Sorry about the Silence!

I can't believe it's been close to two months since I've posted anything here!  We took a little bit of a break from working in the attic...I think dad & I were both a little burnt out after a couple of months straight of spending nearly all of our free time up there.  That, & there have also been a few family things we've been dealing with.

But...I'm back!

In the last week or so we started taping & mudding the other half (landing/bunk/office area) of the attic.  It's going a lot faster & a lot smoother than the bedroom/closet area - woohoo!

If you remember what this view looked like a week ago...

And what it looks like today...

We're a touch-up coat & final sand away from being ready to prime & paint the walls.  The ceiling has a little more work to be done.  I have high hopes of getting it all primed this weekend, but I'm on my own with Grady, so we'll see how much he lets me get done!

We're slowly inching toward the finish line...

When we first started working up here, I thought it would maybe take 4-5 months to complete.  Here we are over a year later & still chipping away at it! 

We're planning on getting all of the mudding & priming done by next weekend, the painting, trim & planks, & light hung in the following week.  After that, we'll work on the stair rails, floor, & storage areas.  Then, we'll finally be able to move in!

I.Cannot.Wait.

Putting down the paintbrush...for now.

The bedroom is painted!  (Well, everything but the floor...but that's a project I'll tackle at the end of the remodel.)

Everything is painted Benjamin Moore's Simply White.  The walls & ceiling are satin, the mouldings are semi-gloss.

I've never used it before, but while I was at Menards picking up paint, I saw a display for Glade paint additives.  You mix the packet into your paint & it's supposed to freshen your space for up to 6 months!  So far I love the smell...I'm curious to see how long it actually lasts!  The only thing that I didn't like was that the additive seemed to make some of the paint "chunk" up.  At first I thought the roller head was shedding, but I switched to a brand new head & it was still doing the same thing.  Of course, it could be the brand of paint I used as I've never tried that kind before.  I'll update next time I use it with another brand of paint...

A few pictures of the space...the next step is organizing the under-eave storage & moving everything out of the landing area & into the bedroom so we can start all over again with the tape & mud.  Womp womp.

Here's a glimpse of the wall our bed will go on, & the access to one of the storage areas.  My dad is building custom doors for those spaces.

The other side of the room, more storage, & Eli's closet.

Here's hoping we'll be able to get started on the landing area this weekend!

A Light in the Attic

You guys...I knew I was going to love the barn lights in the attic...I just didn't realize how much.

I ran home to let the dog out on my lunch break & snapped a few quick photos so I could drool over them at work this afternoon - on my allotted "rest" breaks of course!  :)  This was the first time I saw the lights in daylight as I worked until dark last night when my dad hung them, & left the house while it was still dark this morning.

Eek!

The shot on the left below is the most true to color - a perfect blue-green.

You probably noticed the gap between the top of the light & the ceiling.  The canopy that came with the light ended up being a tad smaller in diameter than the box in the ceiling.  Enter the object below.  Over lunch I dabbed on a quick coat of ceiling paint so we can put this in that in-between space tonight.  Problemo solved.

Can't you just picture white planks on the window wall below with board & batten trim underneath?  I can...& it is good.

For real - I feel like there should be little hearts floating around my head...so excited!  Isn't it amazing how the smallest of things can make you so happy?!  :)

This is what's up(stairs)...

Things are pretty insane around here.  Eli is busy coaching basketball - constantly - we hardly see him.  We're still recovering from the holidays.  Grady was sick all weekend with a fever, cough, & ear ache.  He also starts swimming lessons today...on one of the coldest days of the year.  In the middle of all of that, Dad & I are chipping away at the attic project...slowly!

We're "this" close to being done mudding the bedroom portion of the attic.  There are just a couple of small spots that need one final coat of mud & sanding.  Most of the surfaces in there have already been primed & painted BM Simply White, though!  I should be able to finish up painting the bedroom & closets tomorrow!

Here are a few quick Instagram (@reneestarzl) shots of what we've been up to...

Prime & paint on the walls - mud on the ceiling.

Painting barn lights in "Catalina Mist" by Krylon.

Ta-da!  (Cage is from Barn light Electric, barn light from Menards.)

Gathering some bedroom textile inspiration.

What's next?

• finishing up the last coat of mud
• prime & paint ceiling
• hang lights (eek!)
• hang paneling on window wall & paint
• repeat above bullet points in landing
• paint & install stair rails
• paint floor
• trim, trim, & more trim
• closet systems
• storage doors
• DECORATE!

Attic Update

Originally I had hoped to have the attic done (or nearly done) by Christmas - HA!  We seem to always underestimate the amount of time it will actually take to complete things.  I need to remember that we all have full-time jobs, & I have a part-time job.  When you only have a couple of hours a few nights a week, things tend to not happen very quickly!

Throw the holidays into the mix...plus a 4 year old that is very well-behaved (most of the time), but needs to be right in the middle of everything...

We did get the chimney leak under control until we can get up on the roof & check out the flashing.  We tore off all of the drywall around the chimney, dried it out & foamed & caulked around the chimney, then replaced all of the insulation & drywall.  Hopefully we won't have to worry about that anymore...

Now we're back to mudding & sanding the bedroom & closets.  I thought taping & mudding was an unfun job before...now, with all of these angles & corners, I'm realizing that it's right up there with stripping paint...almost intolerable.  :)

We should finish up mudding the bedroom & closets this week.  They "should" be ready to prime and paint next week.  Then we'll move all of the tools & furniture into the bedroom & focus on the landing. 

My old softball coach used to tell us, "Inch by inch it's a cinch...yard by yard it's hard".  He'd be happy that we're moving inch by inch.  Me, on the other hand, I wish we could take it by the yard!  I'm so impatient!

We're off to Omaha this weekend to celebrate Christmas with Eli's family.  I'm crossing my fingers that my awesome father will feel like doing some sanding while we're away.  Wouldn't it be nice to come home to a ready-to-paint room?!?  Dad???  :)

Attic Update: LEAK...

Dad & I have been steadily chipping away at taping & mudding the attic for the past week.  We were cruising right along last night when we came to this innocent looking wall.

Then, dad noticed that the floor was wet in that bottom left corner of the picture. 

After searching both sides of the wall for the source, we figure that it's coming in somewhere next to the chimney, then running down the sloped wall & out to the floor in that corner.  We've had some crazy cold weather & the temps were a little bit higher yesterday than they have been, so we're thinking somehow some condensation is getting in there.  It doesn't leak when it rains, so we're pretty sure it isn't a leak in the roof.  Anyway, we're going to have to tear out a couple of pieces of sheetrock & all of the insulation in that area to get to the bottom of it.  Lame.

But, because I'm all about finding silver linings...the good news it that it's the only spot in the attic that's having issues...we can keep taping & mudding the rest of the space!

Speaking of that space (& to end this post on a happy note) here are a couple more progress pictures.

I'm hoping to have it ready to prime & paint around Christmas.  Cross your fingers we can get this moisture issue figured out soon.  If any of you have ideas or suggestions, please let me know!

Attic Update 12: Sheetrock {continued...}

Just a quick update on the attic - we're slowly making progress!  As of last night, we have the ceiling done (aside from one piece by the window), & have both closets & the doorway rocked.  All that's left are the two end walls (the ones with the windows on them) & the knee walls (the short ones along the sides).  The closets were full of angled cuts & the on the ceiling we had to deal with rafters that weren't spaced evenly...at all.  It was slow moving when you had to measure multiple angles, go up & down stairs to the garage to make cuts, haul the sheets through the house & up the stairs, then make any adjustments once up there.  The end & knee walls will be simple in comparison - one cut on each sheet - woohoo!

Now for a couple of Before/After Last Week/This Week pictures...

The same view from the top of the stairs looking into the bedroom:

Then from the bedroom looking toward the landing:

We've still got a long way to go, but what a difference a few days can make, am I right?!

Attic Checklist:
insulation: between rafters, loose in walls, foamboard on ceiling
frame up walls & closets
level out ceiling & jack up sagging roof
new electrical throughout attic
new window
planks in bunk & on upper portion of end walls
move vent from closet to bedroom
drywall (hang, tape, mud, sand)
build, paint, hang French doors
prime, paint (one more coat), stain, varnish steps
remove door to attic & open up
prime & paint walls & ceiling
spray, make, & hang lights
finish floors (stain, paint, just varnish?)
paint & install stair railings
paint & install baseboard trim
paint & install board & batten trim
closet systems
storage doors for under eave access

This weekend I'm off to the windy city (not Chicago...they have nothing on Marshall, MN) to help my BFF Angie decorate her house for a Christmas tour.  I'm hoping the boys hang some Sheetrock while I'm away.  Wouldn't it be nice to come home & have it all done?!

Attic Update 11: Sheetrock!

Well...we didn't quite finish up the ceiling sheetrock this weekend...but we got close!

With the ceilings going up, I've been getting more & more anxious to get to the fun stuff...the finishing!  I couldn't resist snapping a quick photo of what the attic looks like now, & Photoshopping it a little bit...just to get a glimpse of what it'll potentially look like in a couple of months.  :)

So, since a pretty picture is a lot more fun to look at than stud walls & sheetrock...

I...cannot...wait...!

Oh, & just in case you're curious...here's a quick graphic showing where we're at on the ceiling...

Yeah, my arms are still burning from holding all of those sheets above my head while dad screwed them in.  4 days later.

Here's hoping we can get the ceilings finished & a few walls done this week & weekend!

Guess what's happening this weekend...

Drywall is getting hung!  We're a few weeks behind due to some unforeseen family things coming up.  Hopefully we can get this train back on track again!

If you look at the ceiling above the drywall, you can see that we taped the seams in the foam board insulation with some black Gorilla tape.  (We also had to use a spray adhesive to get the tape to stisck to the insulation.  It was super fun.)  This will help create a vapor barrier & will also keep any air from getting through.  We also ran into a couple of wires on an end wall that were spliced together behind some insulation.  They were a fire hazard, so we had to put a new box in that spot to contain & mark them.  Unfortunately it's in the middle of a wall, but the good news is that it'll be covered by curtains.  Whew!

We actually {finally} got a few sheets hung last weekend, but we're hoping to finish up the ceiling this weekend.  It already looks different with just a few sheets up.  I can't wait to see what it looks like with the whole thing covered.  :)  The intersection where the sloped ceiling meets the flat ceiling is going to be interesting to try to get straight.  Hopefully by Monday I'll have an update on how it went.

Attic Update 10: WINDOW!!!

Oh my gosh you guys...we FINALLY got that last attic window in.  It's been over 4 years that it's been sitting in the garage waiting for its day to shine!

After work yesterday we rented an extension ladder (dad's wasn't quite tall enough).  We started by removing the old window & storm window (5:30), framed out the new window opening (5:50), trimmed off a couple of pieces of siding that were in the way (6:15), stuck down some self-adhesive flashing, made a run back to my parents' house to rip some boards that were mis-measured, & finally slipped the window in & nailed it down (7:15).  When it was DARK.  Then we stuck some more flashing up around the window (8:00) & called her good (8:15)!  Well, until we start re-siding the house next summer.  But that's another story for another day.  Right now I'm going to enjoy the nice cross breeze I can now get through the attic...no more painted shut windows!

Here's a short timeline of crappy iphone pictures.  It was just easier than juggling my big camera.

Next step = drywall!  The plan is to get the whole ceiling hung this weekend...but a lot of that depends on if it rains tomorrow.  We don't have a covered trailer, so if it rains we don't have a way to get the sheetrock home from the lumber yard.  Let's think sunny skies!

Attic Checklist:
insulation: between rafters, loose in walls, foamboard on ceiling
frame up walls & closets
level out ceiling & jack up sagging roof
new electrical throughout attic
new window
planks in bunk & on upper portion of end walls
move vent from closet to bedroom
drywall (hang, tape, mud, sand)
build, paint, hang French doors
prime, paint (one more coat), stain, varnish steps
remove door to attic & open up
prime & paint walls & ceiling
spray, make, & hang lights
finish floors (stain, paint, just varnish?)
paint & install stair railings
paint & install baseboard trim
paint & install board & batten trim
closet systems
storage doors for under eave access

Attic Update 9: French Doors {painted}!

Hi all!

Just a quick post today.  We STILL haven't gotten that darn window replaced in the attic.  It rained ALL weekend.  Don't worry...we still found something to work on!

Last weekend, dad & I hung the French doors.  They looked like this:

This weekend, dad brought over his router & we took a little bit of the width off (they were rubbing when opened/shut).  Then we hung them back up & I took over priming & painting.

I flip-flopped over a paint color for the longest time.  I ultimately decided on the same yellow I used in the Ikat mural in my entryway.  It's bright...& I'm still flip-flopping about whether I like it or not!  I'm about 90% sure I'll keep it yellow, but I might do a little distressing, or a glaze or something over it.  Whatever I choose to do, I know that I'm for sure going to wait until the rest of the space is complete.  At this stage it's hard to tell if it's going to work as-is or not.

And because no post is complete without pictures!

Oh, & big bummer alert: the perfect glass doorknobs I purchased on Etsy aren't going to work.  Boohoo.  The space I have for a knob is too narrow & the knobs knock into the opposite door when it's opened.  I picked up some black gate pulls at the hardware store to use instead.  (Or until I find something I like better.)

This week/weekend actually looks like sun (hooray!), so we're planning on tackling the window & perhaps even starting to get some drywall hung!  Cross your fingers!

Attic Update 8: Stairs

Ok, we all know where these stairs started.  Old, unfinished, dirty & damaged orange-toned wood.  Ignore the cat butt in the top of this photo - his name is Chaz & he's into photobombing...in inappropriate ways.

 I had already primed half of the risers a while back.  Um, like last April...

Then, last week I bit the bullet & stained the treads Minwax's "Jacobean".  It was looking pretty scary & I really had to work hard to keep myself from panicking.  SO DARK.

Then I put 4 coats of polyurethane on the treads with a cheap foam brush...waiting the recommended 2 hours between coats.  It was an all day process, but I probably only spent a little over an hour actually working on it...the rest of the time was spent waiting for each coat to dry.

Pretty treads!  (The rest, at this point, is still awful...& still scaring me.)

Then I put another coat of primer on the risers.  It's looking better after each step, isn't it?  At this point I started to see the light.

The top half of the risers have two coats of primer...the bottom 5 have only one coat in this picture.  I was really hoping I could get by with only one coat of paint, but I was mentally preparing for two.  This is also before I filled nail holes & caulked the gaps where the treads meet the risers & next to the stringers(?).
 

Yesterday, I caulked some gaps & nail holes over my lunch break, & put another coat of primer/paint-in-one on the risers.  I think I'll be able to call it good after one more coat...& perhaps a few small touch-ups.

I really love the color of the treads now...& actually love all of the dings & imperfections in the wood.

It's all very strange & exciting to see things in the attic {slowly} coming together...

Right now all want to do is go touch my new stairs.  So buttery smooooooth!  :)

In addition to one more coat of paint, I still have to replace the old hand rail, open up the door at the bottom of the stairs (opens into the space between the dining & living rooms), paint the walls, & possibly nail up some board & batten type trim on the stairwell walls.  It's already looking 100% better than what we started with though!

Attic Checklist:
insulation: between rafters, loose in walls, foamboard on ceiling
frame up walls & closets
level out ceiling & jack up sagging roof
new electrical throughout attic
new window
planks in bunk & on upper portion of end walls
move vent from closet to bedroom
drywall (hang, tape, mud, sand)
build, paint, hang French doors
prime, paint (one more coat), stain, varnish steps
remove door to attic & open up
prime & paint walls & ceiling
spray, make, & hang lights
finish floors (stain, paint, just varnish?)
paint & install stair railings
paint & install baseboard trim
paint & install board & batten trim
closet systems
storage doors for under eave access