Cold Weather Projects

It’s hard to believe I’m closing in on my second year working on the Liberty House, and if I’m going to be honest, I kind of want to squint and look back at the last year with my eyes just a little unfocused. Maybe it will look like I’ve gotten more done that way…

Wait, I just tried it.

Nope. Still looks like there is pink tile in my mudroom floor.

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Truth is, after the last few ten years, I’m used to using my house as the primary measure of “progress” in my life. Pretty much since the moment I stepped through the door of the Liberty House, I’ve had a vision in my mind of what it could be one day, so it’s a little disconcerting to look back at the last six months and see that basically nothing has changed. I thought I’d at least have the kitchen or master bath done by now…

When I say things like that, my gut reaction is to list out, in detail (with links) all of the shit I have actually accomplished in the last year, like LOOK! I AM ACTUALLY DOING THINGS! And then I have to say to myself (out loud), “Will you just calm the eff down? This is not a contest, and no one is accusing you of being a lazy ass except the cat, and that’s definitely an ironic insult.”

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I mean, for the most part it doesn’t bother me that I live in a house where you have to dodge carpet nailing strips when walking in the upstairs hallway, and only half of the floors are refinished, and  the kitchen really, really needs some paint. I have, in fact, been pretty good about suppressing my urges to just tear some shit up! whenever the mood strikes.

However… (you knew this was coming), most of the pre-winter projects that I’m going to get done outside are done, and I want to see some real progress on the inside of the house before the new year. So I called a guy for a quote on demoing pretty much everything that needs to be demoed in this house, including this floor…

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Definitely this floor…

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And this one…

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And pretty much this entire room…

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Truth is, it takes me so goddamn long to do the demo. I mean, hitting stuff with a hammer is fine, but hauling one trash bin of debris out to the dumpster at a time… this might literally take me the rest of my natural life.

So, if the price is right, I’m going to get a little help taking the master bath and a lot of the floors in this house down to a clean slate. And then, my friends, pretty much the only words you’re going to hear out of my mouth over the next three months will be about tile.

First and foremost will be re-tiling the floor in the downstairs bath (which is going to require a little plumbing to swap the placement of the vanity and toilet.)

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Then I’m hoping to focus on the master bath, at least to the point that I can have a tub installed (because I haven’t been able to have a good, long soak since I left the Memorial house two years ago, dammit, and I miss it), and the floor in the master bedroom so I can officially move in to this room.

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The kitchen is actually last on my list, so I may re-tile the mudroom and laundry room first, then work my way into the kitchen. By this time I can guarantee you that I’ll have purchased at least one new tile saw, and there won’t be any skin left on my fingers from the grout.

And, as with all renovation projects that have ever happened (outside of HGTV) we can all expect that this is definitely going to get worse before it gets better… but in the end, there will be progress.

 

16 Responses

  1. I’m happy to say I can’t wait to see the work. The progress will follow soon after that.
    Me and my husband follow your blog and every time we find a new post before the other does we shout: It’s Kit again! LOL.
    So yeah, never mind the lack of progress as long as you are blogging, we are following 🙂

  2. So glad you are getting some help. You do want to see your vision in your liftime! Once it’s a blank slate you can make progress fast!

  3. I’ll second the good idea on the demo. Having everything cleaned up and ready to go will make it much easier to get the motivation to move on it. And you don’t even tell us what kind of floors you were thinking of putting in?

  4. Two things. One, no one should ever accuse you of being lazy. Just no. Second, I want to mount some sort of appeal for that pink tile. It’s probably ugly and tacky, but how amazing would it be if you found a way to make it work?

    1. Yes, I like Carolyn’s thought. Of course the first reaction is to get rid of the pink tile . . . but then if you hung a Paige Hemmis Pink tool belt and pink tools strategically placed with maybe a Pink image of Ma Boyle (Columbia sportswear) making the “One tough mother” pose with arm flexing a muscle . . . or maybe you are posed that way and then the image is blown up. NOW that would be a very artistic and feminine statement. Just sayin’. ;^)

  5. HECK YES!!!! One thing I’ve realized as an adult is my time is worth more to me than I think, so to pay for help is usually worth it if it saves time in the long run. Plus you can spend more time doing what you love to do (building shit) rather than removing it (didn’t you do enough of that w/the rubble pile??) ROCK ON, LADY!!

  6. I agree with Carolyn. I kind of love that pink tile. It is such a pretty happy color! Maybe with a different paint color? I could see a cool vintage kilim rug maybe?

  7. My feeling on the pink tile is to save a few odd pieces to use as artwork in some way… but get rid of the majority of it…in fact it would the first to get the demo. Although, if it was the last… your sub floor would survive better with all the trash going out the door. Can you throw some of it out an upstairs window to a waiting dumpster without tearing up your yard, or getting stuck with a snowed in dumpster? Good luck.

  8. I am in awe of your tenacity and love your sense of humor. Keep sharing ’cause we’ll be following and marveling at your accomplishments no matter how long it takes!
    Maria B.

  9. The beginning of this post had me read like the thoughts that have been going through my head for the past month. We moved to our farm at roughly the same time as you got Liberty House. And I thought we’d be so much farther along in renos and redos by now. This year in particular, I feel like I’m having a hard time showing progress. I know I’ve done stuff, but when we had family over for our annual Christmas party, I realized that the main floor looked *exactly* the same as last year… right down to the drywall patches on the wall. Something that I find helps sometimes is reminding myself that I plan to be here for a long time, so it will get done eventually, and I actually love working on my house, so I’ll always be looking for a project.

  10. Pay my way up there and rent a dumpster and I will have your demo done before you know it! I love demo and would totally have my own demo company if that fibromyalgia bitch hadn’t taken up residence in my body. I’m quite excellent at tearing stuff up. 😉

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