Our 1st Egress Window

Well, we did it. Last Thursday we got all the material together and started our first egress window project. Here's what the front looked like pre-demolition:

Melanie and the boys dug out the first layer and hauled it to the back yard with the red wagon.

I started at about 2 pm with it looking like this and got it most of the way dug out when DelRay and Caleen showed up to help--and boy was I glad to see them!! (and their wheelbarrow)


While Dad was finishing up the digging, I started planning the cutting and taking out the old window. The window came out pretty easily and then the cutting began. We got 3, 7 inch carbon concrete blades for $2.15 each at Stars Ferry Building Supply. We figured with a 7 inch blade we'd be able to cut through at least 3 inches of the six inch thick concrete wall. What we didn't plan on was the 3/4 inch plaster on the inside and the thickening of the wall as it goes down. Turns out we were only able to cut through 2" from either side, leaving about 3 inches of concrete in the middle.

So, once we got the wall scored from either side, we didn't know what to do next. As we stood there scratching our heads, I asked Melanie to hand me our little short handled 9 lb sledge hammer, just to see what happened if we hit it. Well, it didn't just fall out, but after about 5 hits to an upper corner, a big chunk broke off. That gave us hope and so for the next 2 hours we traded off beating on the wall. Luckily there wasn't any rebar in the wall or we'd still be beating on it.





Once we got the main part of the hole broken out, we squared up the rough parts and were ready for the framing.











From there we shimmed the jam, set the window and sealed it with GreatStuff. We were very excited and happily suprised that we got it in in one afternoon. Which was handy because we left for Eastern Idaho for the weekend and it poured rain while we were gone. (no leaks :)
My wife after a long, tiring day.

Notice the darkness around the house :)
We finished at about 11 pm.
The boys now have an escape hatch!!
And we have an official 3 bedroom home.

Home improvement Journal 5/25 to 6/15

5/25
Last Thursday we put in a grape arbor. We decided to build a nice one w/ a trellis and bench inside. We also decided to make the egress window surround out of brick. Tonight I worked on the arch of the grape arbor.

5/26
Finished arch in grape arbor and installed hook for Melanie's hanging basket. Removed and replaced wire, receptacle and pig tail for the range.

6/11
Replaced pig tail and receptacle for dryer. Ran extra ground wire from dryer receptacle to J-box Briggs put in. Replaced wire to washer from existing attic J-box. Since last I wrote I've installed a new outlet by the fridge counter and grounded the fridge outlet. We've also planned our brick wells and walk, widened drive and brick patio. We've also hauled 2200 bricks (3 truck loads @ $10/truckload) from the old school house to our driveway and hauled 600 to Mom's house. Momma now has pigs, chickens, cows, horses, cats, dogs and pheasant eggs. That's what happens when you live on a farm and all your kids move away.

6/13
Moved wheat from office to our house, cleaned basement and porch a little @ work. Organized workbench in garage. Planned food for Dad's reunion. Replaced 1st section of old wire from J-box in red room to one in old part of attic. Nearly complete with red room part of attic so we can insulate.

6/14
Had Father's interviews with my boys. I have such good boys.

6/15
Massage therapist quit today. Played crochet with boys for FHE. We love having a dishwasher!!

Home improvement Journal 4/25 to 5/16

4/25
Lost my journal for a while by putting it in a drawer. Today I installed a short fluorescent light over the small work bench in the Garage, ran outlets to the North side of the garage and began organizing the garage. Tested the freezer. Melanie planned and organized the Road Show --did a stomp. Since last I wrote Briggs Electric replaced the smaller gauge wore with 4 thicker wires for 100 amp usage. We installed the back yard light. Todd Wayment tilled the garden. Melanie planted the garden. We trimmed the trees over the garage. Last Monday, 4/19, I mowed my own lawn for the 1st time. We installed plug moulding behind my workbench and behind Dad's workbench in the quanset. And replaced the old light in the quanset with a 4 tube flourescent. On Easer Dad got mauled by the bull, and the bull is now being butchered. We sent off for the $8k house credit. Installed the heater in the garage and flipped the 200 amp main breaker by pigtailing 2 poles together. The garage is wired for now. Have not started wiring the upstairs yet.

I also re-ran the cable and phone cords from their boxes on the outside, through the center of the house and into the wall behind the computer. They are no longer coming in through windows in the basement and I have less clutter on the outside of the house.

4/28
Mapped out existing circuits both downstairs and upstairs. Upstairs is ran on 5 circuits. Mapped out possible can light layout for the Fam Room upstairs and Kitchen. Total of 12 lights.

5/16
Much has happened at our house since last I wrote. Today we installed the dishwasher Uncle Dennis gave Mom. We had to take the face frame off, shorten 4 drawers, move the upright to the left 6 inches, remove the touhge and groove bottom of the cabinet, install the electrical--which took a long time to get the hole bored from the basement to the kitchen outer wall. We installed the water line and the drain. We're washing our first load as I write. Spencer is still sick, Jordan got repremended for talking back to his mom. Melanie edged all the lawn that needed it. We've gotten a lot of the landscaping in. Bleeding Hearts, lillies, flowers, and garden all keep us busy.

Home improvement Journal 3-16 to 3-26

3/16
Platts gave us a nice swing set and the boys are really excited.

3/17
Wired outlet in garage. Melanie fixed sod over conduit trench. Installed 2nd light in boy's bathroom, replaced little wires to ight, mapped out upstairs circuits.

3/18
Moved the Broadhead's piano to our house!! Brother Broadhead, Jeff Gibbons, Brother Murdoch, his son, Brother Thompson, me and Dad all moved the piano here. The boys are excited and we're very grateful to the Broadheads for thier generosity. WE HAVE A PAINO!!!

3/19
Wnt to tlogan. took back conduit, got 12/2 wiere, J-boxes, fixture for outside and breakers. Bisiteed Brian and Mandy and stayed with Raylene and Jon.

3/20
Went to Dinosaur Park, saw Ogden Temple, Stayed night in Motel 6.

3/21
Went to Treehouse Children's Museum and to Hill Aerospace Museum and came home.

3/23
Ran 12/2 wire to computer for dedicated circuit. Installed 4 gang box for computer again. Used computer 4 gang box as J-box to the boy's room north outlet. Secured fam room light box and put on deflector. Melanie put on new self-made siding corners and painted them pink. She also made a financial plan w/ our advisor to pay down student loan debt fastest , the house debt. The boys got piano books.

3/24
Got on roof by stacking up cinder blocks and buckets. (We don't have a ladder yet) Almost broke window upstairs to attick. Cut access hole into atic over utility room. Jumped off roof into sand box. Installed light can on boys bathroom wall.

3/25
Ran 14/3 wire form upstairs switch to downstairs switch for stairs light. Cut access hole in top of coat closet. Ran 14/2 wire from upstairs switch to light fixture. Connected stairs light circuit to downstairs roomcircuit. Installed both 3-way switches. Light over the stairs is now 3-way and grounded and we have access to the roof from inside the house!!

3/26
Finsished installing wall light in boys bathroom. Made plans and planned out how I'll install the yard light. Drilled one hole in current place.

Home improvement Journal 3-2 to 3-14-2009

3/2
Fished wire to and installed box for fam room light fixture, wired dual switch box in hall. Installed outlets in fam room. Ran wire to computer outlets, nearly completed fam room circuit. Pulled wire (14/3) for lights in downstairs utility. Installed 4 gang outlets for computer.

3/3
Moved fam room light to new circuit. Moved tv outlets to new circuit. Readied FR circuit and small br circuit for electrician to connect. Spent time on 3 way two light circuit w/ no success. Will ask Mike Briggs tomorrow.

3/4
Briggs electric replaced fuse box w/ 200 amp main breaker and both interior subpanels with one main subpanel in the basement. All 3 circuits we had done worked on 1st try. The boys light didn't get hooked back up. Ran cable to outlet and to the light fixture and used the breaker fo rthe bathroom outlet to power light temporarily. Getting better at fishing wire and figuring out circuits. WE HAVE NEW SERVICE PANELS!!!

3/5
Removed several old cables from ceiling. Installed 2nd light in utility 3-way light system. Melanie planted cherry tree in 5 gallon bucket and put 24 5 gallon buckets of sand on th egarden spots.

3/6
Mike briggs dropped off 3 lenghts of PVC pipe for our line to the garage. He also gave us some cable for our ranges and for the cable to the garage subpanel. (there is no power in the garage yet). Melanie got another 14 buckets of sand for the garden.

3/8
Spoke in church.

3/9
Helped replace main water line at mom's Pocatello rental. I dug under a 6 foot sidewalk and into the meter pipe. Got connected and 1/3 buried.

3/10
Tried to run wire to switch in downstairs bathroom. Ran into blocked joice space.

3/11
Drew wiring diagram for garage. Looked for a piaon on Craigslist.

3/12
Bought shovels and rake. Dug trench for conduit to garage. Tested one light. Dug 1/2 way under sidewalk. Pin nailer arrived today. Bought Melanie a big pitunia hanging basket. Broadheads offered us their piano.

3/13
Mom and Dad finished digging tunnel while I was at work. Dad and I ran the conduit and put the cable in as we glued the parts together. Wired the garage subpanel.

3/14
Widened opening for conduit w/ leatherman file while Melanie filled in the trench for the garage electrical. Wired main breaker--50 amp. will probably need to replace w/ thicker wire to go to 100 amp. Installed an dwired 2 flourescent lights and switch--We now have light in the garage!!
Ran new source wire to boy's bathroom. Wored boy's bath light and fan. Installed new plug in boy's wal. Fixed neighbor's bread box. Got called as primary teacher today.

Home improvement Journal 2-6 to 2-28-2009

2/6
Bought house!!

2/7
Moved in to home w/ help of 4th and 8th wards.

2/9
Installed dimmer switch in boys' room.

2/10
Melanie installed vent to upper vent in downstairs fam room.

2/11
Removed baseboard heater in downstairs fam room. It was 10 feet long.

2/12
Furnace stopped working. Naturally. The day after we took out the big baseboard heater.

2/13
Dave the heater guy came and repaired thermal coupler in Furnace. Removed door to basement kitchen. Moved 240 plug from wall to new location for stove on future wall. Mapped cabinets. Setup new computer desk and couch from Margi.

2/14
Aaron started framing wall for downstairs utility. Aaron moved old wall and took off sheetrock for new hall.











2/16
Dad and Aaron framed in hall, cut door opening for fam room and framed in enclosure for furnace and water heater and framed in closet for future bedroom.

2/17
Installed heat duct through boy's closet into wall.

2/18
Built bathroom cabinets and hung on walls.

2/19
Installed boy's bath hardware, decorated bathrooms.

2/20
Hoked up 220 plug in downstairs utility wall, hung curtains in master br.

2/23
Installed boxes for plugs in downstairs utility and guest br.

2/24
Installed plug for SE corner in downstairs Fam Room.

2/25
Hung curtains in boys room upstairs (pooh bear curtains Andrew picked out)

2/26
Hung boys curtains downstairs. Wired hall plug downstairs, moved kitchen light, ran power to 1/2 1st circuit in new wires. Hired Briggs Electric to re-do outside electrical panel and replace both electric boxes for $2250 ($750 trade, 1500 out of pocket) And Dad sold a cow in our name today for $1200 making our expense now for the new panels only $300. The Lord is blessing us.

2/27
Installed 1 outlet in new BR and one in utility. Ate lunch with Nathan at his school.

2/28
Installed final 2 outlets on 1st circuit. Pulled cable to switch box and to tv receptacle. Installed J-box for fam room circuit. Ran cable to SE fam rm corner. Tried to run cable to light fixture in fam room and ran into a two layer tin box, got through 1st layer, not second yet. Studied 3-way light switches again. Bought remaining material for garage pipe and electrical for downstairs and garage. Melanie painted our A-board and Alta and I painted our waiting room and massage room.

Finally Started

I've wanted to start a home improvement blog for a while now. And we'll mix in some family updates too. I know several of you have been doing this for some time. I guess it takes some people longer to get things going than others...

Anyway, on to our house. We bought our first home on February 6, 2009 and let me tell you, after almost 9 years of living in an apartment, we were ready for some room. Our home has 3 (almost 4) bedrooms, 2 baths (one upstairs, one down), a basement, a garage (with shop :), a fenced backyard, and is located on a side street. It was built in 1940 so there are plenty of fixing projects to do. Which is what I want to keep track of on this blog. I've been keeping a written home improvement journal since we started, but I lost it twice. This way I won't lose it quite as fast and we can more easily share our progress with those who might have an interest.

While we were house shopping--which we did for about 2 years--we made a list of all the things we wanted in a home. And with the exception of staying in our ward boundries, this one fit all the requirements. We found this house in December of '08 and it was listed at $84,000. We looked through it with our realtor and quite liked it. There was an LDS family living in it and we could tell they liked living here as they had done several fixing projects on the house and were in the process of working on the basement. On one of our walkthroughs I took measurements of all the rooms and made a Google Sketchup drawing of the house--mostly so we could be sure our table and chairs and other furniture would fit. If I can figure out how to post the file, I will, otherwise I'll put it on our website when we get it going.

Anyway, we sat on it over the holidays and after people got back to work, our realtor called and said they lowered their asking rice to $79500. We decided on a full price offer with the sellers paying the closing costs. They accepted within 2 hours and we were in a month later. We did have it inspected and the inspector didn't find anything we didn't already know about. The only major draw back was the electrical needed upgraded. Which we did two weeks after moving in.

Our move went very well. We used the month between bid acceptance and move in to pack and get all things prepared so when the big day came and all the help showed up, we got all our stuff moved in about an hour. Loaded and unloaded. We had a lot of help from both our old ward and our new one.

So that's how we got our house. My next post will be what I've written so far in my hand written journal.