Kitchen Cabinets - Sheetrock Nears End

We went by Zelda on Saturday, but only for a few minutes. The temperature was much too cold to paint. The kitchen cabinets have all been installed except for a spacer that has been back ordered. After looking at the bar area, Brent has decided to remove this and instead, drop a light for a designated breakfast area.

The Workmen have almost finished all the sheetrock upstairs. Once this is completed, we can start painting upstairs, once the weather cooperates.

Kitchen Cabinets Installed

Well it has been a few months since our last posts. We have been busy attending Tennessee Vol home football games and working on Zelda. It does get old thinking about making the trek from Chattanooga over to Zelda, but once there it is enjoyable.

The downstairs has been completely sheetrocked, sanded and primed. In fact, all the ceilings downstairs have been primed and ceiling paint installed. Only the hallway and the Murphy room have not received thier final coat of paint.

The only item still needed to be sheetrocked is the inside of a closet housing the return air duct. The duct still needs to be finished, but our original HVAC contractor has skipped town with our money and without finishing the work and he stole our 4 ton gas pack unit. We are currenlty looking for a replacement to finish the work.

The good news. Our kitchen cabinets have been installed and look great. The crew did a great job and they are currently 95% finished. A few spacer pieces were back ordered so they will finish next week. The original install date was November 1, 2007. Only one (1) year behind schedule.

Our next mission is to start on one (1) of the bathrooms and have in operating.

Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving.

September 6, 2008

We made the trip to Zelda for the 3rd straight weekend. Ray Workman had called the KM inspection department during the week and the upstairs exterior wall insulation passed. So, we had no insulation to install. YEA!!!.

The sheetrock installation work continues upstairs with the ceilings installed and now some interior and exterior walls. Lynn worked on painting the kitchen ceiling and walls, while Brent installed the glass block window in the master bath.

We did not bring the camera so no new pictures, but I will include a recent picture which shows the cabinets in the middle of the kitchen.

Aug 30, 2008 - Sheetrock & Insulation

We went to Zelda on Saturday, to finish the upstairs exterior wall insulation and to install a glass block window in the master bath. We were unable to find the mortar for the the glass block so we only were able to finish the installation of the insulation. Brent did do some framework for the upstairs hvac return. The Workmans are really doing a great job on the sheetrock. The downstairs is nearly finished with only a few spots remaining. When we arrived, sheetrock was being applied to the ceilings upstairs.

As promised, we have attached some pictures. The arched doorway at the bottom of the stairs was a surprise by Ray.

Next week we hope to finish the glass block window and prime the walls and ceilings downstairs.

August 23, 2008 - Interior Painting

Well it has taken over a year but, Brent actually was applying interior primer on the ceiling and walls in the kitchen. The Workmans have nearly finished installing all the sheetrock downstairs and it looks great. Lynn continued to install insulation on the exterior walls upstairs and should finish next weekend. Now the the interior is taking shape it really makes us happy to see the vision coming together, yet sad we will not live in Zelda.

One Year at Zelda on July 13th

Great News - The electrican finally reached the point and called for an inspection. It passed. We are at the one (1) year mark from when demolition started, and new progress is being made. Since Brent moved to Chattanooga, the progress at Zelda has been slow, but this weekend, we made a lot of progress.

We had a full work crew on Saturday, Brent, Lynn and the twins, that allowed us to have two (2) crews for installing insulation. At the end of the day, we had finished 90% of the downstairs. Next weekend, we will finish the downstairs and start the upstairs.

The sheetrock work will start this week. Ray and his family will start hanging the ceilings and interior walls. Brent still has a few corners to add nailers, but we are excited that walls will soon define the house. We still have to have an inspection made on the insulation before the exterior walls are allowed to be sheetrocked.

The twins, Jennifer and Jessica, have been accepted into the University of Tennessee and will begin school this fall. They move into the dorms on August 20th and can hardly wait.

We should post some new pictures of the insulation, sheetrock and wiring after next weekend.

Rub a dub dub

Brent installed and plumbed the upstairs bathtub this past weekend. He is now in the process of making sure all is ready for the sheetrock. The electric contractor is almost and I mean almost ready for the rough in inspection. I will not hold my breath.

At the middle of May, we reached the ten (10) month date on our reconstruction. The past four (4) months have been slow due to Brent commuting from Chattanooga and the slow progress of our electrical contractor. We have also had some personal issues, ranging from a funeral to prom and soon high school graduation.

I promise to put some pictures of the current state of Zelda soon.

Slow and Steady

The electrical work is of high quality but the movement is slow. The entire kitchen has been wired and the rest of the house is nearing completion. The electrican has run most of the home runs back to the panel and all the wiring in the walls is complete. With the exception of the kitchen, none of the overhead lighting wiring has been run.

Brent has been making the trip from Chattanooga over to Kings Mountain about every other weekend. Hope to have the electrical inspection called for within the next two (2) weeks. Afterwards the sheetrock can begin. Brent only has to frame one (1) more closest upstairs and then he will begin to start on the downstairs bathroom.

Canned Fixtures

This weekend was a quick, one day trip to Zelda on Saturday. Brent arrived around noon to review the electrical progress and meet with the electrican. Work is steady and at the end of the day, we have the canned light fixtures installed in the kitchen and bathrooms. The rough-in of the electrical is still about one (1) week away, so Brent says it will be two (2).

The current goal is to have the electrical work inspected and approved in April, such that the sheetrock work can begin during the month of April. Brent still has no odds and ends to make sure that all the nailers are up prior to the sheetrock being installed. Of course, there are still nails, nails and even more nails to remove from the studs, ceiling joists and floors.

We sure hope that everyone had a great Easter and even if you were not able to spend the day with family, that you did remember the reason for the day and the Grace we received.

Electrical Sighting

The soffit and facial board installation is complete and Zelda has tranformed once again. The is the start of the trim out and it looks great. We meet in Kings Mountain this weekend, Brent coming in from Chattanooga and Lynn, Jennifer, Jessica and Cookie arrived from Holly Springs. It was a weekend full of nail pulling, installing door headers, finishing the upper levels of wall framing and bracing below all the second story windows.

There was actually a sighting of our electrical contractor who was at Zelda all day on Saturday. Nearly all the wiring as been pulled for the electrical boxes, just no home runs back to the panel. This "two" week job that was quoted which Brent budgeted for five (5) weeks may turn into a three (3) month job.

Once the electrical is installed and inspected Brent will have the alarm company install all their wiring, and then the sheet rock can be installed. Then finally and I mean finally, those kitchen cabinets purchased in August of 2007 can be installed.

Back in the Saddle

After one (1) month of not working on Zelda, we were back in Kings Mountain this weekend. Work had not progressed on the electrical front and the soffit work had just begun.

Brent installed an interior wall in the upstairs bedroom, which should complete all major framing jobs. There are a few areas to finish and Brent will install all the door headers this weekend.

The electrical contractor has completed pulling all the wiring for the kitchen. Not much additional electrical work has been completed over the last month. This was a dissapointment.

Outside, the installation of the vinyl soffits and facial board is underway. Wow, what a difference and the work just finishes the look of the house. If the weather holds off, that work should be completed this week.

Thank you all for your prayers and words of encouragemnet over the death of Lynn's dad. Her mom has been doing really well and we can attribute 100% of that to prayers.

Prayers for Anna

We have not been to Zelda for the last few weeks, but both Lynn and Brent have been spending time in Opelousas, LA. Lynn's dad was placed on hospice care last Saturday.

We ask that you keep Lynn's mom Anna in your prayers for strength and guidance during this difficult time. They would have celebrated their 52nd wedding annivesary on May 13th.

As an update, Joe passed away peacefully on Wednesday afternoon, February 20, 2008. He was 74 years old.

Walling Up the Murphy Room

This weekend, we built an interior wall in the Murphy Room. This is the room that would be an office/downstairs guest bedroom. We constructed a clothes closet and a closet to house the electronic communications (telephone, cable, internet and security) for the house. The communication closet also houses a mechanical chase which allows access from the crawl space up to the attic. The schedule for building the wall was required to allow the electrican to install the recepticle outlets and pull the wire.

Additional work will begin on the outside of Zelda this week. Ray and his family will start work on installing sofits. This will close up gaps in the house and dress up Zelda.

Next on the schedule for Brent will be building another interior wall which is located in the master bedroom upstairs. We currenlty expect the electrical work to be finished and inspected at the end of February.

Electric Start

The electrical installation started on Saturday. All the boxes were installed and Brent reviewed all the details with the contractor. Work continued today but we will not be able to review the work until the weekend.

As most of the family and our friends know, Zelda has turned into flip, because Brent accepted a new position in Chattanooga, Tennessee. In the long term, we are very excited to move back to Tennessee and we will only be about one hour from the girls when they attend UT in the fall. We both wish we could take the house with us and both of us are dissapointed we will not be able to live in Zelda. Brent is expecting to travel to Kings Mountain every three (3) weekends out of the month.

The past weekend was devoted to moving out of Wanza (the rent house received a name) which was accomplished over a two (2) day period. I can not believe how much stuff was aquired over a seven (7) month period. The name Wanza came from Brent's childhood memory of having to go with his mom to the beauty parlor, where the beautician's name was Wanza. How does that relate you ask? The rent house was a beauty parlor in the recent past, such it was dubbed Wanza.

Past the Six Month Milestone Post

We have now passed the sixth (6th) month milestone and still no kitchen cabinets installed. We purchased these back in August on sale, and I keep having to move back the delivery date and now it has moved back to the end of March 2008.

Brent has taken a work break such that he is having to work on his real job all week and is now limited only to working at Zelda on the weekends. Not to fear as he has the majority of all the prep work finished for the electrican. The electrical work did start this week with an anticpated finish time of two (2) weeks. We expect that time period to double if not triple. Once finished, we can then have the sheetrock installed and then the kitchen cabinets.

Brent has installed all the headers over the doorways on the first floor including the header dividing the kitchen and keeping room. He had to have Ray and his father to install the LVL header as is was too heavy to install alone. The open space downstairs looks great.

Upstairs Demolished

The electrial contract has been awarded and work should begin next week. The entire upstairs has been demolished and all the rubble has been removed. The amount of dust was unbelieveable. Brent still has to frame a few walls and finish blocking the ceiling in the Murphy room.

We did receive some good news. All the original wood floors on the second floor are in good shape and will be refinished.

Upstairs Demo to Begin Today

The dumpster has been emptied and moved to the front of the house as demolition of all the interior walls and ceiling on the second floor will begin today. It will be similar to the downstairs demo as all the interior and exterior walls will be down to the studs. Sheetrock will be used to replace the heavy plaster. Brent has hired this work out as he as decided to complete the entire electrical work for the entire house instead of working in two (2) phases. The siding on the new portion of the house has been completed and looks great.

Brent needs to finishing stiffening the underside of two (2) upstair room floors as the electrical work could begin next week.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to everyone from Zelda. 2008 brings the promise of actual life taking place in this home this year. Our original time frame of one (1) year for the remodel is ahead of schedule with the hope of full time occupancy by May 1, 2008.

As you can see by the photo, the new siding is nearly complete and the transformation looks fantastic. Once we get the new paint on the siding, the house will look even better.

Next on the list is to have the upstairs walls and ceilingd demolished. Brent has decided to have the entire electircal system done at one time instead of two (2) phases. This will gain us more time in the schedule. The weather has turned very cold for the first few days of the year and work at night has been haulted. Brent was able to install the last of the major pieces of subflooring in the Murphy room before the bitter cold, but not the last few short pieces against the wall, because he claims it is too cold for the liquid nails.

We are still on the lookout for our HVAC contractor. Not sure if he made it back from vacation to the Bermuda Triangle, because we can talk to him on the phone and he says he is on the way but never makes it to Zelda. Believe it or not.