Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Fire and Water And Things In Between

 Well, it's been a very busy week at Catch Meadow Cottage! We have been drilling holes in all the studs, threading wires through every hole, endlessly sweeping up wood shavings, installing electric boxes for switches and running to the store to buy lighting supplies. We've also been busy building the exterior housing for the fireplace and preparing for the water tank and filtration system installation.  

Originally the oil tank was in the far corner of the basement but since we will no longer be heating with oil, there was no use for the tank and we removed it this week. Now this corner in the basement will contain the water filter, tank and pump. Everything will be neatly stored in a small closet and 
this closet will actually be part of the new laundry room!

This is the corner before the oil tank was removed. 
The blue tank will be replaced and relocated in the new "water closet".

This is the corner after the oil tank was removed. I first painted the walls with a water sealant. 
The filtration apparatus etc. will be housed in this corner.

So much brighter and cleaner now! I painted a semi-gloss white over the water sealant. All the duct work you see in the ceiling, will be removed and a nice sheetrock ceiling will be added.....someday.

Now for the wiring! It just seems like an endless job. Wires are hanging everywhere. It's a little scary not knowing which ones are live. They are all capped and marked but still....


        Can you see all the wires running through the studs and into blue boxes? It truly amazes me that                Michael and other electricians know what they are doing. I would get terribly confused!

Along with the wiring this week, Michael also built what he calls an exterior "doghouse" for the fireplace. When my Dad was visiting, he suggested we build a box outside to house the fireplace so that we could have the fireplace flush with the wall inside. Genius! What a great idea...I just didn't realize at the time, how much work it would entail. In true Michael form though, this seemingly simple feature was solidly built with class and style and in very little time.

   Here Michael begins to build the outside housing for the fireplace. (Once again I'm totally distracting    
                  him with my picture taking. He is a very patient man...most of the time!)

 Here, between the living room windows is the area where the fireplace is located. (If you look very closely you can see Michael's arm in the fireplace...a little spooky looking but he was actually nailing the plywood in from the outside.)


                                   Because the fireplace is a gas (propane) unit, it needed to be vented.
   
     After the exterior "doghouse" was finished, the fireplace could finally be inserted. Flat stone that we 
       have been collecting from around the property, will bedeck the new fireplace from floor to ceiling.

                  The new fireplace housing will be shingled like the rest of the exterior of the house 
                                                                  and will blend right in.

    On my walk through the meadow yesterday, I couldn't help but be amazed by how colorful the land 
               has become in the last week. This Box Elder is so striking against the blue autumn sky.

Like the Monarch butterflies that flitted about the meadow all summer long, 
their beloved milkweed has also begun its migration to distant places. 


                                                              Have a glorious autumn day!

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