Chicago Duplex Down Rehab

foam insulation install Ed and I lifting heavy window into place Eric threw me a USB stick with a bunch of photos he had taken over the past few year, so I'm posting many here! two lines of gas piping and electrical  conduit running down center of building  me on scaffolding, nice spring day finished wood floor Rick smiling about crown install?? Eric  fabled staircase, many debates about  rise/run 

The master bathroom has been neglected since the drywallers finished over a year ago. Before Eric and I can start tiling, a few items needed to be taken care of. I had been looking off and on for a low voltage lighting solution for the shower, and finally came across some 2.5" 20w recessed halogen fixtures from Seagull Lighting that would work. The original plan was to put in one in the niche, and one directly above the two shower valves, but some of the framing above the shower got in the way. This is what happens when you don't plan for lighting before the framing! The 120VAC to 12VAC transformer is in an access panel on the other side of the shower wall in the bedroom. We could have put the transformer access in the bathroom, but there was no easy place to put it without having to deal with a tiled wall. I ran some 10gauge Romex cable (orange) from the transformer to a junction box in the shower wall, and then flex conduit from there to all three fixtures with standard 14...

for those that care.. We moved to 1st floor almost 2 weeks ago. Our friends that will be watching our new baby moved upstairs a week ago. So, the place is not completely finished, but certainly livable. The remaining items include: - window treatments (roman and 'solar' shades) - master bedroom stairwell landing bookcase - master bedroom stairwell wall bookcase - master bath (tile, cabinets, fixtures, glass) - doorbell transformer - master bedroom LED cove lighting - 1st floor hallway hutch - kitchen island countertop (leftover plywood in meantime) - switching remaing locks to Mul-T-Lock restricted key system We've run out of cash, and will be finishing these items as capital is EARNED through our hard work for a multi-national aerospace company. :)

painting is finally underway! We discovered the Minwax Helmsman spar varnish works really nicely on the stained trim, very low lustre. I'm using Sherwin Williams this time around. I opened an account at their Milwaukee & Fullerton location. The paint is often 30% off for account customers. That makes it less than $30/gal. I was paying $35/gal+ for Ben Moore, and couldn't find a way to get a discount on that.

pronounced UK: /ˈweɪnskət/, US: /ˈweɪnskɒt/, US dict: wān′·skət, wān′·skŏt) Rick is back for the install of the vestibule and foyer wainscoting. No matter how you say it, it's looking good. I'm really looking forward to posting the final before and after photos. Here's the recipe for this wall. 1x4 red oak for stile and rail (vertical and horizontal) quartersawn red oak 1/4" paneling (sized to golden rectangle ) cap: 1 3/4" crown under 5/4 walnut cap 1/2" cove moulding to border panel everything stained with 'ipswich pine', and 1 coat of wipe-on polyurethane 2nd coat of varnish will go on later.

oh, don't worry, the holes were intentional! Didn't mean to scare you. When putting the intake and exhaust PVC pipes for the two furnaces last year, we had to cut 3 and 4 in. holes right into the flat roof. This seems like the craziest thing to do to your roof if you don't want leaks, but its very common. There are two methods of sealing the gap between the pipe and the roof hole. Most common is a 'flashing boot' that goes over the pipe, and then is tarred up to seal it to the roof. Another, in this case, is a 'pitch pan'. The 'pan' part is obvious, it looks like a square pan. I'm not sure where the 'pitch' nomenclature arises, probably something from old masonry terms. Since I had more than one pipe, it was easier to use the pitch pan. You can't install two flashing boots right next to each other, they only work for individual pipes. On the other hand, the pitch pan will work for any number of protrusions that will fit into ...

i've been spending lots of time ordering light fixtures online. There are some great deals out there (through ebay) if you search hard enough. eBay sniping software to help you win more items.

Trim continues. More staining. More sanding. More wipe-on polyurethane. Stewart's been coming by almost every weekend to help out. Here's his other endeavor: band blog . Below is the sanded and stained bay window ledge. I'm going to use McCloskey's 'Man-O-War' spar urethane for the ledge since its exposed to so much sunlight. Same varnish we used for the doors.

The 42" front exterior door had a very worn down wood threshold originally. Ed later replaced that with another oak threshold. Since the floor was being replaced, and the threshold out of whack due to the uneven surfaces and tilted door, Ed's threshold was also tossed. I decided to look for a more commercial (READ: durable, can take a beating) solution. Even though they are not building vintage or aesthetic, a shallow aluminum threshold was the answer. I ended up purchasing the threshold from AB Supply online. They have a pretty amazing selection of hard to find hardware. The big box stores only sold up to 36" aluminum thresholds, and not a big selection of widths. Since the limestone sill was slightly higher than the floor, I added an additional strip of walnut to make up the difference. On a great suggestion from Eric, I routed the walnut about 1/16th of an inch to create a groove for the threshold leg to sit. This prevents the piece from sliding in and ou...

I've been going to WOOD WORLD at Elston & George since I bought the building back in 2002. They had some great trim I couldn't find anywhere else to match some of the existing. Lately, i've been taking some trips out to Des Plaines to visit OWL LUMBER , since they have a different (and slightly cheaper) selection. Here's my take on both of these specialty shops. Wood World has more unique trim profiles, and very laid back, friendly staff. Owl Lumber has all the standard profiles, but much more rare wood stock at some decent prices. You'll just have to visit both! I plan on using 'finger-jointed' poplar (not pine) for the master bedroom, and I think Owl Lumber will be the place to go. Photo is of employee counting and wrapping my order.