There's always time for fun..

We take a break from our regularly scheduled house updates with a little fun sent in from Seattle..

A PSA , just in time for spring

Enter the Sand(wo)man

Our kitchen isn't quite what you can call updated. Yes, okay it's outdated with the pink laminate counter tops and appliances straight from the Brady kitchen, but still functional. It needs some help needless to say, but it's not something we can throw money at right now. To help make it feel fresh and new until we can save up enough money to do a serious remodel, we're giving the walls and cabinets a new paint job.



We started out by sanding. Of course we thought it would be a straightforward job, but it never is, at least for us it isn't.



We had to spend extra time sanding because the most recent coat of paint was laid on super thick and we suspect that they didn't clean, sand or prime first. Instead of the paint just easily sloughing off, it had a gummy texture and kind of rolled off in bits leaving behind a less than smooth texture. Because of this, we had to sand down more than we liked to just to get the surface smoother. We went down almost 3 layers of paint on some parts just to get everything nice and smooth. Oh, and paint scraper helps a lot.



One of the things we didn't realize was how dusty this project would be. We stepped in the first day less than prepared.



Dust, dust, dust, everywhere.



First line of defense, a mask and headgear.



Though this may remind you of a childhood meal (Kraft mac'n'cheese, anyone?), it has no place on your clothes, on your hair or in your lungs



The one thing that we really needed is eye gear



Our advice, buy something legit, not from the dollar store. These lasted us maybe 2 hours before we gave up because they fogged up so much.

We're all done with the kitchen and cabinet faces, but we still have cabinet doors and drawers to do. The sanding isn't quite over yet.

Slapping it on

We're moving right along here folks. The roof patch seems to be holding up well so far except there's one area on the front side that is looking a liiiiiittle suspect. We're keeping our eye on it.



We picked paint, colors rather.



Wallpaper came down.





Walls patched.



And much pizza consumed.



We're getting closer.

Fun with Plumbing

Thanks for all your words about our floors. Just to reiterate, there was no damage done and we are lucky for that. It's supposed to rain again over the next few days so the patch we put on the kitchen extension roof will be put to the test (It wasn't a flashing issue there. There was actually a crack in the roof along one of the seams). So cross your fingers for us!

We'll let you start your weekend with a video. We had to pull out our sink/vanity out of the first floor bathroom before the floor guys could tile the floor and this is what we found.



The moral of this video, don't wash your hair in the sink!

Happy Friday!

Inside out? Or outside in? (Floors, part 2)

There's usually a standard sequencing you follow when tackling a home remodeling project. In short, you work from the inside out, taking care of the internal parts of the structure first as well as the protective elements (roof). We didn't quite follow the sequence, so please learn from our mistake.



Fix your roof first. Wait, let me restate. Take care of all water intrusion issues first, ESPECIALLY if you're remodeling your house in the middle of rainy season. Our inspection didn't uncover any roof issues aside from the fact that we would have to do some general maintenance to keep it in working condition until it would need to be replaced in about 3 years.

Less than two weeks after we closed, the Bay Area was rained out a one-day storm that toppled a 40+ year record. It rained nonstop for 12 hours, hard. When the rain subsided we went to go check on the house and to our dismay we found this in the first floor bedroom, bubbled up paint.



Water was making its way into the house and seeping into the walls. We also found water on the sill of the front window in the master bedroom spilling over onto the floor. Two words, not good. We contacted a few roofers to inspect the damage and most agreed that the roof wasn't the issue, but rather the flashing. The problem was the roof intersection of the front to the second floor. There was no step flashing. Flashing basically prevents water from coming into the structure at joins and intersections wit the roof. The previous owners had obviously known about this problem and tried to solve it by slathering caulk into the roofing intersection. Over time, their quick and cheap fix became weathered, and cracked allowing the water back into the house.



In the interim, we decided to go again with the previous owner's temporary patch and slapped some more caulk on until we decided on a contractor and course of action. And it seemed to hold up well with the light showers that followed the big storm. We were definitely fortunate that the rain laid off for as long as it did. Our contractor was to install flashing with the new siding which would take care of the source of the water intrusion. But because they started with the side and back of the house first, they didn't get to install the flashing before another big storm put all work on hold.


O hai, wet wall

Aaaaaaand water came back into the house, seeped into the walls and made their way down to the floors, the brand, new hardwood floors.. the ones that still have yet to be sanded.. the ones they JUST finished putting in.



Aaaaaaand then the master bedroom windows started leaking again, overflowing actually, letting water in and onto the floors, the brand, new hardwood floors.. the ones that still have yet to be sanded.. the ones they JUST finished putting in.





Aaaaaaand then we discovered a new leak in the kitchen, actually at the kitchen intersection with the main house. We suspected it was, again, a flashing issue, letting water into the house, dripping into the kitchen, seeping into the walls and making their way down to the floors, the brand, new hardwood floors.. the ones that still have yet to be sanded.. the ones they JUST finished putting in.







We put the rest of the floors on hold until the flashing and siding job was completed and the source of the kitchen leak identified and fixed. In the meantime, we put out fans to help dry out the walls and floors which seemed to do the trick. Fortunately, the floors weren't damaged. But we certainly learned our lesson.

Making sure your house is watertight is the most responsible way to protect your investment. Take care of this first above all else especially before you start cosmetic projects.

Onto the floors, part 1

We started the hardwood floor installation a day after we started repair on the siding. The thing that surprised me about the floor installation was how fast the process was.



I think it helped tremendously that we ripped out the carpet ourselves. The space was practically ready to go. The floor guys only had to remove the baseboards, tack boards, trim the steps and remove the linoleum in the first floor bathroom.



By the end of the first day, they practically finished the second floor, the master bedroom and walk-in closet. On the first floor, the subfloor in the main living space was repaired (there was a bad spot near the fireplace), the border was laid down and major progress was made in second bedroom.





Neither Benito nor I have seen hardwood floors installed. Our contractors used a pneumatic stapler to fasten the boards. Neither of us had seen this tool before and it was quite fascinating, and loud.



Not even a week later, the floors were installed, including the tile in the first floor bathroom. And then it started raining, a lot.



To be continued..