Updates! That's right, past project updates!

Saturday, November 22, 2014

Before I get into the swing of things, which I swear is coming soon after I catch up on some sleep and the mountains of laundry that have piled up despite doing mountains of laundry last weekend and organizing and tidying up and list-making, I have updates on a couple of projects since a few of you have asked.

Remember insulation day?   I don't really since I missed the whole day.  We had the second floor ceiling filled with blow-in cellulose insulation in the beginning of August this year by Illinois Insulators.  They did a fantastic job.

Insulation being blown in!
We noticed a difference right away, like immediately which shouldn't be a surprise considering there was about on average oh, 18" of gapping wide open space between the ceiling and the underside of the roof.   Insane.  Who does that?!  Oh right, our bad flipper does that.

We didn't have a particularly hot summer this year but on the super hot days we did have, it was very obvious that the second floor was no longer hotter than outside.  Plus plus for that.  Nowadays?  Yes, it's definitely starting to be more noticeable with the colder weather.

While the heat situation is not going to change unless we rip out all the ductwork and start over (cough, ha!), we had some days this past week where the outdoor temperature only made it up into the teens as a high.  The upstairs inside?  No longer freezing cold.  Woo hoo!!  It is not as warm as the first floor, but it is impressively not literally cold.  I am thrilled.  I haven't examined the gas bills yet but that's always tricky anyway with so many variables.

The most egregious chunk of ductwork in the second floor ceiling.  That we know of.
It was one of those projects you spend a chunk of change on, can't see the actual improvement, but is worth every penny.  Thinking about adding insulation?  Do it.

There's still a cold draft that pours down the staircase as I walk up but it's nowhere near as bad as it was.  I have a small plan that I'll implement soon that you'll read about in the coming weeks.  Or days, we'll see!

Our furnace keeps coming on too much though, or it seems too often to me, so I'll be replacing the thermostat.  Maybe today.  After some online research suggesting that that could be the problem, knowing our thermostat is probably a piece of cheapy crap, then after pulling it off the wall, sticking it back on then leaving for a few hours only to find the house at 57 degrees upon return, a new one can't hurt.

That little concrete soap dish?  Yeah, it's cool.  I quite like it actually.  It's not perfect, it's all chippy and rugged, but it's cool.  I put a coat of flat gel medium on it, hot glued some felt to the bottom, plopped a fancy soap on it, stuck it in the first floor bathroom, and it's pretty spiffy.

That Varathane poly is holding up on the vanity top as well.

Those free planter pouches I made in the spring?  Held up surprisingly nicely if I do say so.  The plants, eh, not so much, but there were some extenuating circumstances that didn't allow me to focus on their well-being.  Then again, too, it is mid-to-late November at this point; I think I can be forgiven for dead plants, right?

My DIY free planter pouches today.
The patio....oh the patio.  We love that patio.

It has settled a smidge but not even remotely as bad as we feared.  Granted we haven't been through a winter yet, but all in all, we are patting ourselves on the back for this one.

The chairs we purchased from Amazon* are doing quite impressively as well.  Though the cushions that came with them?  Crappy.  Got all moldy in half a second so off to the trash bin they went.  Other than the cushions, what a good buy those chairs were.

The pantry floor, I mean c'mon, it's great.  I received a negative comment about it, that I'd be so sorry once the heat was on, that the floor would buckle and curl and I dunno, jump up and choke me, that nails would be flying in my face and I'd hate it and be yelling and ripping it out forthwith.  Sorry.  Not the case.  It's still awesome.  I may be exaggerating the comment, but not by much.

The pantry floor today.
Finn, he's good, heh.  He's going utterly bonkers right now because more of his Favorite toys arrived via mailman today.  Squeaky tennis balls.*  He's starting to healthily pork out which is great.  He's definitely a weirdo, but who isn't, am I right?

Finn in the backyard today, sitting for some unknown weird reason.
Me?  I am pooped after nearly four months on Sirens.  A few tears leaked out yesterday, but I'm hanging in there.

So meet you guys back here shortly for rounds and rounds and rounds of new stuff!  Hang on tight, here we go!!

*The chair and squeaky tennis ball links are Amazon affiliate links.  Mwah, thanks!

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