Monday, March 23, 2020

Similar skill set just different tools

I spent the last couple of days working hard trying to get the laundry/utility room finished up so I can install the new floor. The big job left to do was to trim out the window and repair the drywall above and below the window. In this before picture you can see in the upper left the drywall is cracked and blistered.
I was lucky that behind the drywall was solid wood so I only had to cut out the worst spot instead of removing drywall from between two studs.
The drywall at the bottom of the window was a mess so I had to remove and replace it.
I got the drywall mudded then pulled out the window trim.
Got paint on the trim
I have to jump around from task to task as I wait for mud and paint to dry. Time to install the extension jams.
It is now Sunday and I can install the trim that I painted.
I needed to use that insulating foam to fill in the gaps around the window, but I only had one plastic straw which the foam goes thru so you can get way back into the gaps.
So I decided I would go ahead and finish out the window in the sewing studio and get it to the point so I could foam it too. Here was the sewing studio window at the start.
Before I did anything I needed to change one of the window crank mechanisms. Before the ten year warranty ran out I called the manufacturer and got a replacement. I have had the replacement for at least 7 years! Time to fix it! Here the old one and the new one installed. Fear had kept me from tackling this job which turned out to be very easy to do.
The window trim and extension jams were already painted so that made for quick work to get this window to the point I could foam it. Here is the state of the sewing window right now. I can now install the trim on the outside of the window. I will still need to fill in nail holes, touch up the paint, and install the hardware, but that should not take too long.
The laundry/utility room looks like this. I got started on the trim, but was just too tired to do anymore last night. I am very close to being done and I am happy with how it is turning out.
So instead of a rotary cutter I used a miter saw. Instead of a sewing machine and thread, I used nails and a nail gun. Both tasks take rulers. Work has to proceed in a certain order just like making a quilt. I do not have the skill set to make fine furniture and I have no desire to anyway. I could never afford to hire a carpenter to do this work.

I did get the binding pressed for the t-shirt quilt and my goal is to get that quilt finished by the end of the month.

5 comments:

Carol- Beads and Birds said...

Your window and wall look professionally completed. It looks great. I might never know if I am capable of doing this kind of maintenance as Terry is the Jack of All Trades. I have watched such repairs but always been the Gofer. Are you able to work during the Shelter In Place order?

Doctors are already rescheduling Terry's appointments. Our land purchase has papers ready to be signed and money is ready to send but the office is closed. Maybe until mid April as the CA Shelter In Place order might end.

Our new baby was born Saturday night. We are just too excited to get this move GOING!!
xx, Carol

Vicki W said...

You can do anything. You are my hero!

Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson said...

I am constantly amazed at all you can do.

Pauline Michaud said...

You are incredibly productive! Love to see how you've gone about getting these windows done. I finally finished unpacking/folding and arranging my fabrics in my new quilting station - and guess what? Almost everything has fit in... I decided to keep two of the top drawers to keep my tools within easy reach. So I think I'll put some of my pre-cuts/partial cuts in a drawer in my other drawer unit in the corner. Either way - I'm in love with how this turned out, and I have rediscovered all those ideas/plans I'd had for fabric I hadn't really been able to access easily in a while. Now, it's at my fingertips, and I plan to work from my stash for a good while! I have a few fabrics that will need to find new homes... I just know I won't be using them, and I will be donating them to my local sewing bee who can put them to good use. The longarm shop I work at has decided to close the doors to public, while looking after our clients through telephone, email, social media, so we will be working quietly behind the scenes to keep things moving. We are slowly transitioning to working from home at my day job... other than we need to move to a different floor to accommodate our provincial emergency operations centre for the COVID virus situation. That will happen this week. Take good care and stay safe!

Ann said...

You are amazing. And clever to realize you needed to foam everything at once. The finished windows look great. Isn't it curious how we put off certain tasks but find they aren't that difficult when we finally tackle them. Your window crank and my FMQ. Hooray for a job well done.