Master Bath Renovation - Part 4 - Finishing Electrical, Plumbing, Drywall, Tile
Moving water pipes, never-ending demo, moving walls, and now we are finally finishing up. We made our final decisions on where everything would go. Emily went into war room mode, figuring out the "design". Once that was finalized, we completed the electrical, plumbing, drywall, painting, and tiling. For me, this was more fun because I brought in others who are more highly skilled than I. I did the final punch list, however (scrubbing tile, painting clawfoot tubs, sourcing all the final items, steam cleaning). The last step was to call the plumbers back for the fixture installation! DONE!
Redoing The Front Beds - This Old Dean House
Giant yew bushes OUT... azaleas and hostas IN! Emily didn't like the giant shrubs on the front of our house (neither did I). So we ripped them out. Then we went to the nursery and figured out what we wanted back in.
Laundry Room Renovations - This Old Dean House
The dirtiest part (so far) of our entire renovation (and that is saying something) was our laundry room renovation. I had to pull the ceiling in this room, and half of the back yard came out of it. I guess a family of squirrels had lived in there at some point over the past 135 years. We turned what would have been Preston's bedroom into the laundry room. We had to get the washer and dryer out of the kitchen (?!?). So now we have a laundry room (and Preston has a private floor for his tent when he comes over). The oldest child always gets the shaft! LOL
Master Bath Renovation - Part 3 - Framing The Wall (This Old Dean House)
Build That Wall(s)! I've framed an entire basement remodel in the past. This was much less than that...but...it was not easy at all. In order to minimize demo (and not tear into the entire house), I had to tie my new framing into the existing framing. The existing framing was "wonky" to say the least! Then I had to shore up the load-bearing wall that had been 'remodeled' into swiss cheese over 135 years of prior "renovations". Hopefully, what I did will help it stand for another 135 or so!
This Old Dean House - Sideyard (Phase 1) - HVAC Area
The side yard of our house was a disaster from earlier projects. We'd replaced both HVAC units and the water/sewer lines from the street. I needed to level it out and get the area around the HVAC units put back together. I brought in my heavier equipment for some 'light' landscaping work. This made the project way more fun! Phase 1 of the sideyard is now complete. BONUS: I also cover the origins/meaning of my CB handle (Little Dipper) in this installment.
Master Bath Renovation - Part 2 - Never Ending Demo (This Old Dean House)
This bathroom was like demo'ing a lasagna...layer upon layer upon layer. Paneling, drywall, wallpaper, beadboard, wood lathe...you name it, and this bathroom had it. I was already planning to remove one wall entirely. As I dug deeper, I realized I needed to get all the way to the studs to make sure the structural walls were in good condition...they were not! After several trips to the dump I finally got 135 years of prior renovations removed.
New Bike - Gravel Edition
Max, an avid Marketplacer, called with a deal of a lifetime. A new bike for me. As he described it, "this is one we want to keep in the family". LOL! I didn't know I wanted to get rid of my Specialized road bike (that I'd had for 13 years). I also didn't know I wanted a gravel bike?!? Carpe Diem! Turns out Max was right about it all! I'd cut back on riding, but now I'm getting back out there (on my new whip).
I Finally Got A Trailer - DEANO Farms: Week 163
Finally, a proper trailer for all my hauling needs. I'm gonna be a trucker just like my daddy! Now that we don't need to live in the metal building, I need a trailer to pick up all the old vehicles we'll put in the metal building. Of course, Emily doesn't know about that last part. For some reason, she thinks we have enough antique vehicles?!? How can she be so wrong?!?
Emily's Wallpaper Removal Project - This Old Dean House
There were about 5 layers of wallpaper in our 135-year-old foyer. I say 'were' because Emily went wild and started rippin'', tearin', scrapin' and sprayin'...and now there are zero layers of wallpaper in our foyer. We were going to repaint (or rewallpaper). I say 'were' because we decided we ain't gonna do that.
Flame Thrower Weeding - This Old Dean House
I needed to weed some beds. I didn't want to use chemicals. But really, I just wanted an excuse to use a flamethrower. Win-Win-Win...especially the flamethrower part! LOL
This Old Dean House - Sideyard Plans
I teamed up with AI to design an outdoor space in our side yard area (off our kitchen). I told it all the stuff I wanted, and it came up with a pretty decent starter plan. Then I went outside to stake it all out. After that, I waited for Emily to get home to see if she liked everything. Spoiler Alert: She did not like it all...but she did like most! So, we now have a sideyard plan!
6 Years Later - 100K RV Tow Truck Review - Ready For Another One?
It’s been almost a year since we went RV’ing. Since the last trip, my tow vehicle (2019 RAM 1500) crossed over 100,000 miles (and the certified pre-owned warranty expired). I needed to decide what to do about that.
• Our Tow Truck (What We Started With)
• What Has It Costs Us So Far?
• Buy A New Truck OR Keep The Old One?!?
• What Will A New (Or Slightly Used) Truck Cost?
• What About Keeping Mine With Extended Warranty?
• What Did I Choose (New / Keep / Keep w/Extended Warranty)?
• Getting Ready For The Next 60k+!
• What Has The Truck Costs Me Over 6 Years?
• Why Did I Keep My Existing Truck?
Pickett SP and Big South Fork REDUX (Jamestown, TN) - Deano's TN Favorites!
Gran's Memorial Day Trip! We headed to revisit two of our favorite places in TN (this time with more family). REDUX! We headed up to Jamestown, TN, and hit Pickett CCC Memorial State Park and Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area (Twin Arches) again. We saw cool caves, cool arches, climbed ladders, and revisited the spot where Emily broke her toes (a few years ago).
BEFORE and AFTER - Den Remodel - This Old Dean House
It could have just been some drywall patching and a little paint. It wasn't. Foundation damage, ceiling damage, and a whole-house plumbing repipe turned what should have been an easy room into a darn big project. I think we moved in and out of the Den four different times over many months as we lived through the renovation. Regardless, it wound up being the first room that we fully completed in This Old Dean House!
White Sands National Park and White Sands Missile Range
Emmaline left us to head back home, leaving two grown adults on their own in the desert. So we did what any responsible (?!?) adults would do in that situation...went sand sledding! After that, I obtained a top-secret security clearance to access a missile testing facility. Lets! Go!
"Emergency" Mulching - This Old Dean House
This was the most challenging house project we've undertaken so far. But I liked it the most. The area near the street is still a mess, but it is much better than it was. I put this emergency to bed with my trusty shovel and some back-breaking work. Whoever put gravel in this area is not a friend of mine anymore!
This Old Dean House - Outdoor Renovation List
We've been doing inside renovations for several months, but when the weather warmed up, I got to thinking about all the outside projects/renovations. I'd rather be outside than inside almost always. I go from 1) there isn't that much to do to 2) I'm so overwhelmed I'm crippled really quickly. LOL Emily and I don't agree on everything, but whoever works the hardest with the shovel wins. The good thing is I have the rest of my years to "putter" on all these outdoor projects. We'll see how it turns out.
Big Bend National Park - Rio Grande Village, Boquillas Canyon & Hot Springs
On our final day in Big Bend National Park, we headed over to the eastern side of the park. We stopped at the park's visitor center (movie) and hiked on Dugout Well Trail before heading over to Rio Grande Village. Once there, we headed to Boquillas Canyon. I wanted to ride a canoe and donkey over to Mexico, but the girls did not want to do that, and the border was closed anyway. Deano = SAD! Instead, we hiked the Boquillas Canyon Trail. It was hot, so why not drive down a small (did I say small) gravel road and visit the Hot Springs area (hot x2)!
