Waiting Phase Two

Posted: 15 November 2005 at 00:26:29

Starting to get real chilly as we head into Winter. I'm not a big fan of the cold weather. It used to be that I didn't mind it so much. I'd wear shorts all Winter long, for example. Since I was diagnosed with insulin-dependent diabetes, however, my legs don't tolerate exposure to the cold so well anymore.

The expansion

Slowly, but gradually, I've been working on our basement. I got the walls all framed for one of the bedrooms in the basement as well as the adjoining closet. I also finished some of the electrical and exterior wall insulation in there as well. It's close to being ready to throw some drywall up.

My office got the ceiling textured by my brother this last weekend. I've got some more mud-work to do on the walls in there and then it'll be ready to prime and paint. To finish that room, I need to replace the window and get a door. So, that room is very close.

The other bedroom going in the basement needs some framing done on one exterior wall, a stupid existing wall (installed by previous owner) removed and a new wall put in to give the room larger, more bedroom-like dimensions. I'm hoping the framing will all be finished within the next week.

The family room / theater won't need much framing at this point. It mostly just needs all the crap being stored in it out of the way. :-)

I've been doing things in a very manual, old-fashioned way so far. All my walls have been built with a hammer and 16d nails. The floor is literally littered with bent nails because some of the wood I'm using is rock hard and I'm not that great with a hammer to start with. I'm wondering if I should get my hands on a framing nail gun for the rest of this project. I definitely don't want to install the moulding or the shelving in the closets without a brad nailer. I did all that with a hammer and finishing nails in our last house and the results look so much better with an air-powered tool.