The Tale of Our Oven
When we bought our house, it came with a Dacor range. (In appliance lingo, a “range” is an oven and a stove top, combined.) I was never particularly happy with it, not the least of which was because the oven …
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Renovations
73 posts tagged with this topic.
The Nest - Excellence in Product Design and Customer Service
I’ve turned into my dad. Really. I’ve got to be the hardest person on the planet to buy for. My poor wife pestered me for weeks to expand on my Christmas list (she pre-populated it with: “If you don’t add anything, …
A long-overdue renovation update
Yeah, the renovations are still going. You’ll know when they’re done — thar’ll be a “we’re done” post, which will include before/after shots. But until then, please understand that we’re poking along pretty …
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Renovation update - no, we're not done yet
So the fun continues. Still. Things aren’t done, though our kitchen it, at least, mostly functional. (Except for the mechanical dishwasher. The backup dishwasher works fine, mind you it’s hard to type after washing all …
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The kitchen reno may yet kill me...
So here we are on Day Whatever-I’ve-Stopped-Counting, and we’re still going. As you may imagine, I’m a tad stressed. Things just seem to … keep not going the way I want them to go. (Notably in the fact that what …
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How to really succeed in (any) business
Recently, if you’ve been following this blog, you know my family has been going through a kitchen renovation. It’s not quite done, but it’s turning out very nicely, and we really, really, really cannot wait for it to be …
Renovating, a word on LED lighting
For our renovation project, one thing we decided to do was take the leap to using LED-only lighting. This is a trend we started a couple of years ago, just as commercial LED bulbs were really coming available. It’s …
Kitchen reno, day 22
I’d like to say the end is in sight. I really would. But I’m still struggling with little things that just aren’t getting done. The “finisher” has been MIA for over a week now (I keep expecting Mr. Wolfe to …
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Home, half-assembled home
Well, our time out of the house has finally come to pass, and we’re back under a mostly-familiar roof. The roof itself is intact, and save for a taped-over vent hole (no longer in use) — it’s the inside that’s still in …
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Kitchen reno, day 17
The progress has been slower the last few days, but we’re ramping up to another major push. On Saturday, the ceiling in the kitchen was mudded, and then knocked down on Sunday. The walls were patched, and some plywood …
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Kitchen (and living room and bathroom) reno, day 13
Earlier today, I was tired and depressed. Tired from having to live outside of my own home, worn down by the complete breakdown in schedule and regularity, and worry that things aren’t exactly going according to … …
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Kitchen reno, day 9
This is one of those days when I really had to sit back, after a beer, and really think hard about how much this entire process must mirror my day-to-day work life, only that I’m the client, and I’m making the requests …
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Reversal on floors...
Okay, okay, okay! We get the point. Thanks to my father’s ghost (as communicated by my lovely sister), and some “concerned” friends, we’re doing the living room floor, too. (And I’m sure I’ll thank y’all …
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Kitchen renovation, day 8
Just over a week ago, our kitchen officially went out of commission. Today, it looks oh-so close to being functional once again. Considering the short period of time, and some of the challenges that have come up, I’m …
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Renovations, Day 6
It’s not even been a week, and the changes at the house are so dramatic as to be unrecognisable at the moment. Given, that’s largely due to the things that have been torn out. But that alone would not produce drama — for …
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The kitchen reno moves along
Well, since I last wrote, much has happened in the house. In our previous installment, the floors were starting to come up. Since then, a lot as happened, and we’ve had the prerequisite miscommunications, strange …
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The floors start to disappear
Funny thing. Yesterday, when we’d thought the renovations were due to start on Tuesday (that’d be tomorrow), we weren’t exactly in a pressing need to finish getting certain appliances and a massive table out of the …
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Kitchen goes bye-bye
Well, if you read the note about Choo Choo’s birthday, then you know that we did a little bit of the reno work today. The single most major part of our reno work upstairs is the kitchen, and it’s basically getting …
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Upstairs Reno, The fun begins!
Well, about five years ago, we bought our current house. We knew that when we moved in, we were going to make changes. Our plans were lofty, and while we didn’t hold true to all of them (the tankless hot water wasn’t …
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A new window on the world
One of the many things we identified with our home as needing improvement when we purchased it was the windows. Nearly all of them (save for an odd bay window added on an extension that seems to have gone on in the …
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And She said I want new lights!
Okay, it wasn’t just Alex. Truth is, our “Florida Ceiling” bothered me from the moment we bought the house. In our original walk-around, it was one of the things I noted as needing “urgent …
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Nothing but the kitchen sink
It’s been a long time since we’ve done anything significant to the house. The last time, we gutted and rebuilt the basement, a much-needed effort. It is now the most comfortable and pleasant part of the house (except …
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Basement renovation almost complete
Sigh. Just in time for us to leave the house, too. Oh well, at least it’ll improve the overall value of the place, right? Here are the before/after pictures. Because it’s important to know what we’ve done here. We …
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Renovations nearing completion!
It’s been a long, hard slog since all this began a year ago. Demolition, plumbing, heating, framing, electrical, gas, contractor nightmares, self-realisation, and now the end of the tunnel is fully lit. This weekend, …
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Renovations Update
Since we went off world-hopping, a lot has happened. That’s not to say the basement is done yet. Sadly, we had hoped for completion by May. A couple of starting delays, and then a labour disruption with our contractor …
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Renovations renewed
Well, as you already know, I’ve accepted the fact that I cannot renovate my own home. I’m neither skilled enough, nor have the time to handle it. (As it stands, there is considerable discussion that I’m not spending …
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My father, I am not
Sorry, Dad, but there are some things that I will not be able to live up to. Some things that I realise I cannot do. Some things that I cannot be. Today, I had my ego carved out of me with a dull spoon and splayed out on …
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My baby's back!
Over the last week-and-a-bit, I’ve been without my family. Alex and the wee one were out in BC visiting with family. Me? On self-imposed exile in the basement to try and wrap up as much of the renovations as possible. …
Drywall ain't light
After work tonight, I zipped down to the Home Depot to get more building supplies. Namely, sheetrock. I’m almost ready to start putting the stuff up (I might even start tonight, if I can get all the insulation in place), …
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Laminate flooring sucks
I state this now: I will never use laminate flooring again. Ever. I don’t care how inexpensive and near-indestructable it is — the stuff simply is not well-designed and is far too cumbersome for one person to install …
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The heating system is complete
It’s taken a bit longer to get this one sorted out than I would have liked, but the house is finally completely heated — upstairs and down — and with all the sensors needed to make sure it’s comfortable. Added bonus: we …
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Framing is complete!
Well… the walls are all in place, the doorways are in place, the bracing for the bulkhead is in place, and even some of the wiring has already been run. So far, we’re off to a (mostly) rousing start. But there’s …
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Remembering my circuits classes the hard way
Okay, first off: Roger and Ed. I didn’t take Engineering, so this wasn’t pounded in my head. So go easy on me, okay? I spend the weekend working as much as I could in the basement, trying to make some more headway given …
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Expensive floors are a problem
There’s two ways to install a floor: the cheap way and the expensive way. This isn’t about right and wrong — though important, for once this hasn’t been the sole guiding factor. And when the difference between them is …
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We have heat!
Just as the first sub-zero forecast appears on our horizon, we have some heat to keep us from freezing. It’s taken a while longer than we planned, but thankfully it’s now up and running. The house is warm again (and not …
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We have (new) electricity
And the wonders of renovations continue. As you are aware, we’re getting a new electrical service. The panel moved, the meter moved outside, and the wires into the house are being moved to the roof. Yesterday (yes, I’m a …
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Why does my dryer not get hot?
Okay, this is actually more of a rhetorical question. I now know the answer to the question, thanks to a call to my handy electrician, Mark. My biggest worry was that I’d made a mistake with high-amperage wiring. Turns …
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Pictures from my new lens
On the weekend, I spun by a very busy The Camera Store to pick up my new lens, a Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM. This is the standard prime used for virtually every camera for the last 60 years or so. Even the digitals picked …
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New appliances and a pruned tree
It’s amazing now much work you can get done once you’ve got a floor to stand on! Even if it’s a little on the unfinished side. Where to start? Well, first there’s the electrical. Enmax is supposed to be here tomorrow or …
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Renovation update
Today was a day of considerable progress, especially since I wasn’t actually doing any of it. But progress in any form is appreciated, since it means I can continue moving forward with changes and getting things back to …
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The concrete is in!
FINALLY! This was a process far more painful than it really needed to be. But if nothing else, it really just illustrates the difficulty in getting things done in Calgary as of late. There were a few too many challenges …
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And so the concrete begins ... I hope
Imagine my delight at the arrival of a Bobcat out in front of the house, with a guy dressed like he’s been pouring concrete. Which, oddly enough, he has. It seems that, like with many companies in Alberta as of late, …
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Still no floor
I’m pissed. Way beyond pissed. I’m about ready to kidnap the schmuck at the concrete vendor who keeps screwing me over, handcuff him to the sewer pipes in the basement, and tell the concrete vendor if they want him back …
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More delays in the basement
About two and a half weeks ago, the heating pipes went in. The theory that we’ve been holding to all along is that the pipes would go in mere days before concrete would permanently seal them in place. This was done to …
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Some new electrical
Part of the renovations include some changes to the electrical system. As you’ve probably already read, I’ve torn out large chunks of the wiring in the basement. I had to — it was quite the mess. The electrical panel …
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Heating pipes are approved
Well, good news. The heating pipes are now ready. At least the inspectors says so. The heat is a long way from being done, but a least a bit of it is good to go. The inspector left the papers behind, including a note …
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The piping is in
Canyon works quickly! I got a call from them yesterday saying they were getting started with the heat piping, and would take 1-2 days to get it all in. I came home last night, and it was all in. Almost. Okay, so things …
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Renovation catchup, with pictures!
Okay, yes, I’ve been busy. And I’ve been far too lax with all the photographs thus far. Thankfully, Alex has been very good at filling in the blanks. So, from the top, here’s what we’ve got so far… We started with …
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The basement is ready for heating
Today, Canyon starts the process of installing the heating pipes for the floor. (With luck, it’s also the day our electrician starts moving the service and installing the new box.) We’re one step closer to having a …
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Some assembly required
And a whole lotta frustration! Tonight, I put together another section of framing. A four-foot section. In two hours. Doesn’t seem like a lot, does it? Nor should it — other much longer sections went together a lot …
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What is inside a 50 year-old furnace?
Ever asked yourself what’s inside a 50 year-old furnace? Yeah, me neither. And yet, the answer to this very question was provided to me as I continued with the renovations in the basement. Namely, taking the 50 year-old …
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Back to renovations after almost a week of clients
On Monday, I managed to slap together the first of the framing for the outer walls. That was also the first day of client meetings, and we had a lot of material to cover. Yesterday was the last day of meetings, so I did …
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Plates in, first framing up
So last night I was in quite the rush to get home and get back to working in the basement. I’m trying to make the most use of time possible to try and get everything into place before the floor heating pipes are laid — …
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Basement floorplan, version 3
Here’s what’s different: Office and mechanical rooms swapped (this was done because the boiler can’t vent up a chimney — too low-temperature, so the condensation from the exhaust would completely rust the thing out; on …
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Finally we get to rebuilding
I’ve finally managed to add something to the basement rather than just take it away. (That’s adding something myself, I should add — the plumbers have already beaten me to the punch of adding something.) But first I had …
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The building supplies arrive
On Saturday, I scooted around doing a number of errands. One of them was ordering in the materials I need to frame and insulate the basement. Part of this is in preparation for the heated floor, part of this is to …
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The plumbing begins in the basement
When I got home yesterday, we had a brand-new visitor at the house: a giant yellow refuse bin from Rubbish Express. This is to haul away all the leftovers pulled from the basement in the process of preparing it for …
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Clearing out the basement
The first contractors arrive tomorrow, so we’ve been in a push to get the basement ready for them. So far, we’ve managed to remove all the inner walls, lights (except two in the ceiling), carpet, some of the floor tiles, …
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When home renovations go bad!
Not every renovation goes exactly as planned. Sometimes, you have the little curveballs that make an otherwise simple fix into a veritable nightmare. I hit one of those last night. I spent most of the weekend cleaning up …
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Renovations, Part 1 - Demolition
It is said that it is easier to destroy than it is to create. However, it is not said that it is also more fun. I wonder why? This morning, we started the first part of our house renovation: tearing apart the crap that’s …
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Basement floor plan, first draft
A few measurements, pencil, copy of Visio (on the company laptop, admittedly), tape measure, and a lot of time and patience leads to something moderately useful. We’ve got a first draft at a floor plan. For the basement, …
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Gearing up for renovations
We’re almost completely moved into the house, and while it’s still cluttered, we’re already looking to renovating the basement. We have to renovate, really. The basement isn’t set up for what Alex and I need. We want …
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Ugh. Moving again.
As you’ve already heard, we’ve bought another house. It’s actually smaller than our current house, but should allow for a little more flexibility, and easier for us to content with the arrival of our firstborn in a few …
Buying another house
It’s official — we have a new house. Well, not a new house, but a different house than the one we’re currently in, hence new to us. Why a new house?, you may ask. The honest reality is that we can’t stay in this one much …
Deck Disassembly, Part 3 (ish)
Whoever said it is easier to destroy than create has obviously never tried to disassemble a deck. This wretched piece of junk in our backyard has been the bane of my existence the last month or so. At first, it was …
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All work and no play make Geoff something something
I know, I know — where are the journals, Geoff? Pardon me if I’ve been busy. I’ll dispense with the specifics of my job. First, you don’t want to hear them. Many of them are things that would only make sense to someone …
More gardening work
Another home, another batch of gardening. Our home is a nice, wonderful little place. It does have a few quirks, notably the shoddy construction on the addition in the rear (I’m gonna need to spend some time under there …
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Landscaping the backyard
There’s nothing quite like realizing that your garden sucks. When I bought the house, I couldn’t really see the backyard gardens — there was quite a lot of snow. That obscured pretty much everything worth seeing and …
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Sewer repairs due to root damage
Just when you think it’s safe not to worry about having to put out any additional funds for home improvement, the proverbial crap hits the fan. Or in this case, the sewer line. For the record, it wasn’t my sewer line. …
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Banff National Park and Lake Minnewanka
Despite the plethora of forest fires plaguing the B.C. interior, my family decided it was a good weekend to dive into the (mostly) green forests of Banff National Park. Now you’re probably wondering why on Earth I noted …
Aunt Brenda's birthday and my hatred of Microsoft Word
The weekend past was the August long weekend. Well, it was the long weekend for most people. For me, it was one of three things: painting the house, spending time with family, or being at work. Four things, if you count …
Painting my house (among other things)
I need a weekend from my weekend. ‘Course, it’s my fault for trying to do so much at once. For the last couple of weeks, I’ve been preparing to paint my house. (The outside, that is.) I should have painted it last year, …
Leaking hot water heater and house party
I’ve often heard it said that there’s nothing like the sound of pitter-pattering around your home. This weekend, I found that sometimes this sound isn’t so nice. Like when your hot water heater is leaking. I noticed it …
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