So, I go back to the great state of Oklahoma on Monday (Dionysusigma, call me. I'll need some trigger time to get rid of move-in frustrations.), and I've gotten this place into liveable shape. Almost none of it happened the way I planned, but I kept a great deal of flexibility in the plan, so we're in good shape.
All the closet storage stuff got taken care of exactly to plan. I ran solid pieces into studs, laid some plywood shelves in, replaced closet rods with something substantial, and it's all good. We're quite happy with all of that.
I did something unorthodox in the garage: I cleaned and sorted, and behold, I didn't need any additional storage. Who would've thought? Between stuffing things into the attic and tossing junk, I ended up with far more space than I anticipated. I now have about a third of the garage floor space (the rest being taken up by a car) wide open, swept out, and useful. This is quite a change. The garbage collection folks were somewhat less than happy with the mountain of trash at the curb, but they got over it.
Keep your eye on the water heater! Ours went out about a month ago. Replacing it wasn't difficult, and it's all up to code now. It wasn't before. It has to be on an 18" high platform, and I put in a drain pan that I didn't have to (it's not required if it's in the garage) just for fun. Bringing the electrical hookup up to code was pretty easy, too. We have to install a quick disconnect, so I put in a 60A switch a few feet from the unit and got all the wiring in flexible conduit. Nothing is exposed, and it's easy for mom to shut off when they go off for a vacation or somesuch. This was also a convenient excuse to label the breaker box. I got all the circuits figured out, so no more unexpected frizzy hairdos.
The hole in the drywall carved out by the master bath water leak wasn't as big as I thought it was. The damaged area is probably close to a square foot, but it turns out that the vast majority of it was discoloration in the paint. A little careful sanding got that ready to repaint. I created a backing for the hole with some stirring sticks (they're free at ACE), and joint compounded it up real good. It's a good hard patch over the hole (which turns out to be only about 4x5). I'm going to paint it up tomorrow, but I don't plan to do anything about the texturing. It's right on the baseboard, and there's a couch in front of it. Mom just didn't want to have a gaping hole in the wall, and seems satisfied with a flat patch over that small area. If she moves the couch, or just can't take it anymore, a little quick sanding and a texture patch will fix it up completely, but I don't anticipate a problem. I did learn something valuable with that: joint compound shrinks. I had never used it to fill something like that before, but I'll be much more careful to pack it tightly into the hole next time. I had to fill over it several times to get it solid.
I discovered an unexpected problem in the garage while putting stuff in the attic. We have a roof leak! I was rather disturbed by the idea of having to haul new flashing and shingles up on the roof in the middle of summer, but luckily it was just eroded cement at the joint between two different angles. A quick dab of fresh cement, and it's good and solid after two hard rainstorms. I'm glad I caught it early. I don't even want to think about what would've happened if I hadn't noticed it so soon.
While on the roof, I discovered that the gutters were FULL of a gooey plant matter mixture. They weren't working at all. While a compost pile isn't a bad idea, the roof isn't a good place for it. I scooped out about fifty pounds of sludge, and had to run the water hose down the downspouts to clear them, but everything is flowing freely now. I do still have large piles of partially dried glop in front of the downspouts now, but I figure they're just fertilizing the lawn. Let this be a lesson to everybody. Clean those gutters!
So, for the big project: The patio doors... We're going a completely different route. I've been looking at Vinyl doors. That little alcove back there just never dries out, so I didn't really care for the idea of leaving any wood in the area at all. Mom hasn't made a final decision, and it won't get done before winter break, but we've found a vinyl door that matches nicely with the other patio door (it doesn't have moisture problems), and I think we're going to go with it. I figured that I could replace the damaged frame sections with that concrete board product, but how long until the door rots out? It's already showing early signs of rot, and when it goes, I'll have to replace the whole thing anyway. This vinyl door I've been looking at is all plastic, so no rotting at all anywhere, and it has a MUCH higher R-value than the wood door. If anybody knows of a particular manufacturer that makes a really good door, I'm open to suggestion. It's a pretty ordinary design, and I've seen numerous setups that would work just fine for it.
As for the mailbox: I had it in my head that I would run down to the vo-tech college, take a course in basic masonry, and build myself a nice brick mailbox. I know, I know, I'm a stupid suburbanite for wanting a brick mailbox. Mom, however, vetoed the idea outright. Her chief complaint was that the hollow space inside a brick mailbox is a breeding ground for vicious spiders. I think she had a bad experience as a kid or something. So, I just fixed up the one we have. It wasn't in terrible shape, and a little straightening, replacement of the wood base of the box, and a couple pounds of concrete took care of the problem. I fantasize about building a brick one at some other location, sneaking up in the middle of the night, and putting it down in place of the existing one... but mom would know it was me, and beat me about the head and shoulders with a 2x4.
So, as I prepare to head back to my last year of school, I think the place is in decent shape. Hopefully no new problems will crop up while I'm gone.
