Just a short update today

Well over the last few weeks we did get some stuff done but the rate of work has definitely slowed down. Essentially we finished the flooring in the back entrance. This was accomplished by laying down a 1/4" underlayment first and then laying down the Vinyl Kronix flooring. This flooring is from Germany and is 100% waterproof. It is laid down like engineered flooring in that it is a click lock system. It was real easy to install and cut really nice with a sharp chopsaw blade. The only issue was that the static electrical charge kept the plastic flakes stuck to the floor so each piece and the floor was vacuumed prior to installing the cut piece. Here are two pictures showing the flooring in the back porch. First the underlay and then the finished product.

Speaking of vacuuming, I installed my central vacuum cleaner on Tuesday the ninth. I then installed the floor and used the vacuum to clean the tiles before installing. I thought the vacuum was a little loud but once finished and when I went downstairs I realized that it was not only loud but broken as there was a strong electrical smell in the basement. So contacted the company and they said send it back. Once they received it they opened it up and said yes the motor was shot. They believe something must have fallen into at some stage and once installed and running just ruined the motor. So they installed a new motor and shipped it back. Reinstalled it and it runs a lot smoother now. I still think the motor will need to run a little longer to really settle down but the difference is quite noticeable. 

Next big project for me was to work on the sink. When the countertop company installed the sink they used an industrial silicone to attach the sink to the underside of the counter. Although I trust the bond I really don't trust it that much. So I devised a safety strap system to mount under the cabinet to provide just a little more support and piece of mind. Essentially I installed two hooks into the cabinet walls on either side of the sink just below the countertop level. I then cut and sewed up two straps with rings at either end. The one end went into the hook on one side and the other ring went into a turnbuckle that was hooked onto the hook on the other side of the sink. I then tightened the turnbuckle until a suitable tension was established. I did this twice to provide me that piece of mind I craved. Here are three photos showing the parts, the installation and then a better look at the installation on one side of the sink.

I then spent some time arranging the items in my kitchen as I emptied out all the boxes that held my kitchen stuff. Lastly I installed the remaining trim around the patio door and the baseboard in the eat in bar area. I also cut sanded and varathaned trim work that will cover the gap between the flooring and the kitchen cabinets. Along with this trim I have also cut out and am varathaning the 5 floor transitions that will be needed under the doors from room to room between the different floors. 

Well that's it for now. Hopefully see you again in a couple of weeks with some more updates.

Harold

Flooring is almost done

Well a pretty simple week. All we did was install flooring on Tuesday and Wednesday. For the rest of the week I worked.
On Tuesday we managed to install all the flooring in the hallway and just into the kitchen area. It took longer than last time because of all the cutting around doors. Around the christmas time I moved the table saw and chopsaw into the garage. So every time I had to make a cut necessitated a trip from house to garage. On top of that it was time for a visit to the Dentist so that lost an hour or two as well. Oh well I'm not exactly speeding for the finish line so being a little slower doesn't mean as much as it use to. On Wednesday we finished the floor in the kitchen area and then went into the back entrance and installed a subfloor on the laundry pedestal and then laid down some commercial grade vinyl. That folks was it. I received my central vacuum system that I'll install next week as well the click lock vinyl flooring for the back porch came in so this coming Tuesday and Wednesday will see me installing the flooring in the back entrance, installing the central vacuum and then starting on finishing off the trim work. I'm hoping that by the end of the month I'll have another appraisal done on the house so that I can finalize my paperwork to be able to claim back some of the sales tax that I spent on building the house. Theory has it that I should be able to get back about 50% of the sales tax I spent. Only time will tell if they agree and rebate me this amount or if they decide I'm only entitled to a lesser amount. Anyway here are a few pictures showing the flooring in the hallway, the kitchen and then on the laundry pedestal.

Well that's it for now. Not sure when the next update will occur but it will most likely be a few weeks down the road once I've managed to get some of the trim work completed. Enjoy the mild spring and think warm thoughts for an early summer.

See you

Harold