Ready or Not, Here We Come!



Larry's Retirement Luncheon

Since last I wrote, Larry retired from L-3 Communications. His colleagues gave him a great sendoff, purchasing and personalizing a toilet seat cover that wishes him well as he continues to renovate The Big Yellow House.  They also bought us a subscription to "Old House Journal", a monthly magazine we should have been reading for many years before initiating this project.  Since we now have more time than money, it was great to be able to make a mid-week trip to Edenton without all the usual weekend traffic.


When we arrived at the house, we saw a good portion of the hard wood floors upstairs had been sanded.  Unfortunately, they were in much worse shape than Dave the floor man realized and were taking more time than planned.  While apologetic about the delay, it was obvious Dave was working hard to make our floors look as good as they did when they were first installed 96 years ago. He was also striving to meet our schedule having drafted his father to help with the work!
 

Newly Sanded Family Room Floor





Dave at Work

Pop Helps Dave Meet the Schedule

We are also experiencing delays in the kitchen. The tin ceiling is late in arriving and most likely will not be installed until after we move in. All of the prep work, however, has been completed so installation can begin as soon as the tin arrives.

Tommy and Patrick Frame for the Tin Ceiling



James Helps Fit the Ceiling Lights



Elsewhere in the kitchen, much of the finishing work has been done. Beveled glass was added to the two exterior doors to bring more light into the kitchen, all the remaining hardware was affixed to the new cabinets, a glass tile backsplash was fitted near the sink, and most of the appliances were installed.




Windows Added to the Doors








Glass Tile Backsplash in the Kitchen





 

Despite all of this progress, the delay on the wood floors has caused us to readjust our priorities and to push back our move date. To simplify the floor job we've decided not to refinish the two stairways. While this dirty dusty work is better tackled when the house is vacant, it's just going to have to wait until after we move in. By eliminating these areas, Dave “thinks” he can get the floors done in time to let them cure for a few days before our furniture arrives. Fortunately, All Star Movers can accommodate a delayed move date and we're now scheduled to "begin" moving on September 24th.  I say begin because this will be a 3 stop move.  First we must empty our home in Colonial Beach before the contents of the storage unit and condominium in Vienna can be placed onto the truck.  Then, it's off to Edenton!