The Kirkpatrick's D.I.Y. Project 2006 (Year Two)
The Roof is Finished!
July 7 - 9, 2006
After a LONG hiatus, we got back to work. Why such a long break?
As the photos below show—left to right—Eric graduated from the
Freestate Challenge Academy on June 17, Mike left to go to South Dakota on
June 24, and I was with Mike in South Dakota on July 1 (I flew out to
meet him there, I didn't take my motorcycle).
So... after a much-needed vacation, we got back to work.
Mike installed the ridge vent on the roof. It was the last step to roofing,
which we had been putting off. The ridge vent is important for ventilation as it allows
hot air to escape. It involved cutting a hole across the entire peak of the roof,
installing the vent material, and covering it all with shingles. I was thrilled to
discover that my assistance was not needed on the roof.
Mike hard at work. Roofing is tough work.
Here he makes some necessary cuts with the circular saw.
My project for the weekend was finishing the kitchen chairs. The original plan
was to stain them black. But first, they all had to be sanded. The above photo
shows how the hand-me-down chairs looked before I started working on them.
After sanding one chair, I had to use mineral spirits to clean the dust off
before I could
use the stain. I applied the black stain, making an awful mess in the process. I didn't like
the result. Nor did I like bathing myself in mineral spirits to remove the stain from my skin!
Bright and early on Sunday, Mike was back at work on the roof...
...and I was back work on my chairs.
Here is what the black-stained chair looked like.
It isn't too bad in the picture, but I did
not like the way it looked in person.
So I had to clean the black chair really well with mineral spirits,
then sand the rest of the chairs to prep them for painting.
A just-sanded chair in need of cleaning.
A bathroom door! Woo hoo!
Doesn't take much to get me excited.<grin>
Mike nailing the LAST shingle into place.
The roof is finished! Done! No more roofing for us... EVER!
A shot of the newly-finished roof. Notice the ridge vent across the peak.
The chairs aren't done though. I did paint them,
but I have to finish the seats next time.
Newly-installed back door hardware.
Here's a picture of the front door hardware.
Now I just have to get the door painted.
I am not sure what the next big step will be. We did buy lights
to hang beside the bed for use as reading lamps (Mike and I both
love to read). The drop light above our heads was getting old.
Especially after the moth flew down my shirt.
The next update will be a surprise. Thanks for checking in!
