Saturday, April 23, 2005
Overdue update
Sorry it has been so long since I've posted an update! So much has happened that I don't know where to begin!
The staircase is installed and it looks wonderful! Bissell Jr stained it yesterday and we couldn't be happier with how it looks. Once the polyurethane is applied it will be something else. It's really nice having handrails again....lol.
The trim and baseboards are finished! Whew! What a job. Bissell Jr has been working hard to stain and poly all of it. We actually ran out of places to lay the pieces out to finish them, and had to use sawhorses to add an extra level for stacking. We think the trim came out very well. Maple has a very interesting grain pattern, which made it challenging to work with, but beautiful. We noticed that on some of our boards it looked like we took a small hammer and dinged the heck out of the wood....Interestingly, Mike found an article (after the fact) that the 'dings' are inherent to maple and to reduce them you have to wet plane the boards at a 45 degree angle. We are saying the dings add character...lol...and are leaving them alone.
Bissell thinks he'll have all 13 doors, trim, baseboard, shoe mold, and stairs, stained and poly'd by monday and then he'll start on the floors. Mike is in CA next week, so the kids and I will shack up in a hotel while the floors are being finished.
We proofed our granite templates and slabs last week and our install date is May 6th. The tile backsplash will be installed the next day. We are also having the place painted, so Dennis will do that at some point and then we're having a faux painter come and paint the kitchen and family room while we're in Hawaii.
Be sure to check out the pictures here.
The staircase is installed and it looks wonderful! Bissell Jr stained it yesterday and we couldn't be happier with how it looks. Once the polyurethane is applied it will be something else. It's really nice having handrails again....lol.
The trim and baseboards are finished! Whew! What a job. Bissell Jr has been working hard to stain and poly all of it. We actually ran out of places to lay the pieces out to finish them, and had to use sawhorses to add an extra level for stacking. We think the trim came out very well. Maple has a very interesting grain pattern, which made it challenging to work with, but beautiful. We noticed that on some of our boards it looked like we took a small hammer and dinged the heck out of the wood....Interestingly, Mike found an article (after the fact) that the 'dings' are inherent to maple and to reduce them you have to wet plane the boards at a 45 degree angle. We are saying the dings add character...lol...and are leaving them alone.
Bissell thinks he'll have all 13 doors, trim, baseboard, shoe mold, and stairs, stained and poly'd by monday and then he'll start on the floors. Mike is in CA next week, so the kids and I will shack up in a hotel while the floors are being finished.
We proofed our granite templates and slabs last week and our install date is May 6th. The tile backsplash will be installed the next day. We are also having the place painted, so Dennis will do that at some point and then we're having a faux painter come and paint the kitchen and family room while we're in Hawaii.
Be sure to check out the pictures here.
Monday, April 11, 2005
The molding is done
Woodmasters was able to expedite the planer parts (they arrived Friday), so we were able to get the molder working again and all the baseboard run! It looks really nice! Mike called Stairway Solutions and they can fit us in on Wed and Thurs, so we are very happy about that. :)
The kitchen is really coming together....and actually....Dennis is running out of things to do. He doesn't want to place the dishwasher and refrigerator until the floors are protected, and he cannot install the cooktop and downdraft until the granite is installed....so he's running out of things to do. He finished the downdraft duct work and is nearly finished with the crown molding above the cabinets.
Bissell Jr was able to find matching stain, and Judi came by and approved the color...so we're on our way with that too. Also, Marble and Granite Works made their templates and will be calling us soon to approve the slabs and template placement.
We are very pleased with the progress thus far!
The kitchen is really coming together....and actually....Dennis is running out of things to do. He doesn't want to place the dishwasher and refrigerator until the floors are protected, and he cannot install the cooktop and downdraft until the granite is installed....so he's running out of things to do. He finished the downdraft duct work and is nearly finished with the crown molding above the cabinets.
Bissell Jr was able to find matching stain, and Judi came by and approved the color...so we're on our way with that too. Also, Marble and Granite Works made their templates and will be calling us soon to approve the slabs and template placement.
We are very pleased with the progress thus far!
Tuesday, April 05, 2005
molding setback
Last night Mike and I finished planing all the boards we were going to use as baseboards, and we were planning on running some molding through...
We set up the relief knife first and it ran beautifully on the sample pieces -- no problems. It took us a while to change out the cutterhead, but we now know how to do it, so it shouldn't be so bad next time.
Next we decided to try the molding knives to see how they worked before we ran all the stock through the relief knife. We installed the knives and hoped we had them balanced and tight fitting and working properly.....well they didn't. Something went terribly wrong and all three molding knives shattered, they tore up the cutterhead, and gouged the guide board...
We don't know what happened, but we're very thankful neither of us were hurt. We'll have to order a new knife (only one for now), cutterhead, and guide board and reschedule the stair install. **sigh** It's not the end of the world...but it's incredibly frustrating...
We set up the relief knife first and it ran beautifully on the sample pieces -- no problems. It took us a while to change out the cutterhead, but we now know how to do it, so it shouldn't be so bad next time.
Next we decided to try the molding knives to see how they worked before we ran all the stock through the relief knife. We installed the knives and hoped we had them balanced and tight fitting and working properly.....well they didn't. Something went terribly wrong and all three molding knives shattered, they tore up the cutterhead, and gouged the guide board...
We don't know what happened, but we're very thankful neither of us were hurt. We'll have to order a new knife (only one for now), cutterhead, and guide board and reschedule the stair install. **sigh** It's not the end of the world...but it's incredibly frustrating...
Monday, April 04, 2005
The floor is done!
They have the maple floor finished, and have started the first sanding. It looks great!! I'm so glad we went with grade 2 maple!
Now that the floor is installed, Bissell Jr is going to sand the kitchen so Dennis can start placing base cabinets tomorrow. We're also trying to get the same stain from Diamond that they used on our cabinets so we can tweak the color for staining the floor, doors, and casings. Hopefully we'll get it by Wed....
Mike and I planed boards all night last night , and ripped them to size for the baseboards, and we plan on running them through the molder tonight. Mike's mom came down to watch Erica so we can work without worrying about her. We also ripped boards for all the casements for the closet doors, pocket door, and the half wall into the family room. Dennis installed them and they look great!
Signing off from dustville..... :)
Now that the floor is installed, Bissell Jr is going to sand the kitchen so Dennis can start placing base cabinets tomorrow. We're also trying to get the same stain from Diamond that they used on our cabinets so we can tweak the color for staining the floor, doors, and casings. Hopefully we'll get it by Wed....
Mike and I planed boards all night last night , and ripped them to size for the baseboards, and we plan on running them through the molder tonight. Mike's mom came down to watch Erica so we can work without worrying about her. We also ripped boards for all the casements for the closet doors, pocket door, and the half wall into the family room. Dennis installed them and they look great!
Signing off from dustville..... :)
Friday, April 01, 2005
paints, and stains, and tiles...
Judi was out today with the faux painter to talk paint colors and decorative finishes. The tile is beautiful and will match very well, and Gloria the painter is going to pull a few of the colors from the tile to come up with a faux finish for the kitchen and family room. I think she is going to paint sometime while we're in Hawaii in May, so that we'll all be gone and out of her hair. We also started talking about possible stain colors, and Bissell Jr will get some colors mixed up and we'll preview them on the floor next week.
We had our first major causality of this remodel last night. Mara, our old boxer, must have gotten some debris in her eye and now has an ulcerated cornea. :( The last time she had one it took almost 8 weeks to heal. I hope this one heals better and more quickly than the last time. Poor thing has to wear an e-collar and be confined to the master bathroom because she tries to rub her eye on everything, even with the collar in place....
We had our first major causality of this remodel last night. Mara, our old boxer, must have gotten some debris in her eye and now has an ulcerated cornea. :( The last time she had one it took almost 8 weeks to heal. I hope this one heals better and more quickly than the last time. Poor thing has to wear an e-collar and be confined to the master bathroom because she tries to rub her eye on everything, even with the collar in place....
