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Monthly Archives: November 2012

Sketchup Model Update

27 Tuesday Nov 2012

Posted by Mike in Sketchup 3D

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This is Version 20… but I think I started the numbering over previously.

I mentioned the Sketchup model a few times, but admittedly haven’t played with recently.  I figured it has come a long way since I last posted it and I should share the latest version.  I’ll likely make more revisions (or start over) once I move in and take better measurements.  Most measurements were done before we know how everything was built so its not perfectly accurate.  Also, we’ve discovered new windows, pipes, walls since then.

Having it made the whole renovation easier.  Could work through ideas many times before we even had parts in hand,  made it easier to estimate materials, even helped the days go smoother.  Could plan out the whole night while at work and then just power through it that evening with fewer surprises.  Explore the basement and check out the plumbing.  This is a spot where it really helped.

Download file will be posted tonight.

4 Months In

21 Wednesday Nov 2012

Posted by Mike in Home Improvement, Sketchup 3D

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Now that we’re putting up drywall, its almost amazing to us that its been only 4 months since we bought the place.  Working every evening and weekend with few exceptions for 4 months feels like years.  Its good to take a moment and think back to the first tour of the house, through the inspections and the purchase just to see how far we came.

I cant remember exactly when Siri first saw this house for sale online.  No sooner than we had looked at the photos online, someone else had a contract in on it.  We were just starting to look, but we knew we’d probably never find a house with a yard in this neighborhood.  It must have been too much work for them to take on.  Months later Siri saw it come up again and we scheduled with Aldo to check it out.  It was the first of two houses we looked at during the whole hunt.  We had an offer in pretty quickly and then there was the waiting.  We must have waited 4 months to hear back from the bank.  Apparently, while we had an offer in, someone had made a higher offer and we were told our only options were to sign the release or wait for the contract to expire.  We were upset, but Aldo worked some magic and finally we were able to put in our counter offer which was approved.

I remember those first excited days after we closed.  We took the day to measure everything for a Sketchup drawing and around a week later we started to tear things out.

Page 12 of the Inspection Report – Bad Wiring, F’d ducting, Horrible Ceilings.

There were the obvious problems like the drop ceiling and then there were things on the inspection report.  More things we uncovered while renovating such as the 3rd floor bricks, whole house wiring, whole house plumbing…  Other things we simply decided to do now rather than after we moved in (the bathroom).  Somehow even with all the problems, we didn’t feel anything was too bad for us to handle (with help of course).

So 5 months in, it looks like we’ve got about a month until we can move in.  We need to finish up some wiring, plumbing, drywall, floors and bathroom.  Once we’re moved in, we’ll take it a little easier while we finish up.  We’ve come a long way.  It helps to look back at how far we’ve come to give us energy to get us to the end.

Spray Foam

16 Friday Nov 2012

Posted by Mike in Home Improvement

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Pretty awful cell phone video.

Major milestone–spray foam!

16 Friday Nov 2012

Posted by Siri in Home Improvement

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Today marks a major milestone in our timeline–getting the roof/3rd floor ceiling insulated with closed cell spray foam. No longer will we be able to see the Baltimore skyline through the holes in the back wall corner where it “joins” the roof! 4 inches of spray foam plus 2 inches of rigid foam insulation should keep things toasty in winter and cool(er) in the summer, as well as add some significant structural strength to the roof itself.

With drywalling the 2nd and 3rd floor planned for this weekend, it feels like we are actually getting this house done!

20121116-115517.jpg

Here is how our home automation is going to work…

08 Thursday Nov 2012

Posted by Mike in Arduino

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