On the left is the old connector to the city meter, and on the right is the new one.
The entire length of the old line was this way. It was old galvanized steel and probably original to the house. We swapped the old 3/4 inch line for a new copper 1 inch line which should provide us with great water pressure. So much so, in fact, that we also added a regulator outside the house to make sure the pressure doesn't go too high and blow the gaskets in all of our fixtures. After we hooked up the new main we added the outdoor faucets and now have fully functioning water!
This week I also completed the first stage of the new roof on the garage. It is now fully covered with plywood and tar paper and ready for shingles. Not a moment too soon, as we are getting rain and lots of it over the next week! I also installed my skylight on the south facing side of the roof.
The biggest accomplishment of the week was the removal of the last of the trash. After the last dumpster, we began a small pile that grew and grew and soon covered any available space on the lot. After moving all of that trash, and removing the debris from the palm tree cleaning, and cutting out the roots from the hedge in the front, and the roots from the tree next to the garage, well.... the whole place looks much bigger!
Of course, once again I managed to over load the dumpster. Over the two weekend venture I loaded this dumpster with 9.5 tons!!! of debris and trash. That brings our total waste removal for the house to a grand total of 21 tons!
Also this week, Javier started to apply the first of three coats of cement to the exterior in the stucco process. Finally we are closing up the holes and you can start to see what the outside is going to look like....sort of...
All the blue and red is the tape and plastic that we put in place to protect the new redwood trim and the doors and windows.
And of course, inside the biggest change this week was the finishing of the floors. We are so happy with the way they turned out. The color is fantastic, and as you can see, the change from the old wood to the new wood sections is undetectable!
Of course, with more sanding and painting the primer on the walls still ahead, we had to protect our new floors, and so today I put down heavy cardboard floor protection paper down over the entire surface.
i would write more, but I must go pack. We leave for India in the morning. While we are gone they will be finishing the sanding of the interior and the first coat of cement on the exterior. When we get back on the 22nd we will be ready to paint the primer, lay the tile in the bathroom and then start to hook up the remaining water and electrical fixtures!
-G
