If It Looks Like a Duct...

Are you ready to reach a new, deeper level in your friendship with our church home?  Take a deep breath and join me in the basement.

Yes, so far I've been very selective in the views you've been getting of the place.  I wanted to spare you the shock and discomfort at seeing how we really live.  =)

I'm still being selective.

Do you remember when Paul's parents were staying here and helping us get the bathroom ready for us to move in last winter?  The basement hasn't changed much since then, except to fill up with our stuff when we moved in.

We're not in a position to make any changes just yet, but it's nice to have a plan.  I looooove to plan, but up till recently, I kept running into problems with the infrastructure of the downstairs space.  The most prominent feature down here is the ductwork, and second to that are the beam supports.

I just didn't know how to work around them.  Oh, if only they didn't need to be there!

Well, do you remember how I said I'd we could replace our furnaces with something better?  That something better is radiant floor heating.  Beautiful, comfortable heat right where we need it.  And even better: no forced air, no ductwork!

How liberating!

Freshly freed from the metal monster, I set down this week to explore the limits of a space which still needed to:

• have at least one window for each bedroom.
• maximize the amount of natural light from the windows.
• allow for the beam supports.
• provide a place for using both of our vintage stoves, one gas from the 40's and one electric from the 50's.

Little did I realize that I really could get a master bathroom out of it!  A friend of mine had suggested as much, and now we can make it work!

Oh, but there was one detail that really made Paul uncomfortable as he peered over my shoulder at my developing plans: how were we going to get the waste water to the septic tank?

"Easy," I said, without really knowing what I was talking about.  "Upflush toilets!"

And so we researched them a little and found that, while the system is not going to be cheap, it will be a solid choice for both the bathroom and the kitchen.  And so worth it.

For those who are prone to study the floor layout, here are a couple of points not to be missed:

Paul thinks the below-grade wall on the right which separates the basement from a dirt-filled crawlspace can be pushed back a foot or two, giving us more room.  If we can accomplish this, then the bathroom and pantry will also shift over, giving us more room to access the dishwasher in the kitchen.  One could say that I'm rather counting on that being the case.

This layout doesn't show the entire floor plan of the basement; on the other side of the wall on the left is the bathroom and the water heater.  Our freezer and table saw currently occupy the future laundry area, but you'll see that we've made room for the freezer in the pantry.  Until we have a storage shed built, we'll have to let the table saw stay where it is.

The light gray features in the drawings indicate features that currently exist but will be removed to make way for the new features.

We will open up the stairway to unite the upstairs and downstairs living spaces.  The area below the stairs will still be for storage, and the new electric panel is already located there, waiting to be hooked up to a new electric service.

Having an open stairway will be a happy change for the cats: being downstairs is like obtaining the holy grail to them and their little questing spirits.

Stink Hole

Under that board lurks a hole.  In that hole skulks a tank.  A septic tank.

It sounds sinister, but it's actually good news:  given the age and the purpose of this building, we weren't completely sure we had one.  The previous owner absolutely refused to allow a septic inspection before we purchased the place, so we went ahead on the assumption that it would absolutely need a new septic system installed, and we settled for a percolation test to see how suitable the land would be.

Talking to the neighbors in the old parsonage one day, it became crystal clear why the previous owner refused that inspection: he thought the church and the parsonage were on the same system.  This seemed to be common knowledge with the renters and the landlord of the property next door, but it seems not to be so.

Talking with the owner one day, he indicated that his tank was on the opposite side of the parsonage yard.  However, we could see very plainly from the hole that Paul had already dug that we also have a tank on the opposite corner of our building.  This was very welcome news to us.

The question now is whether or not we can have the tank pumped.  On one hand, it is an old steel tank and if it is not sound, it could collapse.  On the other hand, if the rest of the dirt is dug out, there won't be any significant weight to strain the integrity of the structure, and pumping it could be safely and easily done.  Then, after a few showers and the tank has been filled, the hole can be refilled.

While the septic system really does need to be brought up to legal standards, we no longer feel like we're living on borrowed time.  It would just be really nice to be able to deal with this before winter arrives, so we're praying over this project, too.

Thanks for joining us.

Home is where...

February 21

...the living room furniture is. Thanks for leaving your couch and chairs for us, Randy and Tamara!

the weekend of February 21

...the birthday party is accompanied by music and lots of friends. Thanks for celebrating Paul's 40th with us, everyone!

March 14

...the water gets hot. Thank you, James and Mr. Bausch! And Mike and Elizabeth!

March 18

...hands are washed, teeth are brushed, and basic needs are met. Thanks, Love, for being so happy with the yellow floor! Working together is a delight.

March 25

...the past is exchanged for the future. So many thanks to those who helped pack, lift, and provide food for moving day!

March 25

...a hot shower awaits. Thanks again, Dad and Paul.

March 26 and following

...finishing touches can wait a little longer. Thanks to anyone who puts up with the rough edges!

April 11

...the garden grows. Thanks, Patsy and kids, for helping us uproot the old plants to make room for the new!

April 11

...we air our clean laundry. Thanks, Becki, for letting me teach music in exchange for clean clothes!

Yes, this is home. By the grace of God, through the labor of our hands, and encouraged by the kindness of those who love us, we are carving out a place for ourselves, bit by bit. We thank God for the riches He bestows on us.

A Place to Call Home

You've met the parents; now take a look at the little nest that Carol and Dave have feathered for when they're in town. It gives you an idea of how rough it is down in the basement, and you will see how resourceful they are: the bed consists of an air mattress resting on three courses of plastic storage bins plus backerboard of some kind to stabilize it all. Nice, isn't it?




Back in January they stayed out at The Nest even though we had to return to Chicago for a few days. They blessed us so much with their work on our behalf.

Here they are patching up the floor which Paul had to tear up for the new drain. They, too, are a gift that keeps on giving. Thanks, Mom and Dad!

Toilet Installation

An old church building, an old septic system. The Nest requires a completely new system, but until we can manage that, we never know when the next flush will be our last.

It sounds dramatic, and we hope never to experience that drama, so we're installing fixtures that will reduce the amount of water going out as waste. The toilet we chose, then, features two different flush options for the two different flush needs, if you know what I mean. =)

The kids are concerned that our visitors won't know which button to press, so let me inform you that if we ever experience the joy of your company long enough for you to require using our facilities, look closely at the two buttons on the top of the tank. One button features a full circle, and the other one features a circle divided in half. The full circle means a fuller flush.

And just for fun, here's a little video of the final installation and inspection on January 25. The unpleasant-looking water you'll see went into the tank that color; we were recycling water that had been sitting in the pipes somewhere.

A Hole in the Floor

Do you remember when I said that the prospect of taking out the toilet unnerved me somewhat? I had so little to fear. After writing this, we received two different offers from friends of ours who own their own camping potties and who wanted to loan us this primitive convenience. Thanks so much, Norma and Lori!

We picked up Lori and Kevin's porta potty at their son's homeschool graduation party on New Year's Day, and this is Paul trying to figure it out.



It worked so well. We are so grateful!

Building the Bathroom

The new walls are framed in, the door has been rehung, and old chipboard has been temporarily nailed in place to give users some privacy.

The recessed lighting cans and exhaust fan are installed, and the insulation has been replaced. It's so wonderful to have all this light! And it's not quite as cold as it used to be!

Now Paul is pounding away at the concrete floor to open up a trench for the new drain line. My own John Henry aches all over, but he doesn't plan to die with a hammer in his hand.

I'll admit: this whole process is taking longer than we'd hoped. My husband is highly skilled, but highly skilled in completely different areas. He can accomplish projects on an amazingly tight deadline, but building a bathroom isn't exactly radio production.

What's unnerving is that at some point he'll have to disconnect the toilet, and at the rate we're going, it's anybody's guess how long it will take before the new toilet is available for use. We do intend to hire a plumber, but Paul also hopes to set the stage by doing as much of the prep work himself.

Well, Christmas is coming, and that means holiday travel for family celebrations as well as freelance work to fill in for vacationing broadcasters. Whatever Paul can get done tonight and tomorrow is what will welcome us when we return in the new year, and it is what we will be thankful for. Our God provides, and we are grateful.

Beauty in Consensus

Many factors, most of them plumbing related, went into creating this bathroom floor plan, but just as many factors went into determining the flooring itself.

After sorting through the options, we decided that linoleum is the right choice for us: it's very inexpensive, it's not quite as cold on the feet as ceramic tile, it's easy to clean, and it lends a certain vintage charm to the space. The question I needed to work through was how we should use the linoleum tiles.

There are a lot of color and layout options to consider. I'd seen a picture online of a really nice border laid in a contrasting color, and I thought maybe something like that would work here. However, the layout of the room doesn't lend itself well to that approach. Besides, laying a border would also add a lot of work to my poor hubby's burden, so the border is out.

The size of the tile was an issue initially. My preference is not for the 12-inch square tiles; for laying an interesting pattern in contrasting colors, the scale seems a bit too large for the room. Additionally, they're much larger than the 9-inch vintage tiles. However, cutting them down would be wasteful, and not just wasting materials: even if each tiles were cut down into four 6-inch tiles, much of Paul's precious time would be wasted, because, as he said, he would have to lay four times the number of tiles than if we used the whole 12-inch tiles. So for Paul's sake I needed to work with the big tiles as they were.

To avoid ending up with a tile pattern that seems too large for the space, then, we'll be choosing two, low-contrast shades of the same color, probably light yellow, and lay them in a checkerboard pattern. I'm hoping that this will give the impression of design without overpowering the space with busyness, especially since I'd like the hooked rugs I intend to make to have a simple canvas as their backdrop.

Even with the subtle design in the tile layout, I still felt like a diagonal layout was almost necessary to visually unify the two parts of the room, to lead the eye from the vanity to the tub. So I was able to secure Paul's blessing to lay the tile on the diagonal. It will require some extra work, but nothing like the other ideas I bounced past him.

So I'm happy, and Paul's happy. It's a beautiful thing. Hopefully the bathroom will be, too.

Winter Has Come

Winter arrived with snow today after several days of cold, windy weather. And today, after two overnights in our country estate, we make our exit.

If, when he calls in to the Cook County courthouse on Thursday, Paul learns that he doesn't need to report for his jury duty summons on Friday, then we'll drive back out Friday morning.

The plan for this weekend, then, is to frame the bathroom walls, but we still need to lift some of the stubborn linoleum tiles from the concrete floor. I think a heat gun will help loosen it up, and we'll bring one out with us when we come back, but perhaps someone else has a better suggestion... ?

Faith: a Work in Progress

Faith is looking at a mess like this and believing that it will one day be beautiful. No wonder faith and hope are so closely linked.

Tearing Down the Walls

The ventilation in the bathroom is much improved. Privacy, however, is not.

Today Paul set about the task of reframing the bathroom in preparation for the new arrangement of plumbing and fixtures. This could get interesting.

Sit Down for This

What shall we do with leave-behinds such as these orphaned chair backs? Use them for towel racks in the bathroom and kitchen, of course! A cheery red chair back already aids us in drying our dish towels in the kitchen. It's so fun!

The Bathroom Vanity To Be

The dresser is a leave-behind. We have the broken-apart drawers missing from the picture above, but the drawer faces are too broken to be usable. Our plan for this piece of furniture saved it from the dumpster. Instead, it will become our bathroom vanity for our country farmhouse bathroom.

We'll have to cut down the legs to put it at a comfortable height, and after treating the top with some polyurethane, we'll mount this vessel sink with a complementing faucet. Then, having adapted the top drawers to accomodate the plumbing, we'll add a shelf to the bottom and add hide our stored items behind an eyelet curtain.

I couldn't have made this style work in our inner city house. I'm looking forward to it now.

The "Before" Bathtub

We are salvaging the bathtub, despite the astonishing level of damage it has suffered. The vintage claw foot complements my intended vision for the room, but we're using it mostly because fixing it, especially since we'll be doing the work ourselves, will be less expensive than the less charming alternatives.

I'm not sure what color we'll use on the exterior, but I'm pretty confident it won't be lavender shown chipping off above.

The Bathroom, Such as It Is Now

The first picture is taken from the doorway, and the panorama rotates a quarter turn to the right with each following picture.

Do you notice that the tub isn't hooked up to anything? And you wouldn't know it by looking at it, but neither is the hot water tap, because there wasn't a water heater on the property to provide the hot water.

This is why the gift of the water heater is so meaningful to us. Once we have hot water feeding a shower, we'll be able to move out of our house in Chicago and possibly rent it out, covering an appreciable portion of our mortgage payment.

I'll draw up our plan for the bathroom and post it later. This is just to give you an appreciation for the changes that will be made to it.