Jeff's Old House Blog

thankful to be warm and dry

2011-08-29T07:04:00.002-05:00

To the East coast relatives who just weathered a pretty nasty storm, we’re happy to hear everyone’s OK. Out here in Chicago it was another beautiful late summer weekend. Check out the photos of an early morning bike ride I took to the lake. One upside to losing daylight this time of year is that it’s getting a lot easier to get out of bed to catch the sunrise!

I was so inspired by the ride that I convinced Amy and the two younger brothers to load the bikes in the van and head out to a nice path along the north branch of the Chicago River. No, Dad, it’s not the muddy mountain bike paradise where we practiced our jumps! Instead, it’s a smooth-as-silk paved trail that winds through the forest and along some open fields. Perfect habitat for deer, one of which jumped in front of us as we were coming down a small hill under a full head of steam. Yikes!

The rest of the weekend was time to ease back into finishing up the house project. It felt good to knock off a few more punch list tasks in the kitchen, mudroom and Amy’s office. Oh, and I also sold our extra range hood through Craigslist to a nice young couple from the suburbs – for a change, the house project paid me! For those of you who haven’t used Craigslist, think of it like a giant online cash & carry garage sale. The best part is you don’t have to sort through piles of old clothes and 8-track tapes to find what you’re looking for. But you do have to wonder who’s responding and whether they’re a legitimate customer or not.

Anyways, it’s off to school for ¾ of the boys today. Another summer behind us!

Jeff

<<diversey before dawn.JPG>> <<peekaboo.JPG>> <<north ave before sunup.JPG>> <<good morning general grant.JPG>> <<tada!.JPG>>

sometimes a wrong turn can turn up a neat piece of history

2011-08-16T09:32:00.002-05:00

stormy skies at Montrose beach

Bowen High School today

US Steel South Works - now & then

Bowen High mascot - the Boilermakers

Beautiful afternoon at Navy Pier with E&G and the tall ships

playroom before & after

delicious!

This August has been very similar to the last several, consisting of a mix of beautiful & stormy weather plus multiple trips to Michigan picking up and dropping off kids from camp.

Suffice it say, after several dozen trips back and forth over the years, the I-80/90 corridor through Indiana was getting a little, well, boring. There’s only so much corn fields and steel mills can hold your interest. So when Colin suggested we hop off the expressway and take the local road back into Chicago last Sunday, I jumped at it. Not to mention it saved $3.50 in tolls. J

So when the trip through south Chicago took a detour off the beaten path, we stumbled across a gem of the industrial age – Bowen High School. The building itself (designed by famous Prairie School architect Dwight Perkins in 1910) seems to have held up well, but the student body, not so much. Apparently the main reason is the demise of the main industry that used to support the neighborhood – steel making. Check out the before after photos, as well as the school mascot.

Back in our neighborhood, I decided to take the day off work yesterday to finish up the playroom and take a couple of boys to Navy Pier. All capped off the night with an amazing dinner of stuffed peppers. Not a crumb leftover.

Hope your summer’s going well too! More later.

Jeff

note - historical images courtesy of their owners

3 coasts and a mudroom

2011-08-10T05:52:00.002-05:00

Wow, do we have some catching up to do! The Old House blog hasn’t been touched since back in June, and it’s already August. Where has the summer gone? Don’t answer that – I’ve got it covered! Read on if you’re trying to cure your insomnia…..

WEST

Sometimes the spontaneous trips are the most exciting. The idea for this one was simple – while Colin was off in Alaska with his cousin Mae and the east coast g-parents, what were the rest of the Chicago Boyles going to do? Certainly couldn’t just sit at home while Drew finished his last couple of classes. No! So thanks to Amy’s mom for helping out, off we went for a week in California with Edward & Geoffrey.

We knew we wanted a blend of city & country, starting with a couple nights in a tent on the CA coast, topped off with 4 star luxury (i.e., a room with a bed and hot shower) in San Francisco. We’d never traveled by plane on a camping trip before. But thanks to Southwest’s “generous” baggage policy (in comparison to everyone else’s…) and a micro stove borrowed from a friend of ours, off we went. Nobody was thrilled with our giant couch on wheels for a rental car, but the massive trunk swallowed all our gear with room left over for anyone who misbehaved. Just kidding…. After a stop in SF to fuel up the stove and our tummies, we headed across the Golden Gate.

At Muir Woods we found our first giant banana slug amongst the giant redwoods. Apparently the bright yellow color is nature’s way of saying “yuck!” since they’re not that tasty to wildlife. I’ll take their word for it. Hungry for dinner, we steered the land ship to Mill Valley where we tried our first Indian/Mexican fusion for dinner. Not bad! Then it was off to the rugged Pacific coast for our first night in the tent. After averting a near crisis when the gate code wouldn’t work (it was last year’s code, dummy!) we schlepped our gear to a picturesque and remote seaside campsite. While watching the sun sink over the ocean in the west and the moon rise over the Marin headlands to our east, we tried to hatch a plan to move out there permanently. Our fantasy was ruined only when we started considering the outrageous cost of living, earthquakes and lack of family in the area. Oh well…. It was a beautiful night regardless.

<<site 4 steep ravine.JPG>>

The next couple of days were a blur of beachcombing and seaside sightseeing on our way to Monterrey. The boys really loved the aquarium where they learned that sea otter fur is the densest in the animal kingdom. No wonder the cute little guys were hunted to near extinction. The jellies and sea horses were also amazing. Still glowing from the amazing journey down the coast, we were thrilled to be back in the big city of San Francisco again by the end of the week.

<<geoffrey's mustache.JPG>>

Speaking of the city, the boys were total troupers – tackling SF’s notorious hills with ease. Not bad for a couple of flatlanders. Along the way we got to experience E&G’s good old fashioned boy humor without the constant corrections of older brother Colin. Tell the truth, Dad was into it too. From the cable car ride up Nob Hill to a brush with the bush man down in Fisherman’s Wharf, they seemed to have a total blast experiencing San Francisco’s unique character.

<<edward at the golden gate.JPG>>

MIDWEST

Back on the middle coast of Chicago, it seemed like only days before we had to turn around and head east. Unpack, repack, load the car & point the van in the right direction. After 15 years of doing this trip, the car practically drove itself.

<<roadtrip 2.JPG>>

EAST

After a quick stop at the Kovacs’, Amy, Drew, Colin & I spent the next day with our good friend Jeff Burns. The highlight had to be the boat ride out to Misery Island, a place that Deb & I explored as kids. All the old ruins are still there, and amazingly the place looked even better than I remembered it. All too soon, it was back across the water to Salem where Jeff gave us an amazing nickel tour of his neighborhood near the swanky Chestnut Street. Back on the road after a stop for dinner at Revere Beach, which was surprisingly nice, we crossed the Sagamore bridge under the slanting late day sun. What a feeling to be on the Cape!

<<jeffs boat 2.JPG>> <<misery 2.JPG>>

The next two weeks were also a blur – lazy days spent kayaking, swimming and exploring the nearby towns. For the first time in many years, Grammie joined us at the Cape. What a treat to have her gentle presence in the house, not to mention her considerable talents on the badminton court! Another highlight of this year’s Cape trip was our travel to Wings Neck on the Buzzards Bay side of the Cape to meet up with two different Chicago families with Boston area roots. Quite a cultural experience to add to our usual repertoire of water, sand and sun.

<<grammies 2.JPG>> <<sparkler 2.JPG>>

Finally, we topped off the trip with a side trip to NYC. After beating our way down Manhattan through nasty traffic, we popped out of the Holland Tunnel at the old rail terminal in NJ to take the ferry to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. I’ve gotta hand it to the NPS – their rangers sure know how to bring a story to life. At both sites, our guys were initially less than enthusiastic about the agenda, yet quickly changed their tune after understanding some of the background behind these two incredible historical treasures.

<<ferry to the parks.JPG>>

MIDWEST - continued

Back home in Chicago, summer life has pretty much returned to normal. When I started to write this update, the two older boys were at camp, while E&G were “enrolled” at Camp Gram in Elgin. Amy and I aren’t quite sure we’re ready to be empty nesters, but we actually had time to talk! And as you can see, we’ve also been busy finishing the mudroom. Only a year later…

<<mudroom 2.JPG>> <<mudroom 1.JPG>>

Thanks for reading, and looking forward to seeing everyone again soon!

Jeff

Re: another neat morning in the desert

2011-06-03T10:57:00.000-05:00

Glad you took advantage of what is out there. :) See you soon! XO

another neat morning in the desert

2011-06-03T10:54:00.002-05:00

This sounds pretty silly – get up an hour before sunrise to drive 50 miles into the desert to see some graffiti. I guess when you consider the drawings on the rocks are hundreds of years old, and you combine it with another boulder scramble/hike, it was actually pretty rewarding.

Off to my meetings soon, but I thought I send a few photos.

Heading back home to the flatlands this afternoon. Will be good to see Amy and the boys!

Jeff

<<chilly start to the hike.JPG>> <<750 year old graffiti.JPG>> <<jeff above agua fria river.JPG>> <<looking down to the ague fria river.JPG>> <<yuccas on the mesa.JPG>>

what you can do in the morning before your work day in Arizona

2011-06-02T10:20:00.002-05:00

For example, you can hike up a 2,700 foot mountain. Since the sun’s up at 5:15AM, and my body clock is still 2 hrs ahead, it seemed like a good idea. Turned out to be a great hike – amazing views, all sorts of cacti, birds and even a tiny lizard. No chuckwallas, though.

The photo of me at the summit was taken by a super fit young couple that lives in the area now after moving from upstate NY. They love the low cost of living here, the access to the outdoors, and the fact that you don’t need to shovel heat. I guess it was pretty snowy where they came from.

Anyways, I’m off to my conference shortly. Enjoy the photos!

Jeff

Re: another weekend to remember

2011-05-31T10:19:00.001-05:00

WOW what a change just since last Tuesday --- beautiful ---

You always do such quality work -- it is gorgeous.

Catch your breath.....

Jackie

Sent with my MacBook Pro

Re: another weekend to remember

2011-05-31T08:58:00.000-05:00

Your Hard Work is paying off--- so close now! :)

You forgot to mention that you DID have traditional cookout with ALL the trimmings albeit for just the 6 of us. :)
Your wife is getting to be quite the grill master and even made sure you had homemade brownies to counter your calorie burn deficit!!!

-Aim

Sent from my iPad

another weekend to remember

2011-05-31T08:29:00.002-05:00

Memorial Day weekend. The usual recipe contains parades, cookouts with friends and honoring our fallen heroes. This year was a little different.

You know how I’ve been able to successfully balance work with a little bit of play? Well, this weekend did not follow that formula. Instead, I put in 3 consecutive 16 hr plus days of labor. That left basically time to sleep and eat, with a shower or two to not offend anyone. With the kitchen part of the project in the home stretch, I just want to get it done. And, I foolishly decided to refinish the floors myself with rented equipment while dodging torrential rain. They came out OK, but a pro would have done much better. Plus I woke up this morning to find teenager tracks in the new polyurethane. Grr.

But building the new kitchen island was a fun break in the grind, which I assembled out of 1 ½ leftover base cabinets. Like Goldilocks, one was too small and two were too big. By slicing the second cabinet in half, the island is just right. A slab of granite left over from the old buffet will top it off, leaving room at the back of the island for a couple of stools. In fact, the granite guy is coming this week to pick up the stone to recut and install it, maybe even by this weekend. Yes, I broke down and hired someone to do the stone work. A moment of weakness.

Finally, you’ll notice we have a new pantry closet at the far end of the kitchen. This was going to be custom built cherry cabinets, but the price tag was too much to bear, even with our connections to the trade. So ten 2x4’s, some wiring and a couple sheets of drywall later, and voila – a closet. Still trying to figure out what to do with the little space under the microwave.

So all in all, it was an unusual holiday weekend. No visits to the cemetery out in the country, or barbecue at the relative’s house in the suburbs. Not even a bike ride. Only the kids were able to goof off. And now I’m on the train heading back to work to get a break in the physical labor before I head off to Arizona for a conference later this week. It’s supposed to be nearly 100 deg every day, but hopefully I can get out for a hike in the mornings before the meetings (and sizzling heat!) start. Another work week after that and then we’re off to California! I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, and hopefully it’s not a train coming the other way. J

Jeff

Scouting out the weekend

2011-05-23T09:18:00.003-05:00

Happy Monday, everyone. Not much progress on the house project since last weekend, but that was in the plan. Instead, Edward and I joined his Webelos den for a campout in the suburbs at Camp Lakota in Woodstock, IL. It was a pretty nice place, with somewhat rolling terrain (for Illinois) that included woods, fields and a couple marshy areas. After the boys quieted down for the night, you could actually hear the frogs singing their spring love songs!

To earn their Outdoorsman activity badge, the Scouts had to help set up camp, cook their food and do a hike. In other words, they couldn’t have their dads cater to them all weekend like our past trips. They all did really well on the trip, and hats off to our Scout leaders for making it happen. Even the weather cooperated.

Back at the ranch, I was able to relax for a couple hours, enjoying a balmy spring day with Amy, the boys and our cat. Check out the photo of the three hungry guys poring over their mom’s cooking magazines, dreaming about the next delicious meal to come out of the kitchen.

Speaking of which, I’ve finally installed the door between the kitchen and the mudroom. The door was one of my very first purchases for the project when our local home center was offering a deep discount. For the last nine months or so it sat in the family room, taking up valuable floor space. Well, it’s finally operational, and must say it looks great. Come winter, I think we’ll really appreciate being able to use the mudroom as an airlock to get the boys in and out of the house without heating the neighborhood. I think you can appreciate that, Dad!

So besides some minor trim painting, and making a granite fabricator “heartbroken” (more on that later), it’s been a slow week. Next weekend we’ll get moving on the kitchen island and flooring, plus build a pantry closet next to the microwave. More later!

Jeff

Re: working.....

2011-05-16T08:28:00.005-05:00

Yes - everyone needs, "something to point to" (to quote Working) you sure have done that here -

I love my indoor/outdoor fixture - It just seems perfect being that my office feels treehouse-like. Lucky gal I am...

xoxo

Amers

Something to Point to by Craig Carnelia for Working the Musical
See that building
I was the one who did the design
I was the one who drafted the plan
Every detail and every line
See that building
I ran the crane that lifted the beams
I was the guy that worked up above
Look at those bricks, those bricks are mine
See that building
Look how my door hangs in the frame
See that building
Forty flights up I scratched my name
------

Everyone should have something to point to
Something to be proud of
Look what I did
See what i've done
I did the job
I was the one
Everyone should have something to point to
Someway to be tall in the crowd
Proud
---
See that building
The lumber was cut
Decisions were made
See that building
The windows are washed
The site was surveyed
The memos are typed
The concrete was laid
The records are kept
The office is run
The coffee is sold
The digging was done
The building was built
For all eyes to see
By
Me

working.....

2011-05-16T08:22:00.004-05:00

Over the weekend, Amy and I went to see the musical “Working” for the 2^nd time (her 3^rd). I guess you could say we like it. In one of the final scenes, the characters are talking about what they do at work, and how satisfying it is to be able to point out what they’ve done. Maybe that’s why the show resonates with us – we both like being productive, with lots to show for it.

Speaking of which, Amy’s office punch list is almost cleared. One of the nagging tasks was to plug the hole in her sitting area wall with a reading light. Don’t tell anyone, but it’s actually an outdoor fixture. The only thing missing was a switch, which I was able to easily add.

Moving downstairs, I’ve finally consumed enough of the molding to take out the material racks in the mudroom. Back they go into the crawl space for the next time this ol’ Yankee needs them! There’s finally enough space again for a proper work area. Notice the door and window trim is up and waiting for some quiet night to get a coat of paint.

And in the kitchen, our new stainless steel backsplash panels are installed, complete with the original recycled black outlet covers. Still waiting for the granite guy to schedule my countertop work, but already we really like the look. The metal is very reflective, especially compared to the black granite that used to be there. I’ve already added cleaning them to my regular Sunday night KP duty roster…

Finally, the decorative columns and trim around the opening between the kitchen and family room have been fabricated. They’re also waiting for paint, but that’s the kind of work you can do without feeling guilty about disturbing the neighbors with the chop saw and nail gun racket.

So, as I head out to my “other” job this morning, I’m pleased to be able to look around and say “I did that.” Working sure beats the alternative.

Jeff

Re: a Mother's Day weekend punch list

2011-05-09T07:52:00.002-05:00

Starting to sound repetitive from me, but Wow! I love all the great improvements.

You forgot to mention the rousing game of UNO attack in the treehouse office to cap off the night!

Super!!!
Xoxo,
Amy

a Mother's Day weekend punch list

2011-05-09T07:46:00.001-05:00

So where does the term “punch list” come from? Apparently there’s some debate out there in the ether about the origin, but most of the explanations seem to center around contractors & architects literally punching holes in their specification lists to indicate completion. With all the mobile computing technology out there, I’m sure there’s an app for that now!

Regardless of where the term comes from, it sure feels good to get things done. Take this weekend, for instance. What started as drawings of two new offices and a connecting hallway a year ago is now finished and in use. OK, so I have a couple minor details to complete, but I challenge you to find them in the photos! As far as I’m concerned, when you’ve built a step in the utility room out of scrap wood and hung the artwork on the walls, you’re done.

As always, the weekend wasn’t all work and no play, either. After doing some gardening, Amy, Geoffrey and I managed to sneak out for a fancy dinner at his “favorite restaurant in the whole world”, Mon Ami Gabi. And coming from a worldly guy like Geoffrey, who’s been to pretty much every pizza place and burger joint in the city, this is quite a compliment. He was a total gentleman, as you’d expect, but didn’t offer to pick up the check for some reason….

And finally, Mother’s Day wouldn’t be complete without honoring the moms in our lives. Or, as we like to say around here, “I gave you life and I can take it away!”. Just kidding, really…. For me, it was a call to Topsfield, then off to Montrose beach with the family. The boys couldn’t stop swarming around their mom, which I’m sure was just their way of saying “I love you. A lot. So much, in fact, that I won’t stop hanging all over you until I’m 30, at least.”

More later!

Jeff

Re: our offices are officially open for business!

2011-05-02T21:40:00.001-05:00

Woo hoo! Sure looking super - just love the treehouse office! :)

Now on to the kitchen!!!

Amers

http://www.amyboylephotography.com/

info@amyboylephotography.com

312-380-5993

Sent from my iPad

our offices are officially open for business!

2011-05-02T21:33:00.002-05:00

Well, it was a long time coming, but both Amy and I have moved into our new offices. Rugs, chairs, computers and all the other trappings of the modern desk jockeys have joined the smell of polyurethane floor finish still lingering in the air. My view looks out at the neighbor’s ornamental tree, while Amy’s one floor up and has a lovely southwestern exposure. I think you’ll agree the transformation was worth it. I’m eagerly awaiting the reaction of the first client that Amy walks past the new landscaping in the front yard to up to her tree house studio on the 3^rd floor. J

Speaking of work, our little guy with GE in his name, joined me at the GE Healthcare office on Thursday for “take your child to work day”. He says he had a really good time, and even left me a drawing on my whiteboard. I was very proud of him, especially when he stood up in front of the ~100 kids there to talk about his time.

In other news, Saturday, April 30 was our official “transition day” when the maple leaves open, it’s sunny and over 70. The transition almost waited until May this year, which would have made it among the latest. And just so you don’t get the impression that I’m spending every waking hour at one job or another, check out the photos from our first warm spring weekend. You’ll see Edward, Colin and I biking to the beach where we found a flock of willets making it sound like Cape Cod.

Enjoy the photos. Too tired to write any more.

Jeff

Re: Stairmaster

2011-04-25T09:41:00.002-05:00

So lovely! Thank you stairmaster!!! ;)

Amy Boyle Photography

www.amyboylephotography.com

info@amyboylephotography.com

312-380-5993

Sent from my iPhone

Stairmaster

2011-04-25T09:35:00.002-05:00

Claiming to have mastered stair carpentry is a bit of a stretch, but after months of walking of raw plywood treads, the first half of the finished white oak stair treads have been installed! Much nicer underfoot, and no chance of getting a splinter in your toes.

Also notice the ~100 lineal feet of carefully mitered baseboard throughout the stair hall. Before I redid the stairs in the front of the house, I never liked the way the skirt boards on either side of the stair were raw 1x stock. In other words, the molding from the baseboards didn’t carry up the stairs. I changed that on the front half, so why not do it right on the back half? Details that most people wouldn’t notice, but discerning followers of the addition project like yourselves would appreciate it.

Also, the final coats of paint are on all the doors, windows and trim upstairs. Then, we capped the weekend off with a delightful dinner prepared by Amy, our in-house master chef. Martha Stewart herself couldn’t have presented a finer display!

Another couple hours this week and I’ll have the rest of the treads installed, then I’ll be able to poly the new floors and Amy & I can finally move into our new offices. Whew!

Next, it’s on to the finishing details in the kitchen. Chris, how’s that pantry cabinet coming? I hear you’ve been a little busy these days. J

Jeff

cub scouts and cubbies

2011-04-18T06:20:00.002-05:00

What a weekend for the cubbies! And I'm not talking about the Chicago baseball team.

Saturday was our annual Pinewood Derby race, with ~70 Cub Scouts and their parents participating. For the track crew and I who are at the school gym from 7:30AM to 2PM it's an endurance race like the Indy 500. For the boys it's a drag race as they show up for their alloted hour and then leave. Colin again joined the operations team and put together this time lapse video of the setup and racing. Pretty cool!

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=2007010660596&comments

Sunday it was back to work on the addition, still focused on trim. As you can see from the photo, the storage cubbies in Amy's new office have doors, through they still need a final coat of paint. I ended up using some extra molding and a sheet of birch plywood to make the doors which slide left and right in their tracks. Pretty soon Amy can start moving her stuff back in!

Oh, and just so we don't forget that it's still spring in Chicago, we woke up to a dusting of snow today. I'm all for April showers, but it's supposed to be liquid, not solid!

Jeff

Re: trim - the final frontier

2011-04-11T09:22:00.000-05:00

Loved your posting --- especially the attached photo.
After seeing how busy you were yesterday, this picture seems most
appropriate -- LOL
"This Side Up" ---

Great work as always,
Jackie

On Apr 11, 2011, at 7:07 AM, Boyle, Jeff (GE Healthcare) wrote:

trim - the final frontier

2011-04-11T07:07:00.003-05:00

Did you all miss my weekly update on the house project last week? Sorry to let my loyal readers down. I hope you found something interesting to fill your time, like reading the phone book. Wait, does anyone even have a phone book anymore? What you missed was a gripping tale of sanding floors. Pretty dull reading, actually. Be glad I didn’t publish it.

As you may have guessed by the subject line, this week’s episode is all about trim. Yes, it’s finally that time in the project to start tacking up the several hundred feet of poplar moldings that define the windows, doors and baseboards. Since Saturday, the trim’s been going up on the wall almost as fast as I’ve been able to paint the pieces. Oh yes, and doors are being hung too. Note that my cozy little office now has not one, but two doors to keep the rabble at bay.

At the same time, I’ve been keeping busy with the family. Edward had an overnight indoor camping trip to the Planetarium on Friday night that was a ton of fun. The next morning, while most of the dads rushed home to make up for the lack of sleep, another dad and I took a few boys out on a hike around Northerly Island, the former Miegs Field. Good way to clear out the cranial cobwebs from the evening.

Speaking of Cub Scouts, our place also hosted a world record four Pinewood Derby workshops this year. As a service to the families who are less well-endowed from a tool perspective, I’ve been holding workshop days for the last several years. I’ve found this tends to prevent cars from showing up at the race with major assembly left to be done. Anyways, this year the workshop has been extra busy with all the house projects, so it was a little tricky to fit it in. But with the Derby happening next Saturday, it’s got to be done!

Finally, I want to give a shout out to my wonderful wife Amy. She’s returned to full time duty at home now that her charity auction is over for the year. Consequently, meals have been even more amazing than usual, and the boys have their homework coach back. She’s also helped me figure out which end is up. J

Jeff

<<1st floor landing window trim.JPG>> <<office door casings 2.JPG>> <<pie steps.JPG>> <<sunny office with molding.JPG>> <<this end up.JPG>>

Thoreau was right about stuff

2011-03-28T07:52:00.001-05:00

Remember the lessons from the guy who wanted to strip away all life’s complications and retreat to his cabin in the woods for a while? On the topic of possessions, his philosophy was that we don’t own stuff – it owns us. Well, this weekend Amy & I pretty much proved that one true.

While I did manage to install a door in the mudroom (relocated from the playroom closet) and nail down the last couple of planks of flooring in my office, the main event on Sunday was all about possession management. Did you catch that? I just came up with a new buzzword for what’s also known as “spring cleaning”.

In an attempt to retake the 3^rd floor playroom from its current use as a storage room, Amy and I spent the better part of Sunday afternoon purging and consolidating our stuff. What became most apparent is Amy’s preference for Christmas over any other holiday. Judging by the four fake trees, 13 ceramic Dickens Village houses and countless boxes of lights, ornaments, stockings and other decorations vs. the one small box of Halloween knick knacks, we have empirical evidence now that it’s true.

Fortunately, it all fit in the new attic, along with the dozen hermetically sealed tubs of baby stuff that we just can’t bear to part with, the stacks of Amy’s sentimental treasures that were recently relocated from Elgin to Chicago, and the one tiny shoebox of my stuff. It’s probably the last time we’ll see the floor in the attic until we move, so I snapped a photo for posterity.

Thankfully, we ended the evening with a delicious dinner, so it’s all good.

Jeff

<<new door to hallway - closed.JPG>> <<jeff in the attic 2.JPG>> <<the last time we'll see this floor.JPG>> <<xmas 2.JPG>> <<junk in the trunk.JPG>>

more piles of material arrive

2011-03-19T09:12:00.006-05:00

Well, thanks to a local lumber yard and a nearby millwork company, 750 feet of poplar trim arrived yesterday. See, I told you those old shelves would come in handy! They even threw in a couple extra pieces, just in case I make a mistake. Me? Never.....

The white oak stair treads came yesterday too, all 24 of them. I know, because my mother in law Jackie counts steps. I'm sure that comes in handy in the middle of the night when you're sneaking down to the fridge for a midnight snack. :-) They have their first coat of poly, which has definitely added a certain smell to the house.

Finally, I've put my new belt sander to use in the attic. What had been a little 3' wide x 6' deep closet has more than doubled in size and is now our attic. Unfortunately, it's a little smaller than our old attic, so there will need to be some purging. Once the floor in there is finished, we can start getting the piles of boxes out of our playroom. They've only been there since August....

Anyways, this weekend will be a bit lighter than usual on the construction work since our school's charity ball starts tonight. Don't worry, I'm only there to accompany my dear wife and won't be spending what little money we have left on overpriced trips or autographed sports jerseys. Shout out to Amy, who has worked so hard over the last 11 months to make this big night a success!

Jeff

are you as floored as we are?

2011-03-19T09:12:00.005-05:00

OK, let's try this email again. It's hard enough to be witty once, let alone a second time after you lost your first work.

Anyways, it's been a busy couple of weeks. Given all that was going on last weekend, the construction update just didn't make the cut. Despite a case of bronchitis, I've been hard at work installing flooring and doing some more painting.

The big news is that Drew helped out for the first time, assisting in laying out the planks of white oak that now cover my office floor and the three stair landings. Tomorrow I'm supposed to get 24 oak treads and 20' of nosing that will complete the stuff you walk on. Of course, it all needs a good sanding and a few coats of poly before it's actually done.

The other big delivery I'm expecting soon are about 90 pieces of molding that Chris helped me find. It's not the kind of stuff you just pick up at the local Home Depot. Notice the fancy wire shelves in the mudroom - those are soon to become racks for all this material while it's being primed and painted. Good thing this ol' Yankee held onto the shelf parts for the last couple years. I just knew they'd come in handy!

Finally, you might notice the walls in parts of the addition have gone from blinding primer white to soothing "Moonlit Sand" tan. A full day with the sprayer and roller, and Amy's office and all three floors of the stair hall were painted. Judging by the fine tan dust that settled throughout the house, I'm guessing that not all of the 6 gallons of paint made it on the walls...

The finishing touch for the weekend was installing a new ceiling fan in Amy's office. After months of a bare bulb dangling from the ceiling, this new unit really shines. Hope you like it, Honey!

Jeff

And now for the rest of the story

2011-02-28T12:44:00.000-06:00

After living with a bare bones plywood floor for months, Amy's office
now has its hardwood back. And this time, we continued the 4" white oak
planks from the hallway into the office, replacing the low grade 2" red
oak strips that were abruptly butted up against them before.

The complexity came from the 1/4" difference in width between the old
flooring and the new. This didn't matter across most of the space, but
for the ~3' width where the hallway continued into the office, I had to
remill two bundles of planks to fit with their neighbors.

Other than that, it was smooth sailing, er, nailing. Next weekend I'll
tackle my office and the stair landings. More later!

Jeff

-----Original Message-----
From: Amy Boyle [mailto:amy_boyle@mac.com]
Sent: Sunday, February 27, 2011 4:39 PM
To: JEFFs BLOG OLD HOUSE BLOG; Boyle, Jeff (GE Healthcare); Amy Boyle
Subject: Today's Progress

My office has a real floor!
Nice work, Jeff!

another busy weekend

2011-02-20T23:01:00.002-06:00

Boy, if that subject doesn't just grab your attention! Sorry, but I didn't have a better idea, and besides the 7 hours of sleep and eating 3 meals a day, I haven't sat down much. Well, I will admit to watching the Simpsons movie with the boys to get our fill of low brow entertainment....

The snow's all gone, and Saturday was blessed with decent weather, so I decided to finally tackle the side gate. You see, the hinge side of the gate used to get its support from the old deck that was once there. No more deck = nothing to hold it up. I figured after six months it was high time to rehang the gate, now firmly attached to the new addition.

By the afternoon, it was time to head to the basement again. My favorite place in the entire house. Or not. But, as you can see from the photos, the little laundry room is looking pretty spiffy. The sink is hooked up with fancy modern plumbing (both cold and hot!) and a drain. Notice the old "Slade's Soap" sign is still kicking around. I think I picked that up back in Pittsfield about 20 years ago. Yikes, it's practically an antique! Better take care of it. By dinner time, the new laundry counter got an oak nosing, and the new bifold door to hide the water heater was operational. Time to call it a day.

On Sunday, the weather was decidedly less friendly for outdoor work. So after a quick run to the grocery store, it was back to the basement to hit the woodwork with a couple coats of poly. But that didn't take long, and the house was pretty lonely without Amy, so I was trying to figure out what to do next. The boys were doing their thing, and I was tired of looking at the temporary office in the dining room. So, one thing led to another and pretty soon I was back at Menards buying ethernet cable and phone jacks.

The rest of the afternoon was spent in the top floor utility closet. This tiny space is now decked out as our new data center, complete with power conditioning, miles of wiring and lots of pretty blinking lights. Geoffrey was a great help, stripping wires and offering up inspirational post it notes (great job, Dad! you can do it, Dad!) when things were at their darkest. Despite his encouragement, I am definitely NOT as talented in the IT department as my lovely wife. The internet and business phone line are working, but sadly the home phone refuses to cooperate. But honestly, when was the last time we got a call on that line anyways? I'm sure you'll figure it out, Honey. :-)

After a lovely dinner of garlic butter shrimp with angel hair pasta, steamed spinach with dried cranberries and crusty french bread, it was off to work again. Time to finish taking back the living and dining rooms! I was cleaning with a vengeance, no dust mite was safe from this man! Boxes were unpacked, furniture was moved, rugs were pulled up, and even the trinkets on the mantle were freed of their coating of construction dust. The photo of the little guy curled up on our bed is about how I feel right now. Tired, but satisfied.

Can't wait for you to come home and see it, Amy!

Love, Jeff

Re: and Dad said, "To the boy cave!"

2011-02-14T11:51:00.002-06:00

LOVE it!!!

and Dad said, "To the boy cave!"

2011-02-14T11:48:00.000-06:00

You've all heard about "man caves", those indulgent male bastions complete with beer tap and pool table. But have you heard of a boy cave? No? Well, let me fill you in on the requirements:

1. The space must be subterranean. This should go without saying, but the location serves a couple of purposes. First, there are no pitter patter (or stomping, in our case) of clunky shoes to be heard overhead. And second, being below grade means most of the racket stays inside the house where it belongs.

2. The cave needs seating. Nobody wants to sit on a cold tile floor, so the cave must have a well worn couch and some sacrificial rugs to make the space more suitable to hanging out in relative comfort.

3. It needs activity. What's the point of going into the basement if there's nothing to do down there except escape from the parents?

Notice there's nothing in the list about high profile decorating, meaning no taxidermy or "dogs playing poker" paintings on the walls. In fact, the bare bones boy cave next door at Smith's is even more basic than ours, yet it always manages to attract a crowd. The simpler the better.

So after months of absence, our basement rec room has returned and it's already quite popular. Edward and Geoffrey spent practically the whole weekend down there, playing the Wii and watching Netflix. There's a game table and exercise gear too, in case being a couch potato gets old. What's even better is that our formal living room has returned to its intended purpose!

The other major change this weekend was the grand opening of the new mudroom. You might ask, hasn't this space been ready to use for months? Isn't this little room the main reason you undertook such a massive project to begin with? Well, yes to both questions. But until this past Sunday night at about 10PM, the space had been consumed by tools & materials that I'd been using to work on the rest of the place. Clear out some junk, sweep the floor, hang some hooks and voila - a mudroom! Maybe the urgency had something to do with the overflow of coats, snowpants and boots from last week's big snowstorm.... All I care is that our front entry foyer is now free of kid stuff!

Oh yes, and while we're waiting to find just the right furniture for the homework nook in the kitchen, we've installed one of our flimsy folding card tables. For now. Check out the shot of Colin, just a couple days shy of being a teenager, catching up on the day's news and chatting with his friends at the breakfast table.

Enjoy the photos.

Jeff

Re: our laundry room gets cleaned up

2011-02-07T12:53:00.001-06:00

doing 4 loads now- very fun!!!

;)

312-380-5993

info@amyboylephotography.com

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Re: our laundry room gets cleaned up

2011-02-07T12:52:00.001-06:00

Forgot, your neat little sink is pretty cool too.

Sent from my iPhone

Jackie Blazier Young

Re: our laundry room gets cleaned up

2011-02-07T12:51:00.002-06:00

WOW, what a difference. Looks great - laundry can be fun -- so much lighter.

Sent from my iPhone

Jackie Blazier Young

our laundry room gets cleaned up

2011-02-07T08:00:00.001-06:00

Which room in our house is barely bigger than a closet, yet we use it at least every week? Which room has also been the most disrupted, and for the longest time? Well, if you read the subject line of the email, you know I'm referring to the laundry room. It was never the most glamorous place to begin with, as you can see from the 2005 photo, in which the room was "decorated" with a 40 gallon water heater, numerous pipes & ducts and a utilitarian wire shelving system. Time for an upgrade.

Amy reminded me last night that our old house adventures started here in the basement, after the first load of laundry was taking hours to dry. Well, via a surgical strike on the wall into which the dryer vent disappeared before emerging outside, I found the flimsy plastic dryer hose has disintegrated inside the wall and was soaking the insulation and framing with condensation. Oops. The rest is history.

Flash forward a couple years and the basement water issues were becoming noticeable. Noticeable in that the lower edges of the drywall in the laundry room were turning to mush, and the cheap linoleum floor was starting to delaminate from the substrate. Uh oh, more surgery. This time it was major deconstruction to remove moldy walls and soggy plywood subfloor. For the next year or so (I'm trying to forget, really) doing laundry meant hauling clothes to the dankest place in the house. Puddles of stagnant water mixed with gravel from the cat box left little slicks of gray slurry here and there. Scraps of foam insulation board served as stepping stones to reach the machines. Speaking of which, the Maytag washer had been repaired a couple of times, and the dryer motor had finally quit. On top of all this, the room's lighting consisted of one bare light bulb, which contributed to the overall gloomy atmosphere of the place. Enough was enough.

For my regular readers, you all know the reconstruction started with a complete tear out of the basement walls, followed by a sub-slab drain system and wall liner. A dry, but empty slate was the result. Next came a complete reframing of the walls and stair, along with new ducting, electrical and plumbing. Drywall and paint covered all that up, leaving a blank canvas on which to build a new laundry room. Well, the room isn't quite finished, as you can see from the two new photos. But it's a far cry from the old, complete with a tile floor, new cabinets, a rather nice Kohler wash sink I picked up through Craig's List and two new GE machines. Looking up, the tangle of pipes are now hidden behind a suspended ceiling, and the room is lit with two recessed fixtures salvaged from the living room project a couple years back. The countertop used to be my desk up in the old 3rd floor office. See, the Yankee is still lurking around.

Yes, there are a few finishing touches left, but while most of the country was glued to the TV watching the Superbowl, I was once again working in the basement. Another weekend or two, and this part of the project will be history.

Jeff

Amy's SnowMG 2011 time lapse movie

2011-02-02T16:09:00.000-06:00

Blizzard 2011

2011-02-01T20:04:00.000-06:00

Snow watch

2011-02-01T20:02:00.000-06:00

we're back!

2011-01-17T11:10:00.002-06:00

in our master bedroom, that is. After living on an air mattress in the playroom since September, Amy and I have finally moved back in. Check out the pictorial retrospective - from the pre-2005 shot from the sales brochure and our 2005 pink re-do, through the trauma of ripping apart walls, framing, electrical, drywall and painting. I really like the decor that Amy picked out; nice and airy feeling.

While you can flip through these photos in a matter of seconds, remember that it's taken us months to get here! So savor the transformation - we are!

Oh, and after spending all weekend doing carpentry and painting, the upstairs furnace decided to flake out. But thanks to many years of expensive schooling and practical training, I was able to read through the manual, do some simple checks with my electrical tester and figure out all I needed was a $25 part. Thanks again, Dad, for inspiring my Yankee determination (and frugality!) to figure it out and fix it myself. Heat's on again. :-)

Jeff

nothing like outside work in the winter....

2011-01-08T17:52:00.002-06:00

....especially when its someone else doing it! Check out the latest photos of the house with the siding and trim all done. And all I had to do was write a check. I think the Moore crew did a nice job, though they had to make a few trips to get it finished. Lots of details to take care of, like the little gray trim strip between the old house and the addition. Oh yeah, and the fact that it hasn't broken 25 degrees for a week.

The other magic that happened with the help of a little cash was the disappearance of all the debris in the backyard. Between the ripped up flooring, bags of drywall scraps and piles of vinyl siding, the backyard was looking more like a dump than a yard. But thanks to a call to Junk 911, it's all heading to the transfer station for sorting and hopefully some recycling.

Amy and I are off to a movie tonight, but we'll be back at it tomorrow with some painting in the master bedroom. Stay tuned for more photos!

Jeff

Priming the walls

2011-01-01T12:10:00.002-06:00

Happy New Year! After a couple days of vacuuming and washing down walls, then masking off everything I didn't want painted white that wasn't movable, I finally got around to painting. Oh yeah, I also took a couple hour "break" to install the new washer and dryer. THEN, I got painting.

The sprayer was really easy to operate, once you get past all the dire warnings about blowing yourself up (if spraying with solvent-based paint, which I wasn't) or injecting yourself with paint (if you're dumb/clumsy enough to point the tip at your skin while spraying). Based on what I read on that new-fangled "Internet" (hee hee!) I back-rolled the paint after laying it down. Seemed to work very nicely.

And now, for the numbers:
$109 for one Wagner reconditioned sprayer
$110 for (3) four gallon buckets of primer
$25 in tape, sheeting and masking supplies
$0 to reuse an old roller cover, handle and pole

And about 10 hours later, all 12 gallons of primer were on the walls. And whatever dust was left on the floors and walls was airborne once again. :-( But the walls are white!

Jeff

YouTube Video

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:W Terra Cotta Pl,Chicago,United States

Back from the mini vacation

2010-12-30T16:11:00.001-06:00

Amy and I just got back today from a couple days in WI celebrating 15 years together. As you can see from the last blog post with the sledding video - we had more than a little fun! Being in Kohler, the center of the bathroom fixture universe, we had to stop in the design center and get some ideas too.

Back on Altgeld Street, the siding crew was wrapping up their day. They were able to reuse a good part of the old vinyl that we took off the house back in September. Looks like they'll need another day next week to finish up, but what they've done is looking really good.

Happy New Year!

Jeff

Snow Fun in WI

2010-12-30T07:58:00.001-06:00

Good to take a break, get outside, and laugh!

YouTube Video

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:County Road Pp,Sheboygan Falls,United States

we're back in our kitchen!!

2010-12-28T09:25:00.001-06:00

After what feels like months washing dishes in the powder room sink, the kitchen is back in business! The floor still needs to be sanded and finished, but the relocated cabinets and countertops are installed in their new locations. We also need some minor granite work done for the backsplashes and the island top, but who cares?? WE HAVE A WORKING SINK AND DISHWASHER AGAIN!!!

Take a look at some of the action packed photos with Colin helping out. Maybe it was the incentive of the frosted brownies that finally changed his tune? Amy chipped in too, yesterday, washing out drawers and moving the temporary kitchen out of the dining room.

We're off to Wisconsin today for a little R&R, but when we come back it's time to start painting. I'll let you all know how the new sprayer works out and whether it makes more of a mess than it's worth. More later!

Jeff

Fw: merry xmas - a new kitchen floor!

2010-12-25T15:18:00.001-06:00

Things continue to be busy around the house this holiday. Since the drywall crew left, we're still washing walls and finding the ubiquitous white dust in all sorts of places. Really want to get started painting, but have a kitchen to reassemble first.

So, just what every family needs for the holidays, I banged out a couple hundred square feet of strip oak flooring. It was a little tricky weaving it into the existing floor on either end, but gone are the low grade knotty planks that I never liked. The new floor will probably stay unfinished until spring at this rate.

In the meantime, the couple of cabinets that have been reinstalled in their new locations are getting lots of use. How do you like the rustic 3/4" plywood countertops, Honey? I heard they're all the rage....

And finally, with visions of baseboards and window casing dancing in my head, Edward and I set up the sturdy Bosch saw stand that I've had for the last couple of years gathering dust in the basement. Thanks, Chris - it's a real beauty! I'll be sending the cut list and a sample profile soon.

Taking a day off from the project today to get out and enjoy the snow, but I'll be back at it tomorrow. More photos to come!

Jeff

as the dust settles....

2010-12-20T07:13:00.000-06:00

As you may have guessed from the subject of this week's construction update, the drywall crew has finished up and left the building. The place is very different, and a lot dustier than before they came. But half a day with the shop vac, a mop and lots of elbow grease later, the insidious white haze is on the retreat. What was really fun was shutting down the heat on a 15 degree winter day and trying to keep the place warm with just the gas fireplace! Needless to say, Amy did NOT hang around to enjoy that part of the project.

Despite the dust, I was impressed with the dedication of Art and his guys who spent nearly two weeks on the walls. I've never seen workers like his - on the job before 7AM every day, most days not leaving until after 6 in the evening, even working Saturdays. And he wouldn't even accept his final payment until I've primed the walls and they come back to touch up the inevitable nicks. What a pleasure to do business with these guys.

After the inside work, it was time to head outside and finish up some exterior details before the siding crew arrives. Did I mention it was cold out? Oh yes, nothing's more "refreshing" than trying to do trim and electrical work on a roof deck while you're kneeling in snow. What should have taken an hour or two stretched out to all afternoon between runs back into the house to defrost. Needless to say I was thoroughly worn out by evening and wanted nothing more than to get into my PJ's and play a quiet game or two with the boys.

Sunday's agenda was to do some inside work before heading out into the cold again. As you've seen in countless photos, the new window in the kitchen has been conspicuously absent for weeks. After many careful measurements, the rough opening was framed in what seems like summer now. Maybe it was still summer! Anyways, given the proximity of the cabinets and countertop on three sides, I wanted to get both the left/right and up/down location just right. So in went a couple cabinets to make sure everything would line up. And it did! With my able helper Edward handing me nails, the new window slid right in. And with that, the NW side wall was finally buttoned up. By nightfall I was tacking up the last of the flashing while Amy and the kids were over at Terri's famous Christmas party.

And to cap off a busy weekend, Geoffrey threw up on the dining room rug, and Amy moved her new desk into her new office. More later!

Jeff

360 degree tour of Amy's new office - with walls!

2010-12-11T16:37:00.002-06:00

All the walls are up and corner bead is going on. Tape & mud will be done next week. Pretty exciting!

Jeff

more walls, and more dust....

2010-12-10T15:17:00.000-06:00

enjoy!

help - the walls are closing in!

2010-12-10T11:21:00.002-06:00

Check it out - drywall is going up all over the addition! After choosing a contractor, we were off to a rough start on Tuesday. We were supposed to get ~100 4'x12' sheets of 5/8" board but the truck driver bailed after noticing the power line in his way. Apparently the desk jockeys down at HQ had some "safety" concerns about extending a steel crane arm around live electricity. Go figure....

Anyways, the board and crew showed up first thing the next morning and they hand carried four tons of material into the house over the next couple of hours. Amazing nobody keeled over. A couple days later, the rock is almost fully up, and we've been enjoying the festive sounds of mariachi music in the meantime.

The only shocking thing is how much tighter the new stair hall feels with the board up. No more air castle! And the other rooms are looking great. By this time next week, we should have finished walls ready for paint!

Jeff

Re: ho ho ho! let it snow

2010-12-06T11:09:00.001-06:00

ho ho ho! let it snow

2010-12-06T07:43:00.002-06:00

Ahh, December has arrived and so has this winter's first icy blast. Nothing makes the city look more magical than a dusting of snow, especially near the holidays. It also helps that it's not February when we've had enough "magic" by that time. Check out the photos of the front of the house all decked out for Christmas and Edward throwing a snowball at the cameraman. (He missed!) Does his hat look familiar, Mom?

As quickly as the outside was transformed, progress inside the building has been equally slow. We are finally ready for drywall, which is a huge milestone. That means three months of framing, electrical, plumbing, ducting and insulating will all be covered up in about a week. I know Amy's excited to have the bones disappear, but I think I'll actually miss it. And for the perfectionist on the project (me!) it means I won't be able to tweak this or adjust that.

For example, I noticed the kitchen vent hood was off center by about 1/2", so I took an hour to move it. Would anyone really have noticed? Yup, I would have.... I also noticed that the newly installed spigot on the roof deck wouldn't completely shut off, so out it came. Good thing, too, since one of my solder joints was about to fail. Much better to have discovered that now while the walls are open than to find a gusher inside the brand new space.

So enjoy the final pictures here of the forest of studs and joists. In one final push this weekend I leveled a couple of wavy ceilings, built the stair railings on all three floors and framed the opening for the broom closet at the base of the new stairs. I'll spare you all the technical details, but with the narrowness of the addition, and needing to get a finished width of 36" for each stair, the dividing handrail wall ended up being framed with 2x3's planed down to 2 1/4" thick. But glued, screwed, spaced 12" on center and tripled up at the newel posts, the railing's actually pretty sturdy. And once it's all sheathed in drywall and capped with an oak 1x6, it'll be as solid as a rock.

The final task last night was to clean the place up. I know that might sound trivial, but try moving 20 bundles of oak flooring, a couple slabs of granite and mountains of scrap wood after you've already been on the job since 6AM. Good thing I had Amy's delicious steak chili to fuel me up. After that it was picture time, a shower and some well earned sleep. More later!

Jeff

Thanks for the memories!

2010-11-28T20:28:00.001-06:00

The long Thanksgiving weekend is over, and the last of the leftovers have been turned into soup. But despite the family time, I still managed to fit in a few days of work getting the house ready for drywall.

Along the way, I had an idea to come up with a Top Ten list of things to do over long holiday weekends. Here goes:

10. Finish insulating because it's 20 degrees and you missed that all-over fiberglass itch

9. Sort out the rats nest of phone & coax cables and run them to the new rooms while the walls are open

8. Hang a couple sheets of plywood as bracing to keep the house from shaking in the wind

7. Build a soffit in the basement to hide the utilities because nobody really wants to see that stuff

6. Build a soffit in the master bedroom and closet using plywood because it's 10x faster than the stick-built one in the basement

5. Build a soffit in the master bathroom to hide more ducts and go back to stick framing for some reason

4. Install a couple more lights and outlets in key places that you didn't think of while the electricians were here

3. Install a new outside faucet on the deck and move a furnace flue pipe because you didn't feel like paying the plumber to do it

2. Insulate the rest of the hot water pipes with those cool foam tubes because it's one of the few quiet things to do at 6AM

And, the NUMBER ONE thing to do over the long holiday weekend is to go tile shopping and come home empty handed because you didn't like any of the choices. Fortunately there's still time. Much more time....

we give thanks for a warm house

2010-11-21T21:35:00.001-06:00

With Thanksgiving nearly upon us, I've started making my list of what I'm thankful for. Clearly it's wonderful to have a such a great family, good health and a steady job. But with the temps dipping down into the 30s at night, we're also thankful for our toasty home!

Another busy weekend and insulation is in from top to bottom. Hope you can enjoy the attached photos without the itchy sensation of tiny glass fibers pricking your skin. I can't. Also, our new vent hood is installed in the kitchen. We'll let these two duke it out - insulation trying to keep the inside air IN the house and the vent fan trying to get it OUT.

Obviously there's still a lot left to do, but every day there's a little progress. Maybe by spring break next year we'll have most of it wrapped up...

Jeff

I can't stop "stair-ing" at the work my Dad and I did over the weekend

2010-11-18T06:03:00.002-06:00

Oh, I'm sure you're used to my punny sense of humor by now. Take a look at the results of all the hard work Boyle & Son Construction did over the past weekend. Nice progress!

Building stairs with a turn and a winder isn't as easy as it looks, even though the math should be simple. But a couple of Engineers were able to conquer basic subtraction and division after a few hours of head scratching. And the carpenters wanted a couple grand to do the same...

Notice the laundry room is starting to take shape, finally. This poor little room has been ripped apart the longest, ever since we first noticed water in the basement a couple years ago. Since then Amy's barely set foot in the place, mainly because your foot would be wet if you did. Now we have dry walls and floor, along with the beginnings of walls and a ceiling that will hide all the utilities from view.

Also notice from the mudroom up to the 3rd floor we have most of the insulation in. Thanks to my Dad and his tyvek bunny suit, we're not throwing all that precious heat out through the walls. Still have a few sections left, but the progress has been fantastic.

And speaking of heat, the Ardmore crew has left the building and we couldn't be happier. Well, the bill could have been a few thousand less, but we basically did a heart transplant for the upstairs A/C. New ducts to all the rooms and a much more efficient condenser/coil for keeping us cool on those sticky days in the summer when we actually run the air. But for now, everyone's just happy to have heat on the 2nd and 3rd floors again.

On to flooring and soffit building next, so we can get ready for the drywall!

Jeff

look familiar?

2010-11-09T06:59:00.000-06:00

As you've seen, things are coming back together. Here are a few shots from the "man cave" showing the progression from dank and disgusting to clean and bright with the addition of a wall liner and new framing. The electricians are back today to finish up the piping and I've started to contact drywall crews for estimates.

Forget about the budget.....that's long ago been blown. We just want our house back at any price!

Jeff

look familiar?

2010-11-09T06:49:00.000-06:00

Lights, stoves, ACTION!!!

2010-11-05T13:11:00.000-05:00

Ahh, the simple pleasures of walking around your own house flipping light switches on and off. For the last couple of days, Myron and his son have been hard at work rewiring the entire back half of the house. And when I came home last night, surprise! For once I wasn't upset to see every light in the house blazing away.. :-)

Fast forward to today, and (American) Kevin the plumber has finished up the last of the new piping. That's to distinguish him from Irish Kevin the other plumber. Who both work for Donal, the Irish plumber boss. Really happy with these guys, and even happier to have a working stove again.

If all goes well, the electrical and heating work should be done next week so we can get inspected and start insulating and closing up the walls. Brr - it's getting cold out!

Jeff

lots and lots of pipe....

2010-11-01T13:55:00.000-05:00

For those of my loyal readers whose interests lie in the beauty of mechanicals behind the walls, this is the blog entry for you! Check out those miles of shiny silver pipes that will safely carry electrons at the speed of life throughout the house. Of course, all those pipes aren't free, but Myron and his son are doing their best to keep costs in line while going around the forest of framing in their way.

And given that high temps are headed for the 40's by the end of the week, the heat's back on in the lower part of the house. Had to run a temporary line across the basement, but in a matter of minutes the downstairs went from cool to comfy. Hope you're happy, kids!

Lookout above - the ducts are flying in

2010-10-29T09:05:00.000-05:00

Dateline Chicago, October 29. It's a little chilly outside this morning, but the impatiens still haven't liquefied and it's 60 and climbing in the house. Not bad for nearly November when you still don't have any heat besides a gas fireplace.

Good thing the heating pros are here putting in the new ductwork for the basement and 1st floor. With a temporary electric line, we should have a furnace running sometime over the weekend. Now we just need to insulate to keep some of that expensive heat from heading out the window, so to speak.

The carpenters are on their last couple punch list items, and the rough inspection is set for later today. I'm anxious to see how it goes, since I've heard so many horror stories. We've pretty much built to the drawings, so I should be confident. But you never know until things are signed off.

Fortunately we have a house to come home to, even if it is still partly unfinished. As you heard in the last post, our neighbors weren't so lucky. The source of the fire is almost entirely demolished, and their house is boarded up awaiting its fate. Amy took some heart wrenching photos inside yesterday to document the damage. She's been a real angel to our friends.

More later.

What a day in the windy city

2010-10-28T06:32:00.002-05:00

OK, so I know the term "Windy City" was coined due to some overbearing politicians years ago. But the last couple days have really been windy here - gusts over 60 kts out on the lake. Yikes! At least it didn't keep the gutter crew from doing their thing yesterday. Now we have new aluminum trim and proper rain gear for the roof.

What did stop the guys yesterday was pretty big news around here. Amy made a fateful decision to come home after shopping at the new Apple store before picking up the kids at school. Sitting at her desk (AKA the dining room table) she smelled smoke. Now Amy's nose is not one to be reckoned with. Plenty a night I've been shaken awake and asked to check out a strange odor. Usually a false alarm, but not yesterday. This was the real thing.

Looking around outside, she noticed a wisp of gray smoke coming from the chimney of the vacant house at 1711. It's been on the market since the old man who lived there was moved away to a nursing home almost two years ago. The place was a total wreck, and our neighbors to the north had been trying to buy it and turn the lot into a yard for their young family.

Well, Amy figured out right away that something wasn't right. She saw someone across the street and made sure they called 911. Then she pounded on the door at our friend's house until the sitter answered. Mom and the baby were also home, totally unaware that the place not more than five feet away was on fire. As they ran out the door, black smoke was already billowing out of the old house.

Which brings us back to the wind. With gusts from the SW fanning the flames, the two adjacent homes, as well as a building across the street were heavily damaged when it was all over. Fortunately nothing was harmed at our house, and thanks to the UW crew (Brent & Mike) for sticking around to keep an eye on things, including a couple extra cats. And thankfully nobody was hurt except for a firefighter who sprained his ankle. Since then, there's been a real outpuring of support for our neighbors. Makes you feel good about living in a place where people do care for each other.

The beauty of a DRY basement, even in a monsoon

2010-10-26T07:27:00.000-05:00

You saw all the BEFORE and DURING photos. Now it's time to show you what the basement looks like AFTER the waterproofing crew did their thing. Yes, those are DRY basement walls covered with a thick plastic liner. Anything that gets past that line of defense goes directly into a new sub-slab drain system.

Since that all went in, we've had several downpours and so far all I can hear is the trickle of water draining from the hidden pipe system into the sumps. Music to my ears.....

What happened to the kitchen??

2010-10-26T07:21:00.001-05:00

Uh oh, someone miss a mortgage payment and now they're taking the
cabinets away? No, it's just Jeff & his demo saw taking more walls
down. This time it's so the plumbers & electricians can work their
magic.

Speaking of which, I had my first shower with water from the tankless
heater the other night. Yup, I let the old tank give up whatever heat
was remaining for a day or so until its water was just tepid. Then
closed one set of valves, opened another and, voila - instant hot water!
Not sure we're going to save much money after running a new gas line
plus all the venting and piping, but it's nice to know that Amy can fill
her tub to the rim and the rest of us can still have hot water.

Anyhow, today I get to play journeyman electrician. Basically I'm
supposed to be helping the pros with drilling holes & locating boxes
while they do all the complicated work. Will be nice to have the rest
of the house properly lit up once again after all these weeks in the
dark.

Just in time for Halloween, Zombie Cat pays the basement a visit

2010-10-25T06:27:00.001-05:00

SCARY!!

what's goin' on down there??

2010-10-21T13:54:00.001-05:00

Just in time for Halloween, we've created our very own dungeon in the basement complete with scary noises (jackhammers) and strange smells (musty, rotten wood). Check out the photos of the trench around the outside perimeter of the slab the Atlas crew has dug.

When I come home today, there's supposed to be a new wall liner, pipe in the trench and everything covered with concrete and connected to our sump pumps. Four grand later, and it's supposed to put an end to our dampness problems down there so the boys can have a game / workout room that's (mostly) out of earshot. Of course, we still need wall framing, flooring, insulation, etc.... As they say, more later!

Upstairs/Downstairs, Altgeld style

2010-10-20T13:21:00.000-05:00

The jobsite is busy today! We have Brent & Mike here from UW, working on the stairs and 3rd floor walls. Directly below my feet is the crew from Atlas, busting out a sub-slab French drain with a jackhammer in the basement.

And somewhere in the middle, I'm quietly working on my laptop, waiting for Amy's flight to land. Can't wait to show her all the progress! Judge for yourself....

Jeff

I guess we're makin' a little too much noise

2010-10-16T21:21:00.001-05:00

Well, another beautiful weekend spent hammering! After a rousing morning of demo in the kitchen, I framed our new window in the afternoon.

With the cabinets down and the peninsula gone, the kitchen is a lot more open. And a little more dusty, too. Sorry, Honey! I'll try to clean up the destruction as best as I can before you're back from your trip. My Dad's booked his ticket out over Veteran's Day weekend, so by the time we're done, we'll have the cabinets back up in their new home.

On the constructive side of the balance sheet, the new kitchen window opening is framed out. I always wanted a view from the sink like we have back in Topsfield. Now we'll have something to look at while doing the dishes. Too bad it's our neighbor's gangway...

Speaking of neighbors, I ran into ours today around 6PM. It had been a long day working, and he was out blowing leaves off his walkway. He asked me if I was taking tomorrow off, which I first took as concern for my well being. Soon it became obvious that he was asking out of concern for himself. Apparently the noise is a little bothersome. Well, I want this project over as much as you do, but at least you have a working kitchen. So deal with it.

More pictures soon - I promise!

Picture time!

2010-10-14T11:55:00.000-05:00

inside with the new stairs - making their way up

new look from the back yard

check out all the light from the skylight and new door

side entry view

In case you're having trouble visualizing all the progress on the building, here are a few samples. The UW crew is off moonlighting at another site this morning, so Amy snapped a few shots while the hammers (and everything else there) were silent.

Enjoy!

got gas? we do!

2010-10-14T11:44:00.000-05:00

I really crack myself up sometimes. Hope you're laughing too.... Anyhow, one of the things they don't tell you when you purchase a miraculous, money saving tankless hot water heater is to check your gas supply. Well, with all the demand for energy in our house, apparently we were a little light on flow. So called up the gas co. and solved that problem today. Apparently it was free, too. They must want to sell us more.

They were also kind enough to warn me ahead of time to move the bush that otherwise would have been trampled, leaving our front shrubbery looking like a smile with missing teeth. Just have to replant the little guy tonight. Maybe he won't even notice - shhhh, don't tell.

Now I can't wait for the estimate for the plumber to come in. I'm sure that'll be a real budget buster. Apparently we have some venting issues in addition to the other work that we knew had to be done. I don't know, but if you listen to all the raised voices around the house lately, I don't think anyone has trouble venting. Maybe he was talking about a different process....

just testing

2010-10-14T07:34:00.001-05:00

Score TWO for RESOURCEFULNESS

2010-10-13T13:09:00.000-05:00

OK, so I don't have any photos to attach, but here's the scenario. First, my project plan was based on making large ($ and bulk) purchases "just in time" unless there's a fantastic deal that justifies tying up space and cash sooner. After months of occasionally checking online, it was time to order the skylight and patio door for Amy's new office. The local Home Depot happened to carry a decent door, and Menard's could order the skylight.

First, the skylight story. So I waited a little too long to place the order, not being sure we wanted it. But after looking up at the clear fall sky through the new roof rafters, it was obvious. Get the skylight, or face an angry spouse for not doing the right thing while we had the chance. But by the time I went to order it, I was just a little too late. My goof.
But not being the quittin' kind, I called around. Eventually I found a Lowes store that could order a new Velux skylight for me, all I had to do was drive 45 min to Aurora to pick it up. Done deal. The amusing part of the story is that as I was about 15 min from the warehouse my cell phone rings. It's Menards letting me know I could order the sklyight from them and pick it up same day at the Velux warehouse in Aurora. Good timing.

Second, the door story. This one also involves a major home store, this time the orange one. A couple weeks back I placed the order for the office door. Knowing the opening couldn't quite accomodate a full 6' door, we went with a five footer. Easy enough, placed the order and waited a couple weeks for it to come in. Got to the store and found out they'd built the wrong unit. OK, no big deal, still had time to get a replacement, though it would need to be "expedited". After a couple follow up calls to Home Depot and the contractor getting anxious to put it in, they deliver the bad news. No door for another week.

Time for Plan B - Craigs List. At that very moment a perfect door was sitting in some guy's garage in Bridgeport. Having visions of a "fell off the truck" scam, I called the number to find out if it was legit. The guy seemed reasonable and had a good story where he got the door. So I arranged a pickup and that day rolled back into our alley with a brand new $1600 Marvin door for $350. As we speak, it's getting installed in the opening.

My Dad didn't raise a quitter. :-) Thanks, Pop.

another blogworthy meal

2010-10-07T08:28:00.000-05:00

Look what came home last night, courtesy of our wonderful neighbor's kitchen! Pasta so good, it's blog-worthy! Just so you're not all thinking we're eating out of a can while our kitchen is under siege. Sorry that you have to turn your head to see it.

While I've got your attention, all one of you, I had a couple other fun stories to share. First involves a sewage flood in the boys' bathroom. Sorry, but I hope you weren't eating breakfast... Oh yes, here's how our day started. 7AM, Edward comes running downstairs like Paul Revere with his little announcement that the toilet's overflowing. No big deal, right? Well, it was a virtual Vesuvius of foul brown effluent emanating from the bowl, all over the floor from front to back. "Fortunately" the boys leave all their dirty laundry on the floor, thus acting as a sort of de-facto "boom" to contain the slick somewhat. Well, a couple quick strokes of the plunger and the sickly stew heads down the direction it should have. But in it's wake were piles of nasty soaked towels and clothes. All we can do is laugh now.

Otherwise, progress has been sort of slow on the house project this week. The new office door opening is framed, but no door yet. The one we ordered from Home Depot came in wrong, so it's at least another week for that. However, the new skylight was personally picked up by yours truly from the Velux warehouse in Aurora. Yes, I kind of let this one slip a bit, and ordered a little late. Fortunately the local Lowes was able to hook me up with one same day. Great service - they really hustled.

Our new water heater also showed up yesterday, though this time through the magic of FedEx. It's the biggest tankless unit I could buy, considering we've got four boys who like to stay clean when they're not wading through sewage. Plenty of hot water for Amy's hot tub, which I get a feeling she really needs right about now. Unfortunately one of the vent pipes was damaged, but that should be taken care of by the supplier.

Anyways, enough for today. Time to get to work. More photos this weekend - I promise!

my readers have asked for more pictures - must be worth ten thousand words

2010-10-04T08:23:00.000-05:00

rafters up

Jeff's new office

peekaboo

Amy's beauty parlor

convertible top open

Busy day on Friday, with the UW crew finishing the roof structure just in time for the weekend's rain. Things are really shaping up!

Sharp eyed viewers will notice our old water heater out on the roof deck. That's NOT its permanent home, by the way. The tankless replacement unit has been ordered and is on its way. After the crew finished for the day, we muscled it back into its old place, hooked it back up and we were cookin' water again. Just in time for a hot shower before Amy & I headed out for dinner. For some reason she didn't want to take some smelly unshaven guy out on a date. Oh, and you might be wondering how we exhaust the water heater flue gases now that the vent stack is gone. Well, that's where a little Yankee creativity came to bear with a section of downspout that just happened to be laying around....

Over the weekend I kept the project going in a couple of areas. First was making the joint between the family room roof and my new office wall watertight. Pulled off a couple courses of shingles, ran some underlayment up the wall, then buttoned things back up. The two lengths of metal flashing that covered the whole thing were able to be saved too. That's another Yankee story, but one that I planned for months ago when I redid the roof.

Back inside, I did a little more demo, this time on the top floor in the new utility room where the furnace will go. Took down some more amazing wide pine sheathing boards that I hope to reuse somewhere. Last night Geoffrey & Edward suggested I use them for the bench in the new mudroom. I thought that was very creative, and will probably take them up on it. Those two also helped out yesterday when it was time to extend the family room floor about 6" to meet the new wall that divides the TV corner from the mudroom. Had to build a kneewall, insulate, cut back the existing flooring, and weave in a bunch of new pieces. Ran out of nails and time about 7PM last night, just in time for dinner.

Speaking of dinner, I have to share this quote from a teenager, who shall remain nameless. After a long day for Amy & I grocery shopping, doing laundry at a neighbor's house (yes, the POS washer is out AGAIN), cooking (again at the neighbor's house) and cleaning (our house), we were talking with the boys about doing more to help out around the house. The rationale from the mouth of a teenager as to why he wasn't doing anything with his 14 hours of awake time to help out was that, and I quote, "Because I have things to do. I have a life." Well, golly gee whiz, I wish I had a life that revolved around me, myself and I instead of supporting a family. Not really, but it is just amazing how teenagers think.

More later!

Jeff

fun with fish eyes

2010-10-01T10:59:00.000-05:00

Uh oh, did the framing crew forget their straightedges? String lines not pulled taut? Warped wood? No, it's just the lovely and talented Amy Boyle and her fish eye lens.

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