48th Avenue San Francisco - A work in Progress
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Tile Work to Start 2/05 Here we set up a saw for cutting the slate that will go in the foyer. A special jig for holding tiles at 45 degrees works well.
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| It's always good to have inspectors keeping you on track with your work. It's especially helpful to have the small package of screws you dropped chewed open. |
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Just About Done Zia helped with placing the tiles. Said it was easier than setting bones. Here we are celebrating the completion of the grout work. |
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New Front Door - May
'05 John works at the shop at home to mill up the door and frame to replace the original door which is big, heavy and leaks in the cold foggy air of the Sunset. |
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Let there be light - June And here it is hung in place. Welcome and come in! |
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Water Feature - July
'05 Peter embarks on building a fountain structure in the back yard on his own. Good thing - John is working hard to finish homes in Oakley for Habitat. |
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And Water covered the earth The fountain proudly takes its place in the mid terrace of the back yard. Brick work keeps the plants under control and the entire area is brick pavers. |
| Peter has a friend draw up plans for a bench in the lower back yard. We do a lot of the work in Pleasant Hill where all the right tools are. |
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These are lap dogs - not bench dogs A final test before the bench is sealed. |
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And a full view Now completed with plants in either end and if you look closely, a dog guard under one bench to keep noses out of the grill. |
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October '05 - Hot tub Installation John uses some of his skills and knowledge gained through Habitat volunteering to run the 240 volt sub panel for the new hot tub. The old 1940's electrical service will be stretched a bit .. so watch your power use when hot tubing. |
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Imagine the effort to mix all these Peter does the foundation himself .. leaning the value of having the right tool. In this case an electric cement mixer. These are just some of the new concrete needed for the hot tub foundation and replacing a heaved piece of decking
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Now that the hot tub has finally been delivered (that's another story),
we start on the decking around it. Peter learns that using clamps
and screws is very quiet. You can do a lot of construction while Zia
sleeps after a graveyard shift.
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Proof testing Anticipating a good turnout for a backyard party, John and Peter do a bit of self congratulating while making sure the structure is strong.
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A second day is needed to finish off the first level. Note the professional work coveralls, tool belt and drill holster!
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| To test the decks integrity and the new grill's cooking capacity, Pete and Zia invite a few friends over for a celebration of their 2nd Wedding Anniversary. Both pass with flying colors. |
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A new project .. Improve the Laundry area. First we tie into the old pipes and run new copper (which has become the new gold commodity). Note the old pipes rotted a bit so a rag was used to "wick" the leaks to where they could dry and crust over. Peter really enjoyed learning about pipe threading.
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| Here Peter shows off the new cabinets over the top of the new, deluxe washer and dryer. So the area is now known as "Laundorama". |
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Time to finish off the plumbing. The only thing to do with the old pink and blue bath is to take it all to the dump. First task is to cap the plumbing and empty out the toilet. A good job for the apprentice. |
| There is some great satisfaction in getting most of the old stuff out to the dump staging area. |
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And there is even more satisfaction in getting the load off to the dump. But this load got hauled around the city for a while. At each stop someone would pick trough it for any treasures.
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| This picture violates one of John's rules of not having someone in the photo - but it shows what a great job of dismantling went on. Thank goodness for the small bathroom downstairs. The alternative is a porta-potty for a few months! |
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Keith Pacheco helps out with the framing as one foot of
the adjoining bedroom is taken to give just enough room for two people
to use the bathroom at once. Peter is getting pretty good at running
copper water pipes.
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Zia keeps an eye on the work and anticipates the use of the new faucets over the lavatory. |
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After a few times spending 3 hours a day on the road
commuting, John spends the night on Mondays. This really
moves the work forward for the month of October.
Here the pugs enjoy someone who really knows how to play with toys. |
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John gets the new vanity cabinet installed in preparation for measuring the top. A close look reveals that it is supported only from the back and sides. The bottom is open. So it is a bit of a challenge to get it to fit "just right". |
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DONE! 12/06 A couple of finished photos at the end. There is still a bit of decorating and getting used to using such a deluxe facility. Nice Job! |
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After a few near miss falls and Zia pregnant, it's time to replace the handrails on the main staircase. The 'winder' makes it tough. Here Peter tests out a segment. Theses are among the last of the finished lumber from the great Piedmont in Walnut Creek. |
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The Peninsula in the kitchen seem to store very little and just accumulate things. And children coming to visit find it a great place to climb. Time for a new project! |
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Milling stiles and rails is always fun and makes oh so much sawdust. |
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The top is all set for some final finishing. This is after almost all the clamps are removed, a few remaining to keep the final set. |
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Old tank house bedding makes an excellent source for moving pads. Peter snaps a start to the days activities. |
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A few screws to tie down the top. Pretty heavy so not many are needed. |
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Zia approves and especially enjoys the pendant light (little light, big job!). |
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The shop gets a workout again with a new vanity for the new bath. |
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Here it is with the sink installed (before counter top). This looks excellent for even new babies which are due any day now! |
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Because we took space from the laundry, the cabinets made a few years back need changes for a heating duct. It's pretty heavy so it's easier to take it home and bring the tools from the shop to the carport. |
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Off to the local supplier for some ductwork necessitated by the bath relocation. Fits nicely in a Honda! |
