Year: 2014

Junction boxes for network

I begin work on the household network by removing CATV coax cable plates (which were screwed directly to the drywall) and installing old-work junction boxes that have been modified to accept conduit connectors. ($36.22)

A blue old work junction box is installed in drywall. It has been modified to include a PVC conduit connector.

Will a full sheet turn a tight corner?

I continue work on the household network, installing junction boxes and running conduit.

I also purchase a couple 4′ x 8′ sheets of drywall ($13.68) as a test to see if they can fit down the staircase and turn a tight corner into the lower level. The sheets make the turn, but just barely. The stairwell walls will need new paint.

A couple sheets of drywall were purchased and carried into the basement with a carrying handle to see if they would turn a tight corner at the bottom of the staircase.

Building permit approved

My application is approved and I purchase a basement remodel building permit for the remaining work on the house. ($540.06)

A yellow building permit inspection card hangs in the window near the front door of a house that is being remodeled.

Ice dams cause more ceiling damage

Ice dams continue to worsen and melt water continues to seep through the drywall and damage the bedroom ceiling. I strongly suspect that there is more to this than meets the eye. Unfortunately, I will not be able to address the root of the problem until spring at the earliest.

Ice dams on the roof push their way inside the house, causing damage to the ceiling drywall in this eve soffit.

You can’t hide a shutoff valve!

At some point the house had a gas fireplace. The flipper took it out, but left the gas line and shutoff valve in the basement ceiling… hiding it behind drywall. I remove the orphaned gas line and shutoff valve and capp-off the black pipe junction. ($2.41)

A gas shutoff valve in a basement ceiling.

I also find and rewire an ungrounded AC outlet. ($8.22)

New smoke alarms installed

Per building code, I install two new wired and interconnected smoke alarms. ($64.78)

New construction smoke alarms must be interconnected per building code. A mounting plate is shown here wired into a basement ceiling junction box.

Great Stuff can explodes, ruins bedroom remodel

I accidentally dropped a new, unopened can of Great Stuff insulating foam and the sidewalls of the can rupture, exploding its contents all over our partially-demolished bedroom. I scramble to contain the spraying can with my hands and get it out of the house, but it’s too late. The foam ruins tools, walls, and carpeting.

Making holes, patching holes

The city building inspector signs off on the construction work that has been done to date. Also, I remove some legacy phone jacks, patch the holes, and install a few more junction boxes for the household network.

A bedroom wall with holes for junction boxes, one patched with drywall.

Household network conduit

I continue working on the network conduit project, adding CAT6 cable as I go from room to room. In some places, CATV coax is in the same conduit.

A network conduit in a basement ceiling holds CAT6 and CATV coax cables.