The Devil is in the Details
They say the devil is in the details and if it’s true with anything, it’s true with home remodeling. Our biggest challenge was dealing with trim - window trim, door trim, and baseboards. We had to take it down to get the paneling off and we knew we would have to put it back up. Unfortunately, we broke a few pieces while prying it off the wall so we also bought a few replacement pieces which had to be cut to size using a miter saw. Miter saws are cool because they let you cut at an angle. Picture two pieces of baseboard meeting at the corner of a room. If they’re both cut square, like a normal piece of lumber, then they come together and make a little lump in the corner. However, with a miter saw you can cut each one diagonally so they piece together and the baseboard is the same thickness all the way around the room. At least in theory. It turns out I’m a bit eager with the saw. (And yes, I did use the safety glasses when I was actually cutting.)
All the salvageable trim had to have the nails removed, which was tedious but not very photogenic. Painting the trim was a little more photogenic. We used some of the old carpet padding as a drop cloth so we could be messy without ruining the floor of the garage. (It’s also nice and squishy to walk on, especially compared with concrete.)
The final task was to nail all the trim into place. Luckily, our friend Nathan is handy with a hammer and helped us put in the first round of trim, in the front bedroom. We still need to cut a new windowsill and some wide pieces to put at the bottom of the window to cover where paneling once was but for tonight we’re calling it done and sleepable. The bed is in place and I am very entertained by the fact that our wall color almost matches my favorite set of sheets.
Tomorrow is my 30th birthday so we’re headed to the lake for a day of boating and swimming. I’ve never driven a giant boat with a slide; it should be exciting! For tonight, I’ll enjoy my last evening in my 20’s in my new house.
Linnea said,
August 9, 2008 @ 2:17 pm
Happy birthday, Maggie!!!
Bugs and Brooms said,
August 11, 2008 @ 11:55 am
Happy Birthday Maggie! Hope you had a wonderful day!
The house is really coming along - you guys are machines at home remodeling! Even consider a side business after you finish your projects??