Singing The Blues

Now that some outside projects are completed, Jim is back at work in the bathroom.

We had Anthony and his dad make the vanity and "linen closet", since they are getting into the cupboard business so we went out there at the beginning of October to pick them up. 

There are always other reasons to visit out there. 

There are a few more things to be done in here. We are waiting on the door for the wet room, the mirror and lighting. Jim has been using the shower and tub regularly. 

Since we are waiting on the glass people for the finishing touches on the bathroom, Jim is back in the family room working on the ceiling.

 

It's A Boring Job

Before the wire is pulled through the conduits from the house to the barn, Jim did a lot of re-doing of the existing power and water lines to make it look neater down there. Then he cleaned up the whole space and put more shelving in, so we could, well, store more things on shelves. 

Conduit has a rope inside that is attached to the wire being pulled through. Jim had the rope attached to the garden tractor, and drove toward the house pulling the rope through a sheave (pronounced shiv), which pulled the wire, lying on the floor, through a hole in the storm cellar, which you can't see because it is in shadow. 

I was in the storm cellar pulling the wire off the reel and making sure it didn't get tangled, kinked or caught on something.

Before Jim went out to pull he put lubricant on the wire, which is a thing evidently, only he didn't put in on all of it and didn't require me to, either, thank goodness.

Four wires bound together.

I'm sure it's terribly interesting to know what the end looks like. 

Too bad I wasn't standing up straight to get a better photo.

I took this to show how big the wires were.

After that was all done, that wire had to be tied in at both ends. 

We are waiting for expert help on that, an electrician. 

After that was all done for the day, we went out north of town to see the Northern Lights. My phone doesn't take nearly as good of photos as everyone else's seems to, but I have two colors. 

It was an awe inspiring sight. It gave me the same sort of thrills I got when seeing a total eclipse. 

There is just something about the majesty of the heavens.

 

When Water and Electricity Mix

October felt like September most of the time except for the few times it felt like August. It was so nice, Jim felt more inclined to work outside instead of in working on the basement. So, he started another project, running power conduits and a water line from the house to the barn. The power to the barn shorted out some years ago, so now that he cleared out a space to put his tractor and three of the neighbor's in the barn he needs some lights in there to look at them. 

I though a took a photo of the tractors. I didn't.

Boring these pipes in isn't very messy, which is the point of the whole business, not to tear up yards, but hole need dug in strategic places. Here, Jim is digging a hole because he will tee the water line to the chicken house. The hole comes first so he can bore through it. 

More of the same.

When boring takes place, (directional drilling is the proper term,) the drill bit bores through the ground, and drags the bore stem behind it creating the tunnel, so to speak, that the conduit is pulled through. Jim is using continuous conduit that rolls off a reel trailer... 

...as well as all over the lawn.

(Look how green it is for the middle of October.)

They started the bore from the barn, since it's a bit difficult to start it from the house.

Jim, of course, has access to lots of help since he owns a boring company.

Here are the two conduits for power and one water line going in.

They bored into the basement and some one is running the boring machine for the pull and others are guiding the pipe through the hole to go under our lawn to the barn.

Now they are boring from the water line hole to the chicken house.

The water line was replaced because it was old. 

The power conduits were replaced because the wire was bad. One for using now and one for a spare. 

Now, the wire has to go through those conduits and be connected from house to barn, but that is a story for another day, because it happened on another day. 

 

A Waiting Game

There aren't as many changes going on with this bathroom project.  Jim has been spending all his time tiling. As of this moment the walls for the tub/shower area are completely finished, (except for the grouting) and the floor is done except one strip. Jim ran out of thin-set and had to order more. 

These photos show the floor tiles in progress. Any more updates will be few and far between because we'll be waiting for the vanity and closet doors to be built by Anthony. 

After the final strip is laid on the floor Jim can finish the grouting.

Another thing we are waiting for is the top for the pony wall. Then we'll get the glass door to separate the wet room from the rest of the bathroom. That top will match the vanity top. Most of what needs done next, is a waiting game. 

Jim is working around the drain in this photo. Jim put tile on the drain cover so it fits right in the floor unnoticed. It's sitting to the left of the drain. 

 

A Helping Hand

Where to start? Should the floor or the wall be tiled first? Jim has done some of both. 

It isn't an easy job.  Tile is expensive and has to be handled with care.  It's a case of measuring twice and cutting once, which, of course, should be the rule with all construction projects and likely some other types of projects as well. 

Those blue thingys are levelers and fit in the spacers to make a nice even wall. 

Jim had his tile cutter set up on the patio for awhile, having to move it when rain is predicted. Now, he just walks up to the shop, cuts the tile and walks back down.  

A first peek.

Jim is working on the floor tile.  Both kinds of tiles are similar in color and design.  The floor tiles are matte and the wet room wall tiles are shiny. The floor of that room are different altogether. 

Jim is a very meticulous worker. It takes longer to get a job done. When it is done. It is done right.

Besides, it's a lot easier to protect tiles than clean them off. 

Bonita is here for a visit and a valuable helper.  It didn't help this day. I made pies, peach and pecan.

Jim has put up the railing bars around the edges for the "floating" ceiling, a grid set up with tiles so he can get the tile in place to finish that wall. 

 

Set In Concrete

Any project always takes more time and more money than expected. Jim is particular, which is a very good thing, because if you're going to make something lasting, it needs to be right the first time. This is the shower area with a bench and niche. Jim has the concrete board on here.

This is the vanity spot. Jim had his tool bench here, if you look at previous posts.  This doesn't need concrete board, but it has the kind of drywall that resists mold in damp areas.  Now he has to use the top of the pony wall as a small tool holding area.

This is the bathtub area complete with concrete board and ready for the water proofing membrane.

This little spot is where what Jim calls the linen closet goes. It probably will be some sort of storage since I lost two closets in this deal.

c

Waterproofing is done on the floor.

The waterproofing stuff is "glued" onto the walls with "thin set."

 

Now, the walls are done, and fittings on. It's ready for tile.

Heating Up

I see that I've been about a month behind in keeping up with the basement progress. In my defense, I've been insanely busy, which me makes me too tired to do anything rational. We've been travelling quite a bit as well.

 We've almost given up on the garden. It's been hot, and we've been busy, gone and tired, as afore mentioned. Jim has been able to put in some longer working days. These photos were taken before we left late in July to take Barry on his '14 year old trip' with Gramma and Papa. 

On the left where the pile of tools and junk is a temporary shelf where the vanity will be. It butts up against the "pony wall", which will divide the "wet room" from the rest of the bathroom.

For those who don't know, a pony wall is a short wall in the middle of whatever. The wet room will be shut in by a glass wall and door and is where the tub and shower will be. The tub on the left the shower on the right.

The first photo is the preliminary framing up the pony wall.

  

I doubt that these next few photos are of interest to very  many people. Jim wanted photos of what all the piping looks like before it gets covered up. It seems to me a bit convoluted mess. Jim knows what he's doing, however.

Here is a photo of Jim's organizational system. 

Concrete board going up.

Niche to put things in. 

Shower "turn on", since I don't know the real name.

Next, this orange stuff goes on that hold the wire that heats up the floor. 

Around the drain.

Finished

Threading wire in between the bubbly bumps. That was tricky, since there was barely enough to go around. Jim had to reconfigure it a couple of times. 

After this, on to vacation.