Interview with the Solar Panel Installer

In My Defence...

[Yeah, I know, "defense".  Bad puns are my life.]

So the fence got done with the exception of the gate opener which I am leaving for the future when time is less hectic.  We, Kathy and I, have painted floor of the Main Hall- two coats, thank you very much.  It was actually a real ordeal just getting the paint.  Who knew floor paint was so hard to get?!

We've started (finally) painting the kitchen cabinets (another paint based ordeal)  When that's done I'll sand the floors and we may move on in and do the rest at our "leisure", as if either of us have any of that.

The flood set us back on time and money.  Then the HVAC system at our current home died a horrible yet painless death.  $$$$$  {see next post for more on that}  Kathy's car had to have an engine transplant; it's engine froze up...on the highway...in the middle of nowhere...on the way to Dallas.  The GEM (electric car) was in the shop in Tyler. The Prius in the shop in Dallas.  Charley's Scion in the shop in Denton.  Three vehicles- three counties- $$$$$$$  But I digress.  The estimate from the contractor to fix the basement was $60k if they do it all.  Nearly $15k just for materials. *heavy sigh* 

Did I mention I'm a retired teacher?  in a small town? in Texas?

We have just enough liquidity to install the HVAC in the Hall.  I'll do the prep work myself and save a few bucks. By the end of next week, we'll be cool with that. I'm also installing a shower in the restroom. Yoga classes can then begin.  We have a rental in two weeks. +$  Hectic time.

Water water every-stinkin-where...!

Floods suck!
On the night of April 29-30, 2016, we experienced a flood.  7 1/2 inches of rain in less than an hour overwhelmed all drainage strategies and the water rose.  I saw cars floating around like ducks on a pond.  The water ended up about 4 feet deep in the basement.  It was devastating, but not so devastating as the loss of life across town. A grandmother and her four grandchildren were drowned in her home, and another man was drowned trying to save someone else.  For us, it was just stuff.
I was so tired already and was up most of the night with the flood.  Still dealing with the damage and other effects.  My security cameras didn't stop recording until the water reached the mid level plugs so we got video of the water coming in.  Downloaded the video, edited by speeding up the frame-rate, and posted it to YouTube as "Nickel Flood Video".  Below is the link.

https://youtu.be/DNa9RMGYTgU

We lost tools, materials, and a big tree.  There was lots of damage including some pretty tough structural stuff.  Then the community came together.  A couple of hundred people showed up to Old Town and in Westwood to help with clean-up.  Without help, none of us would be dug out even yet.
We'll be a while getting back to where we were, and longer than expected to get moved in. We'll be fine.

Flooded basement

Vehicles stacked up by the water

Community comes together

Better late than never...I guess

yes...yes...I know-  It's been 10 months since I posted anything here.  Mea culpa.  Been a little busy lazy about writing.  That said, I have not been lazy about the work.

Updates:

• I retired from teaching over New Year's Day, so now I can devote more time to the work.
• We have also now hosted 3 weddings at the Manor (and I presided over a 4th offsite).
• HVAC is installed upstairs with a "zoned unit" so that individual areas can be controlled separately. 
• The kitchen cabinets are built and installed; they just need sanding and painting.  The appliances are there, just not installed yet.
• The Guest Bath/ Kathy's bath is done. (see pics below)
• The shower in the Master Bath is built, although the rest of the bathroom is not.
• I have cut a roof access point in the upstairs hall with a cupola on the roof to cool the attic.
• For now, a large window unit is cooling the Main Hall pretty well.
• The Main Hall is also scraped and painted and has turned out nicely. 
• We found that the old baptistry was still there, lined with copper sheets.  Removed the copper for sale and readied the area for other things.
• I'm going to start my Accessible Restroom in June.  I'll also be adding a shower to the existing restroom.  Things are looking up.
• The drive gate is hung in the back ready for the opener next week.  The rest of that fence area will be done then, too.
• I have built the basic retaining wall for leveling the garden area, with the facade to come later.
• Brick mortar has been repointed on the lower north wall helping to seal off the basement from seepage.

However...
A couple of week ago, we had a huge flood.  The whole of Old Town was flooded, and we got about 4 1/2 feet of water in the basement and back yard.  Cars floating by, etc.  Everything had to come out of the basement.  Much was ruined.  Much more was damaged but reclaimable.  There was some structural damage that will set us back quite a bit of time and $$$$, but that's life.  (No flood insurance.)
We'll just keep on keeping on.  I will attach some pics below to illustrate our progress and maybe have to spill some over to another post.

 Main Hall

Guest bath

Master shower (the window is reflection)

retaining wall part 1

Progress isn't over-rated

Okay...since last I posted much has been accomplished.

Posts for the gate have been set.

A wedding has been hosted in the back patio area.

An A/C window unit has been wired and installed.

The enclosure for the living quarters access stairs has been framed, sheet-rocked, and a door hung.

The basement wall on the corner has been repointed and sealed. (Thanks Brandon and Malick)

And an access panel was cut in the upstairs ceiling and a cupola built to cover the roof access hatch.

Lots has been done.  Summer is a time when I can really get things done if i stay on task... and I have.

A friend in deed...

Yes, the space was intentional.  My best friend (other than my wife) is Jim Vincill.  Among his many talents is that of an electrician.  He called to tell me he wanted to get started working on the rewiring process in the Nickel Manor.  He found an electrician who was willing to pull the permit and safety check our work (for a reasonable fee, or course).  When the wiring gets really rolling, everything else gets in gear as well.  Thanks, man!

Nottathingtosay

I know it's weird, but I really don't have anything to report.  I have done nearly nothing since the break-in.  Gotta get back on that horse.  Yee-haw!

Broke in hearted

I've had about all I can take.  We were broken into yet again.  This time, two man-sized people broke in via a 100 year old window.  When they entered the main basement area the alarm started blaring so they kicked open the 130 year old door and left...with the lawnmower, the weed whacker, the hand grinder/cutter, and a gas can.  They also broke the exterior light in the yard just for fun.  Financially, this will set us back on our schedule by quite a bit.  I have reinforced the basement doors and windows.  I will be putting in a camera system. and the Police are going to do a walk around at night.  I guess I need to get the back gates up and locked.

Game of Porcelain Thrones

Success!  We now have two toilets in what will be the "Ladies Room".  The permanent lavatory should go in tomorrow with the dividers shortly thereafter.  This is a major milestone on the way to habitable.  The vinyl tile floors were hell on my knees and back (even with knee pads), but it was worth it.  Once the sink/lavatory is in, I can start bringing the water and drains upstairs and over to the "Gents Room".  If I had to, I could stay there now.  I wouldn't like to, really, but I could if I had to.

Somebody tried to break in last Sunday, but were foiled not by the alarm system, but by a well constructed door and the steel bar cages on the basement windows.  Take that!

Here is a sequence of pictures of the restroom construction:

Potty mouth

Much is happening:  got the fencing all done, of course; began scraping the paint off the ceiling (harder than it sounds);removed a lot of "stuff" to another location; removed the floor of the NW first floor room; and...trumpets please... am now ready to put in the first toilets!  By this time tomorrow I expect to be able to answer the call of nature without crossing the street to Kroger's or hiding behind a tree.  It's a big step.  I've also decided that instead of separating the restroom into two independent restrooms, I'm going to make the NE corner the Ladies' room and the NW corner the Gents'.  Each will be wheelchair accessible (that's the plan anyway).  In between all this I put up a new mailbox post on Brazos to replace the one that was rotted.

On a completely separate note:  Someone once again tried to break into the Manor Sunday night.  They kicked in one of the panels on the basement door, but the resulting opening was too small to get in.  They also tried to get in by way of an alley window.  Ha!  The steel cages on those windows foiled that attempt rather nicely.  Had they gotten in, the alarm would have quickly sounded anyway, but that would have gotten me out of bed, schlepping down to the building to meet the police.  I fixed the door.  I'll be installing my cameras.  As soon as I can afford to, I will put the bars on the rest of the basement windows, too.  Take that!

Boxing for Power

More good news of progress:  After rehearsal today (for the musical "Annie"), my best friend Jim and I put in  a new meter box and breaker box down here at the Nickel Manor.  Sound boring to you?  Well not to me.  This will make the place safer, and get it ready for me to start the gradual process of rewiring.  Now whenever I have the cash together, I can call the power company and have them make a new pole drop- aka pigtail- and move my meter over.  I can then patch the old breaker box to the new breaker box to keep my plugs and lights live until I finish rewiring each room.  It's a big step in the right direction.

Game delayed on account of rain... sort of

A month later and the roof is still not finished. Aaarrrgghhh! Between weather delays, "help" delays, and my body falling apart, things have not gone smoothly. I have about half of the stripping done for the metal roof. I plan to get the rest up this weekend so that I can order the metal to be ready for Spring Break. Fingers crossed.

Raise the roof! It's just a frame of mind.

Okay! After a long and tortuous road, I have finally finished the roof joists in the back. Two and a half stories up and at a 45 degree angle life can be precarious. But with help (Keith and Greg), we got it done. Now to strip it for the metal roof and get that in place ASAP.

Check this site: http://nickelchurch.shutterfly.com/ for more pics.

Joist to the world...

Alrighty... I'm half done putting up roof joists almost completely by myself. OK, Greg helped me get one wall plate up, but the rest is all me. I may be getting back my "Monkey Man" status if I keep on climbing up the ladders and scaffolding like I have been. I should get the rest up this weekend. When I get 100% done, I'll post the pics from start to finish of the roofing process.

After a wind-induced mishap that damaged a nice piece of furniture, I replace the heavy door to the back with a home-made one that's much lighter. It will keep out the wind and rain but won't cause a problem.

BTW...Charles is getting married one month from today. See more on "Lamb's on the Go", my other, older blog.

To the top of the wall...

Okay. In the last post that survived hacking I complemented the brick crew for their work...that still stands, with an exception. When the top of the wall was completely done, it was finished extremely wrong! I had drawn a diagram of what I wanted and described it. That's not what happened. I had wanted a ledge on the inside, one layer of bricks deep. What I got was a sloped edge on the outside filled in with mortar at a 45 degree angle. Aaarrrggghhhh! Changes my whole design for the roof. Too late now. Just deal with it.

I have built scaffolding out of 2x4s to build the roof on the back section as renting scaffolding is really expensive. I'll be able to recycle the 2x4s easily.

I have bolted plates onto the top of the back wall with epoxy adhesive anchoring them. Same will be true for the register plates on the main wall at the top of the joists. Progress is being made.

You can also see that I've finished the fabrication on the security cages for the alleyway windows. More after this weekend is done.

The walls of Jericho- Not!

This past 10 days, Quentin has had to work a different job as a substitute teacher in Westwood ISD in Art. In the meantime, Keith McIntire has been working (REALLY hard) to keep the project moving along. He's been doing well. Maybe not as good as Quentin, but acceptable. He has gone from just mixing the mortar, to laying brick around the basement window pits, to laying the runs on the main wall. He has learned a lot on the job. The top of the wall looks really good. The last couple of days Chris "Peaches" has been working with Keith. He's young, but willing to learn. I'll start the roof on Monday- Labor Day.

I don't cotton to that idea either...

I have finally given up being able to do the major brick work on the building. It is a skill I need a lot more work on to be at that level. I will be hiring Quentin Cotton of Palestine to do the main work. He comes well recommended and I have seen some of his work. Hopefully he can start by the end of the month.

In other news, the alarm system has driven me over the edge! Over the last year, we have averaged about 2 false alarms per month...usually after I'm in bed. I have asked for a repair ticket (yet again), but I hold little hope. I'll probably go with an unmonitored system till we get moved in. That way we at least can get some sleep.

That really floored me...

Lots of work done since last time. Got the concrete floor in the belltower poured. Not the best concrete I've ever done, but it was a confined space. Oh well. Put up new walls on the concrete as a base for the floor we put in level with the "main hall". Then Jim and I pulled out the decaying doorway to the front and replaced it with a treated lumber and Hardipanel wall. This will be home to my new electrical meter and breaker box.

Other end- Kathy pulled the tiles in the NW corner basement room, getting it ready for a cement floor. I tore out the floor/ceiling of the NE basement. I've now replaced the joists and taken out the corroded plumbing. The tiles still have to come out of there, then we'll be ready to concrete the floors of the back three rooms. Progress!

Concrete ideas and abstract platts

What a day! Started out to concrete the floor of the belltower readying it for a new floor a level above. After buying materials, went to pay the water bill. Not a big deal, right? While I was there, I decided to check into the procedure for getting the city to close and legally abandon the unkept, unused dead-end road between my neighbor's property and mine. In theory, they're fine with it... just need owners of all abutting properties to sign off on the deal. Since my neighbor first suggested it, no problem. Au contrar, mon frer!

Turns out a wedge of property I was told belonged to the city, doesn't. It's an unusable postage stamp of land between me and the creek. It took me fully three hours to find the owner's name (both at the city and the county tax assessor) and to find out he's in Dallas. This isn't going to be fun.

Needless to say, no concrete today. Tomorrow, I'll pull up the dirt-mounted tile in the belltower and put up the forms. It's cool in the basement so I'll pour in the afternoon when it's too hot to work outside. "Plan? There ain't no plan!" - PigKiller from the last Mad Max movie Beyond the Thunderdome.

Just another brick in the wall...

For a few who have asked, this is the condition of the bricks in the back. As I said, apparently the repairs done 100 years ago after the fire were done inccorrectly, whether by design or by mistake. The hole is actually much bigger than that now. It must all be rebricked above and repointed below. Then the whole wall must be stuccoed to protect the friable bricks. BIG job! but I'm up to it.