DISASTER!

[yugogypsy]

Rufus,

My plumber/electrician has agreed on 1 room at a time, giving me time between to save more money.

Contractor is INSANE $130 PER SQUARE FOOT!!!!!!!!!

I AM HAVING A LOUSY DAMN BIRTHDAY!!!

I was promised lunch by a friend--now he's backing out & "playing" sick when he was fine yesterday!!!

[rlaggren]

Lois,

You gotta save this forum so you got a good record of your troubles so you can write a book! Something like "Never Had Time to Take Sh#T!". <g>

Rufus

[yugogypsy]

Rufus,

We opened a corner of the livingroom wall yesterday---SIX mud wasp nests and 3 paper wasp nests, thankfully all vacant!

A few rat poops and DAMN IT TO HECK--evidence of carpenter ants in the roof.

Pest control lots of $$$ and then I'd have to have a new roof!

LOIS

[rlaggren]

Wasps nests come with the territory. Make sure when you do your exterior repairs and wood work you don't leave _any_ holes; use caulk if you can't get the joints tight.

Here's link. I used to read his (bug) column in the newspaper. Really don't know if all his ideas are sound, but he's spent a whole lot of time talking about it over a lot of years. You might see if he has anything to say about getting rid of carpenter ants. Seems to be an interesting guy in other ways too. <g>

http://www.askthebugman.com/

[Rudy]

Rufus,

We opened a corner of the livingroom wall yesterday---SIX mud wasp nests and 3 paper wasp nests, thankfully all vacant!

A few rat poops and DAMN IT TO HECK--evidence of carpenter ants in the roof.

Pest control lots of $$$ and then I'd have to have a new roof!

LOIS

[rlaggren]

So Rudy. You the guy that cut that open? Pretty good work for a utility knife. <g>

[yugogypsy]

No, that was how they peeled off the ceiling-architechturally interesting if you're into bugs

Lois

[rlaggren]

Oh, Rudy was relaying. I don't think I have that much interest - reminds me of some horror flick!

Rufus

[yugogypsy]

This whole house thing is like a horror movie to me. Every time we open a wall, we find a new problem, in this case, where are the danged wasps getting in??

Ditto for the Carpenter Ants.

We've got a long way to go with this house and I'll be very glad when it's all done, probably several years from now

Lois

[Stealth Camper]

They get in anywhere AND everywhere. I'm not sure they have made enough caulk in the history of the world to keep wasps and ants out!

[yugogypsy]

Not much new to report here. We are still cleaning house and moving things around to accomodate this household overhaul.

Will have to replace my counter as well as my sink, its getting soft in front of the sink.

Murphy's Law seems to apply in this crazy old house

Lois

[rlaggren]

I'm sure Murphy visits you, Lois. But look at what poetry he's caused in his time... "the best laid plans, of mice and men gang aft aglay..." You could look upon all those new "issues" sorta like they're artist's sketches. You know, Murphy's trying out new shapes and ideas, out of which will come the Masterpiece... <G>

Rufus

[yugogypsy]

Well the bathroom was less of a disaster than I thought. There is no rot in the wall where I thought there might be.

Rick took the bathtub out with great difficulty and a few bad words , over the years my Dad had at least 3 different plumbers work on this place and I think my plumber is going to be changing some more things.

Thank heavens I got a walk in shower and donated the bathtub to my horse for a water trough, his old one is rusting.

I goofed when I bought my pedestal basin, it's going to have to be on a raised base or I'll be bending almost in half to wash my hands

Still have to get a toilet next Spring, after we get all the wiring done. I'm thinking paint now too and linoleum for the bathroom floor, there were tiles in there that broke up and I had them re-done and Rick pulled off the second lot yesterday, grumbling all the way because the glue stuck to the floor.

Now I have to go to the hardware store and get something to remove the glue before we can sand the floor, we tried scrubbing it and that didn't work

Project House is definitely annoying at times, but it will be worth it in the end.

Lois

[yugogypsy]

Progress is being made.

I have cleaned out a LOT of clutter in the last 6 months. Just sent another load to the thrift store 2 days ago.

Now I start all over again in each room and clear out the stuff I couldn't see before because of the stuff on top of or in front of it (no I'm not a hoarder-things are in closets, just piled up)

I seriously can't believe the amount of pure junk that came out of having tenants from 2002 to 2010.

People left all sorts of things behind and of course the persons involved then became impossible to find so I've had to get rid of the stuff.

Not too much scrap metal left to go, some garbage is a regular thing and I'll keep working on stuff for the thrift store, remembering to keep enough bedding etc for Pit Stop,my camper, and eventually, my vardo.

Rick got the old deck off the vardo frame today, 5 pieces of 2X2 to go and when we get some dry weather I'll be scrubbing and then sanding down the frame before painting it.

I found some Caravan builders about 100 miles and 2 ferries away on Hornby Island--Google search Hornby Island Caravans. They are just getting started building vardos so I'll pay them a visit at some point. Their wagons are the Ledge type, not like the Bowtops Stuart and I have in mind.

Lois

[yugogypsy]

More progress today.

I'd bought a tub surround for the bathroom--and then found that with the walk-in shower I wouldn't have room for a tub too!

I gave it to a friend of mine who does house repairs and renovations, I'm sure he can find a use for it. That gave me a bit more space in the carport.

Rick is splitting & stacking firewood for Jennifer today and should be home soon. After supper we've got to do some cleaning up in the basement. I don't like having a rabbit trail between the boxes of stuff in the laundry room. Time to sort out more stuff for the thrift store and put away some other things I need to keep.

Since I decided to take longer with this project I'm not quite so frustrated, but I really will be glad to get help when my Help Exchanger's get here, 1 in March and one sometime after that (he's finishing some trade courses)

Tomorrow we work outside, rain or not. I am tired of that messy heap of STUFF right by the side door into the carport.

Advice to potential landlords--don't take on anyone who has moved out of a bigger place unless they put their extra stuff in a storage unit or your home will look like a thrift store!!!

Cheers
Lois