45 Day Countdown*
May 2, Day 1 of 45
The clock is really ticking now: we have 45 days until the renovation becomes our new home. Along the way, we’ll pack up our rental, keep our careers and family thriving, and make the actual move. In short: things are moving really fast these days.
Our first order of business is to lay a protective layer of carpenter paper over the beautifully refinished floors (thank you Standen Flooring, Drexel Hill/PA) before we move the RTA kitchen cabinets into the house (abcabinetry.com). Thankfully, CP was home when the cabinet shipment scheduled for delivery this afternoon arrived first thing this morning. He was able to move the cabinets (weighing about 3/4 of a ton) onto the porch held about half a ton of construction debris until Saturday.
Note to readers outside of Philly: garages are a rare and highly valued real estate commodity. The front porch may not be the safest place to stack the shipment, but it’s all we have on a Monday morning. CP will take the construction waste to the dump on his way to his studio.
That pile of dirt behind the large pallet belongs to our twin neighbors, a byproduct of a new front door basement entry installation. We are deeply envious: who wouldn’t prefer household construction dust outside that could just be shoveled up and removed? It’s a race to the finish for both households!
COUNTDOWN CHECKLIST
Protect refinished floors on first, stairway, and second floor hallway with carpenter paper
Remove dust from upstairs bedrooms and bath; lay carpenter paper to reduce dust wherever possible
Install kitchen cabinets, plumbing, remaining electricity
Complete drywall — doorways, walls (kitchen, dining room, upstairs bathroom, Charlotte’s bedroom, closet/powder room), ceilings (dining room, living room)
Install bathroom — tile floor, bathroom vanity, medicine cabinets, toilet, etc.
Complete basement floor epoxy (CP’s office and laundry room)
Install doors and molding to one degree or another in all bedrooms, upstairs bathroom, laundry room, basement, stairway, and closet/powder room
Retrofit vintage hardwood door with 3/4 lite for front door
Install new window in kitchen
Build master bedroom closet
Landscape as much as possible
Do the least amount of harm to ourselves and to the twin!
CP snapped this pic of me outfitted in full Dustbuster attire on Saturday. Our master bedroom (MBR) is now dust free, the newly painted floor is safely covered by paper (thank you Theo for the assist), and the room is sealed from additional dust. Only 1200 square feet of dust to go!
* While we share our contacts as a service to them and to our neighbors, we don’t endorse anyone or receive any compensation. This website is an archive, not a commercial entity. Want leads to more knowledgable and reputable crafts people? Check out West Philly House Fix on Facebook.