Snow removal

My buddy Gene showed up after we got our latest snow fall. Later we sat and talked over a cup of Caribou coffee. What a guy. Oh yea, we finally got to see his injured finger without bandages (milked it as long as he could, diaper changing is in his activity now) and it looks real good.

I'll get it right one of these days

These pictures were taken during the re-do of the kitchen. We started the night before prepping the walls and going out and getting the new light fixture to replace the drop down type. The next morning I started cutting in the corners at about 9 AM. Shortly after noon we broke and went out to get something to eat. We didn't stop until about 7 PM to take a shower so we could go out to eat for dinner. Got home around 9 or so and started putting everything back together. Finished up around 11 or a little later. Just had to put switch and receptacle covers back on. Now all we have to do is put crown molding up on three of the walls. We don't want to put it up over the sliding door out the back. Just don't think it would look good. Also, we may put up chair mold where the table is sitting next to the wall. If so then we will do something with the lower part of that wall, light paint, vaux finish, lines, just not sure.

Pics will be put up as it is done.

It all started with the light fixture needing to be changed.

The next morning. Everything back in it's place.

Painting completed that night 12 hrs. later.

The rolling was then started

The trim was started

Sump Pump

Drip under elbow at wall, repaired.

And we're safe

The basement is safe from power outages and the sump pump not running. Well, as long as the battery holds up or as long as it would take me to run a quick circuit for a generator to pick it up. Of course I would have to come up with the generator first and then convert that A/C to D/C, then we would be totally safe. I better get to Radio Shack and get the parts and start now. The pump was cycling every 29 seconds which is a lot of duty cycle on a pump. The next morning it had gotten down to a minute +. I headed out to Home Depot early, Gene was going to help but I hadn't given him a time hand after all, he is retireed so why wake him up. By mid-afternoon I was done. It isn't the prettiest job but it does the job. I had two leaks which I fixed the next day. Both were in the Wye fitting and they were either due to old glue (I like that one) or I didn't turn the fitting and the pipe enough when assembling them, or, not enough glue on the parts. Probably both the the last two but I'm sticking with the first. Gene came through again and told be about a Loctite product at Lowe's that is made for in or under water. There is a commercial on TV with "Billy what's his name" fixing a hole in a glass of water and also sticking some brackets up on a wall. Might be similiar but I will stick with the Loctite, I'm familiar with some of their other products. Oh yea, I also installed a receptacle above the main pump receptacle for the battery charger. It isn't in the picture, it looks like I ran an extension cord into the future bath. I did but that was temporary.

Well, on to the next project. Actually it isn't the next but it is close. I need to figure out how to cut in the wall and the ceiling above the stairs leading to the basement. Ceiling height is 10 feet. Wall distance is 44 inches away from the railing. Looking at scaffolding and a pic board but that will be very hard to setup. Might have to rent a painter with stilts. This one is a toughy, scaffolds have to go up certain ways and the end to end gap is the big thing....again 10 feet.

Rain

The picture of the sump pump is going to change. It will have a back-up pump system added soon. Very soon. The pump is running at 1 minute 10 second cycles currently. I don't know what the duty cycle on the pump is in the pit but this is a lot of cycle time on most pump. Of course it can't be installed completely as of right now because I have to tie into the discharge pipe but if I get everything ready, which I know I can, I can cut in and have the pipe back togethre before it actually has to run. There is some room for time since the water level would have to come up another foot or so in the pit. Biggest thing is to get the water in the verticle part of the pipe, then make two cuts for a "Y" fitting and then make a cut on a joining pipe from the backup pump. Piece of cake. Of course that is what I always say and some unknown thing pops up. I figure by tomorrow the pumping will have subsided because the rains are suppose to die off. We are going from 50 degree weather today to 9 degrees on Sunday. Yesterday it was suppose to be 18 on Sunday....who knows in Ohio! Gotta call the ole buddy Geno, might need a second set of hands. WE installed the sink in the garage that the builder didn't want to do. Hot and cold. NOOOOOO problem there.