WEEK 10 of Remodel a House and Don't Divorce or Die doing it..

WEEK 10
25 July thru 31 July


Another week and D Day is looming and I have now resigned myself to the fact that the 1st of August as our finishing date is not going to happen.   Maybe the 1st of September...Praying


George has the Memorial today and Funeral tomorrow.  Since our household goods are in storage George does not have all his uniforms other than his ACU's.  Another CSM has been very kind and helpful and is loaning George his uniform to wear for the services. 
I headed out early after George left for work to go and see if I can get a nameplate made for the uniform that George will be wearing.  Luckily Sun's Alterations can make it within a few hours.
I dropped off the invoice to George and then headed to the PX. 
I Picked up a few supplies and an Auto Sunshade.  My car gets real hot while parked at the house and I had to do something.  The one I bought is great.   It is actually two sunshades with visor organizers.   One for the passenger side and one for the driver's side. I just get in the car now and fold them up and attach them to the visor and the car is so much cooler.  Great Buy...
Due to the circumstances and George not getting home until really late from the Memorial, we called it a night.


It is amazing how a small act of kindness from another can remind us how blessed you are to be part of a Military Community.  George was getting the uniform together that he borrowed for the Funeral and not only had this Command Sergeant Major given him his uniform, he also made two nameplates for George without him knowing it, Wow..That is truly going above and beyond.  We are eternally grateful for his kindness and support..


Since I did not do much of anything yesterday and our backyard is a disaster, I decided to get out and get it cleaned up.   My first challenge was removing the tree limbs.  They were way too heavy for me to drag out to the kerb for pick up, so I got the saw and got to work..Just call me Lumberjack..lol
I crack myself up..



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Tree limbs gone

Limbs all chopped up and out on the street. I am sure the truck driver from the city that comes once a month to pick up the brush is wondering what else I can possibly cut down.  I just feel like our house has had crud lying in front of it forever..

Then it was on to cleaning up the mess my wonderful husband created.  He tossed drywall out the window and the bags of old insulation out the door.  I had to empty the wheelbarrow that George left full before I could move anything.

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everything moved

He also just tossed all the old wood flooring in a heap along with drywall and insulation into a heap at the side of the shed.

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Clean as a whistle..

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All stacked nice and neat for pick up...

I spent about 6 hours in the yard in the good old Texas heat and I was going to complain until a few  friends posted this on their Facebook and reminded me that I should be thankful that the heat is all I am dealing with.


"I was going to complain about how hot it is, then I realized that:
1) It isn't 109 degrees;
2) I'm not 5,700 miles from home;
3) I'm not dressed in a full BDU uniform and helmet and carrying 70 + lbs; and
4) There is very little chance that anyone will shoot at me or that I might drive over a bomb in the road today! Thanks to all who serve. "


I am spent so it is time for a nap.
George got home and worked on finishing the electrical and putting up more Drywall.

I woke up today in agony.  I am back to every bone in my body aching.  I guess I hauled way too much stuff yesterday.  It looks like I will be taking it easy for a few days.  I did re-pot some plants in Miracle grow...

I worked on the blog and the budget spreadsheet..

We are doing good with the budget and are definitely getting more bang for our buck by doing the renovation ourselves...


George came home and started installing the fittings for the Guest Bathroom Shower..

Today it is time to clean up around this house, sorry construction site.  I don't think I could have done this remodel if we had all our household goods.  The down side of that is that I don't have my bed to fall into each night.  My Bed is the incentive that keeps me going.  I also had to do some food shopping since the cupboards are bare and research on a Freestanding Bathtub.

I have decided to go with Cast Iron instead of Acrylic but not quite sure what design.  I am looking at purchasing from Signature Hardware http://www.signaturehardware.com/style68

Here are the contenders.  If anyone has a freestanding tub, any advice would be appreciated.

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Henley 66" Dual Tub

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Aiden 67" Dual Tub

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Aubrey 68" Dual Tub

As usual George came home and got to work on the other shower fittings.  I don't know if I could work all day and do this at night especially with a smile on my face...

 He then poured the first layer of the shower pan in the Guest Bathroom with Thin Set.

 Time to clean up..

I got up early and decided  to get back to work. Since I am sure you all think I have been skiving all week but I am still trying to figure out why the jobs I am doing, all seem to be the heavy duty labor intense work. 

I love Popcorn just not on my ceilings. 

Now I did do some research on removing the popcorn plaster and one site said to make a solution of a cup of white vinegar, 7 tablespoons of Dawn dish liquid to a gallon of watter in a sprayer bottle.  I have the sprayer, have water but I have Palmolive dish soap and London Pub vinegar.  You got to work with what you got while the mood takes you.  Now it also says to spray on the ceilings and leave a few minutes and make sure not to soak as you will end up ruining the sheet rock and have to replace it. 

Well since George got me a scraper made especially for this project that you attach a bag to, I don't have to cover the floor in plastic.

It was time to get to work. 

This is hard work and really works your arm muscles especially as the bag starts to fill up with wet plaster. 

I managed to get the majority of the hall done and part of the den..It is hard work..I am pooped..

The plastic bags from the store are the ideal size to attach to the scraper. Reuse and recycle...

I did have goggles and a mask on doing this job.  There was not much mess on the floor since the majority was caught in the bags but I did have to take a shower straight away because I did have the plaster in my hair...

Now before the comments start, Sabina and Paula, I know my roots need done badly, just didn't know how badly until I seen this picture..lol

George came home and we went out to Applebees for dinner.  I had my usual Mucho Bahama Mamma to drink..yummy.

We headed over to Walmart and picked up the correct white vinegar.The London Pub vinegar is imported and  is kind of expensive to be spraying on the ceiling .  Also got the dawn dishwasher soap.

Homeward bound and time to relax.

Up early and out for supplies.  Home Depot ..Whoop  We need Sheet Rock/Dry Wall to finish up the bathrooms.

Now that stuff is heavy to carry but George bought these handy dandy gadgets after our last big purchase of boards that we unloaded.

The Panel carry definitely makes it easier to move any boards but it does not make them any lighter.  

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Some of The Boards we unloaded 

It is still exhausting unloading but less whining and time to get to work.  I am back on Popcorn duty....

As you can see I learned my lesson from the other day.  Trying to wash out wee bits of popcorn plaster from your hair is a pain in the rear so I used one of the plastic bags  and tied it around my head.  I know I look like a complete eejit but whatever works..lol

Another room of popcorn gone.  Still got more to go but it will have to wait for another day.  I did learn that if you spray twice and let it set for about 10 minutes it scrapes off like butter.  If only George had needed the ladder at the beginning of the scraping, it would have took less effort to do...lesson learned.

George is back in the guest bathroom.  Another layer to the Guest shower pan..

He took down the lights and Air ducts while I was doing the popcorn.  When he borrowed the ladder for the task is when I found out leaving the solution on for ten minutes makes it come off easier..

George had to take out the last ceiling wood beam from the old shower/bath wall..

 Then onto more drywall...

George was like the energizer bunny and wanted to get the guest bathroom floor prepped so he could pour the liquid level later, so he rolled on the Latex primer..It stinks..

I had taken a shower and it was a lot easier because of my plastic bag on my head..No popcorn to wash out...lol
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My roots still need done

My bags of popcorn plaster are growing..

George is chapping at the bit to lay tile so after my shower we headed back out to Lowe's to get tile for the guest bathroom...

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Mosaic tile for shower floor..

We also bought 18 x18 tiles in the same design for the Bathroom floor...
George finished the night out by pouring the liquid level on the Guest Bathroom floor.

And then the first layer of the Master Bathroom shower pan by pouring the Thin Set.

Sunday, Sunday..


While setting out the design I want on the walls for the guest bathroom, I found that most of the mosaic tiles for the shower were broken..what a bummer..I now have to go to the store.  what a shame I was so looking forward to scraping more popcorn...NOT..







The Liquid level was dry so George started installing the Cement Board..

 then extended all the pipes out from the wall in both bathrooms....

Finished installing the cement board on the guest bathroom walls..

Put on the felt paper and then the liner in the shower pan...

Plastic was then attached to shower walls...

Cement board installed over plastic..

Last layer to the shower pan..pouring of mud base 2.5 to 3inch thick..

He finished off the evening by setting up his new tile cutter..I think he is just itching to use it...

After eating hamburgers for dinner it is time to call it a night..
I am doing the Happy Dance because I know the next step is tile on the floor...yay..

Another week has come and gone...

What I have learned..

Popcorn Plaster removal should be done first..buy a shower cap...

Over doing it one day can lay you up the next few days..take your time..

Check all your boxes of tiles.  It will save you a trip if any are broken.

Buy panel carries straight out the gate...

I will have arms the length of Monkeys when we are done...

Scottish terms for Non Scots

Kerb - edge of pavement

Wee - Small
Skiving - slacker, lazy, not pulling your weight,

Chapping at the bit - eager

Eejit - idiot.....

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Until next time...