Posted By Robert on 01/25/2008 8:40 AM
You know I'm always impressed by the projects shown here but rarely am I quiet so motivated. I have a small roster of motive power and you have definately motivated me to get down to the workshop before the winter is over. - Well as soon as my honey do list is done.
Bad news Bob, honey do lists are never finished. Jobs at home are like Kleenex; take one and another pops up.
In the spring, da boss complained about the garage doors rusting at the bottom. No problem, insulated garage doors with windows would make working in the garage a little warmer and brighter. New doors were purchased and installed. As we usually make one big upgrade to the house a year, I thought that was the end of it. No such luck!
Da boss found out that grants were being offered, so a new high efficiency furnace was purchased. It took six months of phone calls before the Federal Government and the gas company mailed their grants. We’re still waiting for the Provincial Government and the Ontario Power Authority to pay theirs. I wonder if I can deduct it from my income tax as a bad debt?
The latest gas company bill says I’ve used 7% more fuel to date with my high efficiency furnace than I did with my 25 year old inefficient furnace last year, despite the weather being 8% warmer? Obviously these guys never go outside or they would have noticed that unlike last year, we’ve had continuous snowfalls since November 21st. The increase in consumption probably had a lot to do with the 4 inch cold air duct they installed in the side of the foundation facing the prevailing winds to feed the furnace with fresh air to burn. That turned the basement into a meat locker. Fortunately a plastic Chinese food container with a 1 inch hole in the bottom fits perfectly in the end of the duct and provides a reasonable amount of draft for the furnace. It took the basement a couple days to thaw out so I could use my train shop. It appears my recycled container will probably do more to cut my energy costs than the fancy new furnace.
After the furnace was installed, the wall paper in hall looked tired? (read “I’m bored with that.”). So the halls upstairs and downstairs had to be stripped of wall paper and painted. New ornaments were purchased because the old ones didn’t go with the new paint.
The kitchen appliances are outdated. (read “Everybody else has stainless steel, so I want it too”). OK, 1970’s harvest gold appliances are not the latest, but they still worked. While you’re at it, tear out all the cupboards, sink and counter top as they won’t go with the new appliances. We need new cupboards, granite counter tops, under-mounted sinks, a new fixture (fancy word for a faucet that costs 3 times what its worth), pot lighting and new blinds. Of course the old wallpaper had to be removed and the kitchen painted to compliment the new appliances, counter top and cupboards. After the kitchen was painted, she didn’t like the colour picked by her $100 an hour interior decorator. Somehow light grey might look alright in an Alco diesel cab, but just doesn’t cut it in a sun room kitchen. Three weeks and three paint samples later, the grey is starting to appeal to me.
Also included with the kitchen appliances were a new front loading washer and dryer, because she got a deal! A new beer fridge for my basement train shop was thrown in to soften the blow.
The kitchen wasn’t finished before the wall paper in the adjoining family room got tired? It had to be removed and the room re-painted. After hauling dozens of plastic bins of books, videos, CDs, photo albums and ornaments from the wall units to the basement, I was pooped. I don’t feel like carrying them back up, but if I don’t new junk will quickly fill all the shelves leaving the basement cluttered with the old stuff.
The paint is the family room is barely dry and she’s talking about repainting the laundry room, adding a counter top and cupboards.
What really scares me, is that she keeps dragging me over to see the model homes in a golf course community next to us, although neither one of us is interested in golf. The big empty basement in the bungalow sure would make a nice train room, but I would probably be in a box before the rest of the house was finished and I got to use it.
