Home Improvement, Part 5

We had quite the busy weekend. So I’m afraid I’ve fallen behind with updates on our little project. A lot has happened.

The taping guy finished on Wednesday or Thursday and the contractors were back to do some more work on Friday. They gave us the green light to paint over the weekend.

Kris is the chief painter in our house. She did most of the work. I helped out when I could, but mostly I had kid duty. Nolan did help paint some. But Saturday afternoon we shipped him up to my mom’s house during Thomas’ nap so we could both work in the basement without any small people around. On Sunday we lucked out and Nolan took a rare afternoon nap.


All primed and ready for paint.

Saturday was spent mostly priming. The walls were all primed by late afternoon and Kris started working on the ceiling and cutting in on all of the edges.

Unfortunately, after dinner we determined that the ceiling needed a second coat, which meant a prime time trip to Lowe’s. They have this crazy new ceiling paint that goes on purple, but dries white. However, I played it safe and stuck the regular stuff.


The happy painting crew.

The contractors had dropped all of the molding off on Friday, but hadn’t installed any of it yet. While Kris finished up the ceiling, I gave the molding its first coat. We were working down there until about 10 p.m.

On Sunday Kris started painting the walls. Once again, we were hoping we could get by with one coat, but that never happens, does it? So it was back to Lowe’s again to buy more paint.

In the afternoon, while Kris painted the walls I took all of the windows out, cleaned them and installed the screens on the ones that didn’t have screens yet. Installing those new windows was the first improvement we ever made to the house when we moved in back in 1997, and they hadn’t been cleaned since.

Then as Kris continued working on the walls, I – wonder or wonders, mark this date down – actually made dinner (gasp!).

After the kids went to bed, Kris finished the walls and we gave the molding its second coat. We were finished working by 9 p.m.


Let there be paint!

On Monday the contractors were back to finish up their work. They installed the doors, the molding and finished off all of the outlets and light fixtures.

Today Kris painted the doors and touched up a few other spots.


Chester checks out the new room.

On Thursday the carpet will be installed and we’ll be done! Of course, by then we won’t have any money left to actually furnish the room, but we’ll get there…