Bother Me Tomorrow, Today, I’ll Buy No Sorrow

Well it’s been a while since I wrote but a lots been going on.  I have some pics tonight to show all the cool things that have been going on.

In no particular order let me start with some wood shelves I plan on building in the basement.  To replicate these shelves, all you’ll need are:

• 8′ 2×4’s
• 4’x8′ sheets of 1/2″ OSB (oriented strand board – plywood)
• Wood screws, two sizes 1″ for OSB, 2-1/2″ for 2×4’s
• some scrap 1×2’s to attach to basement wall
• some masonry screws to attach 1×2’s to cement block wall

Start by laying out your design.  My shelves were all 3′ wide, 2′ deep and 2′ vertical spacing.  This was great for placing two Rubbermaid bins on each shelf.  Also provided waste free yield on most of the lumber I was using.  Every 3′ I have a set of 72″ tall 2×4 uprights, between the uprights are the shelves.  Cut all your uprights to 6 feet long (72 inches).  Your remainder pieces will be about 2 feet long, perfect for use in your shelf frames.  Use two 2 footers per shelf.  Then cut two 3′ 2×4’s per shelf.  Finally cut 2’x3′ rectangles out of your OSB for the shelf tops. You can use the scrap OSB elsewhere in the house.

using my jab saw to remove drywall for ironing board

porch furniture matches cedar siding.

rain means playing in puddles

This is what insanity looks like. I’m afraid of mice and all the crap from our shed smelled like dead mice so I hosed and spread everything out in the yard. I figure the UV rays would kill the germs. I screamed like a little girl and broke a pot upon discovering a dead mouse cowered under a saucer.

wires where the ironing board is supposed to go.

I’m working on a plein air painting of the Boston Township Hall designed by John Eisenmann. It’s a phenominal building.

doo doo doo looking out my back door. Can’t really see it but neighbors blue spruce is perfectly frame in our hedge row from the vantage point of my drinnking couch on the porch.

time spent spackling holes in drywall

insulation mess from ant who found open holes in drywall in closet

assembling my new grill took one and a half hours.

EZ Ancors are white and dissapear when screwed into the wall. Best of all they are removeable with a screw driver.

attach shelves to masonry walls with masonry screw through a 1×2

wood shelves in basement

wood storage shelves I made in our old house. I plan on making more for our new house.

72″ upright height

36″ shelf width

24″ shelf spacing

24″ shelf depth

Once everything is cut, screw together your 2′ and 3′ 2×4’s to create a rectangular shelf frame using the 2-1/2″ screws.  I like to then attach just the shelf frames to my uprights, as opposed to putting the plywood shelf tops on. Makes for lighter weight working conditions and easier adjustment / squaring things up. I did the job solo with the help of some claps but if you’ve got a helper go for it.  Once your skeleton of uprights and shelves are all done, fasten them to the wall using 1×2 cut offs and masonry screws if you’re going into block walls.  Butt a cut off against the wall and your back upright and fasten everything together.  Check for level if need be.

Finally fasten the OSB shelf tops using 1″ wood screws.  Voila!  Cheap sturdy wood shelves in your basement.

I have been busy accomplishing some things in the house such as hanging pictures and shelves.  A neat product I’m using is E-Z Ancor drywall anchors from Lowes. I’ve used them in the past and love them.  Simply mark your location and use a drill to drive the anchor into your drywall.  Then follow up by mounting whatever you want mounted using the included screw.  I did run into a strange problem where I was shredding them but figured out my cordless drill’s shaft is off center so the anchors wouldn’t go in and were breaking.

The other day the wife discovered an ant mining insulation, I have some repair pics to share below.  Not surprisingly my ironing board install went astray when I discovered the electricians disregarded my request and ran a bunch of wires and an electrical box for the microwave in the bay I needed for the built in ironing board.  Now I have to pay another electrician to come out and correct the problem.

Father’s Day I was treated to a new grill and I assembled our porch furniture.  It was awesome to finally sit on the porch with a cold Bud Light Lime in my hand and just enjoy looking out on the yard.  Steaks on the grill, boys playing….it was awesome.  It was the first time I was able to relax since we started building the house.  We’ve turned a corner and while there’s a lot left to do I can now start concentrating on living and enjoying life and the house.  We’re so fortunate to have this great piece of property, and I’m fortunate to finally be finding the time to enjoy it. We also have gotten two days of some much needed rain.

Thank goodness for that.