The Construction Chronicles, Part 10

Now the kitchen floor is laid. Oh my. That was a chore. They tell you in the instructions that the floor needs to be level. But, they don't tell you why ("They" meaning the anti-do-it-yourselfer conspiracy out there somewhere). I'll tell you why. If you don't have a perfectly flat floor, it is very difficult - no, nigh impossible - to snap the pieces together. It took a lot of shimming and heaving to get it down, but by golly it's down. And it's great! I've never been a big fan of laminate flooring, but I like this stuff. I can't believe how durable it is!

Also done this weekend:

Dick made a cherry mantle for the ledge over the north window. It's sitting on top of the ledge waiting to be nailed in place.

Window jams cut and in place.

Leaded window removed and exterior paint applied.

Switch plates installed.

I tried my hand at pickling the cabinets.

I wanted a white wash finish, and this pickling stain isn't doing it, even after leaving it on for a couple of hours. So, it's back to the paint store. I'll keep trying until I get it right.

Refrigerator doors switched to open from the right.

Gas furnace mounted on the wall and turned on.

There's still so much to do, and I'm so sore from the weekend I can barely move. But, it's really coming along now. The work we're doing is paying off in visible results. Thanks for coming with me on my construction journey. I've loved sharing the progress with you, and appreciate the encouraging words you've offered (especially the oohs and ahhs - my pride thanks you). It'll be a couple of weeks before I have enough done to merit another post - so maybe I'll write about something else...