Are You Handy? 2

[RoJoHen]

My first 3 years of college I went on spring break with Habitat for Humanity. The first 2 years I don't have any pictures of because I used a disposable film camera. I didn't want to risk breaking my digital camera on the worksite. This is a neat picture from my 3rd Habitat trip. We built for 5 days. This was from Day 3.

My first trip was to New Orleans, which is to date the best trip I've ever taken. Sadly, the trip took place BEFORE Hurricane Katrina happened, so the houses we built were destroyed.

The second trip was to Oklahoma, which was boring, but we managed to build 3 complete houses in only a week's time.

The third trip was to West Virginia. They unfortunately had a very poorly managed Habitat chapter out there, so we spent most of the week building things, realizing we had built them wrong, taking them apart, and rebuilding them, so we didn't get as much accomplished as other trips.

 

[Philo]

That's really cool that you did that. Not just because it would be fun but because it's a good cause. Thumbs-up!

 

[RJDiogenes]

Indeed it is. Kudos to you for getting involved with a great organization. I'm sorry that so much of your work was destroyed by the hurricane.

 

[RoJoHen]

By the time we got there, the New Orleans homes were already built. We spent the week doing a lot of the final stuff. We had people inside installing drywall and cabinets. Other people were putting up siding.

I spent most of the week on the roof installing shingles. It was a lot of fun once I got used to being up there. These were 2-story homes...on stilts! Most Habitat homes are only one story tall.

Even though it ended up being for nothing, the trip was still an incredible experience.

 

[SPOCKED]

Whoa, it's been a few months Since June, almost all our focus has been on finishing the basement into a livable space. All the framing is done and we've finished almost all the electrical (ourselves -- we were going to have an electrician/friend do it but he delayed to the point where we just said screw it ) Remaining to do down there is: insulation, drywall, floor (carpet/tile) I'd include pics of where we are down there, but I think all you'd see were just more boring "stud" images (they're awesome to me though - I almost hate to cover them all up with drywall )

We bought flooring for the living room, however, and have a pellet stove in the shed which is waiting for a platform in the livingroom. So with some left over tile we used in the kitchen, we started building this thing over the past few days...

We put down some backer board and used all the bricks we had laying around over the years; contained it with a 2x6 boarder and started slapping down a level thinset.

The tile is going to climb up both walls with a mantle above the facing wall opposite the stack of bricks. Oh and btw, I'm going to replace all those old, crappy outlets too now that I have experience wiring the downstairs.

How crappy is that scuffed up (50 year old) pine floor??? Hey, someone whip up some mud!!

^ Here is a piece of the new flooring laid down next to the platform. We only mortared the tiles in at this point -- tomorrow, after it's all dried, we'll grout it all up nice and begin to tile the walls with mastic. Then we plan on starting the floor. But I hope to have a nice pic of this thing all grouted into place by tomorrow evening for you guys.

 

[Mallory]

I'm in awe once again. Very impressive guys.

 

[Elmo Dukat]

Thanks, we're having a great time!

 

[FrontLine]

You're gonna get rid of that beautiful pine floor Why not just sand and refinish it?

 

[the 4th hanson bro]

You're gonna get rid of that beautiful pine floor Why not just sand and refinish it?

my thoughts exactly.

They don't make flooring like that anymore. My inner Norm Abram is crying

 

[Gertch]

Pellet stove huh? Good choice. Which one did you get? I hope you have pellets already. I was able to get all mine about a month ago after scrambling to find some.

You going out the roof with the vent? With that window within 4 feet of that back wall is that other wall an outside one?


There's a nice pellet group on yahoo if your interested: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/pelletstove/

 

[Captain Ice]

You're gonna get rid of that beautiful pine floor Why not just sand and refinish it?

my thoughts exactly.

They don't make flooring like that anymore. My inner Norm Abram is crying

x3

Judging from what we can see of it, it's in great shape. A little sanding and finshing and you'll have an absolutely beautiful floor.

I'd return all the Pergo and refinish the original floor if it were me

 

[the 4th hanson bro]

You're gonna get rid of that beautiful pine floor Why not just sand and refinish it?

my thoughts exactly.

They don't make flooring like that anymore. My inner Norm Abram is crying

x3

Judging from what we can see of it, it's in great shape. A little sanding and finshing and you'll have an absolutely beautiful floor.

I'd return all the Pergo and refinish the original floor if it were me

Road trip!

 

[ancientone51]

I am also impressed!

Please consider redoing the floor that is there, looks too nice to cover.

 

[Captain Ice]

my thoughts exactly.

They don't make flooring like that anymore. My inner Norm Abram is crying

x3

Judging from what we can see of it, it's in great shape. A little sanding and finshing and you'll have an absolutely beautiful floor.

I'd return all the Pergo and refinish the original floor if it were me

Road trip!

I am so there.

Can we take the '34?

 

[RJDiogenes]

I agree about the pine floor. It's fifty years old! At the very least it could be sold on ebay as an antique.

 

[Elmo Dukat]

We had this discussion way back, and we determined that pine floors weren't really worth refinishing. Unlike say, oak hardwood, they're very easily damaged. That is, there are horror stories about people putting a ton of work into refinishing a pine hardwood floor, and on the first night they have company over, the floor getting dented and ruined!

So we love old hardwood ourselves, but not pine. That's why we chose to go with the old walnut laminate

 

[ancientone51]

Okay, that reasoning makes sense for the floor.

We should have trusted that you guys had done your homework on this. ;

Not to highjack the thread but...how is everyone? The kids, the ex...? gossippy, nosey minds are curious.

 

[JAG]

Nice work.

 

[the 4th hanson bro]

x3

Judging from what we can see of it, it's in great shape. A little sanding and finshing and you'll have an absolutely beautiful floor.

I'd return all the Pergo and refinish the original floor if it were me

Road trip!

I am so there.

Can we take the '34?

If we want to take a week and a half to get there

 

[JAG]

Stop by and pick me up. I'll bring the beer.