Finally Finished

I just realized that I had failed to report we had finally finished our remodeling project.  I will try to do some before and after pictures in my next post. Brooks thinks Brian is fun to have around, especially when he brings the lift truck to work.  Brooks talked him into taking him up to the top of the house.  Brooks also talked Brian into making his lunch one day when I was upstairs in the bed sick with the stomach virus. One of my favorite friends came for a visit one day to help me begin decorating the house.   Here is one of the bookcases in the family room that has the Roxie Seale touch!  More decorating pictures to follow.   Now, look at the photo below for something that hasn't happened at the Tucker household since September 2010.  Look closely to see what you can find below:     Answer:  Food in the refrigerator.  We actually have food and can eat at home!! Not exactly sure why Matthew picked this spot on the roof of the house to text, but nothing seems to surprise me anymore with raising boys.    Since the remodeling has now been completed, I've turned to another hobby of refinishing and repurposing.  Chad found this very old door from a former mill house and we started to work on making a headboard for the guest bedroom.  The house caught on fire, but the door had only minor damage.  First, we used a heat gun to strip off the old paint, then I spent all day sanding it down to the original paint color.   One coat of sealer applied, then Chad mounted it on the wall as a headboard.       Brian and I boldly decided to apply a faux finish to the double front doors.  Now we both have experience with this DIY technique as we have both done this once.    House completed now so off to work on patio, covered patio and landscaping.  More photos to come.

The Remodeling Project that will not end......

Well, it is now March and we are six (yes 6) months into this project.  Lots of progress has been made since my last blog.  I last reported that the stair treads were being stained and installed.  Next, we added iron spindles and wooden hand rail. 

 Finished staircase!  Finally!

Next, we had put off our dreaded project long enough.  We had to install a cover above the french doors leading out onto the patio.  I'm all about re-purposing and re-using because I'm very GREEN, watch DIY and am super cheap.  We salvaged the copper flashing off the original cover and rebuilt one using salavaged materials.  It was impossible to re-install the original cover as it must have weighed a ton and was inhabited by a family of bees.  More wildlife stories another day.

Hard at work adding the copper flashing to the cover. 

Typical....while I'm on the ladder working, Chad is on the phone.

Jennifer, Chad's wife, is the expert cabinet finisher.

 'Girls rule' on this project.

Once Jennifer finished the cabinets, the first box was unpacked holding the coffee pot.  No more early morning coffee runs.  Life is good!

Our first heavy equipment on the job with bucket truck for painting the second floor. 

Brian's mission: 

De-tudor the Tucker's Tudor House.

 We all know who insisted that he had to ride the bucket truck.

One month later..........

Flooring continues to be my favorite construction job.  We have now completed the last room which was the landing upstairs.  I had to finish this project so Chad could begin with the new stair treads and iron spindles.

Chad and I are custom crafting the stair treads.  We had an assembly line today where I would sand and stain the treads and then he would cut and nail them in place. 

Another foreman showed up on the job this week and drew instructions for us to follow on building the staircase. 

Kitchen Cabinets Going Up....February 1

The big day finally arrived....well one of the big days in this project.  We started the installation of the kitchen cabinets on February 1st.  On February 2nd, Chad and his entire family was knocked down and out with horrible colds.  So we lost a week of work.  Here are a few shots of the new cabinets in various stages of installation.

First cabinet installed.  Glass fronts to be added.



Cabinet #2 up.  

Now we have a sink!

 

The brick work on the front walkway is now completed by Mike Tucker and Company. 

An unwanted guest at the Tucker's house

Never a dull moment in our house.....or attic.  While growing up on the farm, one of my favorite hobbies was killing squirrels with my 410 gauge that my Grandaddy AB Walden gave me for my birthday.  I filled a box with squirrel tails over the years.  Mamma was not impressed with my collection when she discovered this special box in my bedroom years after I'd moved from home.  Those skills would come in valuable once again with the exception that Tony would not allow me to use the gun in the attic where a family of squirrels decided to reside.  So, we called in a professional trapper.  His business card said "bats, rodents, squirrels, snakes, bees, racoons and armadillos."  Late yesterday, he sat the trap in the eave of the house, and this morning we had success.  The trapper said, "this is much harder than it looks."  Looks like chicken wire to me.  He is very thorough with his job as he called to let me know the squirrel was a female, but was not nursing.

Just when you think all the demo is completed, we begin tearing out again.  The brick-laying cousin of Tony's came again this week to build new back steps, front steps and lay flat pavers on the stoop.  We decided to ask him to remove the asphalt walkway and replace it with brick.   

 As customary, a Tucker prefers to supervise.

We are officially "Pelham-nites"

It's official.  We are finally "Pelham-nites" and in the big city.  Here is the great-looking view from the front steps this morning:

Much was accomplished this week to prepare for moving day.  Brian was joined by his lovely wife, Amber, to help finish up the interior painting.

Brooks even joined in to help this week and quickly decided that he could find something better to do with his time.

Another check off on my to-do list this week was installing gas logs in the fireplace.  Propane scares me so we called in a professional for this job.   Note that I got carried away with the power tool when installing the shoe mould in the family room around the fireplace.  I'm pulling it up and staining a piece to match the hardwood floor.  So before someone tells me how ugly the white is around the brick, I know.

Milestones of the Week

Today begins WEEK 16 of this 10 week project, so we are right on schedule.  We pulled a late night last night (Tuesday) to finish up the flooring in my office.  Brooks only hit my fingers with the mallet two or three times.  The entire family now enjoys laying floor even if Tony doesn't look like he does.

Here is a photo of some of our helpers last week during the Christmas break.  Rebecca Drive was once a quiet neighborhood with no children until the Tuckers moved in.

Brooks Tucker, Josh & Ethan Daugherty - Demolition Experts

This may seem like a rather insignificant photo, but Tony did the sweetest thing for me.....installed the washing machine and dryer.  It's been sitting in the garage since September 21st so I've taken dirty clothes to the Pelham Laundrymat, next door to Nancy's and even all the way back to Ocilla.  I promise never to complain about laundry again!  It is a joy to wash and dry clothes in your own laundry room. 

Now my neighbors will not have to be embarrassed that such riff-raff has moved on Rebecca Drive.  Looks like a "redneck joke" for certain.

My clothes line in Pelham.  Sad, but true.

Just for fun, I thought I would add this picture of the Hand Building in downtown Pelham.  I just find this view of in the second floor window so funny.  I live with a house full of boys and know they have no modesty.  Look really close at the urinal that you can see in the window on the far right that you can easily see from the street level.