In Search of the Laundry Room

Today I started working (really working) on the laundry room. I began running the water lines to their final positions. I have the window installed. It needs a little tweaking before I fasten it permanently. I had started running the water lines (all CPVC and CPVC cement) and started to feel a little wierd. In a moment of clarity I decided that I needed to go ahead and install the window to facilitate better ventilation. That helped a lot.

This is the laundry room as it has looked for the past 4 months, or so. Below is the laundry room pretty much as it looks right now. What is not in the picture is the framed in chase above the window. The chase will hide the plumbing, and I'll be able to put cut off valves in for the water lines. It also solves the issue of the waste vents, since it will enable me to run the vent to the roof without drilling any large holes in the top plate of the wall.

The washer and dryer will be stacked in the right corner of the room, and the rest of that wall will be counter space, a sink and some cabinets. I didn't get as far on the plumbing as I wanted. I ran out of CPVC, and had to go pick up some more. It was 9pm before I knew it. I try to not do any noisy stuff after 9pm so my family and the neighbors can sleep. I hope to have all of the plumbing completed tomorrow. I'd like to hang drywall tomorrow, but that will depend on how quickly I can get all of my other chores done.

The Next Project

Now that the kitchen and bathroom are mostly done (just a few finishing touches left), it's time to turn my powers to the laundry room. I finally got the new dryer hooked up, and figured out how to get that base kit off of the washing machine. Kathryn, I have the washing machine base ready if you still want it, and Jessica, the old dryer and microwave are ready for you if you still want them. I can bring them over this weekend.

Got a lot to do to finish this room. Still not as bad as the kitchen, but better than the bathroom. I need to run the plumbing to it's final spot for the sink and the washing machine, tie in a HVAC duct, insulate and hang drywall, install a new window, run a vent through the roof for the plumbing, lay tile, and install cabinets. I already have all of the material to complete the job. The tile and drywall have been in the living room for the last several months. The material for the little plumbing I have left is out in the garage. I am using some of the better cabinets from the old kitchen and will be repainting them white. I have a countertop salvaged from work when we got new workspaces for the office. I will need to build the rest of the shelves from furniture grade plywood I managed to get on clearance almost two years ago. I had originally bought the plywood to build the cabinets for Heather's scrapbook room. The only thing I may have to still get is the paint for the walls.

I don't have any pictures to show what we plan for the laundry room to look like, but maybe I can scan in my sketches, if I can ever find that missing cable for the scanner.

This will be Abbey's first run as an assistant project manager. Hopefully, those two will go easy on me. After this project, I may be able to turn some attention to the garage.

Oh Crap!!!!

Abigail. Abbey. The "A-Factor". Maybe I should add "Stinky" to the list of names. We're still working on her housebreaking. I thought that the reason crate training was supposed to be so great was because dogs won't defile the place where they sleep. Apparently Abbey doesn't know that law. As I let her out of the crate this morning (she launches out like a photon torpedo- complete with the sound) I had to fight to keep from succombing to the stench. I know, this is gross. Just let me vent, Ok?

Anyway, have you ever seen Daddy Day Care? Remember the part where the kid comes out of the bathroom and Eddie Murphy peeks in the door and is horrified by the carnage all over the floors, walls and ceiling? Just paste my face on that scene. That was Abbey's crate. Maybe I should call her Crappigail, or the Crappinator. I know, she's just a puppy, and can't hold it all night, yet. I just don't remember Meg being that difficult.

The dogs, by the way, have been eating a new dog food for the last couple of weeks. Blue Buffalo is apparently a miracle food. The dogs love it. They messily devour it as soon as I set it on the floor. They seem happier. Their fur is softer. They are more energetic. Very, very energetic. And it goes through Abbey like, well, you know.

So, I will welcome any housebreaking advice so this little dog can be unleashed upon the house. If you come to visit, bring your own clothespin.

The Current Bathroom Shots

I finally downloaded my camera. Here are some better shots of the nearly complete bathroom. Again, it's hard to get a good angle since it's so small.

Here's the new tile floor once I had finished. Ignore the salmon tub. It's just not in the budget to reglaze it this year.

The toilet and vanity installed.

The vanity and new mirror installed. We got rid of the in wall medicine cabinet and covered up the hole.

"Abbs" and the "M-Factor", happy to be putting their paws on the newly shampooed carpet, the little twerps.

Just have to install a new box for the outlet, since the old one was a plastic remodel box and isn't holding the mounting screws, and a couple pieces of baseboard. I was working on that on Saturday, before it started to rain.

Et tu Chuck?

I'm a little bummed. I found a Chuck Norris Random Fact generator and added it to my site. Yes. I'm a Chuck fan. "The square root of Chuck Norris is Pain. If you try to square Chuck Norris, the result is death." Unfortunately, it seems that some rather foul language started to show up. So, I had to ban the CNRG. Too bad. Some of them are pretty funny. Don't know why some have to throw in the language.

"If you can't see Chuck Norris, he can see you. If you can see Chuck, you are only seconds from death."

Oh well.

The Phantom Menace

The bathroom side of the Megginator Tunnel has officially been closed. The bathroom turned out to be more work than I planned. I had cut a hole in the drywall to put in blocking to support the accessories and found a lower form of life lurking within. I pulled out some more of the wall and it was covered in mold. I ended up pulling out about half of the drywall and treating the framing for mold. Good thing drywall is only 6.95 a sheet. I wasn't planning on that expense. It's all back up, now. I don't have any really good pictures, since the room is really small and it's hard to get a good shot.

The recent rain has given new life to Loch Mess. I just can't seem to get rid of that thing. I ran the pump for most of the day, yesterday. During the last big rain I was just watching the water run from the neighbor's yard, across the driveway and into the Loch. Every once in a while one can spot the elusive beast that inhabits the Loch- wait a minute... that's just Meg. False alarm. I didn't know she was such a graceful swimmer.

The bathroom is pretty much done. There are a few details to work on, like some caulking and some spots on the wall that will need to be patched, but it is otherwise complete. I think that further down the road I will need to pull off that fiberglass tub surround and tile the whole tub area.

That will not be happening this year.