And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair. ~ Kahlil Gibran



Wednesday, November 09, 2011

Tangled Web

Something happened. I'm not sure how it started. Probably something about the new roof we are supposed to be getting (please, soon!) or the fact that we finally (FINALLY) got the attic insulated. I'm not sure, but something triggered my belief that some of the home improvement projects that need doing here at Barefoot Manor are actually going to happen, and I am.... obsessed.

Our home is right around 100 years old, and so no home improvement project is "simple". Not that they usually are in any case, but having an old house just complicates things that much more.

Example: I would love to build a little pantry cupboard in the kitchen. While the kitchen isn't really small, it is definitely short on storage space. Or we have too much stuff. Whatever. There is a perfect space on a blank wall that could offer enough space for most of my (current) food storage needs. I'm even betting that Mr. Barefoot and I have enough DIY know-how between the two of us to get it done quickly and correctly. BUT.....

If I am going to put in a pantry, I should fix the crazy walls that the former owner put in (texture over paper over original lathe & plaster). And while I have the walls ripped up, I should probably fix the electrical mess in there (nowhere near enough outlets, and the ones we have in odd places). And insulation would be good. Back in the day, they thought a layer of newspaper qualified as insulation. I'm not sure Barefoot Manor is quite that bad, but I'm sure that if I start ripping out walls, I am going to find that we definitely need more insulation. I mean, this is MinneSNOWta, after all. And the island is centered in the room without a cupboard on that wall, so if I put one in, I might want to move the island just a bit to get it centered and make it easier to get around that side of the kitchen. And really, if I am going that far, I might as well fix the funny two level floor, and get better flooring in there. And I want the flooring to be the same throughout the whole house, so I might as well just do all that while I have the kitchen floor pulled up. And then there is the window that needs replacing, and the fact that Mr. Barefoot REALLY wants to change the layout of the cupboards. We might as well do that, while we have the cupboards off the walls, anyway. And if he gets his way with the cupboards, will my pantry even fit where I want it? Cuz, ya know, we might have to move the fridge to that corner. And if we put the pantry in, then if I ever got my little dream of a COMPLETE kitchen overhaul (like this isn't complete enough! lol) including a wood burning stove I would have to REMOVE the pantry I had just put in, and.....

Yeah, you get the idea. Craziness.

With limited funds, I don't want to waste money that could be saved for the actual WORK being sucked up by "temporary" fixes. And (no offense, Dad, I love ya) I grew up in a home that was constantly under construction of one type or another, and I don't want that for my Sprouts. Or me. Mostly me, I don't think the Sprouts would care. Okay, it's all about me.

So I'm making a list. By room. With cross-referencing (see flooring and wiring, above). And I will probably be consulting a few friends in the construction and "fix it" business, to see how to go about doing this. I mean, should I start at the top and work down? Or should I work from the basement up?

Lol. I might finish the week AFTER I retire. Maybe.

5 comments:

Gorges Smythe said...

Dear Ms. Barefoot:

None of that will matter in a hundred years, build the cupboard, blow in some insulation and call it good enough. I know you didn't ask, but I'm old and opinionated and I hate to waste it!

barefoot gardener said...

Good point, Gorges.

webb said...

Blowing in insulation could be a good idea - we did it in an 80-year old house and it made a world of difference.

It's tough to have so many projects and each one an onion, but you will probably be glad you did it all and not piecemeal - sorry Georges! The kitchen and baths will probably be the worst and you may need help with them - like wiring and plumbing!

Good luck. Making a list is a good start.

Lisa said...

Ah, the joys! I know exactly what you are saying here. And sometimes, it's gets so complicated that you forget the really simple thing you wanted in the beginning!

Rev. Peter Doodes said...

We have been re-arranging our old house for the last 22 years and I now hope that we never get it completed as we can always see improvements in a sad individual sort of way.

PS. I like the sound of you Dad!