Wherewithall

The kitchen ceiling….

Well, to get to the heart of the matter. There is a vent pipe. That is good. Our vent pipe however, ends at the top of the little rubber doogie thingie on the roof. Just a semblance of continuation above that bit of rubber in its lacework of rust.

Yup, steel…..

So with leak marks on the wall below, and the ceiling above, I tear off the tile to view the damage.

Which seems amazingly slight

Well, at least in comparison to other stuff…….

So, to make a short story long; SWMBO has determined that a new ceiling is in order. Sure, why not, new floor, and at least new paint. So that makes sense. And it might have something to do with me noting I could just nail up the old tile once I’ve fixed the pipe issue. I even suggested finishing nails and glue, but it bothered her aesthetic sensibilities. Something about when her relatives come……

So, we noticed ‘tin ceilings at one of the too many borg units. ‘Tin’ is plastic. Plastic @ $5.00 a sq. ft. Twice what we paid for real hardwood tongue ‘n groove flooring. But that’s another story. One that involves miles, hours, and another post.

So after much surfing it was determined that real tin, which is of course, steel, probably wouldn’t work since the pattern was too large and adversely effected our aesthetic sensibilities.

Too which, probably influenced by too much ‘This Old House’ with Norm and his pneumatic hammer putting up beadboard on a porch ceiling, and my remembering that is what is in the laundry room annex, suggested. And readily agreed to.

Except it seems it is a mythical item. No product number except in MDF and other travesties.

So, it is DIY time.

And maybe time for a new tool!

So, anyone have a spare #66 Hand beader lying around?

(image and description from The Superior Works: Patrick’s Blood and Gore )

More astute readers, and possibly beaders, may notice I haven’t mentioned the ‘other’ needed operation. Ship lap. That’s easey-peasy. And the subject of yet another post.

Now the chance of a spare #66 is sorta slim, esp with the right blade, so there is another choice.

05p0401g1 (Veritas) or 05p0450s1 ( Veritas )

Now, in the old days, this operation probably would have been relegated to the apprentice (s). Which there seem to be no ready supply of……

Maybe a few pints from the Green Dragon or other local establishments and an application of M. Twain’s whitewash the fence trick will have to do.

On second thought, 150 sq ft. of plasterboard.

On third thought, maybe growlers rather than pints.

—-

And before somebody (who will remain nameless) points out I have a lot of tools and isn’t there a possibility that I might have something that would work already; I will admit to ownership of a screaming router and a bit that is appropriate.

But, there’s something to be said for the quiet peace of long boards being scraped into desirous shapes that are pleasing to the eye.

Water! pt. 2

Ah, plumbing…… Remember that injunction to measure? Well, it is also important to note what that is a measurement of….

So, in the prior to the prior to the last visit to the favorite local hardware store, I remembered to measure the outside diameter of our galvanized iron plumbing (some of you might see where this is going). And proudly told the guy I needed a 3/4 inch elbow. He responds with ‘Which kind, treet or regular?” And yet another slippery slope of plumbing to plumb.

Now, by this time, the staff at the favorite local hardware store know not to tell me ‘ down on the right side of the plumbing aisle’ because they’ll find me there a half hour later, hat pushed back, puzzling over the vast array of little bits. All of which fit a useful purpose somewhere b’twix street and faucet. And one particular bit is the bit that fits the purpose for which I’ve been sent down the aisle to get.

No, they know to walk me down and pull it out of the bit and bobs bin.

Yes, the favorite local hardware store really is a hardware store with a plethora of bins and a minimum of shrinkwrapped onto cardboard and hung displays. Where you can’t actually hold the bit you are going to be soon becoming somewhat intimate with.

So, back to the bit; the clerk is very intuitive and before I can form a quizzical look, he’s turned around and headed to the plumbing bits and bobs aisle with me obediently in tow. And practically before I could find my own elbow, he’s morphed himself into a display unit with one of each in hand. Turns out ‘Street’ eliminates a part by being rather hermaphroditic with male threads on one end and curves 90 degrees (the elbow of elbow) to end up on the other end with female threads.

He also points out, after learning I’m working on the hose bib. Yes. Singular. Our small acreage of .4289 of an acre (and chickens) is to get liquid refreshment through one hose bib.

But back to the hose bib; they also come in with your choice of male or female threads. At this point, I’m not sure I could give a clear explanation of which is which or why. So, rather Yoda like he hands me an elbow and a faucet that he assures me that with a bit of teflon tape will go together. And I’m off to apply my new knowledge.

Ermmm, except for the illogical world of plumbing. You got a pipe. You need to get a new bit. You measure the only way you can. In my case it is use a crescent wrench as a caliper because the calipers are in a tool box which the location of which is still unknown. Or possibly behind the box of kitchen stuff in the third bedroom (but that’s another story).

So, using the crescent wrench, I measure the pipe and use an actual ruler to discover our plumbing is 3/4 inch. Which I told the guy. So he handed me the bits.

Except, galvanized plumbing is measured on the inside. My bits are too big. By about 50%. Way too much to utilize teflon tape, even I know that.

So, a note in the blue notebook. We have 1/2 inch plumbing.

Water!

We noticed early on that our basement ( AKA the man cave) has two water heaters. Neither one hooked up. Perhaps a harbinger of ‘issues’…..

And, perhaps we didn’t mention it earlier, but sometime in the last couple of years the house was broken into and all the kitchen and most of the bathroom was stolen.

Yup, no cabinets.

No bathroom sink.

Yup, they stole the kitchen sink. Though they did leave the toilet, there were no faucets. Just open ended pipes.

So, yet another visit to the friendly local hardware store for a few doogle-dingles.

If you’re reading this with the idea of following in our footsteps; here is the first in a series of helpful hints -

Don’t walk into the hardware store before actually measuring whatever is missing. Every measurement.

In this case, the phrase ‘about this big’ could be 1/2″ or 3/4″. So, actually you wind up with either two trips or extra bits and a refund on the next trip. And trust me, there will be a next trip…..

So, a couple of trips, and temporarily remembering the real name of the doogle-dingles and we get the little valves on the end of the pipes in the kitchen (iron) and bathroom (copper).

And now we’re ready to turn on the water!

Did we mention that most of the plumbing is galvanized iron?

Remember the ‘while back’ when the kitchen was stolen? Seems that was long enough for the valve in the basement to be frozen. Shut.

Penetrating oil. Nope.

So, back to the friendly local hardware store for a few more doogle-dingles.

These doogle-dingles are (in order) a ball valve, a close couple, an elbow, a short bit of pipe, and a union coupling.

Amateur plumber status exhibited by excessive teflon tape.

Which reminds me, back in the day there was plumber’s dope. I was mostly doing either electrical stuff or carpentry. We always thought it was funny that plumbers had to have special dope.

So, with a flourish, we hie ourselves out to the street to open the valve there. and rush back to the house because we can’t remember or forgot if the ball valve was open or closed. A second bit of amateur plumbing status shows by our having installed it so the user can’t read the note on the handle. A third bit of amateur plumbing status shows by not checking before installing it.

No water sounds in the basement. That might be a good thing. No dripping noises. That’s a good thing.

We crank the yellow handle. Rushing water sounds. Gurgling noises. Then quiet. That’s a good thing. And no dripping from my handywork. That’s a good thing.

And out of the basement to double check the kitchen and bathroom. All valves shut. No leaks.

And coming back down to the man cave, I notice the little drip drip from the hose bib by the door. (note; there isn’t a door, yet. Just a doorway).

Hmmm. valve is closed. Tighter doesn’t do anything. A perusal shows a crack in the elbow.

So, the newly installed ball valve gets shut. A wrench is applied.

A bigger wrench is applied.

Turns out that was the biggest one in the toolbox.

So, yet another visit to the friendly local hardware store for a few more doogle-dingles. It is pointed out a bigger wrench isn’t the best idea. It is suggested that penetrating oil….

Nope, still not moving, even the next day.

It is suggested that heat be applied. Sorry, no pics of the torch and an almost red hot piece of cast iron. But easy peasey it turns right off. AND

(Note; this post should have come before the concrete pouring. But I forgot. The plumber’s a dope)

A guy and his jack posts

It was noticed that the floor has a certain level of unlevelness. An inch or so North and South and about the same East and West. Depending, of course, on exactly where one is standing.

And then there is the small issue of a porch column being used as a replacement for one post. Well, that’s not quite exactly right. There is a post sitting directly on the floor and a slightly rotten end which is supporting a spliced girder . So there is a porch column standing next to it. We won’t talk about the piece of baseboard being used as shim……

But to make it even better, there is the little matter of a missing post….. In the center of the house…… and a bit of a bow in the 6×6 girder that is spanning something in the order of 12 feet. In the middle of the house. Note to the decorator - don’t put the piano there. Or the couch. Not for a week or so….

So, in the work proceeding apace, we’ve poured a footing for the non-existent middle post.

(oops, I though I took a picture. Imagine a block of wet concrete about 1 ft x 1ft x 1 ft.)

And after much research. two posts jacked up with two 20 ton jacks. A few creaks and a groan or two from upstairs. And after about a half inch of lift the North end post, which also had a rotten end, has been removed.