Forging Ahead

Last weekend J and I spent two days digging a 6 foot tall trench.  We completely sealed the concrete blocks below and above grade with a tar sealer that I did not think would ever come off!  I was a bit nervous about "washing" my hands in gasoline to get it off, so I found a much safer alternative at a big box store called GOOP.  It's a must have if you are going to be undertaking any project involving petroleum or tar!


Taking a break to snap a pic of J in the Trench!

Monday brought another day of no new movement at the house and I was beginning to despair that we were never going to move in.  Tuesday J took a day off work so we could finish sealing up our exposed basement wall and fill the trench back in.  I was very happy to see the framers there with our builder knocking out the remaining framing items so we could move forward with the other trades.  Wednesday brought the siding crew who installed all the trim work and put the batten board on the front of the garage.  I am so happy I convinced J to upgrade to a premium color because it looks fantastic!

I spent Thursday and Friday in the basement with a sledgehammer and paint roller.  I busted apart the enormous concrete laundry sink that was impossible to salvage unless it remained in the basement due to it's sheer size.  I painted about a fourth of the 83 year old beams to properly seal them and brighten up the dreary storage space.  I relegated myself to the basement so I would not be in the way as the plumbing crew worked around me roughing in all the piping for the water and sewer lines.  The concrete crew showed up and poured the garage floor, the first half of the driveway, and the footing for the new front porch.  Siding continued to go up and I'm told that all trades will be back next week to complete their work!

If we can keep this pace going the electrician and HVAC contractor will be able to finish up the end of next week or early the week after and we can finally begin the fun part of insulation, drywall, and paint.  Whew, what a week!  Time for some kayaking and a beer:)