Diary of an Attic

Oh So Close

2005-03-14T18:07:00.000-08:00

Well, the carpet was installed last Thursday.

We spent the weekend starting to remove the layer of dust from the rest of the house. This week I will do the final touch-ups on the baseboard and walls where they were scratched by the carpet. I still need to paint the windows, if I can get to that this week that would be great, otherwise it can wait until spring.

The only thing we are still waiting on is hardware for the doors. Oh, and Brad and Graham will shave down the doors a bit more so they are not dragging on the carpet as much.

Winding Down

2005-03-02T18:57:00.000-08:00

Brad and Graham spent Tuesday finishing up some of the details and cleaning up the room.

All of the trim is now up, and the tiles are in place. Graham was here today to grout.

The access doors are in place.

Not much left to do. We need to finish some of the painting, I need to apply a couple of coats of finish to the shelves (I did the cases before, but left the actual shelves due to space), and there is some hardware to be put up. A week from tomorrow the carpet is installed. Then when the 'rents come to visit we will install the wood top on the fireplace and rail. Then we are set... Until they come back to install the skylights and air conditioner.

The Final Monday

2005-03-01T16:20:00.000-08:00

Brad was here Monday finishing up the trim, and other minor details.

Krista gave the stair risers a first coat of paint, and removed the plastic runner. The cat contemplates this new area that has been opened to her.

We laid out the specific tiles we want around the fireplace.

Things are getting close.

Even Kitty is Helping

2005-02-27T12:18:00.000-08:00

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The morning after painting the trim, it was discovered that our cat, Monk, had been inspecting our handiwork. Her only saving grace was that the paint was dry and she only tracked around dust!

Movin Along

2005-02-27T09:08:00.000-08:00

The contractors were back Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

The bookcases have been installed.

Most of the trim has been put up.

The closet doors are in place.

The access door has been cut in the west knee-wall.

We ran into what will hopefully be the last kink. We had originally planned to trim around the face of the fireplace with the same trim as the rest of the room, but checking the "clearances to combustibles" we discovered that was a no-go. So, yesterday Krista and I made a trip to the tile store.

We decided on a natural stone to eliminate the problem of what to do with the raw edges.

Last Week...

2005-02-22T04:14:00.000-08:00

Well, this past week has been a bit slow, mainly because we needed to get our part done.

So, I spent last week staining the bookcases and closet shelves.

On Thursday the electricians were back to install the outlets, fixtures and the new sub-panel.

Friday and Saturday Krista's sister Beth was here to help me get the second coat paint up.

At some point over the weekend another crack appeared in the mud. Not sure why this is happening, or if it will keep happening. I hope once this is taken care of it will be the end of it.

Sunday I painted the accent wall and fireplace. I have my father on a mission to find us some cool wood to cap the fireplace and railing.

Krista started painting the trim, and I finished up yesterday.

272 linear feet of it.

The biggest hassle was not having space to easily paint 16 foot sections.

One Week Later

2005-02-14T18:00:00.000-08:00

Well, since the last update things have gone slowly, and will continue to go slow at least until next Monday.

Tuesday the third and final coat of mud was applied, and Wednesday they sanded.

I had Thursday and Friday off, so I was hoping to have the painting done by now, but...

Thursday morning our contractors were here, and they notice a few cracks in the the drywall seams. So Friday there was more patching, and our drywall guy was back on Saturday morning to sand. I started priming at about 1:00pm. Graham lent us a sprayer, so things went fairly quickly, but the set-up and cleaning took a while, so it is hard to say how much time was saved. I decided that I would be better off using brushes and rollers for the paint. Sunday morning I started with the closet, the cramped quarters were a pain, an it took me longer than I expected. After lunch I started on the main room. Things were going well, until I switched to the second gallon. It didn't match. I didn't notice right away because it was hard to tell when it was wet, but once I finished the south wall and started cutting in on the stairwell, and what had dried wasn't matching I noticed. I opened a third gallon, and it was the correct color, so I lost about an hour there. The stairwell took longer than I had expected, running up and down the stair to the roller tray, moving the ladder and plank, etc. etc. etc.

So this week I will get a second coat applied in the closet, and I will hopefully get the shelves stained. Saturday and Sunday I will have help, so the second coat in the main room sould go faster.

By this time next week all of the painting should be finished (fingers crossed).

Monday, Week Five

2005-02-08T19:00:00.000-08:00

By necessity things have slowed down since the installation of the drywall started.

Just a second coat of mud,

apart from Krista engaging in a bit of early-morning self-portraiture.

Oh, the carpet guy was also here to measure.

Last Week

2005-02-07T18:36:00.000-08:00

It has been a while, and I know you all have been waiting eagerly for an update.

On Wednesday and Thursday they finished hanging the drywall, and Krista and Graham figured out and fired-up the fireplace.

On Friday taping and mudding began.

Now, wasn't that worth the wait?

Tuesday, Week Four

2005-02-02T18:44:00.000-08:00

It's too late to be creative with the titles.

Tuesday they started hanging drywall.

The gas was also connected. That is all.

Monday, Week Four

2005-02-01T16:47:00.000-08:00

The inspector came, and... we passed.

Brad and Graham put in the new windows. A casement window to the south, to meet egress requirements.

And a Marvin Tilt-Pack to the north, to keep out drafts. Now we just need these in the rest of the house.

All the insulation,

and vapor barrier is up.

Piling up

2005-01-31T18:45:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend we concentrated a bit more on choosing carpet and paint.

After a bit of arguing and ocular-sensory-overload, we made a decision. Monday morning the choices still looked good, so I think we are good there.

We also added to the things sitting around the house waiting to be used.

Our new mattress was delivered.

We picked up the skylights (which will not be installed until spring, when the shingles aren't so brittle).

These items joined stuff already waiting. The air conditioner,

the stroller,

and a whole lotta baby stuff from various friends and family.

Wrapping Up Week Three

2005-01-28T05:19:00.000-08:00

Thursday Graham and Brad picked up the additional parts needed to finish venting the fireplace through the roof.

And installed it of course.

It looks like it is all but ready to go.

They also finished insulating around the bookcase enclosures, and put up the vapor barrier.

Friday the gas guy came to set up the pressure-test on the gas line.

Monday the inspector will be here, then drywall!

Venting

2005-01-28T04:19:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday Brad stopped by the fireplace store to pick up some additional vent pipe, only to be told that the fireplace could not be vented as planned. The horizontal run was too long, by a foot and a half. Our only option was to vent through the roof. Oh, and now we have a gable vent where the fireplace would have vented. Not ideal, and if we had known this to begin with we may have planned the layout of the room differently, but thems the breaks. Not a huge deal in the overall picture.

Also on Wednesday, they installed most of the fiberglass insulation on the knee-walls. There is just enough left open for the inspector to do his thing on Monday.

Week the Third, Monday and Tuesday

2005-01-26T17:58:00.000-08:00

Monday.

Brad and Graham put down most of the sub-floor.

They also started framing for the shelves in the closet.

Monday also saw witness to the arrival of the fireplace, and the framing of it's cabinet.

Tuesday Brad and Graham got the rest of the sub-floor in place. Also, the insulation guys were here to scrape away the excess spray-foam.

The floor is in for the cold storage behind the knee-wall.

The box is complete for the closet shelves.

The fireplace is fixed in place.

And the vent has been cut through the north wall.

More on the venting tomorrow...

Thursday and Friday of Week Twoor Mad Props and Much Love to Shawn

2005-01-23T08:32:00.000-08:00

Insulation started on Thursday as scheduled, with one hitch. Early Thursday morning Graham called Krista and told her that he had just found out from the insulation guy that everyone, pets included, had to be out of the house while the spray foam insulation was being applied, and for a couple of hours afterwards. With most families this isn't an issue, but with our wacky schedules (Krista works from home mornings and doesn't leave to teach until 2:00 at the earliest, and I get home from work at about noon) one of us is here all the time.

"Not a big deal," I told Krista "we'll just crash at Murphy's place, and I know code for his garage." So I called Murph, and told him our situation. He groaned, and said he didn't think it would work. I thought he was joking, Murphy is always willing to lend a hand, and has helped us out often. The problem is that he wasn't even staying at his place because he was in the midst of painting and ALL of the furniture was pulled to the centers of the rooms. Now we have a problem. Just about everyone else I could think of would be working, or would have a pet compatibility issue. I called Shawn at work thinking that it would be easiest to get a key from from him. No answer. I tried his cell figuring he was out of town (he travels quite a bit for work) but hoping that he had a hidden key somewhere. He happened to be doing some work from home. Saved. Krista packed up some things and headed over.

When I got home Thursday night I ventured up into the attic to take a look and was troubled by what I saw. In some spots the insulation was the full thickness of the rafters and studs, but in others it barely cover, and in some I could even still see the roof deck. I called Graham, and he said he was just about to call me, the insulation guy had been having trouble with the applicator gun, and would need to come back on Friday. Shawn was gracious enough to let us crash at his place again.

Friday the insulation crew started out adding loose-fill cellulose behind the knee walls.

After that was completed they finished with the spray foam.

It was a bit of an inconvenience, but compared to the horror stories I have heard about construction projects taking up to three times as long as promised I have been quite satisfied so far and we are on schedule for the most part.

Wednesday the 19th

2005-01-20T20:05:00.000-08:00

Again, not a whole lot happened on Wednesday.

Graham did a bit more framing, including extending the railing to meet code.

He also framed for the bookshelves.

The building inspector was also here, and as far as I know everything is peachy. Tomorrow I will get to posting about today, and Friday, and the adventures in insulation.

Ghosts in the Attic

2005-01-19T18:45:00.000-08:00

So, Aaron asked me to start taking pictures of the most recent construction the mornings after, as they had now disconnected the only light up there and he couldn't do it the night of. No problem! I don my parka, go up, and take this:

After getting the same freaky result three times in a row, I finally realized I not only have to hold my breath, I have to allow enough time for my last exhalation to dissipate!

The Week So Far (aka days six, seven and eight)

2005-01-19T18:33:00.001-08:00

Not a whole lot happening so far this week.

Monday a crew was here and ran the gas line for the fireplace.

Tuesday the electrical inspector was here and we passed. Woo-Hoo!

There is currently no lighting upstairs, so you will have to wait until tomorrow for the Wednesday update. Deal with it.

Thursday, insulation starts.

Some Background

2005-01-19T04:07:00.000-08:00

In comments Jason mentions a bit about his house, and I realize I have not given much background on ours. It is a one-and-a-half story, built in 1950 in South Minneapolis. We are about three blocks from Lake Nokomis, and even closer to the airport.

We bought the house from the original owner in June of 2001. We have completed a couple improvement projects since we moved in, and started even more. Every wall on the main floor has been painted, at least once.

When we moved in we removed a base cabinet in the kitchen and installed a dishwasher. The cabinet that was removed was only 20 inches wide, so for about a year we were looking at the dishwasher insulation. I finally got around to building a narrow cabinet for the open end of the dishwasher, and we installed a new countertop. This is when I discovered that demolition is a blast, and installation is not. I also built in a wine rack above the extended section of the counter, and we tiled the backsplash. Until now the kitchen has been our biggest project.

We have also raised the collar ties in the garage to allow for a garage-door opener, replaced a dilapidated fence, run new electrical to the garage, built shelves in the garage, removed built-in shelves from under the basement stairs so a crew could drain-tile, replaced shelves after the drain-tiling was complete, and replace various electrical outlets and fixtures. It seems like there has been more...

The attic was unfinished when we moved in, which has made this project much easier for design, as well as construction.

Day Five

2005-01-17T20:14:00.000-08:00

Last Friday the electricians were here and finished the rough electrical.

The recessed lighting is in place and all the wiring has been run.

Day Four

2005-01-13T15:30:00.000-08:00

Well today it looks like the framing is done for the most part.

The closet is framed, along with the walls skylights and A/C.

The only thing that remains is the fireplace and to finish up framing for the built in shelves.

The ~~electritions~~ electricians were here today, and will finish up with the rough electrical work tomorrow. Next week, gas and insulation?

Day Three

2005-01-12T17:44:00.000-08:00

We hit a bit of a bump in the road today when we found out that we will likely have to bump the fireplace out from the wall. We explored different options, but none were truly satisfying. Not a big deal really, it will just make it a bit tighter between the fireplace and the bed than we originally planned.

Brad and Graham got quite a bit more done today. They didn't finish the framing, but things are getting there.

The framing for the pocket door to the closet is done.

The A/C is framed.

The skylights are framed.

They also installed the roof vent for the bath fan. The electrition comes tomorrow to do the rough electrical. I need to check that I have enough cat5 cable, couldn't have a new room that wasn't network ready could we?

Things are going faster than I had expected.

Day Two

2005-01-11T19:14:00.000-08:00

Brad and Graham seemed to make a fair dent in things today.

The old, cracked plaster in the stairwell is almost all removed, the collar ties have all been raised, and they have cut away the old railing where the closet will extend over the stairs.

They also cut the hole and installed the box for the new bath fan.

After three years of dealing with a steamy bathroom, soon we will soon have ventilation!

Last Minute Shopping

2005-01-11T19:00:00.000-08:00

Today Krista and I needed to make final decisions and order a few things so Graham and Brad (the contractors) can finish framing.

We first headed to Bucks Unpainted Furniture to pick out and order bookcases, and shelving for the closet. The shelves for the closet had to be custom ordered to get a depth of 18" instead of 12", and the custom shelves are only available in maple or oak, so we spent a bit more than we hoped.

News Flash: Buying a room air conditioner unit in Minnesota in January is a BITCH! Over the weekend we checked a few places for A/C units without much success. The few we found in stock were either really ugly or had poor reviews. When we checked at Sears they only had a few window units in stock, and when I inquired about ordering the sales woman told me that she didn't think I would even be able to order one until at least March. March!?!? I decided that she didn't know what she was talking about, but gave up on Sears anyway. Today I had narrowed the search to a couple of models, one a Carrier, and the other an LG. I found that a local appliance store was an LG dealer, and the sales person told me on the phone that they could order any LG item. As far as the Carrier, I actually spoke with the regional sales rep and he told me that Sears could order one for me. Great, Sears. We started out checking on the LG. Turns out the LG rep is on vacation and will not be back until the 19th, and there was no one else our sales person could contact. Back to Sears. After efforts to convince a different Sears employee that he could order a Carrier for us failed, we gave up and ordered a Kenmore. I had found good reviews for Kenmore A/C units online, and it was Energy Star approved, so I figured it wasn't worth the hassle. It won't be here for a week or so, but at least we know which model we will get, and we have the specs so they can frame the rough opening.

Day One

2005-01-10T18:30:00.000-08:00

Not much happened today. The contractors were only here for a half day, and much of that was spent going over revised estimates, and finalizing where everything was going to go.

They did do a bit of exploratory surgery to make sure that everything will work as planned. I was dead tired after work, so I took a nap in the basement, and managed to sleep through the noise pretty well. I was still sleeping when they left, so I am assuming that everything is cool so far.

Under Construction

2005-01-10T06:14:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned on ABOHO work has begun on our attic. I created this blog to track the progress.

Here is a list of changes that will transform the space:

Drywall- Walls are good thing.

Closet- The contractor came up with what I think will be a great design to utilize space well.

Built-ins- We are having bookshelves built into the knee-walls, again to utilize space.

Windows- The south window will be changed to a casement window to meet egress requirements, and the north windows will be replaced for improved efficiency.

Skylights- Three skylights will be added for light, and ventilation during those two weeks of perfect Minnesota weather.

Heating and Cooling- We decided against running ducts and tying into our forced air system. This would have been inefficient, costly, and would have eaten up precious closet space on the first floor. Instead we will have a through-the-wall A/C unit for cooling and a gas fireplace for heat.

I will try to keep my thousands of dedicated readers up to date on the daily progress.