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Yearly Archives: 2020
Family Bathroom Door
We have been using a curtain in the doorway of the family bathroom since the interior was completed. It provided enough privacy and it was adequate coverage for the building inspection. The plan was to install a rustic door in … Continue reading
Posted in Bathrooms, Construction, Reduce Reuse Recycle
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Solar Pool Set Up
The extra parts arrived and all of the piping was finally connected with minimal leaks. Not without several issues however.I had the bypass valve assembly ready to install. Unfortunately the plastic that the reducers were made from did not hold … Continue reading
Posted in Maintenance and Repair, Pool, Solar
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Log Trim
The house is coming along enough that when I cleaned up the mud room for spring, I started decorating it. I have been collecting logs for trim for a few years. I purchased old log beds and railings to repurpose … Continue reading
Posted in Construction, Design Style, Reduce Reuse Recycle, Trim
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Solar Pool Heat
Everything takes time and money. The solar pool heat project is no different. I have put together a system based on the old copper collector and a new stainless steel heat exchanger. This is the system design. I purchased a … Continue reading
Posted in Maintenance and Repair, Pool, Solar
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Replaced Pool Valve
The used pool filter had a big crack in the valve that I tried to repair with silicone goop and tape. It was good enough to run for awhile while the new valve was ordered from Intex. Because of COVID-19 … Continue reading
Posted in Maintenance and Repair, Pool
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Stripped Down Solar
One of the reasons the repair I tried for the 3′ x 7’ solar panels was a disaster is that the glass broke when I was moving it. The glass in the solar panels seems to be extremely fragile. I … Continue reading
Low Growth Full Sun Xeriscape
Dave started a garden border in front of the house. He installed leftover tile pieces in a concrete base to create a flat planting area for some xeriscape plants. He leveled the tops of the tile pieces and filled the … Continue reading
Posted in Landscape, Reduce Reuse Recycle, Xeriscape
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Pool Problems
Seems like nothing I do lately is without issues. The pool was leveled but not very well, so that when the water delivery happened it was about 3″ out of level. Not too bad, water guy said he had seen … Continue reading
Posted in Landscape, Maintenance and Repair, Pool
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A Little More Awareness
A little more awareness would have gone a long way towards my installation of the new spa pack. I usually read directions but this came without specific directions just diagrams and pictures. I followed the diagram to wire the equipment. … Continue reading
Posted in Maintenance and Repair, Spa
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Getting Ready for Summer
This summer will be a staycation due to the Covid-19 virus. So to get ready I want to set up a 4′ x 18′ round pool that I acquired a few years ago but never utilized. I was able to … Continue reading
Posted in Diversions, Maintenance and Repair, Pool, Reduce Reuse Recycle
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New Spa Equipment Install
The exercise spa that we have been enjoying since 2015 broke down just after New Year’s Day. I thought that the heater wore out but it turned out that the circuit board burned through where the heater connected to it. … Continue reading
Posted in Maintenance and Repair, Spa
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Finishing Up the Bathroom
There were a few more tasks to finish the bathroom remodel. The contractor and his helper came one more time to complete the job. The largest project was the installation of the solar tube in the ceiling. He finished the … Continue reading
Posted in Bathrooms, Construction, Design Style, Energy Efficiency, Plumbing, Reduce Reuse Recycle, Solar
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Shower Niche Light Issues
The niche light was a disaster. It did not go as planned. What I wanted to do and what happened were not the same. I wanted a sleek row of LED lights that were waterproof or damp proof in the … Continue reading
Posted in Bathrooms, Electrical
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Bath Assembly
It took less than a day for the contractor and his helper to assemble the bathroom. But it was not without headaches. The faucet is a used kitchen faucet I purchased on Craigslist. In my first install the edge of … Continue reading
Posted in Bathrooms, Construction, Design Style
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Bathroom Tiled
This last week the tile in the back bathroom was finished by a contractor. I decided that these jobs are taking me entirely too long. I might have even skipped this remodel if I didn’t have to do it for … Continue reading
Posted in Bathrooms, Construction, Design Style, LEED Project, Tile
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Brick Patterns
In the middle of the bathroom floor I planned for an accent inset. The tile I wanted to use was 3″ x 6″ tumbled marble that I bought at the Restore. I only had one box of the tile but … Continue reading
Posted in Bathrooms, Construction, Design Style, Reduce Reuse Recycle, Tile
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Why Shopping is Not Research
My normal practice is to research every part of the house remodel. I usually spend hours on the internet gathering information about the best way to design and complete a project. But every once in a while I forget to … Continue reading
Posted in Bathrooms, Construction, Design Style, Electrical, House Systems, Planning
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While I Was Away
It’s unusual to see progress while I’m not even home. But having a contractor seems to have helped. The room was drywalled before I left and sprayed with texture to match the house the next Monday. Then the Kerdi board … Continue reading
Posted in Bathrooms, Construction, Design Style, Tile
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Hamilton in the Time of Coronavirus
When I left Colorado a week ago there were three confirmed cases of the virus. I went to California to celebrate my sister’s birthday. We had a lovely time mostly with family but she had tickets to take me to … Continue reading
Posted in Diversions
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Insulating the Bathroom.
About three quarters of the rear wall of the bathroom is poured concrete below ground and insulated on the outside. I added polyiso to the inside of the concrete wall and replaced the Fiberglas with rock wool. The interior walls … Continue reading
Posted in Air Intrusion/Thermal Envelope, Plumbing
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