I’ve been working on Ben’s room for a long time. A very long time. I started in the room when we first moved into the house. And it kept going on and on… It’s really not that fancy or complicated of a room to renovate.
A lot happened since I started the room, including a divorce and a year living in a different house. And the room stayed under construction the entire time. After a while, the project just seemed to live there and have no end in sight. I would start other projects instead of finishing the room.
Not that I chose the easiest path to redoing the room. Initially the though was to keep the original plaster. So we peeled the wallpaper off the walls. Then, after leaving and coming back a year later (after much discussion with my dad), I decided to tear out the plaster walls on the exterior wall so I could insulate the room. That was last August (a year ago). My dad showed up and we spent a part of a week late that fall, and we put the insulation up and put up the walls, and the plywood for the ceiling (I had purchased materials to put up a tin ceiling several years ago).
I spent that winter putting up the tin ceiling. I had to hand nail every 6-inches with the painted decorative nails. This spring I got the windows in, and at the beginning of the summer, I ordered the flooring. I also had to install the crown molding.
I finally go the floor installed last night, and Ben wanted to move his bed in today. As I write he is spending his first night in the room.
It was a lot of work…. I restored both windows (repaired and repainted the sashes, and replaced the sash cord with sash chain). I installed a metal ceiling. The room needed all new electrical – so I added outlets on all the walls, and a switch for the light. I ripped out three walls, and installed drywall on all the walls (covering the plaster on one of the walls) – I had a lot of help for that. I installed a new floor (an inexpensive cork floor – but it feels nice under the feet) and painted stripes on the walls.
I had a lot of help with the project. Thanks to my dad for helping get me moving on the project last year. And this summer I was able to get a huge amount done thanks to Susanna’s help and encouragement.
Of course it’s not completely finished. I still need to mill and install the baseboard trim (but Ben didn’t want to wait). One of the outlets is missing the cover (I couldn’t count when I ordered the outlet covers). The paint needs to be touched up, and the crown molding needs to be caulked. I should get most of that done this weekend – assuming I can find enough red oak to make the baseboard trim (ok, shouldn’t really be a problem). Of course one of the sash chains came off today – but I may wait a while before I fix that – the window is still working.
It has been a very busy summer… at least the boys and I have been able to enjoy the other big summer project – a new patio in the back yard. I think I’m going to take it easy on house projects for a little bit. The workshop is a disaster and needs to be cleaned, and I have a whole list of woodworking projects that I want to finish.
