plywood sides have certainly seen better days and the frame could use a fresh coat of paint.
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Built a replacement birdhouse this afternoon, essentially making a copy of the design of the old one whose wood was weathering away. The entry hole had been hacked away to about 4" in diameter, and it's been awhile since I noticed any birds in residence. Building it better, painting it 'Colonial Red' and also making a roof covering out of a pair of old Connecticut license plates that were from our '86 Bronco (which had quite the same color scheme as the new CT plates). That was something I'd seen in a magazine some time back, and it seemed like a interesting idea. This, too, I'll have to share a picture of when it's done.
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The UConn football team beat Notre Dame this afternoon in double OT. Undoubtedly the biggest win in the program's young history... and surely an emotional victory for the team with all that's happened in the past month.
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I recently rejoined Facebook. After the family reunion "pumpkin carving party" just before Hallowe'en, it made me rethink the decision. Made a few changes, edited the 'Friend' list a bit and it seems a little more palatable now. Not on it all day (not that I ever was)... just now and then. We'll see how it goes.

Pond Project

The next few entries will be catching up on some promised pictures.

The pond project is functionally completed until next spring when the drainage ditch is expected to be continued down the edge of the lawn and woods. The homeowner would like to create a tick barrier next year.

Anyway, these are some photos that I took at the time, showing a bit of the process. Dug a ditch down the center of the pond that serves as a fail-safe drainage for whatever water gets under the liner; placed a layer of landscape fabric in, placed in some perforated pipe and 3/4" gravel, then wrapped it over to prevent debris from clogging the pipe. This ditch was pretty hard digging. Had to use a pick ax and shovel a little bit at a time. Got a couple of blisters from that, don't you know.

There is quite a lapse from the time of the layer of sand stage (to protect the PVC liner from puncture on the bottom side) to where there is only a bit of the liner visible. Installing the liner itself goes pretty fast. Piling rocks next to it, and on the shelf inside of the pond went a little less fast. Was able to drive up stones I selected elsewhere on the property to the pond site via a lawn tractor and old Wheel Horse lawn trailer. I believe I've written about that previously, so there's no need to repeat myself.

It began as a tradition... of leaving some relic(s) of the time period behind in every stone project I've been a part of since 2003, either with a great friend of mine or in solo work.  There's just the air that as we found old things inside of some walls that we deconstructed or "cannibalized" --- one along an old route in Scotland, Conn., near the home of Samuel Huntington, the first president of the Continental Congress --- we should put items in the stonework that will be discovered many years from now.

Usually, it is a soda bottle or other odd knick-knack found elsewhere on the site. Sometimes it is hidden entirely, other times, it's been a blatantly visible Pepsi bottle in a crevice in an otherwise historic 19th c. barn re-creation. It certainly won't have the cachet of finding coinage of the realm, etc. in other time capsules, but it we considered it our "calling card."

This picture came out quite blurry for some reason. I remember that it was pretty cold out that day and my hands were in the water, so they may not have been very steady. Working on this in the fall may not have provided the neatest work site, but the leaves are going to fall in it every year anyway. Can't do anything about that except rake them out late in the year or in the spring.

Can still see a bit of the liner showing. I moved the two large stones that had been in the middle of the lower pond section to the side, and placed the liner over them. Before that, I placed some old shop towels against the rocks for a buffer (FYI: this is not entirely unconventional. The manufacturer suggests old carpet sections).

In this last group you see the "functionally complete" pond. The water level is very high right now, but the ground nearby is reasonably dry... which was the point of the project. Tried putting one of the water lilies in a container (wrapped the soil with landscape fabric) and transferred it to the lower section. We'll see how that survives the winter. Also removed a number of thorn bushes that had been to the left side, which clears out the area a bit and makes it both more enjoyable to walk around, and possible to mow.

There are some stone outcroppings into the water in the lower section to allow for some frog landings next summer. As it was, they were staying mostly in the upper section... then again, the construction probably scared them off a bit. It'll be interesting to see how they like the new habitat. Also reinforced the bridge with some large flat stones.... Then again, I don't want to encourage any walking across of the bridge. As the ice moves things around, I'm not sure it will not remain as stable as it is now.

All in all, not a bad little project.

Pond Project Part Deux

Have been continuing with the pond project for several days, here and there, between the rain and weekends. Sadly, though, I haven't had the chance to get many pictures. Will strive to do that tomorrow and post those that I have taken.

Since the last post, I dug a shallow trench down the middle of the bed, and put in some perforated pipe, covered with some 3/4" crushed gravel and all enclosed in landscape fabric to keep it from clogging with soil and organic debris. Then shoveled in a layer of sand on the bottom, up the sides and on the shelves to give a smooth surface for the pond liner to prevent punctures. Also moved some of the large boulders to the side, as putting them over the liner had me worried about puncturing; I used some old towels to create a soft surface on some harder edges and along the round-edged stone. Then, installed the liner and started to stack stone on the shelves I created. The liner filled with water almost to the top in two rain storms we've had since. Indeed, the pond is now doing the trickle overflow as planned with the open system --- as water is flowing in from the stream, an equal amount is flowing out of the pond. So far, I have nearly finished both sides of the shelves and it is shaping up nicely. Decided early on not to stack very formally, with no shaping of the stone, as the intent is to make this look "natural" to whatever extent that can be accomplished, and to blend in with the other existing non-liner pond. Then again, I've had good fit with the stone selection that's available in a lower section of the property. I make my pickings and load them in the homeowner's lawn tractor and Wheel Horse yard trailer (hallelujah! that has saved a lot of back and forth) or on my hand truck for bigger stones.

They're already impressed with how much the yard has dried out where it was a soupy mess before. I'm also appreciating that I have free reign on this project --- they're taking a hands-off approach and letting me determine the shape of the pond and stone choice. Some people on projects like this can tend to micromanage, ask a thousand questions and be dead-set on doing some things that aren't advisable from a functional standpoint. Even so, I fully understand why people do that and certainly work with them on --- it is, after all, their project. But it is nice to have artistic freedom.

Pond Project

Here are some pictures of the progress so far on rehabbing an existing diverted trickle-stream. Drained the lower pond and cleared out a good depth of silt. Moved rocks out of the way. Shoveled in some ledges where rocks will lay to hold down the liner (will be doing the other side tomorrow). Built a small section of wall at the lower end nearest to where the water-in-the-lawn problem is --- used rounded rock toward the inside so there will be no sharp edges against the liner. Plan on doing a small trench down the middle of the lower pond section to allow for run-off of stream water that may trickle underneath the liner through the dividing berm / dam. These were taken after a bit of rain, so there is more pooled water in the lower section that is mostly drained now. After the lower section is completed, the homeowner wants some of the water lilies moved there (they are in baskets) as it is getting crowded in the upper pool. Also says that mosquitoes are not a real problem, probably owing to the number of frogs that reside there.

21 August 2009

The bathroom has been pretty much done for about a week now. Nice to have running water back, that's for sure. Haven't had the wherewithal (or recharged batteries in the camera) to take some pictures yet, but I will.

Have been a little under the weather with what I believe may have been a slight case of food poisoning. This was along with several other people sitting at the same table with similar symptoms. Those people who didn't eat the suspected food didn't get ill. The reasons for my suspicions are logical and numerous (and like so many other events in this world not 100% certainty), as are my reasons for not typing out all of the details. A little achy in the joints but am starting to feel better. Unlike several others, I did not get a fever or have the degree of symptoms, probably attributable to a good immune system and a diet including lots of garlic. That's the nature of these things --- with seven people there can be slightly different sets of symptoms. It is a bit of the control freak in me that, for this reason, I like to prepare the food I'm eating, or know the person who prepared the food. Any restaurant --- from the Waldorf-Astoria to Hell's Kitchen to Joe's hot dog stand carries the potential for these kinds of problems. I really do not intend to offend anyone who may be reading this and I will not be going into specific details in a public forum. I am not looking to blame anyone, am not holding grudges, nor accusing any party of being bad hosts just because a virus showed up uninvited. It happens. It flushes out of the system. We move on.

The power company changed the transformer at the top of the telephone pole in the front lawn. I had noticed several weeks ago that a red light appeared on the transformer and noted that I'd never seen that before. The power went out last week at about 11 p.m., and I woke up at 5 a.m. to yellow flashing lights and the engines of three big power company trucks --- two equipped with cherry-picker hydraulic lift systems. A spiffy new light gray transformer was up on the pole. One of the guys in the cherry picker took out a long pole, turned up a switch and the electronics in the house came back to life with a chorus of beeps along with a loud whir of the central vacuum system. It had been one of those hot, humid nights, but we made it through all right by trapping in the remnants of the air conditioned... air, but if it had taken much longer the windows would've been opened. I cannot wait for this most recent humid spell to end, as the weather personalities say it will early next week. Heat can be tolerated. The worst thing about this weather is that layer of sweaty, grimy buildup from the humidity (caused by sweat not evaporating) that doesn't go away until rinsed in a shower.

Elsewhere, the garden is progressing pretty well. I banked a few quart-sized freezer bags of kale for the winter. The cucumbers are now hitting their stride, leaving me eating about two per day (not complaining!) and we still have enough to give away to neighbors. The yellow squash is rolling along, but the zucchini isn't doing very well. Only two plants have survived thus far (even with trying to stagger-plant some more from seeds "guaranteed to grow!") and they aren't showing much sign of fruit. One root that came apart had been penetrated by the squash borers. Very disappointing. Tomatoes, though, are starting to come around. We'll be seeing more of them ripen in the coming weeks. Have started thinking about putting up some concrete-anchored posts or poles for next year's cucumbers to climb up a mesh work and to try some upside-down tomato plants. It's always such a chore to keep them upright in the cages; perhaps it's time to try out this fad and use gravity to our advantage. We shall see.

11 August 2009

The bathroom painting took a little longer than expected because it required a second coat, and especially in the bathroom it's good to put that extra layer there. We went with Supreme Green at Sherwin-Williams. That's really the only place to go for paint in my experience. Have used Behr, Glidden, Dutch Boy, etc. and none of them were as easy to work with as S-W. Well, I lied, actually. The Rustoleum brand (both spray and roller/brush paints) gets a high rating as well... but they're not for interior walls.

Did get the toilet in, a day behind the mental schedule of Thursday last. Just wanted to give that paint extra drying time for a full cure before placing things against it. The toilet install was relatively easy, though. The hardest part was caulking along the bottom rim, what with the lack of good angles with the caulking gun and having to clean the excess away. The toilet was christened that night.

Speaking of christening, we attended my niece's baptism down in Southington on Sunday at St. Aloysius. We ourselves are not Catholic (and personally speaking, I try to steer clear of organized religion), so it is somewhat amusing to watch the ritual of Sunday Mass. It was also somewhat amusing to see "FUCI" carved into the left rearmost pew --- there were the beginnings of the K diagonals, though faint. We pointed it out to an usher. Otherwise, my cousin down from western NY was denied communion because she is not Catholic. That policy just... seems very un-Christ-like. And again, this is but one of a million examples why organized religion isn't my bag. The more people brought into any group, collective intelligence, efficiency and dedication to the original purpose suffers --- rules are adopted to suit the particular whims of a majority or passionate vocal minority of members, core beliefs are staked out a la carte, intra-church cliques appear, the Us vs.Them mentality forms between different church branches (as much as Christians will usually deny, deny, deny the extent of this simple fact) and before you know it, the church is more of a social organization than anything else. As for me, I know what I know, I know what I believe, I can conceive the immensity of what humanity cannot possibly know, and I try to reconcile a little sense from it. Anyway, after the baptism was a lunch at a local restaurant and it was nice to see some family members we don't get a chance to meet up with very often.

Sunday night, I saw my Buffalo Bills get faked out of their shoes early in the NFL's Hall of Fame game, the first game of the preseason. But there were some positive showings, including Terrell Owens getting two nice catches in the starting offense's brief appearance. The pair of rookie offensive linemen projected to start were raw at times but showed promise. Especially on the play where Andy Levitre was shoved backward into the Edwards's face... and yet, to his credit, he stayed upright and bought his QB an extra second when many veterans the team has had in the past 10 years would've fallen down or morphed into a turnstile. You've got to appreciate a lineman who has the mentality that even if something goes badly, he won't let a defense have a free shot on the QB. Too many times, from players making enough money to make you think they'd actually care ($7M +), they stood and watched as their QB got pummeled.

Anyway, got the pedestal sink in position last night, and lag-bolted to the floor and wall. Need to do some jury-rigging with the drain pipes (we want to try to hide as much as we can inside the pedestal) and connect the water lines, and it'll be good to go. Opened the mirror I picked up at Lowe's a while back, and there are some dark splotches from where the glue is on the backside. They've faded since it's been out of the box, but still quite noticeable. My fault. I should have opened the box at the store and looked. It was on clearance when we got it, so I don't know what their return policy will be... Will try anyway if the spots don't go away. 'Clearance' shouldn't mean 'Defective.'

4 August 2009

A couple of nature notes.... Yesterday morning, our resident great blue heron was down by the water in the boat launch next door. It had caught a catfish that was about 10 inches, and was working away at it. Thing was, the fish was just too big for the heron to swallow whole (as herons do). So, the poor fella whose cup ranneth over was left to stabbing at the catfish over and over with its beak, and flexing its throat, trying to swallow again, then repeating this process a few times. You could almost see the frustration on the heron's gestures, not knowing how he'd actually eat this thing that was just too big to fit down his gullet, but not wanting to give up on a kill that he'd already devoted about 45 minutes on. Then, someone came down the boat launch and the heron flew off.

Today, just about an hour ago, I was kayaking out on the lake and saw what looked like a turtle head popping out of the water, so I paddled over to investigate. Most of the time in these encounters the turtle is long gone, but the stealth of the kayak (my second time in it) might not have scared it. I got to within about a foot of the creature and it just floated there, as if in suspended animation. Its head was about the size of my fist and its body/shell was roughly the perimeter of an elongated toilet seat. I've heard stories of larger turtles on this lake, but this is the biggest I've ever seen firsthand.

In bathroom work news, I grouted the tile floor yesterday. Spray painted the radiator with appliance epoxy (you should not use regular paint for baseboard, as it cuts down on the effectiveness of the heat dispersion), which has to dry for about 9 hours to handle (fully dry in 24 hours). Plan on priming the walls with some Kilz tomorrow morning, sealing the grout in the afternoon, then painting the walls tomorrow night.

2 August 2009

Further to my previous entry, today I mapped out and set the tile on the bathroom floor. It went fairly smoothly, though it did take a little longer than I thought it would. A lot of the delay was in cutting some ~3/4" tiles to run along the wall. Baseboard molding was be just shy of reaching the full tile, so if you're going to go part of the way, you may as well keep going and fill the whole space. Had a devil of a time with an old tile cutter / snapper. No accuracy at all with that thing, but it did the job, I suppose. Will now wait for the adhesive to fully dry --- I'll give it 36 hours --- and then start grouting on Monday morning, which is coincidentally, my birthday. Will probably prime and paint the walls on Tuesday. Then on Wednesday, if all goes according to schedule, in go the toilet and sink and a couple more items on the punch list.

31 July 2009

For about the past three weeks, I've been doing a bit of remodeling in the bathroom. Took down some old linoleum from the ceiling (don't ask) that was curling badly, and put up some tileboard comprised of 4x4 gloss white tiling on top of what looks like the same material as regular pegboard. The ad copy says it's optimal for use in bathrooms, over showers, etc. Installed two new bath fans --- a light/fan over the shower and a light/fan/heat over the main bath area --- so we are now moving 180 cubic feet of air per minute ! Had a little trouble with the wiring for these but once I figured out with an AC tester that one of the white wires was being used as a hot wire (it was never marked as such with black electrical tape per code), it was pretty routine. Working up in the cramped attic recesses was a chore, though, and hot.

So yes. Three weeks. Not quite what I imagined, but we've had some delay with the continuing rain (which means you can't cut the tileboard on the table saw outside) and the continuing pattern of having to deal with some of the realities of having had a Dutch carpenter, for measuring and cutting purposes. Other than that, it was small preparation work; small but necessary, doing what I can where/when I can. Spackling some holes in the walls, some larger than others. Took out some bad Sheetrock near the shower head and replaced it with Durock ® cement board. Put up the new shower head and curtain rod. Three trips to Lowe's / Home Depot, which usually turns into half a day in itself. I swear, shopping for materials is more draining than doing the actual work.

Yesterday, I picked out the new toilet and pedestal sink and faucet, wax ring, stainless steel flex tubing... but before any of that comes the white 12"x12" tile that is comprised of a mesh of 2"x2" matte tiles. They were the closest consistency I could find to the tileboard. I want to stick as closely to the vision as I can... you know, the one where you can close your eyes and see how things should be, should look, should function. The idea was to go with something more permanent, more solid than the linoleum or vinyl flooring. Took out the vanity sink tonight. Will take out the toilet tomorrow morning and get going on mapping out the tile. One of the nice things about the 2"x2" grid work is that when you get to the toilet pipe and the sink drain, you can cut out a few squares rather than have to fire up a tile saw, hole saw, or use the tile nippers. The area to be tiled isn't that large --- about 5'x5' but this is my first experience with tile. Seems pretty straightforward, though, and I have done my fair share of masonry work, so I'm not too worried.

The Lake Wall, Part the Second

Finished up the small section of wall that I started yesterday (see photo above) and then started clearing out the section where I plan on putting the steps. Tried getting the huge bottom step stone --- one that's been sitting on an embankment for a couple of years now --- loaded on an old appliance hand truck. I only succeeded in flipping it with a pry bar a couple of times by myself. Two hands just aren't enough to corral several hundred pounds of stone. But, with four hands, it is now loaded and ready to go for tomorrow.

After that, I figured that since I was already sweaty and dirty from the wall work, it was time to mow the lawn. As my philosophy goes (especially in the summer months) I like to "earn my shower" as a way to mentally push myself to do things that need to be done.

For the past couple of years now, after reading some lawn care manuals, I've been letting the grass grow a little longer in general, and cutting it higher than I used to. This way, the roots develop better and the lawn looks much healthier than it did. After doing a deal of grass seeding earlier in the spring, the place is getting closer to the imagined ideal.

After mowing and a quick shower, I went to my brother's down the road where we're watching my niece while they're at Reserve weekend. Made some pasta salad, a lettuce salad and hot dogs, and we finished up a strawberry-rhubarb crisp that I made a couple of days ago. Making food in other people's kitchens is always uncomfortable to me. You don't have the same tools, the same pantry and refrigerator staples, or even the same type of stove. By the by, propane gas range is best and gives the cook more control.

While there, I watched a show about Nikola Tesla on the History Channel, one of the only things on cable television that is worthwhile. I've read about Tesla before and am convinced that in a few hundred years, if mankind is still kickin', he will (or should be) known as the greatest practical and theoretical scientist ever.... Similar to how we hold Leonardo da Vinci in such high regard today. Perhaps his boldest idea was wireless electricity, which was also his biggest failure. Successful on a small scale (e.g. illuminating an unconnected light bulb), the large-scale experiment at the Wardenclyffe Tower was "never fully operational and not completed due to economic problems." I wonder if someone will ever get it to work and what such a world would be like. In an age that must rapidly become obsessed with finding alternate forms of electricity and energy (and possibly distribution methods), Tesla is an excellent role model, even with his personal quirks and disorders. Among Tesla's OCD quirks were an obsession with the number 3 or numbers divisible by 3, and nursing injured pigeons. Rebuffed by Edison early on over some such payment, Tesla worked for a year digging ditches in NYC. He didn't explain things to others; he just saw things and knew things, and when given the resources, he showed his brilliance. Fascinating how what is called a 'disorder' or 'disease' is the very thing that leads to the works of some of the greatest thinkers and doers. Their special way of seeing the world through their illness also enables them to see their metier on a different level than anyone else, even if it's not recognized by their contemporaries.

The Lake Wall

Put on some classic rock today, grabbed my knee-high Wellington boots and got to work re-building a section of a dry stone wall that collapsed during the winter/spring thaw. It is a retaining wall located on lakefront, and so with the two competing forces of frost heaves from the soil side and ice dams, the bottom of some parts of the 3-foot tall and ~75-foot long wall have been pushed toward the shore... and so what started out as a / shape became a \ shape ( some exaggeration as to that pitch, but it's the general idea). I originally built the wall back in the fall of 2004, and nature has taken its tool. You can see it at a lot of the waterfront houses at the lake, where most people seem to have resorted to haphazard stacking, likely b/c they kept losing the battle to the ice.

I've done a goodly amount of stone wall building, and as far as I know, all the rest of it is still standing. This lake wall is just an ongoing thing. But I learn from the failure --- what worked, what didn't. In this rebuild, I'm using some more massive stone toward the bottom, and I am better at the craft than I was in 2004. I'm also going to use the opportunity to put in some steps, using some even more stones that I've accumulated for that purpose, so people can more easily step down into the lake. Still, I don't know if it's going to hold up. In a docking area close by, the frost heaves and ice last winter each shifted two of the supports for the wooden dock --- the supports being half-'Mafia blocks' that weigh 2,000 pounds (read: a ton) each. Good thing for force majeure clauses. If I get a chance, I'll take a picture to share.

Wasn't such a good day weather-wise for such work outdoors, but I did have the canopy from some large maple trees. June has been an unbelievably rainy month this year; I believe we've now had four days of what could be described as good sunshine. Let's hope that July and August aren't totally dry to make up for the rainfall average.

In other news, as everyone not living under a rock knows by now, the self-proclaimed 'King of Pop' Michael Jackson died yesterday. I was not a fan. And despite the fact that he was acquitted on child molestation charges (alongside numerous out-of-court 'hush money' settlements), there was something seriously wrong with the man. Some people say that he was child-like, that he never grew up, blah blah blah. Regardless, his documented behavior around children was totally inappropriate. I admit to being a bit nonplussed at how many people continued to engage in such adoration, even after repeated allegations. My TV is going to be turned off until the Saint Michael love fest ends. Truth is, the world has one less pervert.

It's Not Easy [Building a] Green[house].

© Harbor Freight Tools 2003

Last Thursday and Friday, I helped my uncle put up this greenhouse model at his daughter's house in central CT. He got it this past autumn at a store-opening sale when it was ~$200 off that price. I'd been wanting to give him a hand with putting it up so I could see how its ease of assembly is, the durability of the design and how well it functions. I've been thinking about getting one ourselves to put on our woodlot. But I also wanted to help b/c he's a cool uncle to do things with --- great dry sense of humor, he's a great storyteller in the oral tradition, and in between it all, you learn some good construction tips. As Red Green says, "If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy!"

This model of greenhouse measures 10' x 12' and its peak is about 10'. Started by digging and leveling off the ground, which will eventually be filled with process gravel and/or bricks that will help pack the steel foundation in to secure it against winds, provide good drainage, etc. Once the foundation supports are in, the aluminum support rigging goes up, the clear polycarbonate (this is actually what bulletproof glass is made from) panels are laid in and secured by clips. That makes short shrift of what took about 16 hours total --- eight of which were in cold, off-and-on showers on Thursday. I usually wear rubber-coated garden gloves but in having to use small nuts and bolts, it was impossible. So, our fingers were fairly numb most of the time. But, perseverance is the key to almost anything. On Friday, we came back and finished up wearing T-shirts on a beautiful mid-60-degree day. If the weather was like that on Thursday we probably would have been done that day.

The directions left a lot to be desired. What pictures were included were mostly grainy CAD drawings. They didn't say that you had to slip in some bolts in the side brackets/roofing trusses until after they were all assembled. Nice, that. Often wound up having to undo bolts to add other brackets in. The door construction instructions did not say to slip in the polycarbonate panels in during assembly. We had to cut 1/4" off of some of the panels so they would fit properly at the vents. And there was one very short abstract sentence in the instructions about installing the vent brackets that was about as helpful as a hemorrhoid. Required some spatial reasoning (which is often the trick to problem-solving, I find) but that didn't hold us down for long. I was also surprised to see that this product included quite a few spare parts --- nuts, bolts, the metal clips, rubber gaskets, and plastic whatzits. Usually, you find out too late that you're missing parts and you have to mickey-mouse it.

As the neighbors sauntered over, there were the requisite marijuana jokes.... But no, none of that. I've never done illegal drugs in my life and I'm going to keep it that way. Come to think of it, I'm not too keen on the legal drugs, either.

It'd be nice to have a place to start out some vegetable and flower seeds in early spring, be able to grow some things during the winter, and maybe keep a Venus flytrap to impress the visitors. It seemed to be of good quality, but again, I'll wait a while and see what the final verdict is on this greenhouse's functioning and how it holds up to the weather.