Day Three.

Hey.  I finished another wall today.  Bad new though.  I was a little hasty to put up the soffit because I have not cut holes and run the HVAC yet.  It will happen but I may be a little tight to work up there.  Oh well, lesson learned and we move on right?

The second bedroom has been started and the wall that was put up is identical to the first bedroom wall.  The only difference is that the closet rough in is on the opposite side obviously so we can don't have to share a closet between the two bedrooms.  This time it went much faster.  I quit early today because I have to go back to work tomorrow.  So lame that I couldn't get Friday off, but I honestly go to work to relax during this busy time at home.

 
I also went to Menards today to get a shower for the bathroom because it's on sale.  Budget, budget, budget.  Always buy the stuff when it's on sale even if it will be a while before you need it.

On a more personal note my wife gets home on Saturday and I can't wait.  She has been gone since Tuesday and the kids and I really miss her.  I will have a little side project that I am doing that will surprise the crap out of her.  Let's hope it's done by the time she gets home.

Day Two.

Rough night last night.  Worked until 8 o'clock or so and I am very thankful to my Mother for taking care of the girls this week because my back is killing me.  As long as I keep up with stretching those dang hamstrings and icing the herniation everything should be ok.  I also had physical therapy at 7 o'clock this morning.  Can you believe it?  First day of the mini staycation and I schedules a PT appointment that early in the day.  Oh well enough complaining.

Today we started framing the first bedroom.  I can't believe that I'm doing this and not hiring it out, but I believe the benefits of personal accomplishment and saving about $2000-$3000 in labor just for the framing is well worth it. 

For the wall's floor plate I used 2x4 treated lumber, liquid nail to secure it to the floor, and 2 1/2" Hard Cut Masonry Fasteners driven through the 2x4 into the concrete.  Everybody was suggesting that I use a powder nailer and I believe that may have been the best way to go, but DIY projects when you are on a budget call for cheaper alternatives that work just as well. 



The wall itself went up pretty well until I got to the rough in of the closet door.  That was very time consuming and I actually don't want to talk about it.  :)  The closet doors will need a rough opening of 49 1/2" x 81 1/2" and that's what I did.  It was pretty simple to do but it was time consuming.  A carpenter would have build this wall on the floor and, when finished, would have lifted the wall from the floor to the intended spot.  A newbie like me did it the old fashioned way.  One piece at a time.  I considered the other way but know that in the end I would probably have had to tear it apart and start over so I decided to measure each board, put it in place, make sure it was plumb, and nailed it into place. 

I really need to mention that all the while my Father was helping out.  He did a pretty good job dealing with my grumpiness too.

Day One.

Note to self:  Next time you build a soffit be sure to space the boards 24" apart instead of 16" apart.  It will save you time and money.

So I finished the soffit that encloses the guts of the house, ie. duct work, water lines, gas lines etc. in about 4 hours of work.  Not too bad I guess.  I can't help but feel I messed up when building it.  In the photo below you can see that the cross boards are placed underneath the ladder and looking at it I feel like I should have secured the cross boards inside the two ladders.  This would have given me a higher ceiling and more importantly it would have given me a solid corner under the sheet rock.

For those who absolutely know, the ceiling height is not an issue, but do I need to change this for sheet rocking purposes?  Let me know.

 Because we got such a late start due to the fact that there was so much to do before work began we only got this one piece of the project done but it was interesting and when it was all said and done in a run that ran the length of a house there was only a 1/4" difference.  In my book that pretty damn square if you ask me.

P.S. Don't mind the mess in the background.  I have a herniated disc in my back so that will be there for a while.

Introduction.

Hello my name is Joel.  I have decided to began a blog that shows our progress of the finishing of the basement.  I say we because, although I'll be doing the majority of the work, my wife will be doing the more difficult task of running the upstairs.  This includes taking care of our two daughters that are much more of a handful than pounding freaking nails into a piece of wood.

I started the project on Tuesday, July 21, 2011 with the guidance of my Father to start me in the right direction.  Who knows how long this is going to take.  This is where I should mention that I literally have no clue what I'm doing and I am admittedly scared to take this project on.  Although I have had a lot of offers to help, I prefer to work alone with my music and nobody to bother me.  This allows me to take my time and ensures a more stress free journey as I head into the land of the unknown.  They say there is always a light at the end of the tunnel.  Let's hope my light doesn't end up being a train.