tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22578791636715074312024-03-05T02:47:01.073-08:00Our 1st New Home: Building a Ryan Homes MilanGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13181179513705130714noreply@blogger.comBlogger68125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257879163671507431.post-49239751447741296872014-06-23T08:41:00.000-07:002014-06-23T08:41:16.280-07:00Flooring be Damned!<br />
Long time no post! If anyone out there is still in the selection / design phase of the Milan or similar Ryan homes design, this post is for you. <br />
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When we walked through the model, we were impressed by the open floorplan. There is a hidden price to pay for this design. It takes some explaining so bear with me.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZJOwOxCxKgdS980dabofCCeREdDq2VHcNAFIOG_xVt3RbhtWB-vEUcIlziX5-VyXrLdKc5eY6U0gCMLGsKfOWyaacdPcHHIMIrRkJ6qhTPX1LC6idHxpgnBi25GxUIWFSMD7fL0mH8Qg0/s1600/20140618_180923.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZJOwOxCxKgdS980dabofCCeREdDq2VHcNAFIOG_xVt3RbhtWB-vEUcIlziX5-VyXrLdKc5eY6U0gCMLGsKfOWyaacdPcHHIMIrRkJ6qhTPX1LC6idHxpgnBi25GxUIWFSMD7fL0mH8Qg0/s1600/20140618_180923.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a>The only way to get from the kitchen to the front & or stairs is to walk through a small section of the family room. This causes a high traffic area which is devastating to the carpeting in the area. Even with a steam vac there was a wear track from the kitchen (tile) to the hardwood in the foyer. We also spent money upgrading the carpet in this area so we were especially disappointed in how fast it wore out. We have been in our house for less than 3 years. Several of our neighbors (even some in the Florence) have expressed the same issue and have either replaced carpet already or are considering doing hardwood as well.<br />
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Because we have pets, we were looking to get a high durability stain-resistant carpet such as Stain-Guard or Pet-Protect. We'd be looking about $1,400 to put a high quality carpet in the area. The sales rep told me no carpet would last in the high-traffic areas, and no manufacturer will warrant that area of carpet. When I asked the sales consultant what could we do to avoid replacing the carpet every couple of years, he gave us good suggestions:<br />
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<ol>
<li><b>Plastic or Carpet Runner</b> - The old plastic style runners don't look attractive at all. Also, being this isn't a perfect square between the doorways, any runner would look awkward.</li>
<li><b>Hardwood just the section</b> - More economical but creates an awkward connection between the rooms. Didn't feel this would look good.</li>
<li><b>Hardwood Entire family room</b> - Most expensive option, but should hold up the best and require the least maintenance. While up-front cost is higher, over the course of years, it will be cheaper than replacing carpet every 3-4 years</li>
</ol>
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We were able to find the same material, color & texture hardwood at Lumber Liquidators for $3.79 sq/ft. The room is 320 sq/ft and contractor labor was under $1,000. I have to say, it came out wonderfully.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigdnhJoxU-Rg3KdonJ-PzmCa3wUMciEgIAgDiZ4D2n2gEYFksHk4Fc-WPkvLC0dvQvVbJajuirgN_XoafJN3XvlnKffVDDvALj0-qCz6XDpo6TD41dZ2YlvNdn_V9F_DCJLer0xthNDMZ_/s1600/20140618_180839.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigdnhJoxU-Rg3KdonJ-PzmCa3wUMciEgIAgDiZ4D2n2gEYFksHk4Fc-WPkvLC0dvQvVbJajuirgN_XoafJN3XvlnKffVDDvALj0-qCz6XDpo6TD41dZ2YlvNdn_V9F_DCJLer0xthNDMZ_/s1600/20140618_180839.jpg" height="225" title="Final Product" width="400" /></a></div>
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There will be an area rug around between the TV, fireplace & couch area but that isn't ready yet.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2exGgoz_2oeW1fZmbw5DxrcGEs2uPV0ptZpif8JL_l4mE40OnLTJzr1x856YiS4M_sOUu5QaU37CsQcFGYPnROUmqPXZsdUBGpcaYlXyQwNah6AnwklT3wOznHpkpP1lKFtoiLn4w4EdU/s1600/20140618_192607.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2exGgoz_2oeW1fZmbw5DxrcGEs2uPV0ptZpif8JL_l4mE40OnLTJzr1x856YiS4M_sOUu5QaU37CsQcFGYPnROUmqPXZsdUBGpcaYlXyQwNah6AnwklT3wOznHpkpP1lKFtoiLn4w4EdU/s1600/20140618_192607.jpg" height="225" title="Final Product (Furnished)" width="400" /></a></div>
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Some of the Family Room carpet was salvageable. I was able to replace the basement stairs carpet with 'like new'. The dogs seem excited about it!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJDMsLJsIQYkRxch4frW5r1OXcha4y8YjntBfQu9a6RXI_yXPnSBdU4gfP5B42-e95i8kidXR-gN6FuNCX0vrVOx0fcik2Xl2bGD31Y-c8CYRrNSedEVC8_TNxGKb_yEZxGvWDHN7waJ9A/s1600/20140618_164029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJDMsLJsIQYkRxch4frW5r1OXcha4y8YjntBfQu9a6RXI_yXPnSBdU4gfP5B42-e95i8kidXR-gN6FuNCX0vrVOx0fcik2Xl2bGD31Y-c8CYRrNSedEVC8_TNxGKb_yEZxGvWDHN7waJ9A/s1600/20140618_164029.jpg" height="640" width="360" /></a></div>
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You can also see the flooring in the basement. I'm not going to blame the destruction of the carpet on the floor-plan. Here it was simply the dogs and their many issues. (Don't let them near a 500-ct bottle of chew-able Vitamin C, the orange colored vomit piles doesn't come out). </div>
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Since we have pets, we fear they would find ways to ruin new basement carpet as well. We decided to put in the tiles that look like hardwood. They have texture to them and look amazing. Most people don't realize it's tile unless they look close or are barefoot. The tile will be much easier to maintain from a pet standpoint as well as durable in case there is ever a water issue.</div>
<br />Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13181179513705130714noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257879163671507431.post-15104230342603676442013-03-29T07:13:00.000-07:002013-03-29T07:17:15.423-07:00Backsplash InstallationHey everyone, it's been since July since I last posted so I apologize for that. I guess I'm finding many of the projects I'm doing a little too standard to bother posting them. Have some stuff on the horizon so I'll try to keep everyone in the loop.<br />
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We are <i>finally</i> getting around to painting the first floor, so we decided it would be a good idea to put the back splash in before we painted. I will forego posting the pictures of the many options we considered and skip to what we actually did. One of the biggest considerations when choosing the tile is that the grout completely changes the look. Look online for sample kitchens with similar colors to yours before going ahead with it. We would buy 10 sheets at a time, put them against our color scheme and rule them out one by one. It was tedious but we wanted to be sure. Lowes was great about returning them, just don't mess up the packaging.<br />
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One of the reasons I'm specifying granite & cabinet types is so that hopefully these pictures will come up in a Google Search when people are looking to do something similar. I found it difficult to find good pictures as samples online. You can also tell how the same tile looks entirely different depending on the lighting.<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Materials & Colors</b></li>
<ul>
<li>Granite - Santa Cecilia</li>
<li>Cabinets (Timberlake)</li>
<ul>
<li>Style - Wyoming Square</li>
<li>Color - Cherry Bordeaux</li>
</ul>
<li>Applicances - GE Profile Stainless Steel</li>
<li>Back-Splash</li>
<ul>
<li>Purchased from Lowes </li>
<li><a href="http://www.lowes.com/pd_354385-93840-20-610_0__?Ntt=354385&UserSearch=354385&productId=3477507&rpp=32">12" x 14" Cranberry Glass Stone Strip Mosaics </a></li>
<li>Item Number: 354385 </li>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbeumabG0Ii5K_1H0oCIpevj2VNL_9eodE9aFwYh-i1xK3nGDj4pIOl6TDwYFV-xabZWo2d4QA6KMvwHbNllSimqlWDOSP5LxE7bxXFffWBzW4R4i-D6-3otMJHwyG0WyXIlaE733aAkoW/s1600/bs-tile0.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbeumabG0Ii5K_1H0oCIpevj2VNL_9eodE9aFwYh-i1xK3nGDj4pIOl6TDwYFV-xabZWo2d4QA6KMvwHbNllSimqlWDOSP5LxE7bxXFffWBzW4R4i-D6-3otMJHwyG0WyXIlaE733aAkoW/s400/bs-tile0.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">12"x 14" Cranberry Glass Stone Strip Mosics before Installation</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivEnb9XPRjSzsCjhckO0L6USPMnFCps5fkft2amPndjTbtQGPIdPvXmTxmid4ANNqgzomwyFeOdqrEaKPjkAmNLqeftl_vJKvJU9qe8oE5Q2GRRjL5Lidm2smNObvSGqJOOW3XE82XA5s_/s1600/bs-pre1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivEnb9XPRjSzsCjhckO0L6USPMnFCps5fkft2amPndjTbtQGPIdPvXmTxmid4ANNqgzomwyFeOdqrEaKPjkAmNLqeftl_vJKvJU9qe8oE5Q2GRRjL5Lidm2smNObvSGqJOOW3XE82XA5s_/s400/bs-pre1.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Kitchen before Backsplash</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6BPQaazgnAie08xLkSEq9ptnsKGRxrxo_hw3p_LFD6R0QlMGZaVR5j_2ngMKhtmag_XQT5MUwWvVpb0jeuhsO1tbF5CvxRFJ59ZQipc0FdNPBg7k565EpU6kSuQeVZdQeLcDFx2RhqVZl/s1600/bs-final1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6BPQaazgnAie08xLkSEq9ptnsKGRxrxo_hw3p_LFD6R0QlMGZaVR5j_2ngMKhtmag_XQT5MUwWvVpb0jeuhsO1tbF5CvxRFJ59ZQipc0FdNPBg7k565EpU6kSuQeVZdQeLcDFx2RhqVZl/s400/bs-final1.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cranberry Glass Stone Strip Mosaics</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii3komWahfzleeYHufqFlpEA2z6oWj0BTSdP5pvWwsKyTPotAvs-hgzq2IobdRVpiIc4_sv3XlOVePz5e5qPuo8rJXmWZXcp9kMKc9Xtsa6FxWGw8GTUnIs0VYwEcvbb-rnAuqIXAnQx5Q/s1600/bs-final2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii3komWahfzleeYHufqFlpEA2z6oWj0BTSdP5pvWwsKyTPotAvs-hgzq2IobdRVpiIc4_sv3XlOVePz5e5qPuo8rJXmWZXcp9kMKc9Xtsa6FxWGw8GTUnIs0VYwEcvbb-rnAuqIXAnQx5Q/s400/bs-final2.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cranberry Glass Stone Strip Mosaics Closeup</td></tr>
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<b>Images from the tile packaging:</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVPyX_WLA_RNCA1S-0vHZUqqVw45p-kJGNczUFWLGrc_Y6PZo7gN0ABIwAfhLxbYbrwovxKEH4c7F982dzGP2HjRrlCAc-97Zl8MW9gJgo0Mg4haSNfXgrKg3Ig-rQkL493b2Jh8-mnBNJ/s1600/bs-tile1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVPyX_WLA_RNCA1S-0vHZUqqVw45p-kJGNczUFWLGrc_Y6PZo7gN0ABIwAfhLxbYbrwovxKEH4c7F982dzGP2HjRrlCAc-97Zl8MW9gJgo0Mg4haSNfXgrKg3Ig-rQkL493b2Jh8-mnBNJ/s320/bs-tile1.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">12"x 14" Cranberry Glass Stone Strip Mosics (Sample image from package)</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGQ4RAiG_jarW-QJ9Bkaa0kAQ3v6cY_3BE54eDdds2ogC4ASGHT4YuyMq4KAHLU_Fr_Fsuf3WBLizzwkOI_k9fwE3GPmjOk4G-xwFRepybDoM21ZeahvcedtVt5j7ppcFvvJb5E4mqWxAB/s1600/bs-tile3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="110" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGQ4RAiG_jarW-QJ9Bkaa0kAQ3v6cY_3BE54eDdds2ogC4ASGHT4YuyMq4KAHLU_Fr_Fsuf3WBLizzwkOI_k9fwE3GPmjOk4G-xwFRepybDoM21ZeahvcedtVt5j7ppcFvvJb5E4mqWxAB/s200/bs-tile3.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">12"x 14" Cranberry Glass Stone Strip Mosics (Package Barcode)</td></tr>
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Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13181179513705130714noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257879163671507431.post-37222290408644839092012-06-11T13:37:00.004-07:002012-06-11T13:37:34.315-07:00Trex Deck<br />
Hi All,<br />
<br />
It's been quite some time since I've posted & hope everyone is doing well. I've been busy for a flurry of reasons. There have been various projects around the house and outside, but the big one is our new Trex Deck. We went with Trex because the HOA mandated the deck be built of composite material. A patio would have been just as costly and isn't permeable. <br />
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The original concept was a little different with the upper deck even with the house. This was on the cusp of needing a railing which would have been $1,000 along (just for the top section). Original plan also had built-in benches and a more elaborate step. To get back into our budget, what you see below is the revision that got us there.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Notes</b></li>
<ul>
<li><b>Height </b>- The height of the deck is under 30" from grade to the house (I may have said that wrong) so it doesn't require railing or fence. We plan on putting bushes around the lower areas.</li>
<li><b>Grill</b> - We took the wheels off the grill and bolted it to the deck. Our contractor put extra blocking for this reason. The idea is to at least slow a theft attempt. They'll likely have to make some noise or spend some time getting it loose. Hopefully it's enough of a deturant, I don't want to haul another grill up there!</li>
<li><b>Lighting</b> - The lighting is your basic low-voltage kit from Lowes / Hope Depot. If you have <i>any</i> thought of putting additional fixtures in, run the wire just in case. It will make life much easier. We would have probably put a 2nd row of lights on the step down if we had thought of it. By the time I did it was too late (to do it easily) Overall I highly recommend the lighting, our neighbors have the Timbertech version on their railing and the light caps look awesome. They give just the right amount of ambient light without attracting bugs.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<div>
Overall we're very pleased with the final product. It was completed on time and the quality is excellent.</div>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaUn95ZyQs2kI5ulWVcbx54JbLXQxSfTfFJWuoV4QVZ_WVjpgOSOV9vpzo2_7mBi1WXPXTyml6DSWtTzQHPc9uYrgv_8ZLvG6k_iHJKsDtR_t6esU11-nyy9McopbykEkXNH7v3lChVrX-/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaUn95ZyQs2kI5ulWVcbx54JbLXQxSfTfFJWuoV4QVZ_WVjpgOSOV9vpzo2_7mBi1WXPXTyml6DSWtTzQHPc9uYrgv_8ZLvG6k_iHJKsDtR_t6esU11-nyy9McopbykEkXNH7v3lChVrX-/s400/photo.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13181179513705130714noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257879163671507431.post-56824574492988910892012-02-08T13:29:00.000-08:002012-02-08T13:29:19.452-08:00Basement Shelves IISorry I've been away so long, lot going on! My wife asked me for more shelves in the basement. The pantry in the kitchen was quickly filled to capacity and we need more bulk food storage. <br />
<br />
<ul><li>Design Notes</li>
<ul><li>Top and Bottom Shelf</li>
<ul><li>3/4 in MDF w/ framing</li>
<li>2x8 ft</li>
</ul><li>Middle Shelves</li>
<ul><li>7/8 in Fiberboard w/ framing</li>
<li>2x4 ft</li>
</ul><li>Supports</li>
<ul><li>Right: 2x4's</li>
<li>Left: Studs on back side of finished portion of basement</li>
</ul></ul><li>Usage</li>
<ul><li>Top & Bottom shelves fit standard bins for normal basement storage.</li>
<li>The 3 smaller shelves on the left are for food surplus such as cans</li>
<li>The open section on the right is good for bulk storage such as a dog crate or stacked bins. I can always build in the same premise as on the left if needed, but this is good for now.</li>
</ul></ul><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGQ69x8oBTKTtFMcFmzabdIfhGUGNKuS7KIh6ZW45HiOnAh_3WF2hEYDHKtoaKyB3m3AlzulJdGvQMGD5mtty7vWjEK5_gMHQsLRqGZyj-h2u8Oxlu2Jllh3rZd0hVcd1Dr0hr9H54bsgv/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGQ69x8oBTKTtFMcFmzabdIfhGUGNKuS7KIh6ZW45HiOnAh_3WF2hEYDHKtoaKyB3m3AlzulJdGvQMGD5mtty7vWjEK5_gMHQsLRqGZyj-h2u8Oxlu2Jllh3rZd0hVcd1Dr0hr9H54bsgv/s400/photo.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13181179513705130714noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257879163671507431.post-63881759103087355132011-12-27T19:45:00.000-08:002011-12-27T19:45:03.142-08:00Christmas EveMy wife & I hosted my family's Christmas Eve get together this year. We had 16 people coming so we had to get creative with seating for the main meal. My Aunt & Uncle let us borrow their backup dining room table so we put the leaves in ours and butted to the tables together to make an oober table. The table stretched into the living room. We put a long table in the hallway for the chafing dishes and buffet service. It worked out really well. <br />
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I'm really pleased with the way the house handled the crowd. The open floor plan <i>really</i> made a difference. We do not have a morning room and I do not regret that decision. We have the 'normal' island which is different than the boomerang island some of you have. At one point everyone was gathered in the kitchen and it fit everyone just fine. The family room was perfect for gift giving / unwrapping and that included the giant 8-ft tree (we have 9-ft ceilings). We put the tree on the kitchen side of the family room next to the breakfast bar. We had planned on putting the appetizers on the breakfast bar, but the gifts sprawled out pretty far and made the breakfast bar less accessible. My wife called an audible and relocated the bulk of the apps to the family room coffee table. This also freed up space in the kitchen as she helped prepare dinner.<br />
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The whole event was a great success and I'm proud of our house. Maybe that sounds weird but I'm glad we did it.Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13181179513705130714noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257879163671507431.post-58976944816469524672011-12-12T10:19:00.000-08:002011-12-12T10:19:38.485-08:00Hardwood / Carpet TrimI called Advanced Flooring to get a quote on a custom runner for the main hallway. When I was on the phone asking about it, our rep from AF (not Ryan) asked how things were or if there were any issues. I had noticed the carpet at the bottom of the stairs was already beginning to fray a little bit, a few strands of thread were starting to pop up. Not a big deal but he asked. I also noticed a patch of the carpet coming off, probably not enough glue. He wanted to send someone out to take care of it. I asked how they would take care of the fraying so it doesn't happen down the road.<br />
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After some discussion it was decided they would put a piece of trim, similar to the footer piece along the rest of the wall. The guy came and trimmed off the frayed carpet. He then cut a piece of trim and installed it. I think it looks better. What do you guys think?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XZRAxZZca4I/TuZESfQz1dI/AAAAAAAADec/Oda9QGmhnUI/s1600/photo2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XZRAxZZca4I/TuZESfQz1dI/AAAAAAAADec/Oda9QGmhnUI/s400/photo2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13181179513705130714noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257879163671507431.post-10651234281897350302011-11-30T09:02:00.000-08:002011-11-30T09:02:47.461-08:00Basement Shelving (Mechanical Room)Who doesn't need more storage space? The design was from a friends who did something similar. <br />
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I took two 4x8 sheets of MDF, built a frame around them. Also built smaller supports in the middle to keep the middle from sagging (picture 3). Support posts are designed to basically set the framed shelving on top of it. The load bearing portion of the shelving is bolted tight with the frames resting on the bolted supports. The posts are simply screwed into the frame to hold the whole thing together. I could put another bolt in but that would probably be overkill.<br />
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As you can see the design is very simple and very large. The 1st shelf is 2ft off the ground and the top shelf is 5ft. This two 3ft tall storage areas and the lower section will be for storage bins. If there is flooding, the bins on the floor stand a chance and everything above should be fine regardless. I'm not expecting to get flooded out, but who knows anymore.<br />
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Future plans are for smaller shelves in the other unfinished portion of the basement. We have a freezer there now and unorganized storage on the floors. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-X5q4htE0u7E/TtZfl_ck5sI/AAAAAAAADd4/xxb-PR37A6Y/s1600/IMG_1239.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-X5q4htE0u7E/TtZfl_ck5sI/AAAAAAAADd4/xxb-PR37A6Y/s400/IMG_1239.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mAwqbLI1DNk/TtZfmUnaFmI/AAAAAAAADd8/-msd-_ONmis/s1600/IMG_1240.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mAwqbLI1DNk/TtZfmUnaFmI/AAAAAAAADd8/-msd-_ONmis/s400/IMG_1240.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13181179513705130714noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257879163671507431.post-83196854474336343072011-11-22T11:01:00.000-08:002011-11-22T11:01:53.161-08:00Water Issues (Follow up)What's up party people? Here are the updates on the water issues as well as some other neighborhood stuff.<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Water Issues Continued...</span></b><br />
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<b>Dishwasher</b> - I took your advice and ran an empty load with a cup of vinegar. This seems to have done the trick and the dishes are coming out clean again. Thanks for the advice! I was chatting with our PM today and the dishwasher came up, he told me about a product that accomplishes the same goal of removing the hard water deposits under an empty load. I would like to find out what this is because I read other responses saying that vinegar isn't good for the dishwasher plumbing long term. The other option would be a whole-house hard water treatment system, but I'm not ready for that yet.<br />
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<b>Aquarium</b> - Leaving the light off for a few days <i>started</i> clearing the water, but it doesn't do much good to have a dark aquarium 24x7. Anyway, the UV Sterilizer came on Friday and it's been chugging for about 4 days now. It is making a <i>clear</i> difference. While the water isn't crystal clear yet, I can see to the back and see the fish. The tank could use a good cleaning again so that's coming. Found the sterilizer on eBay for about $25+Shipping. Satisfied with it so far.<br />
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<b>Radon Pipe</b> - The idea from the Foundation Restoration people was to core a new pipe, move the pipe over & seal off the old one with cement. Since the pipe is near the sump ditch, he wants to try drilling a hole from the pipe to the sump to relieve the pressure and send the water directly to the sump. Another theory is that the water is coming from above where the radon pipe exhausts from the house. We'll see how this latest theory goes.<br />
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<b>Water Meter Leak </b> - Few days ago, we found a small puddle in the basement by the water meter. So we called the customer service line, they sent a plumber out who knew instantly that the meter itself was leaking. The township provides the meters so it would have to be fixed once they got the meter. This has since occurred and the new meter appears to be happy<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Association News</b></span><br />
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We received a letter from our Associations management company. Since 25% of the community has settled, it is time for one of the owners to take one of the 3 spots on the HOA board. I responded that I was interested and was the only one. My wife and I were the only homeowners to attend the meeting. Met the developer and a rep from the management company. I'm not officially on the board, which won't have another meeting until 75% of the homes have settled, then the other 2 seats will be taken by homeowners. Other than that, not much to do.Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13181179513705130714noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257879163671507431.post-77669718757042877872011-11-13T19:39:00.000-08:002011-11-13T19:39:25.601-08:00Water Issues (All different and non-related)Hey all,<br />
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I guess you can say things are settling down. Major projects out of the way. Freak snow storm out of the way...<br />
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<b>Dishwasher</b> - We do have a few things going on. The dishwasher is becoming increasingly annoying. At 1st I thought it was me (being a guy running the dishwasher) and putting things in that I shouldn't be, but it's been getting progressively worse. Our dishwasher leaves a white residue on almost everything, the residue can generally be hand-washed off, but don't get me started on how annoying that is. I heard a few of the neighbors complaining of the same issue, so I wonder if it's something in the water. We use the ready-pack thingies where the amount of detergent is predetermined. I've tried the powder style AND the Cascade gel style. Have also tried using the Cascade rinse-aid and that sure didn't help. If I slide my finger on the inside plastic of the door, there is a dusty white residue. I'm getting very close to calling GE and requesting service. Is it possible this is a hard water issue?<br />
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<b>Aquarium</b> - I've been having a heck of a time with Green Water in our 25 gallon aquarium. I can do complete water changes and it comes back in a few days. So green you can't see the fish. It's essentially a form of algae but lives in single cell microbes (sorry bio folks....). Long story short is that it lives everywhere, including in the fish. I'm told it's a result of too much food and too much light. I put up blinds over the sliding door which reduces 90% of the direct sunlight. The rest is ambient, still not enough. Apparently now that the green is here, I need to starve it away. I can try leaving the light off and changing 2 gallons a day for a month, that 'should' starve it little by little. To be honest, I'm not that patient, and I travel at least 2 of the next couple weekends. The other option is getting a UV Sterilizer Pump which essentially vaporizes the green gunk as it passes through. This should clean up the problem as well as clear up (pun intended because I'm a dork) any future issues. Waiting for the UV thing to show up in the mail!<br />
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<b>Radon Pipe</b> - This issue has been on-going since the 30-day Walkthrough. It looks as if water is coming up through the radon pipe in the basement. It's usually just a smaller puddle, and the pipe is a foot away from the sump so it's more annoying than anything. I don't believe the finished basement is in danger.<br />
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Ryan had people come to seal it up, failed. I think they came back and that didn't work out. So now they're going to an outside company called "Foundation Restoration" and his guy couldn't figure it out, so the owner of the company came by. He's been doing this for 17 years an thought he had seen it all, this is a new one for him. His only 'out of the box' theory is that maybe there was water coming from the roof into the radon pipe from above and the leak is not actually ground water. Jury is still out, they're talking about coring a new hole, moving the pipe and cementing the old one out. I don't care, just want it fixed.<br />
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Other than those items, things are progressing. I have plans ready to build 4x8 basement shelves but don't want to do that until the radon pipe issue is fixed. Oh well.Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13181179513705130714noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257879163671507431.post-40918754681849699852011-11-03T13:34:00.000-07:002011-11-03T13:34:47.937-07:00Northeast SnowOn Saturday we got hit with a freak snow storm. My area received 8-10 inches which is normally not a big deal, but two things made it a unique problem. The snow was the wet and heavy variety, not normally a problem. The problem is that the fall foliage is just starting to change so the leaves are on the trees. Add 8-inches of snow to that, and tree limbs started falling. We lost power at 3pm on Saturday.<br />
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Here is where the gas fireplace was worth every penny spent. I remember our PM telling us it has a battery backup during power outages so now would be a good time to test it out. Nothing...ugh oh! I pop the grate off the bottom section and find the control unit needs 4-AA batteries. This was a quick fix and our fireplace was ablaze. If it wasn't for this, I'm not sure what we would have done. Some of our neighbors did not opt for this option and their houses were so cold they stayed with friends.<br />
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The 1st night, before going to sleep, I checked on the sump pit and the water was only slightly above normal, OK no problem. On Sunday morning, the water level was 2-inches from the top. Being an IT person, it never occurred to me to get out a bucket and manually bail it out. So I went to the nearest auto store and picked up a 1,000 watt power inverter. Ran an extension cord into the basement, attached the thing to my running car and ran the sump. The temperature rose back into the 50's then on, so the snow started melting very fast. I ran the pump 3-4 times a day to keep it well below level. Turns out our neighbors had the same water issues, so it looks like the water table in our neighborhood is 8-10 feet below ground level.<br />
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The power finally returned on mid-day Tuesday. I heard reports that other locals in more rural areas didn't get it back until yesterday or even today so we should count ourselves lucky. <br />
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We are thinking about getting a battery backup emergency sump pump system in case we are away and this happens again. Also looking into a backup generator although that isn't really in the budget right now.Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13181179513705130714noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257879163671507431.post-17661369505417479412011-10-28T07:34:00.000-07:002011-10-28T07:34:25.422-07:00Garage ShelvesAnother project down! Below are pictures of the garage shelves I built this week. I used the same type of lumber and design concept as the workbench so they actually look similar.<br />
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In the pictures below you can also see the pegboard & shelf above that. I finally have usable space in the garage and can start the process of properly storing a lot of our 'stuff' that's been on the floor since the move. Let me know what you think. Next project is basement shelves (completely different design)<br />
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<ul><li><b>Specifications</b></li>
<ul><li>Ceiling Height: 10'</li>
<li>Shelf Dimensions: 2D x 4W x 8H</li>
<li>Legs</li>
<ul><li>Kiln Dried 4x4x8 (actually measures 3.5)</li>
<li>Left side has 3" cut off to accommodate concrete lip on floor</li>
</ul><li>Stretchers: Kiln Dried 2x4x8</li>
<li>Joinery</li>
<ul><li>Side-to-Side</li>
<ul><li>Rows 1 & 3: 5/16 Threaded rod</li>
<li>Rowes 2 & 4: 5/16 dowels glued</li>
</ul><li>Front-to-Back:</li>
<ul><li>Rows 1 & 3: 5/16 dowels glued</li>
<li>Rowes 2 & 4: 5/16 Threaded rod</li>
</ul></ul><li>Shelves: 3/4' MDF Board</li>
<li>Attached to wall studs with 5/16 x 5 lag bolts </li>
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p108DhVzu-o/Tqq5eZnK9QI/AAAAAAAADcY/Mb3qIkhvGl8/s1600/Shelf1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p108DhVzu-o/Tqq5eZnK9QI/AAAAAAAADcY/Mb3qIkhvGl8/s400/Shelf1.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13181179513705130714noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257879163671507431.post-17684344747162252852011-10-21T16:09:00.000-07:002011-10-21T16:09:01.672-07:00Workbench Project CompleteThere's a catch when building a workbench, you don't have a workbench to build a workbench on! Luckily I have a miter saw which got me through most of the base. A home-made jig helped me make straight cuts for the shelves and I was able to borrow a table router from a friend (for the joinery).<br />
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The video explains <i>very</i> well and provides a PDF plan (free) which helps in planning the project. The bench-top is two pieces of MDF laminated together with wood glue, then mounted with screws. The joinery of the general structure is my favorite part of this bench, you wouldn't believe how rock solid it is. The stretchers each have threaded rod through them which creates tremendous strength in the base. <br />
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I couldn't find the type of clips the video used to mount the top so I changed the plan. Before lamination, I attached the bottom piece (of the bench top) with counter-sunk screws to the base. In total, there are about 12 screws holding the bottom piece to the base. I then followed the rest of the lamination instructions and had no issues completing the project. The only downside of this is that the top is now permanent, I don't see it coming apart to have a new top put on. If I do have to replace the top at some point, my plan is to just add another sheet of MDF, remove the screws, and use a longer screw to mount the new piece. I can't see being necessary for many years if ever.<br />
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Further diverting from the plan, I attached a bench vice from my Grandfather's work shop. He would be proud I built this and appreciative that I am using his tools in the process. I would have loved to use the type from the video, but I didn't feel like spending $90 on it AND I didn't build this for "Fine Woodworking"... It's a workbench. <br />
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Free Plan & Instructional Video - <a href="http://www.finewoodworking.com/item/18985/still-dont-have-a-workbench-this-one-is-easy">www.FineWoodworking.com</a><br />
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I will be mounting pegboard above the bench to better manage tool storage. I found a 100-piece peg-hook kit on ebay for a reasonable price.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gs8RCQNjv24/TqH4Y2o5gtI/AAAAAAAADQ0/lJud0jG_zWw/s1600/Bench+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gs8RCQNjv24/TqH4Y2o5gtI/AAAAAAAADQ0/lJud0jG_zWw/s400/Bench+3.JPG" width="296" /></a></div>Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13181179513705130714noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257879163671507431.post-47839923795219795502011-10-16T08:53:00.000-07:002011-10-16T08:53:19.213-07:0030 Day Walkthrough and UpdatesWow it's been a while! My brother-in-law had his wedding in Virginia last weekend and things have been crazy all around. We blinked and it was time for our 30-Day Walk-through. I wasn't going to be able to participate in the Walk-through so my wife took the reigns on this. She had been keeping a list of items and I only had a few to contribute. Overall, I can't complain about the quality and craftsmanship. They did a great job.<br />
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The only thing I'm worried about is how frequently the sump pump runs. I'll notice it run about once a day. I thought the sump was supposed to only run once in a blue moon or during heavy rains after a few days. It's good that it's working, but I'm a little worried about an underlying drainage issue. I'll have to discuss with our PM when I get a chance.<br />
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Most of the major projects (garage door opener, utility sink, ceiling fans) are complete, I'm moving on to more utility-like projects. I found a <a href="http://www.finewoodworking.com/item/18985/still-dont-have-a-workbench-this-one-is-easy">video and pdf plan</a> for a work bench in the garage. The dimensions are 2x5ft overall and is extremely solid structurally. I'm about 3/4 the way through building the base and will tackle the bench-top with my friend this week. Once the bench is finished, I'm going to build shelves on the wall of the garage. Then we'll be able to store things in a better place than the floor of the garage or basement. Next project will be shelves in the unfinished sections of the basement. I'll be sure to post pictures when I have something to show!<br />
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Remember the pool table I couldn't get down the basement? Well it's finally gone. Put it up on Craigslist and a guy came this weekend to pick it up. The cursed table left it's mark on me however. We were carrying the 350-lb piece of slate up the stairs when I had to set it down, it came down between the stair and my hand, I can't remember how we got it up the rest of the way since my hand was out of commission. I fear it was broken so I went for an x-ray. Somehow there were no breaks! Only a "Deep Contusion" and it hurts when I try to squeeze hard or use it other than typing. If that's the price to pay to get rid of the pool table, fine. It's gone. I do however get to enjoy the new (old) pool table which worked out great!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbrNYIzmVy0L8lB-20wPio7AKYkSL6HoSg-ejb63GFMibVIdfHaHm2baud3j0LeppdkKBfGIU3bFy-RFbI5vUSPsExrx_zjVOvFua2kCkIMZWGw8qtL-xOeemUsuOf9p0fggZsLBTpXOzz/s1600/photo+%25287%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbrNYIzmVy0L8lB-20wPio7AKYkSL6HoSg-ejb63GFMibVIdfHaHm2baud3j0LeppdkKBfGIU3bFy-RFbI5vUSPsExrx_zjVOvFua2kCkIMZWGw8qtL-xOeemUsuOf9p0fggZsLBTpXOzz/s400/photo+%25287%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13181179513705130714noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257879163671507431.post-1183367401175197342011-10-03T07:14:00.000-07:002011-10-03T07:14:10.701-07:00MIA & FridgeSorry I've been MIA. Been a lot going on just getting back to a normal life. We're coming along with unpacking. It's mostly odds & ends left.<br />
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Had the pool table delivered on Wednesday, so now I have a new distraction. Tuesday night, I noticed the temperature in the refrigerator was higher than normal, way higher. Next thing I knew there was a buzzing noise that sounded like it was the compressor. I called the GE Applicances hotline that Ryan gives in our homeowners manual. Since the fridge wasn't cooling, they consider it an emergency and have to have someone there within 24 hours. A repair man came the next day around 1pm. He said the board in the fridge was defective and probably never worked. He ran diagnostics on the board and it came back with a FAIL code of some kind. Since he wasn't a GE tech, he had to special order the part and would come back to install.<br />
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He defrosted the fridge and got it working for the short term. He said the root problem isn't solved yet but this should buy us a few days. Since then the fridge has been fine, but apparently still can't regulate itself because of this defective board. We only lost a little bit of food that couldn't handle being defrosted. Hopefully it's fixed and we're good to go.Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13181179513705130714noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257879163671507431.post-36005472808771354542011-09-25T21:18:00.000-07:002011-09-25T21:20:09.003-07:00Egress Wildlife PreserveThis morning, while putting grass seed in sparse sections I noticed the grate over the egress window wasn't fully over the covering. No problem, just slide it a few inches in place right? Before I did so I noticed a small toad, we'll call him Mr. Toad, trapped in the egress window opening. I went back into the basement, opened the window and removed the screen for the egress window. Mr. Toad let me pick him up and put him in the grass a few feet above. I slid the grate back in place (only off a few inches), replaced the screen and locked the window.<br />
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Fast forward to this evening, I figured I would double check that nothing was down there, sure enough Mr. Toad was back in the egress window. Before I opened the window, I saw something else move! This was a slightly smaller toad, her name is Mrs. Toad. I repeated the rescue only this time left the screen off the window expecting my new pets to want more attention!<br />
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Anyone else have any critter issues in their egress window? A few months prior, my wife was in the model where she rescued (not my word) two mice by putting the grate in at an angle. She didn't have to touch them to free them.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://virtual-toad.com/Pictures/ToadAccentPortrait.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://virtual-toad.com/Pictures/ToadAccentPortrait.jpg" /></a></div>Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13181179513705130714noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257879163671507431.post-44911843896662065452011-09-24T19:37:00.000-07:002011-09-24T21:10:02.462-07:00UpdatesBeen busy at both work and the house.<br />
<ul><li>Garage</li>
<ul><li>Walls Finished / Primered / Painted</li>
<li>Floor Epoxy Coat completed</li>
</ul></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HLR-K-jyo-w/Tn6os2yRzDI/AAAAAAAADPk/QB-dkzHdYRY/s1600/-+RG16+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HLR-K-jyo-w/Tn6os2yRzDI/AAAAAAAADPk/QB-dkzHdYRY/s400/-+RG16+008.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoCN42HhAp554Y5lNxGcFmEI6k_QeXIsZQJawL2pnaU-986XHSEYGRWXM6gWWIukOCZAYK668e5R3BUXFo-a_DEJtA2FkmNMk_jATLQSd0mdw9A1825KQ_tokqd3NQ87kothd0eg7o3gY2/s1600/-+RG16+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoCN42HhAp554Y5lNxGcFmEI6k_QeXIsZQJawL2pnaU-986XHSEYGRWXM6gWWIukOCZAYK668e5R3BUXFo-a_DEJtA2FkmNMk_jATLQSd0mdw9A1825KQ_tokqd3NQ87kothd0eg7o3gY2/s400/-+RG16+009.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><ul><ul><li>Utility Sink Installed</li>
<ul><li>Installing a splash gaurd soon</li>
</ul></ul></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis_8A3IoRRCEOda_-1Fxn9j7Y8jrmgJ5K8VT6w8Rssq4v7_FumtQPvjamk34GvT5VsTBr4cljVQs15b8i0Jhy-s6C3dKj9bjZL_eXG14i3PEvIx_gts_oaXQMfnIfF-xYVoBTt-00NfY4T/s1600/-+RG16+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis_8A3IoRRCEOda_-1Fxn9j7Y8jrmgJ5K8VT6w8Rssq4v7_FumtQPvjamk34GvT5VsTBr4cljVQs15b8i0Jhy-s6C3dKj9bjZL_eXG14i3PEvIx_gts_oaXQMfnIfF-xYVoBTt-00NfY4T/s400/-+RG16+007.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><ul><ul><li>Garage Door Opener Installed Today</li>
</ul></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8qitBd99amw/Tn6osMXGbWI/AAAAAAAADPc/Ht673ERpHBQ/s1600/-+RG16+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8qitBd99amw/Tn6osMXGbWI/AAAAAAAADPc/Ht673ERpHBQ/s400/-+RG16+006.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><ul><ul><li>Replaced one bulb socket with shop light style 4-ft fluorescent (much better!)</li>
</ul><li>Family Room</li>
<ul><li>Installed surround-rear in-ceilng speakers. This was really easy, although very messy (cutting holes in drywall). I recommend the Polk speakers for this, install and cleanup took maybe 35 minutes for both.</li>
</ul></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-drJ7Z4gc46M/Tn6or_nJhYI/AAAAAAAADPY/_010b7rqyAI/s1600/-+RG16+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-drJ7Z4gc46M/Tn6or_nJhYI/AAAAAAAADPY/_010b7rqyAI/s400/-+RG16+005.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><ul><li>Overall</li>
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</div><ul><li>I found these neat power outlet / Nightlight things Lowes. They're about $12.50 each. They take a normal dual power outlet, and makes the upper outlet a LED nightlight. I put one in each full bath, the main hallway and downstairs in the living room. They shut themselves off when they sense light. Hope they last a long time! They look cool and make a nice flush setting.</li>
</ul></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-J6-l9GsA51w/Tn6oejWAvDI/AAAAAAAADPU/T3ppzcVHCfk/s1600/-+RG16+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-J6-l9GsA51w/Tn6oejWAvDI/AAAAAAAADPU/T3ppzcVHCfk/s200/-+RG16+002.JPG" width="150" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WxX-J2CBBwk/Tn6oeAIWiSI/AAAAAAAADPQ/cp_wLjyIfow/s1600/-+RG16+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WxX-J2CBBwk/Tn6oeAIWiSI/AAAAAAAADPQ/cp_wLjyIfow/s200/-+RG16+001.JPG" width="149" /></a></div><ul><li>New Pool Table!</li>
<ul><li>Well sorta. We're having our new (actually used) pool table delivered and assembled this Wednesday. The table is about 20 years old but is much more user friendly when it comes to transportation. Now I just need to get rid of the damn table in the garage</li>
<ul><li>PS - Older tables are actually better than newer tables, generally regarding construction and quality.</li>
</ul></ul></ul>Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13181179513705130714noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257879163671507431.post-82240745410491851422011-09-19T21:32:00.000-07:002011-09-19T21:32:07.408-07:00Laundry Room CabinetsPut the cabinets up today. Had to take down the wire shelf that came with the house. Unfortunately it was attached with drywall anchors. Be <i>very</i> careful when removing them. If at all possible, pull the nail out before pulling the anchor out. I did cause some drywall damage which took a little while to fix with joint compound. <br />
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Once that was fixed, I painted the room light blue (hard to tell in pictures). The cabinets are from Home Depot and cost about $100 each. Using old textbooks and a level, hanging the cabinets was pretty simple. I mounted two 2x6's behind them to make them easier to reach.<br />
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Anyway, pictures below. Let me know what you think.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ij4uxIew-Ek/TngUJoNr_7I/AAAAAAAADMY/CH7pNCI436Y/s1600/Laundry+Room+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ij4uxIew-Ek/TngUJoNr_7I/AAAAAAAADMY/CH7pNCI436Y/s400/Laundry+Room+003.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13181179513705130714noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257879163671507431.post-42398250582991686742011-09-19T07:59:00.000-07:002011-09-19T07:59:24.727-07:00Getting things in the BasementThis question is for the Milan owners out there.<br />
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Have any of you been able to get a couch into the basement? I was unable to get a 3-cushion couch downstairs because of the angles / lower ceiling in the mudroom. We also have a pool table that could not be taken into the basement due to the size. The egress window isn't even close in size.<br />
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At this stage, I'm looking at disassembling the entire table, taking it down piece by piece and reassembling it in the basement. Does anyone have any advice?Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13181179513705130714noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257879163671507431.post-1754526501067199292011-09-19T07:19:00.000-07:002011-09-19T07:19:06.294-07:00Pre-move ProjectsI wanted to apply the Quikrete Epoxy to the garage floor prior to the actual move. I figured it would make more sense to do it before the garage was full of clutter.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;"><b>Garage</b></span><br />
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<b>Wall Prep</b> - Ryan Homes does not finish off their garage space. They do put up drywall with a simple one-coat tape seam. But this seam is not the same 'clean' look you would see inside the house. This meant applying at least one coat of joint compound (Spackle) to the walls and ceiling. I didn't bother doing the ceiling mostly due to lack of ambition. This was easy to sand down before applying primer. <br />
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<b>Primer</b> - Never underestimate how much primer you will need for fresh drywall. For a two-car garage (walls & ceiling) I used 3.5 gallons of paint. I thought 2 would do the trick but made 2 trips back to Lowes for more primer. Painting the ceiling was without a doubt the hardest part. I went through 2 roller cages using the 6-ft extension pole.<br />
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<b>Paint</b> - After going through the ceiling primer, I decided it looked good enough that I wouldn't put a color on the ceiling. Instead I used simple contractors grade interior latex "Off White". This went on fairly easily and I used just under 3 cans worth. I ended up returning the 4th can. <br />
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<b>Floor Epoxy Prep</b> - Swept out the garage floor and hosed it down with water. Combined the "Bond Lock" chemical to the floor and essentially just scrubbed it in with a tough-bristle floor brush (small broom). I tried to get as much of it out of the garage as possible because I wanted to epoxy the next morning. I didn't, but a squeegee would have been helpful. Just using the brush, I was able to get enough out for it not to puddle so it could dry overnight.<br />
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</b><br />
<b>Floor Epoxy Application</b> - The epoxy kit comes with the actual 'epoxy' as well as a smaller can of hardener. You have to mix the hardener in the epoxy and stir for 3 minutes. Then close the can and sit it out in the sun for 30 minutes. Then take a 2-3 inch roller and paint the trim as well as any joints. Once that's done, I used a regular roller cage and began in 3x3 sections. After each section I would sprinkle the texture / paint chip things to give it that cool look. The application was not hard, although the 1st can became very thick towards the end and if I waited much longer, would not nave been able to apply it. The 2nd can remained the same consistency. Will post pictures late.<br />
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<b>Utility Sink</b> - During moving day, my friend (who is also a contractor) went to task at installing a utility sink in the garage. It took him about 5 hours total. He tapped into the wall adjacent to the powder room and used the hot / cold lines for the powder room sink. I believe he had to run a drain into the basement but he said it was simple. He then replaced the insulation & drywall, applied joint compound and attached the sink.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;"><b>Laundry Room</b></span><br />
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Goal was to point the walls prior to moving day so we wouldn't have to paint around the large appliances. We picked a light blue (almost powder blue) to the walls.<br />
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I also have a pair of white cabinets to put over the washer / dryer but haven't had the time to put them up yet. Will post pictures once this room is complete.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;"><b>Ceiling Fans / Lights</b></span><br />
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My other friend hung the 2 ceiling fans we have bought ahead of time. He put them in the Family Room as well as the Owners Bedroom. We wanted to replace the standard Ryan Homes fixtures (the ones with the basic dome). Lowes has 2 for $20 Portfolio lights that replace these. I've only got around to changing 2 of 6. <br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;"><b>Fish Move</b></span><br />
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The fish were moved on Thursday. Their new home has two separate window views. We have about 10 fish. Unfortunately our Panda Cory Catfish did not survive the 1st night after the move. Moving fish is extremely stressful for the fish and this stress can often kill the fish. Hopefully I won't lose any more, I should know after a week if the rest will make it (they should).Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13181179513705130714noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257879163671507431.post-5149749825449826732011-09-19T06:43:00.000-07:002011-09-19T06:43:36.448-07:00ClosingHey everyone,<br />
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Sorry I've been out of touch for so long. I haven't been online (except my phone) since closing.<br />
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Closing went extremely well. I felt as if we signed less papers there than we did during the initial contract signing. We signed all papers and were out the door with our keys in 60-minutes flat. The schedule for the rest of the week is as follows. I'll have posts walking through these.<br />
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<ul><li>Wednesday</li>
<ul><li>Finish priming garage walls, ceiling & trim</li>
<li>Seal Granite, tile grout</li>
</ul><li>Thursday</li>
<ul><li>Paint garage walls in AM / Afternnon</li>
<li>PM - Etching process for garage epoxy</li>
</ul><li>Friday</li>
<ul><li>AM - Apply garage floor epoxy & traction chips</li>
<li>PM - Transport Fish from Apartment</li>
</ul><li>Saturday</li>
<ul><li>General Moving Day</li>
<li>Garage utility sink installation</li>
</ul><li>Sunday</li>
<ul><li>Acquire Pool table & move</li>
</ul></ul><div>I plan on posting pictures of the special projects (not all posted here) of things like modifications that every Milan on the planet doesn't already have.</div>Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13181179513705130714noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257879163671507431.post-71670337475517310952011-09-13T21:13:00.001-07:002011-09-13T21:13:52.007-07:00Packed & Ready to Go!<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSwqw4nuZ9DbOhl4C46-lOBNp2fhyD1aDTKTzt64MsIqoyASAUAhKBvgdEjeRNaceBfZEAAGrzoCJbn-zcXNk7QiWHshKIaMXYtqngpW6kuLQH5eVCYI41rUzKTCxrwDHlaZYwmN66CFtp/s640/blogger-image-1221663864.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSwqw4nuZ9DbOhl4C46-lOBNp2fhyD1aDTKTzt64MsIqoyASAUAhKBvgdEjeRNaceBfZEAAGrzoCJbn-zcXNk7QiWHshKIaMXYtqngpW6kuLQH5eVCYI41rUzKTCxrwDHlaZYwmN66CFtp/s640/blogger-image-1221663864.jpg" /></a></div>Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13181179513705130714noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257879163671507431.post-86718497567207750272011-09-12T09:10:00.000-07:002011-09-12T09:10:34.802-07:00Closing T-Minus 2 DaysIn less than 2 days we will be homeowners. Since the walk-through I've made 3 trips with carloads of odds & ends type things to store in the garage. Most of the stuff moved are oblong items (golf clubs, lamps, skis). When the truck comes next week, I want the packing process to be boxes & furniture as much as possible, hopefully to streamline the process.<br />
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Final closing costs received & the wire transferred was sent / received by the mortgage company.<br />
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We have received a tremendous amount of rain in the past two weeks, the grass is already starting to pop. Other than that, since the house is ready there isn't much in terms of progress. I'll post pictures of my various projects as they come along.Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13181179513705130714noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257879163671507431.post-28038608329795867132011-09-09T14:36:00.000-07:002011-09-09T14:36:18.338-07:00Pre-Settlement WalkthroughToday was our final walk-through before settlement this coming Wednesday. It was the 1st time we saw our house <i>finished</i>. For the first time, it was cleaned, prepped and ready. I can't complain at all, our PM did a <i>great</i> job and will be receiving the 10's he strives for (on the Ryan Homes Survey).<br />
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There were very few issues. Couple little areas here and there need to be touched up. One outlet doesn't sit flush with the wall. Honestly it was mostly little stuff which was all taken note of to be completed. We did find out that our over-stove microwave was upgraded (without charge) because GE was out of stock of the model we were supposed to get. Very happy with that, like an extra bonus!<br />
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Stopped by NVR Mortgage to drop off the final piece of documentation and had a nice chat with our Loan Processor. Our loan is done, she wired the funds for the loan over already and we're essentially <i>done</i>. <br />
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I'll keep you posting on Closing as well as the side projects I have planned before the actual move. It's practically here!!!<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3UOeLXHbwYY/TmqEC10gTzI/AAAAAAAADL8/zawhH-mIlmI/s1600/-+RG16+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3UOeLXHbwYY/TmqEC10gTzI/AAAAAAAADL8/zawhH-mIlmI/s400/-+RG16+007.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6Kzodu0afrI/TmqEBOxNLjI/AAAAAAAADL0/flDCQJBYSMg/s1600/-+RG16+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6Kzodu0afrI/TmqEBOxNLjI/AAAAAAAADL0/flDCQJBYSMg/s400/-+RG16+002.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13181179513705130714noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257879163671507431.post-38971922392102986612011-09-07T08:12:00.000-07:002011-09-07T08:12:28.774-07:00Final PM Progress Update?My little timer says that it's one week before closing. Unreal! I've enjoyed reading everyone's stories (for better or worse) and I can't believe mine is almost here.<br />
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Spoke with our PM last night. The saturation from the rain will do our soon-to-be lawn very well, unless it rains so hard the seed stuff just rinses away! It should be fine. The cleaners were in the house yesterday and are finishing up. Today they will be power washing the garage floor. My PM mentioned that if I had any plans to paint / treat the floor, do it ASAP while the floor is nice and clean. I'm just glad he's power washing it, will make the prep stage much easier. Since our walk-through is on Friday, I guess that was the final update call.<br />
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My upstairs neighbors continue to remind me why I'm moving. Woke up to children crashing around the floor and stomping (literally STOMPING) around. Just when you think you're getting used to it I'll hear what seems to be like a bomb exploding, then comes the screaming. It's like clockwork.<br />
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Another reminder that the town I live in is a crap-hole was my trip to Home Depot to pick up the "In Stock Cabinets" for 20% off. I can understand being sold out of them, but they didn't even stock the white "In Stock Cabinets". I had to go to the next home depot about 6 miles away which is much bigger and better. I usually try to avoid the local Home Depot (or any HD for that matter) because they almost <i>never</i> have what I need. Luckily the new house is literally a quarter mile from Lowes. <br />
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Will let you know how the Walk Through goes. Have my wife, parents & Realtor with us for that. Five sets of eyes should be good right?Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13181179513705130714noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257879163671507431.post-14106786726347027712011-09-05T10:18:00.000-07:002011-09-05T10:18:39.053-07:00Laundry Room CabinetsHas anyone put cabinets in their laundry room? Home Depot has 20% off cabinets this week and we're thinking of installing a pair of 30 x 30 wall cabinets over the washer dryer. My parents have done this (in a larger room) and love the extra storage space it brings. <br />
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In our Model home, they have a garment rack / cart in the laundry room (in the little nook area, not all Milan's have this). Do any of you do the garment rack / cart or laundry cart with the upstairs laundry? Just curious, looking for a decent quality rack, cart thing.Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13181179513705130714noreply@blogger.com2