Tuesday 11 June 2013

House Update - Finally

Since we've been behind on posting, we might be abandoning our regularly scheduled programming for some house updates. We've been getting back to work since warmer weather has arrived, and it's been going great! We'll do our best to keep you in the loop! We've been jumping around between rooms/projects, working outside, bathroom, garage, exterior doors, and some Spring cleaning. 

As we'd mentioned in passing a couple of times, we ice dammed this year. This happens a lot in Winnipeg (although being the handy woman that I am, I had never heard of it), and our house was no exception, as it resulted in water coming into our unfinished bathroom. We weren't exactly sure what to do at first, which is why we've had a huge delay in our bathroom renovation. It helped make the decision to wait for warmer weather to continue, just so that we'd have a chance to check out the roof, make sure everything was okay, and deal with insulation to prevent it from happening in the future. We took the first step in that paragraph recently, and called the original roofer who did the roof two years ago for the previous homeowner. He was so nice and helpful, if anyone is looking for a roofer in Winnipeg, let us know and we'll give you his number! He came over one afternoon, climbed up on the roof, took up a vent so that he could see how the roof looked, checked that it was all fine, and didn't charge us anything. Definitely went the extra mile to make some homeowners happy, and we felt reassured about our roofing situation. Next year, we'll probably buy a roof rake and just keep the snow situation under control as much as possible. So this was the first step in getting back into motion when it comes to our bathrooms, next up dealing with plumbing and electrical, and having our attic reinsulated!

What else is in the forecast for our June-August Summer 2013 to-do list? Obviously we're really behind on our March-May list, so we'll do what we can here (Spoiler Alert: We've finished a few of these items and we're just behind on sharing them!). A few of these items are also going to be relocated to next Summer, because we just know we won't get to them this year, and they aren't really a priority anymore (sorry raised beds). 

Spring 2013 (March-May) 

Upstairs Bathroom
Reinsulate Attic
Reinsulate exterior wall
Sound insulate interior walls
Install new shower/tub
Install new lighting
Install new flooring
Paint/tile
Re-install toilet
Install new cabinets
Install new sink
Install new mirror
Reconnect plumbing

Lower Yard Maintenance
Plough in garden, unwanted flower beds
Sod remaining open spaces
Build raised beds
Reshape right side flower bed to be curvier
Replace bricks on right side flower bed with rubber trim, or other edging that is more aesthetically pleasing
Replace petunias with perennials
Plant hydrangeas in front flowerbed
Move peony to somewhere else away from the house
Repair front steps

Cut Insurance Rates
Have electrician address electrical issues
Correct other inspection issues
Present evidence of repairs
Brace basement stairway
Plans Plans Plans
Design/quote kitchen
Design/quote deck
Design/quote basement
Design/quote upstairs ensuite/walk-in closet
Design/quote landscaping and outdoors
Interior Doors
Remove bedroom/bathroom doors
Paint
Rehang bedroom/bathroom doors

Summer 2013 (June-August) 

Exterior Doors
Get new exterior doors
Alarm system
Paint exterior doors
Garage and Shed
Remove garage shed
Sod empty space
Replace garage windows
Paint garage floor
Put up shelving/cabinets in the garage
Backyard Safety and Fun
Build a gate to close off the white fence for safety
Build/Purchase a fire pit with a proper cover to meet code
Lighting solution around fire pit entertainment area
Plant privacy bushes at back of yard
Remove clothes line
Buy a barbecue

What are your Summer tasks? Anyone been outside gardening? (We have!) We'll have to update our banner also, getting a bit tired of the snowy background!