Remodel Update: Office Progress - Floor Prep Etc.

We've made a fair bit of progress on the office, which is great because I'm *really* tired of having the office "stuff" in the living room.  We're not quite ready to move it back in yet, but the end is in sight... A fair amount of work wasn't really photogenic, so here's the run-down: decided we were indeed going to paint all the walls - still white, but all of them; boxed up books and paraphernalia, took down shelves, puttied holes, prepped for painting; painted the entire room (excluding trim), twice; turned off power to replace plugs and re-hang the light fixture.

All that was done primarily by Greg.  I helped with a tiny bit of the boxing up (all those boxes are now in my living room, alongside the office furniture and tools); I scraped the floor (trying to get up texture and paint globs - necessary but definitely not glamorous) and vacuumed; and I helped re-install the light fixture.  Let me tell you: I'd gladly trade that job for texture-floor-scraper.

It turns out that I'm not cut out for this remodel stuff.  It's not intuitive, and I don't much like it.  But I do like the results we're going to have.  So I'll suck it up and help where I can.  Holding the light part-way above my head was one way to help.  (Did I mention that thing gains weight the further from the floor it gets? And it was already practically the weight of a baby whale? A baby whale that's on a high krill diet and growing heavier second by second?)  Greg says that I'm not the weakest person on earth (my perception begs to differ), that anyone's arms would've started shaking as they're holding a fixture above his or her head.  I tried really hard not to whine; I couldn't stop the shaking, but I didn't drop the light (I did ask Greg to hold the light a couple times so I could get feeling back into my limbs); and we eventually got the thing stuck in place.  It's there for life now.  I refuse to change that fixture or any other ever again.  Oh, wait.  We're changing the fixtures in the kitchen.  Damn!  Well, at least they're not fans.

Anyhow.  All the power and light stuff was done on Sunday.  Then we did a bunch more stuff today.  Mostly Greg, but I did help out a bit.  Greg laid felt (aka tar paper) down over the plywood. We're using it as insulation - to help with warmth and as noise reduction.  At least, that's what I'm told.

My contribution to helping with the tar paper is the blue lines.  (By the way, you can walk on tar paper without sticking, and it doesn't discolor your socks - or your knees.)  I'm guessing the lines are to make sure that the strips of flooring stay straight as they're being laid.  But they could also just be a gauge so one can figure out how much more you've got to do.  Or a large grid for tic-tac-toe to amuse yourself and your working buddy, while you're installing some flooring.  I'm sure Greg has a very good reason for putting blue lines on tar paper.  When I find out, I'll let you know.  Unless you already know.  In which case, could you leave a comment with the information?  I'm curious.  It would've been more helpful for me to be curious when we were doing the work, but back then I was focusing on following directions and making sure my line was good.

With the paper down and the lines on  the floor, it's time for... installing the door.  Yup.  I guessed right (not!).  Another task that shows I'm not cut out for the remodel business.  Thank goodness this isn't my day job!  You have to watch the gaps between the door and the frame (on the sides too, not just the top) to make sure they're even; make sure the frame is flush with the wall, while you're shoving shims between the frame and the wall; and use the level to make sure everything's square in your rectangle door.  Who knew that hanging a door was that complicated?!?  It's done.  We're never changing any other doors again.  Oh, wait.  We're planning on changing the other two doors upstairs (bathroom and pantry).  Damn!  Well, at least they don't weigh as much as baby whales.

So it looks like we're ready to put some flooring down.  Greg brought up his fancy saw.  Here's our conversation:

• Greg: What is that?
• Me: A cutter tool.
• Greg: A what?
• Me: You know, a cutter.  A wood cutter. It cuts wood.  Yeah, a SAW!
• Greg: What kind of saw?
• Me: One on stilts?  With angles? That you use for cutting flooring?

Folks, in case you need to know, it's a miter (mitre?) saw.  I'm not sure exactly how it's different from another saw we have in the garage - except the color's different, and this one's on stilts instead of on a platform (and it has lots of knobs and adjuster thingies for the stilts).  It looks like it has a little dust baggie on the back side - so maybe we won't be spewing sawdust everywhere?

Could the next step actually be installing flooring???  We shall see...