Day two of wall sconce installation saw our mantle taken over by tools
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Multiple trips to the hardware store were needed and my husband’s patience was wearing thin.
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I was trying to speed the process along by dropping helpful hints but was promptly told to vacate the work area.
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The old wiring was troublesome and at one point I told my husband just to mount the lights and not worry about them being functional. To be honest we haven’t turned them on for years.
There’s a reason for this.
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The built in bookcases on either side of the fireplace are deep.
Four rows of hardcovers deep, and reaching the light switch?
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Way back there …
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Means removing a few dozen books every time.
As you can see by the original unpainted paneling, it hasn’t been uncovered for decades.
Installation of the new wall sconces started simply enough that afternoon.
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With Lord Dudley Mountcatten on hand for the box unpacking assist.
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He follows my husband everywhere, like a devoted dog.
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Me? I’m just tolerated for my can opening and litter box cleaning ability. 🥴
When all the pieces and parts of the lights were laid out and the instructions ignored, because… you know, men… it was time to begin.
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Upon initial examination, the existing electrical boxes (circa 1974 when the house was built) didn’t look good.
They were metal, barely stable, filled with old paper and sawdust and had nowhere to attach the new mounting hardware.
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So they had to go.
New boxes were purchased…
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But of course they didn’t fit.
*side note- this wall is actually two sections of old paneling I painted when we first moved in. Neither of us was skilled enough in wallboard mudding and application to rip it out around the fireplace… so there it’s stayed for 20 odd years. This was never an issue, until now*
For the next few hours my husband cursed, sputtered and cut. Or tried to. He only needed to make the holes a wee bit bigger but doing so without splitting and splintering the ancient paneling was more of a challenge than he thought.
By dinner time he’d finagled the boxes into larger holes, mounted the new hardware, grounded and wired one new sconce and attached it to the wall.
Remember when my husband tore down most of our old shed and rebuilt it without the addition?
Remember when my husband bought an antique wagon and had to rebuild the addition to house the purchase?
Remember when I complained about having a gaping open hole on the north side of the new addition because my husband couldn’t figure out how to build a door on the wonky shaped opening?
Remember when my husband covered the hole with a tarp thinking that would suffice?
Silly man.
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Door construction has begun.
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I had multiple ideas for this.
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None of which were taken under consideration.
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Have you hugged your door today?
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Remember how nothing was even close to level or plumb when the shed was built?
Back at the shed extension project, some trim was added.
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And oddly added at that.
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And even though the third wall/door hadn’t been figured out, work moved to the roof.
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Where my too cheap to buy more husband used part tar paper, part leftover ice and water shield.
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He kills me that way.
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The man thinks nothing of dropping $200 for dinner, but balks at buying a last roll of tar paper or another full piece of wood when leftovers will do.
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Whatever.
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This is where the third wall should go… except the raison d’etre for the extension is rolling the antique carriage under cover so my husband wants to leave it open. I’m lobbying for some type of large door but with the roof angled for rain and the side of the existing building so clearly off square I’m meeting a lot of resistance.
River's world..... 