Wood Stove to Fireplace

What do you do when you want a fireplace?  Build one!

But the first thing you need to do is hack a big whole in the wall.  Here is how I made our fireplace.  It may not be how you would have done it, but that's how I did it and it works for me!  The bricks on the floor are re-claimed from the old Opera House that was in town.  When they took it down, I went with my truck and picked up hundreds of bricks. The firebox is from Menards. (I would not recommend you buy yours from there. It was expensive and I'm not that impressed with the quality.) In the case you are wondering... the shelf on the wall is where the great big TV calls home. Since these pictures, I've washed off the mortar from the bricks. 

Curved Steps

The second thing that I finished FINALLY was staining and varnishing the steps. The very top step had never been finished (remember I made the steps just one more step higher at the last minute). With that step finished all I needed to do was sand, stain and varnish. They look so nice. Makes me feel like they are now inviting you to look upstairs. Hmmmm... what do we have up there? That's for another post.

Where did the laundry go????

With the new sidewalk finished and I was getting itchy to do something new. I've completed two jobs since the sidewalk. First the bathroom laundry closet. Ever since I've lived here the washer, dryer and furnace was out in the open in my bathroom. I hated it! When company came over they got to see all the laundry. Not that everyone doesn't have dirty clothes, it's just that I don't want them to see MY dirty clothes. The idea was to continue to use the wainscot. Off to Menards to buy car siding. It looks like wainscot and it's about 3/4 inch thick. I cleared my foyer floor and set to putting the doors together. Car siding is tongue and grove so it should have just popped together. It did not! The boards looked nice at the lumber company but when we got them home and put them together they were not exactly what I would call straight. Grrr... None the less, they were screwed together and glued. The glides were hung across the top and wa-la. Doors which now cover up the laundry and furnace. The sign says, "Grandkids Welcome,Parents by Appointment.

They also look nice from the living room. I should have done it years ago. My bathroom now looks and feels so much better.

Concrete in the Bin

When the concrete truck guy pulled up, he looked at all of us (crazy people) and announced, "Gee, this looks like HGTV!"



Of course we all agreed!



Everyone calls this the boots or boobs picture. Yep that's me looking stupid!



My beautiful oldest daughter, all the way from Texas. She just found out that she was expecting her third baby this day. She ran the bull float. So of course we call her the "Bull Floater"



Tom, Ryan and I waiting for the first plop, plop.


The concrete came in from the west window.

Tom looking at the damage :-)



My sister Connie and I actually completed the finish work on the floor while the rest of them watched. It was very hard work for two women. But we did it! David, the son-in-law looking, my grandson, Tabatha, I, Duane squatting, Connie in the yellow standing in the back, Ryan and Tom. EVERYONE had a job, no matter the age!

I believe these are Duane's hands, doing the hard work of pulling the concrete.After... he was still smiling!

Bin set on foundation

First moments before landing!
Kicking it back into round.
Looking to see where it's going to be placed.
Finally on the ground.
I started painting.

Foundation pictures

See the tire? That is attached to a chain and then attached to the sky lift. The tire is all that is holding the bin in the air!
Block foundation, "sloshed" the holes full of concrete. Insulation on the outside.
Footings, still wet.
The north side of the foundation.

As you can see, the Sky Trak lifted the bin quite easy.
This is what the foundation looked like after we were finished with it.
Poured concrete with old fence posts as rebar.
Getting ready to lift.
The first moments after lift off!

Bin Foundation

Putting on the belt and motor that runs about 10 times faster than it should. When you put sand, rock, concrete and water in it.... and turn it on.... RUN!!!!!!
Cleaning the mixer is not his cup of tea.. can you tell?
The poor old house. Always in a state of disrepair.

Footings for the north wall and about half of the bin.
Set in place, paint started, front roof half done. We put that porch on also. We call it the "sun porch" Ha, ha.. it's on the north. Not much sun there !

When you are making concrete you need the ingredients. Sand, gravel and concrete.
Here's a wonderful view of the front of the worst forms on earth! Yes, we get the prize!
The area looks quite small with all that "stuff" inside, but it's 18 feet across. The gray stuff you see on the bottom right side is extra concrete from pouring that lovely wall :-)



Of course you must fix everything before you can actually do any work.



Really bad forms. Don't say a word ok?
See the concrete poured (where the bad forms were?) As long as the concrete stays in the forms, (as dad says) "it'll get hard and do the job."
Footings.
Another picture of the BAD forms!