4.2.2025

We had an early morning Ring alert.  National Grid is updating all their electric meters to new, smarter meters.  It was our turn today. 

Walking up to replace the meter - it only took him a couple minutes.

This afternoon, Jim put the big lag bolts through the wood door frame...

The door rail has nice bumpers on both sides to keep the door from hitting the walls...

Putting the rail up...

Fastening it down...

Then it was time to bring the door up!

Attaching the roller hardware to the door...

Yay - it looks amazing!

The open look...

Figuring out placement of the handle was next...

Jim tapes the area to make sure he doesn't mar the door...

Trying out the handle...

Fastening the door handle...

Looks amazing!!  I really love how it all turned out!

So perfect!  Jim still has to put the bottom guide on, but so happy with the way it turned out!

Jim rehung the season picture on the other wall...

High 39.2/Low 25.4

4.1.2025

Or not!  Happy April Fools' Day!  

Jim started doing the painting trim work today...

Trim work done...

Using the roller and feathering around the edges...

All done and drying!

The next step involves cutting a groove in the bottom of the door.  There is a guide that will be attached to keep the door in the right location when opening and closing.  So he got the right bit and his router...

Taped the area so that the router wouldn't scratch the paint...

He has to rout it from both sides in order to get the right width of cut...

All done...

Showing me how the guide will fit in the slot...

Tape off and he put a little paint on the edges...

The bottom element in my toaster oven wasn't working correctly and Jim ordered a new one.  However, they obviously don't want you to open it up; Jim watched a YouTube from a Japanese person that gave the tricks on opening it up.  He got the element replaced and it seems to be working!

High 47.4/Low 34.2

 

3.31.2025

Jim got the mounting board tacked into place... 

Starting to attach...

A bead of caulk around the board...

All done and drying.  Next step is painting, which required us to go through our fifty shades of gray paint supply to figure out which color gray the hallway is - ha!

High 69.6/Low 42.2

3.30.2025

The weekend went by in a blur, as Jim and I were busy doing paperwork for my mom's care, plus we visited both her both days.

But Jim still managed to get a little work done in the shop, drilling holes in the door for the barn door hardware...

3.29 - High 37.4/Low 32.1
3.30 - High 41.6/Low 32.1

 

3.28.2025

Jim got all the tape off the barn door rail and painted the ends a bit, although they'll be up against the wall and you'll never see them.  But Jim does things the right way no matter! 

He got the gable framing pieces cut...

The sun disappeared this afternoon and it was a bit breezy, but we decided to head outside and try and finish up some loose ends.  Jim was testing the fit of the bottom gable piece...

He wanted to get clips put on the back side of the rafters, so he started working on those...

The view from above...  The screws on the bottom surface have to go through the steel framing - Jim had to grind off the wings from his bigger steel screws and then they worked great.

Once the right side was done, he went up top and finished putting all the necessary screws connecting the rafters to the ridge board...

High 49/Low 31.6

3.27.2025

My key fob was pretty much destroyed - Jim has extended its life with electric tape that worked for quite a while.  But he ordered me new cases and he switched them today.  He had to make a few modifications because the battery didn't fit quite right, but he got them fixed and we tested them.  

Jim made the mounting board for the barn door rail to size... 

Finding the studs...

Marking placement holes...

Turning over the edges...

Testing the board and transferring stud markings...

Jim made countersink holes for the screws to attach to the wall...

Starting to prime the board...

All primed...

Jim's going to paint the board and screws the same color as the wall, so a coat of primer on top of the screws...

The rail is a bit too long and Jim will cut a bit off each end.  He put tape over the ends so that it wouldn't get scratched while being clamped and it will help keep the cut nice as well...

Setting the rail up in the clamps on the saw...

A perfect cut..

We walked out to the shed today - next step will be cutting the wood for the gable end framing.  Jim was showing me how there will be a piece on top of this wall as well, that the framing will attach to...

Carrying some 2x4s down to the shop...

Cutting the pieces to size...

High 48.3/Low 27.5