Projects
I've done this once before and it nearly became an exercise in disappointment but I think it helps me to have a list of the stuff that should get done around the house. The reality is that we have plenty to do and nowhere near the resources to do it all. With a list, though, we can prioritize and get some of it done. Publishing the list on the internet adds a little peer pressure. Ok, here it goes...
1. Finish the back yard. We need a truck load of dirt or two to level out the ground on the northeast corner of the house. The ground has settled and water currently runs toward the foundation - not good. We'll have someone dump a full load of dirt in the driveway and move it ourselves. We'll also need to rent a tamper (not sure what that's called in landscaping vernacular - smoosher? packer?) and we'll design an area with grass and flowers surrounding the patio. This should not be too expensive.
2. Water softener/filter. This is becoming imperative. We got a quote from a plumber for over $2K for this operation so we've put it off but we have nice, new appliances and the water will eventually render them useless. If we condition the water, though, we'll be able to drink from the faucets with no concerns and save money on bottled water. We'll have to shop around for a better price.
3. The basement. This will have to be done in three steps.
a. Clean it. The plan is to isolate the band/musical equipment in one area, the books, DVDs, CDs and other media (content) in another area, then attack the rest of the piles with complete abandon. If it's something we'll keep forever (wedding stuff, etc.) and it's not super delicate but it's never used, it'll go in the attic. The rest will be sold or dumped.
b. Electrify it. Once it's clean, we can enlist our old neighbor to add outlets in key areas to more evenly distribute the power load of the band, the computer and the beer fridge.
c. Arrange it for entertainment. The band stuff takes up a lot of space. We'll build in a closet storage area around the furnace to store whatever should stay down there. The rest of the basement will become a bar/entertainment area. I have a mini-fridge and a dart board already. I can build an actual bar and I'd wall off the sump pump and water lines. I might install a drop ceiling and we'll definitely put some sort of inexpensive carpet down. Beyond that, it'll be somewhat industrial down there.
4. Book Shelves. I have an idea in my head for built-in bookshelves that will range from the floor to 3/4 up the wall on either side of the fireplace. Each case will be half as wide as the fireplace but half again taller. I'll try to emulate the mantle of the fireplace on the tops of the cases. If all goes as planned, a flat-panel LCD TV should fit perfectly above the fireplace and between the shelves. The audio/DVD components will fit on the lower half of the right-side book case (near the cable outlet and phone line) and the speakers will easily fit on the shelves. If I'm really industrious, I might even run wire below the floor to accommodate surround speakers. This should take a lot of time and some significant $$, so it's lower on the list. However, if these bookshelves work out, I can build some into the front room as well.
5. Floors. Ideally, we'd have the raised half of the main floor in the house finished with 100% hardwood floors. We'd remove the existing cabinets, move the gas line back to the wall for a better fit for the stove, and get a whole new kitchen. That'd cost a fortune. In reality, we'll probably get some engineered wood (like Pergo but with a top layer of real wood) and run that up to all of the edges. Since there are so many doorways, turns and angles, I'm not looking forward to this job. I took real pride in the floor we installed at our old place, but that was a big rectangle.
I think that's it. That's probably enough. Any suggestions on any of this would be appreciated.
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7 comments:
building that bar should be number one.
I am not letting Bob read this post. It will send him into overdrive as he is a big List Man, always adding, crossing off, "gettin' stuff DONE!" kinda guy.
Now that he owns power tools, you can imagine...
Head over to the Dekalb Co. landfill (on Somonauk road by the tollway) for your dirt. I was just over there for 4 trailer loads for my ever expanding flower beds (ultimate goal: no mowing). Actually, it's not really dirt, it's some primo compost, from grass clippings and leaves etc. that's been sifted, like puffy rich black dirt. If you have dirt trucked in, they'll charge you about $35 per cubic yard. This stuff is $10 per trailer load, which was nearly 2 cubic yards. So if you have a trailer or a truck, it's the way to go. They even load you up with a bucket loader. One drawback, they're not open on weekends, so you'll have to get there before 4pm. P.S.--don't go over 40mph. I completely jacknifed on the way home once, my brakes were practically on fire--thought I was a dead man. Real smooth.
Oh yeah, shelves. Probably two options if you're doing them custom. Cheap--painted pine. Depends on what your trimwork in the house is. My house has oak trim, so I went with oak plywood for my closet shelves. Sounds lame at first, but there is oak laminate edging that you can buy and hot iron to the plywood edges, which then looks like a solid piece of oak. Expensive look for less money (oak plywood sheets go for about $40). If I had to do it over again, I'd rent a table saw and planer--perfectly straight lines.
I'm not loading the Vue with compost dirt. I got a recommendation for a place in or near Oswego that's not too expensive and they deliver it. We'll probably need a lot, so I'll get a full truck load. I have learned that dirt is not dirt cheap.
I'll have to go with oak since the fireplace and all the trim is oak. The only problem is it's all stained a very medium brown (bleh) and I can't decide if we should keep with that or start the process of re-coloring all the trim in the house. That will be a lot of work. Maybe too much work. Yep, I'm out. Medium brown it is.
Planer and table saw - for sure.
Kaka - I'm not a "gettin' stuff DONE" guy - I'm a "think about it, freak out, play video games instead" guy. That's why I made the list. Maybe Bob can send me inspirational messages.
Tom - the bar should be done in time for your first visit. ;)
p.s. - thanks for the tips, Sultan.
Tom's right. Move that bar up on the list. You'll need it to get the other stuff done.
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