Oh well...

       The progress at the house has reached the point where all structural issues are completed. 90% of the electrical re-wiring is done, and all compromised exterior siding has been repaired or replaced.

      Other than cosmetic concerns (ie. paint, trim, carpet, linoleum floor,  etc), the next real big project is to install all new plumbing and a new heating system.  This project must originate with re-activating the well so that we have a source for water.  This weekend I uncovered the well in the back yard.  I must say that I have some concerns and questions.

     This is the well:

Upon removing the cover, there is an obvious problem:

      The top section of concrete pipe is broken and has been this way for some time. It also sits flush with  the surrounding ground rather that rising up out of it ( standing proud of the soil) . I'm pretty sure that wells are supposed to be sealed up and elevated somewhat from the ground so that critters and ground/rain water cannot enter the water supply.

      Now, I'm certain that I could easily replace the top section of the concrete pipe with a longer section,  but I don't know if the wells water has been tainted or compromised.  Furthermore, If you look down into the 24" concrete pipe you will see an approximately 6" diameter pipe or casing which the water pipe and pump wires go down into.  see pic below

  I'm wondering if the smaller casing pipe is what actually goes down into the water and not the 24" concrete?

Does it matter if the 24" pipe was compromised as long as the smaller pipe was capped off with the blue cap?

How do I know how much voltage I should run to the well pump?  Is it 110 volt or 220?

If anyone reading this blog knows, or has a link to a real good water well forum,  please comment.

For what it's worth,  I stuck my head down into the 24" opening and took a few good sniffs. There is no unpleasant or foul odor in the well.

Fritz.

Bronze Corner Caps for Sink Cabinet

I noticed when the sink was placed onto its new base cabinet that the corners of the cabinet stuck out from the curved corners of the sink.

My solution was to buy some decorative bronze corner caps like this:

 Unfortunately when I test fit them this past weekend, they do not sit flush on the sides due to the way the corners of the cabinet are constructed (see first pic with side panel in corner channel)

I guess I'll have some creative grinding/milling to do on those corners first.

Holy crap!  Is that a cement mixer in the kitchen?

Yes, yes it is.  After having a great deal of trouble trying to get a concrete company to deliver to my location, I asked Rob if we could mix up a large quantity on site.

Rob's reply was yes, and he recommended the harbor freight model you see here. Apparently he has used this model before and it works just fine. With an online coupon, I picked it up for just $175

You see, we need to mix up and pour about 5 yards on the north side of the house against the stone foundation below the groundline.  The stone foundation on that side is quite porous due to the mortar joints deteriorating and rainwater weeps into the basement after a good rain.  I figured that after all the structural repair we did, the last thing I need is a damp basement and potential mildew/mold concerns.

Anyway, I know its been a while since the last update, but its tax season. I need to pay the property and school taxes on the house I live in, as well as this house. That doesn't leave a lot of money for renovations, so the work has slowed greatly. Hopefully we can get some progress done before the cold weather hits.

Now we're cookin.

     This morning my son Chris came with me to the house.  He hadn't seen the place since he helped me tarp the roof back in 2016 right after I bought it.  It has changed quite a bit. 😃
   
    Chris is quite strong so I bought him along to help me get the kitchen stove and sink into position.
He lifted the sink with ease, and we got it right where we need it.  Here's a few photos:

The sink needs a good scrub down with some comet & a sponge. We also have some dishes to do!

     Well, you'd be surprised just how much surface area a man can reach by foolishly hanging out a window!   Thats exactly how I scraped primed and painted around the third floor window today.  It's real close now.
       Rob replaced some compromised cedar siding in the front of the house above the porch while I was painting.  We've got the exterior looking pretty good now. Once we do all the white trim the house will look real sharp.

     Siding is done on the North wall (ok the base piece still needs to go in but we must pour concrete there first),  and I painted all the new siding plus the parts that were scraped and primed two weeks ago.
    I also finished the upper part of the back wall. The house is nearly all blue now, and I can't wait to cover up the last bit of that hideous gray.

Rob hung an old solid door onto the opening for the attic/storage space above the kitchen. He just needs to patch in a piece of sheetrock above the opening.

I think next week we will either finish up the exterior paint or fix the ceiling in the piano room (library).  It will all depend on how hot it is outside. It was a scorcher today and we nearly died working in that sun!

Siding is nearly complete on the north wall.  I also did some scraping and priming, but it gets real shaky up on the extension ladder.  I'll need a better plan for reaching the 3rd floor level.

I also got the kitchen furniture to the house and into the kitchen.
The buffet will actually go under the back window once the lower cabinets arrive.