Tag Archives: DIY

Uncategorized

Back in the barn.

November 16, 2020 Rivergirl 30 Comments

The husband was back at it this past weekend.

Finishing up the (not so) temporary (not so) easy access heat blocker to the upstairs.

By the time I walked in he had the insulation board attached to the zip siding board …

Had rigged up small pieces of insulation board on the top step..

And was busy stuffing Roxul in the small holes.

And the even smaller small holes.

Our old doe was munching under the apple trees…

And Mike Pence was still where no one wanted him to be.

So much stuffing.

Please remember… when this barn was built it was not meant to be an airtight and heated space, so there’s a lot of scrambling required to make it one now.

So when all else fails?

Caulk.

And then, for the man who didn’t want to use insulation board?

Another piece of insulation board.

So yes, there’s insulation board, on top of insulation board, on top of zip siding.

I dare the hot air to seep through that!

When that was finished and blocked off, it was time to tackle weatherstripping the porch door.

You know, the free one he brought home from the dump. The one without a frame or threshold. The non standard size nightmare that has gaps all the way around it and at least a two inch above the floor clearance.

Good times.

Truer words have ne’er been spoke.

Uncategorized

Why does he make everything twice as difficult as it has to be?

October 28, 2020 Rivergirl 39 Comments

We have a barn that really isn’t a barn. What started out as storage space for motorcycles and lawn mowers has morphed into a custom built man cave… and now that the man cave has a heat pump? The upstairs has to be temporarily blocked off for winter before the staircase turns into a chimney.

This should have been a simple project.

I told the husband – cut a piece of insulation foam. The heat pump installer told the husband – cut a piece of insulation foam. The friend that helps him now and then told the husband – cut a piece of insulation foam.

Which is why the husband made a hinged door out of zip siding.

Did I mention the husband doesn’t like to be told what to do?

After a laborious day of cursing and figuring and adjusting and fitting and more cursing….

The husband came home to cut a piece of insulation foam.

Which he wanted to attach to that hinged door of zip siding.

This involved more measuring and cutting ..

And fitting and pushing and removing and more measuring and cutting.

Please note the non OSHA approved chunk of wood dismantling the saw’s safety feature.

More fitting.

More measuring and cutting.

More fitting.

Halfway through the process, Mike Pence stopped by to say hello.

And finally after I helped him measure, cut and fit for 3 hours to no avail… I snuck out.

For the sake of my sanity…. as well as our marriage.

Uncategorized

Oh no, not again.

October 11, 2020 Rivergirl 26 Comments

I walked into the barn this morning to find my husband working on a template.

And yes, I cringed.

Having finished one side of the strapping on the ceiling and running out of that particular wood, he decided it was time to trim the windows.

And while I applauded the fact he was actually going to corner them properly, I knew it wouldn’t be smooth sailing.

One day.

One entire day to frame two windows … because he added quarter round.

Why did he add quarter round you ask?

Because when he first built this barn to be a… you know, barn? …there were giant gaps around the windows and nothing was air tight. Who was going to complain…. the lawn mowers?

But now that’s it morphed into a palatial man cave, gaps must be sealed.

And live ordinance moved.

Framing on the outside, quarter round on the inside, and extra quarter round on the top corners…. all because he didn’t install the windows correctly the first time.

Jesus wept.

But two windows were framed…

And the giant bullet is back home.

To be continued…. unfortunately.

Uncategorized

I’m ready to cry Uncle.

October 9, 2020 Rivergirl 28 Comments

First it was not at all temporary temporary doors. Then insulation and a ceiling and new light fixtures and floor moulding and quarter round.

Now?

The husband is installing strapping to cover the plywood ceiling seams.

Technically this is finish work. And we all know that is not where his talents lie.

Was the strapping straight?

Not so much.

Of course when I helpfully pointed that out, I got booted from the barn/man cave/Maine Taj Mahal.

When I went back 2 hours later? He informed me the strapping wasn’t right and needed to be redone.

Hmm. Why didn’t I think of that?

Cutting and more cutting.

Cutting around the light fixtures I tried to tell him to center 2 weeks ago.

But all the cutting resulted in straighter lines.

Aggravating? No doubt.

But…

We did have gorgeous fall foliage in the background so I’ll call it a win.

Uncategorized

Another project?

July 24, 2020 Rivergirl 22 Comments

My husband surprised me the other day with new gutters.

Yes…. some women get diamonds, I get downspouts.

But these had been a long time coming and after nearly being bludgeoned by icicles from water running off the garage last winter?

It was time.

I had other things to do that day but husband asked me to help for 30 minutes because he said that’s all it would take.

Silly, silly man.

The first section went up easily.

Too easily as it turns out….

Which the hose test proved.

It leaked.

I was then directed to a different spot, which also leaked.

Vowing to fix it later, the husband moved on, installed 2 more sections and then needed an end cap.

Which I now believe are the work of the devil.

One of these should have fit on the end of that piece to block the water.

Please note my use of the word should.

Adjustments were made.

Then larger adjustments.

Some of them not at all subtle.

But it worked.

Of course we were still left with the leaking problem on the first section. And after much discussion, it was decided the shingles on the non leaking end…

Over hung the roof a fraction of an inch further…

Than the shingles on the leaking end. And there’s not much you can do about that.

My solution?

Caulk it!

But the husband hates caulk so we spent the next 3 hours, yes… 3 hours….. trying to find a solution.

Little pieces of white plastic were cut to sit on the top of the clips and divert the flow.

But it didn’t work.

Long pieces of clear plastic were sought.

And carefully cut into strips to tuck under the flashing.

But still, it leaked.

Numerous ladder safety warnings were ignored during this process.

And still, it leaked.

Late in the afternoon, after spending way too much time on a half hour project….

The husband surrendered.

It’s raining as I write this…. and guess what?

No leaks.

Uncategorized

Project finale.

July 20, 2020 Rivergirl 17 Comments

Railing installation on the last section of deck required measuring.

So much measuring.

I figured 16 balustrades, at 5 1/2 inches apart.

Which the husband started to implement and then chose to ignore.

Why did he change the spacing?

I have no idea.

But he continued on his path.

And shockingly, something was off.

There he is with the little level again.

Silly man, didn’t he learn anything from the baby barn?

When he reached the end? He had too much room to leave it open, but not enough room to evenly space a rail.

So he jammed one in anyway, because at that point he didn’t care.

I did, but managed to swallow my criticism. It was done, and looked a damn sight better than it used to.

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

I’m pleased with it, as long as I don’t focus on symmetry.

It’s a cleaner, more modern look.

But now I can’t decide if the white lattice panel should stay or go.

Guess that can wait till I restain the deck.

Uncategorized

Slow and steady wins the race.

July 17, 2020 Rivergirl 18 Comments

But it doesn’t get your deck railing project finished any sooner.

We were back at it and it was still hot.

Unfortunately the heat wave coincided with an extended dry spell and our lawn was starting to crunch.

But old railings were torn down.

And rusty nails exposed.

I stained the new wood we had to waste almost 2 hours going to get that morning because someone… I won’t mention who… cut the other pieces incorrectly.

And then that someone (oops, my bad) discovered a sander in the barn and wanted to play.

He was fine on the flat surfaces, but scared me to death when he started trying to sand in between. That thing would hit a beam, jump out of his hand and spin wildly across the deck. It happened a dozen times but I could never quite catch it on film.

In between his legs.

Close to the power cord.

I knew something was gonna give, and it did.

That thing jumped up and sliced his jeans right open. Thankfully he wasn’t hurt, but at that point I said no more sanding!

Which he completely ignored and kept sanding.

After sanding, and almost slicing his leg off?

He hammered nails.

And swept the same portion of deck I had just swept.

Apparently I didn’t do it right.

We did manage to get a few pieces of wood installed before dinner.

With some gentle persuasion.

So this was basically it.

For a whole days work.

Good thing no one is paying us by the hour……

Uncategorized

Covid humor.

June 3, 2020 Rivergirl 11 Comments

Because wouldn’t you rather laugh?

There.

That puts things in perspective.

Yes.

For quite a bit longer by the looks of things.

Don’t you just hate when that happens?

Hell, in Maine…. it already does.

Good rule.

Most definitely.

Grocery stores have become the new I-95. Wrong way dumb asses, rubberneckers, and the road police who do 25 miles under the posted speed limit.

Move aside people….

River needs double fudge brownie mix. And tequila.

A fitting finale.

WTF indeed.

Uncategorized

The project turns a corner…

September 20, 2018 Rivergirl 26 Comments

Alternative title: If we’d known it would be this much work, we never would have started.

A word of advice from a blogger who’s sore, covered in paint and has splinters where one should never have splinters..

Don’t remodel that old rotting garage. Let it fall to pieces on it’s own, bury the refuse and park on the street….. because what started out as “Let’s throw some vinyl siding on that puppy” has turned into “Oh, holy crap… we have to replace that too?”

the-truth-of-home-renovations-100577

We’ve been working all weekend long, every weekend since mid August and never seem to get anywhere. The paper walls didn’t help, but neither did all the rotten studs and trim…. and once you start replacing a little, you have to replace a lot.

So the woodshed has new walls.

IMG_E9108

And we turned another corner.

And ripped off more trim…

And cursed the previous homeowner who used rusty railroad spikes instead of nails to Hell and back numerous times.

Then the husband said, “We might as well put a new door in here too.”

(At which point I started cursing him to Hell and back under my breath.)

Have you ever tried putting a brand new door on a 1970’s sloping, non standard, off center, dirt floored storage room? Well, don’t. It’s not nearly as much fun as it sounds.

After two full hours of putting it in… and out… and in again…. I realized the husband is not highly proficient at cutting angles.

img_e9192

But did I say anything? No. It will be covered in fascia anyway, and he probably heard my eyes rolling from across the yard…. so I’m good.

By Sunday evening we’d replaced walls and studs and trim and a door. We’d put up starter strip, J channel, corner posts, F channel, soffit, fascia, siding and sill trim.

IMG_E9199