Author Archives: ellen

ERV Fixed

Posted on January 20, 2020 by ellen

Unfortunately the control board on our ERV has been fried since last summer. It was probably due to several experiments trying to get the Lutron Grafix 0 to 10 voltage dimmer to work with the ERV. My son bought a … Continue reading →

Posted in -Chronological Recent Posts, Maintenance and Repair, Ventilation | Leave a comment

Spa Wifi Controller

Posted on January 20, 2020 by ellen

Last year I purchased a wifi controller for the spa so that I could set the temperature from my phone instead of having to go outside. Although the device did not seem difficult to install, it required opening the spa … Continue reading →

Posted in -Chronological Recent Posts, Monitoring, Spa | Leave a comment

Spa Heater Burnout

Posted on January 20, 2020 by ellen

On New Year’s Day we used the spa and I noticed it was losing heat while it was open even though I had turned up the thermostat while we were using it. I noticed a day or two later that … Continue reading →

Posted in -Chronological Recent Posts, Maintenance and Repair, Monitoring, Spa | Leave a comment

Working Fireplace Boiler!

Posted on December 29, 2019 by ellen

It’s difficult not to be pleased to see the fireplace boiler working as planned in its new surround. The wood fire exudes such peace and tranquility on a snowy winter evening and adds heat to the radiant system. Directing heat … Continue reading →

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Fireplace Equipment Reconnected

Posted on December 27, 2019 by ellen

It took a couple days around the Christmas holiday to get the stove reconnected. The main circulating pump needed to have its water pipes reconnected and the wiring had been disconnected from the main pump, the aquastat controller and the … Continue reading →

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Fireplace with TV Mount

Posted on December 26, 2019 by ellen

There was a balmy break in the December weather. We have been enjoying temperatures in the 50’s and 60’s. So it was perfect for getting back to work on the fireplace boiler. I decided to use flat straight tile on … Continue reading →

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Laminate Bathroom Floor

Posted on December 23, 2019 by ellen

I took another detour while my son and his family were out of town for a Christmastime trip. The old tile floor in the family bathroom was green shiny imitation marble. It was very slippery for a bathroom floor. And … Continue reading →

Posted in -Chronological Recent Posts, Bathrooms, Construction, Deconstruction, Design Style, Distractions, Sideline at son’s house, Trim | Comments Off on Laminate Bathroom Floor

Fireplace Boiler Surround

Posted on December 6, 2019 by ellen

I started a new project that I have had in mind for several years. I have loved Old Hickory furniture ever since we visited the Old Faithful hotel in Yellowstone National Park when we were first married. It is made … Continue reading →

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Finished Pillar

Posted on December 5, 2019 by ellen

When I finished the pillar I realized the stone is another heat sink in the living area for the warmth of the sun. After the stone was all glued on, it took a few days to scrub the stone. I … Continue reading →

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Progress on the Pillar

Posted on November 26, 2019 by ellen

The weather this November has been colder than usual. We have already had several snowstorms with the typical melt in between. The challenge was to cut the faux stone tiles outside while the weather was warm enough. At first I … Continue reading →

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Tiling the Pillar

Posted on November 16, 2019 by ellen

The installation of the tile is a matter of cutting it to fit and mortaring it to the cement board. However, there are challenges involved in cutting and fitting. The first block I cut with a grinder and while tapping … Continue reading →

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Change of Plan for Living Room Pillar

Posted on November 14, 2019 by ellen

Not only was there not enough stone for the pillar but it was way too bulky to install in the house. So instead I am going to use it to cover the broken stucco on the garage wall. This pile … Continue reading →

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Stone Pillar in Living Room

Posted on November 10, 2019 by ellen

I decided a long time ago to finish the sole exposed post in the house with stonework. My column is larger but this was the idea. I was tired of looking at the 2 x 4 structure for the column. … Continue reading →

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One More Thing

Posted on November 10, 2019 by ellen

As time goes on I am involved in fewer projects at my son’s house. One of the last updates in the family bathroom was to change the dual flush unit in the tank. The dual flush button on the toilet … Continue reading →

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Living Room Furniture

Posted on November 8, 2019 by ellen

The large TV and its stand came from the apartment but the old couch had seen better days so it was donated and they wanted a simple, relatively firm couch in a light color. We found this one on Craigslist … Continue reading →

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Kids Furniture

Posted on November 7, 2019 by ellen

There were several new pieces needed before the family could move in. The two children had been sleeping in the same room in the apartment and now they have their own rooms! I missed out on the first crib we … Continue reading →

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Dishwasher and Refrigerator

Posted on November 7, 2019 by ellen

The appliances in the house were in decent shape and about 7-9 years old. They were all stainless steel although not high end. When I found a hardly used GE dishwasher at the Restore I thought it was a good … Continue reading →

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Cabinet Instead

Posted on November 6, 2019 by ellen

Every little project takes time. We had a perfect size cabinet to put in place of the wine fridge from reducing the size of the island. I just had to install it. The wine fridge was built in over a … Continue reading →

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Gas Stove and Hood

Posted on November 5, 2019 by ellen

The house had an electric stove and over the stove microwave. As dedicated cooks, the young couple wanted a gas stove and a hood to carry away cooking odors and fumes. This was a relatively large project. The electric stove … Continue reading →

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Hardwood Floor

Posted on November 4, 2019 by ellen

The entry and kitchen had been retiled with a medium gray wood grained tile. But the living/dining room was carpeted with a dark color berber. Although the carpet was not in terrible shape, hardwood was a feature they wanted. The … Continue reading →

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