Are We There Yet? Part 2

Once the sheetrock was finished, it was time for me to scrape and clean sheetrock mud and dust from all 4500 square feet of concrete in the house. Unless you’ve done it, you don’t know how brutal that job can be! The method that worked best in our situation involved vacuuming with a HEPA filter in the shop vac, mopping with vinegar solution, rinsing, and then working on hands and knees with a razor blade scraper, straight vinegar, and a scrub daddy scrubber.

The results were worth the effort, but I hope to never do it again.

In April the garage door to the porch was installed. Shortly after, our beautiful custom cabinets and countertops went in, appliances were installed, and the whole interior was painted by subs who worked hard and finished quickly.

The company we hired for electrical is operated by a father and his two sons, and we’ve known them since the sons were little kids. They were dependable and professional and also willing to brainstorm with Tim to make some of his out of the ordinary ideas come to life. We used simple fixtures from Home Depot and cedar beams to make unique lighting solutions for the island and dining table, and it all had to be hung from a ceiling height of almost 30 feet.

As the summer went on, we installed 1000 square feet of LVP flooring in the loft, hung rail doors, painted and installed rebar balusters, stained the stairs and balcony trim, and started doing all the interior trim. As of this post a year later, we are still trying to finish all of the baseboards and shoe moulding. We are getting close.

I am using the word “we” loosely here. “He” is the one with the ability to figure out how to do all the things that need to be done. I am, and will continue to be, his faithful sidekick who listens to his external processing, holds things that are too heavy for me while balancing on scary ladders, and learns many lessons along the way. My perfectionism screams, “You can’t try this unless you know what you are doing!” He says, “We can do it. Let’s try.” Turns out, he’s right.

To be continued …