Rental Renovation Continues 5

Wow...it has been a long time since we blogged! Sorry for the delay, but we have been working every day to get our project complete. Not pictured is THE RENTERS MOVED THEIR BELONGINGS OUT OF THE HOUSE! YEA! FINALLY! After filling 4 dumpsters with their rotted junk and our cast offs from renovation, we still need more dumpsters to get it all cleared away. But some may have to wait until October....Lyle is taking September off from the rental! Taylor and Kristian are moving in at the end of this week...so it is wrap-up time inside the house.
Our big news....the Air Conditioner work in the house is complete! Yea! They will be placing the unit on the roof Tuesday at 4:00 pm. It is 1 more hour of work for my friends Steve and Ron. They have done a fabulous job.
Here is the thermostat. This new beautiful return replaces the old cooler vent in the hall by the bedrooms.
Here is a picture of the AC vent in the living room...It looks fabulous to me!
Now, Lyle is working on closing in the wall where the old wall furnace use to be.
It already looks better than before!
Today, my improvement project was to paint the original steps and patio to the back yard. Now it is the laundry room and the entrance to the the back room addition. It was in very ugly condition! When we lived there, we had it carpeted with a burgundy color indoor/outdoor carpet with Z-Brick on the stairs. Over the years...life happened. Bricks got chipped, so we removed them after a couple of renters. There was flooding from the laundry area...and some renter removed the carpet and left the old cement exposed....functional...but ugly!
Well, tonight, I painted! It is by no means perfect, but it is definitely an improvement!
We are thrilled to be winding down on the inside. We made a decision to just clean the back room. I filled in hundreds of holes, washed the walls, washed the windows and the shutters, and vacuumed. I tried to wash the black from the ceiling, but was not successful. We think the last renter used many candles in the south side of the room...but we just don't have time to paint.
In October, Lyle will be working on the outside. The rain gutters need to be removed and some boards need replacement. He is already thinking and planning the new colors to be painted. The patio is cleared off, but there is still a lot of wood in the backyard to be split and moved. The old renters said they would be coming for the swing, old tires, and junk along the south side of the house. I hope that is true.

Just as a parting shot, I took a picture of Clayton and Lyle on Friday. We are working with a financial coach who is helping us to get Clayton qualified for Medical. Clayton is happy that we have found someone to guide us. It is a lot of work for Lyle, but we believe it will pay off in the long run. Please keep Clayton and Lyle in your prayers. We want God's perfect will in our lives and decisions.

Bye for now...

2 Weeks of Renovation + Friends

New innovation for hot water heaters is horizontal...or not. But it is in and tucked up snug into its closet. This was a bear to install! 7 trips to OSH for the right connectors that had all the washers in place! Several drainings because of leaks.....a miserable day and a half! Hopefully, good for another 25 years like the last one!
Lyle is in the attic ready to remove the old swamp cooler return! With his mighty power saw in hand, he made quick work of this old wood shoot!
Don't you love the dust! We have enormous dust in our attic!

Patching the ceiling. Getting ready for the AC to be installed!
Just like new! A beautiful hall renovation!
Door redos and new knobs are in progress. Several to complete!
On to hand sanding the living room hardwood floors. Stripping off the paint from Cory's old room and the tile cement is really fun!

New window treatments for the dining and kitchen.
This completes the pics from the last 2 weeks of work at the rental. Still more to be done. It seems endless!

Now on to the Friends section. A week ago Friday, I, Marlene, was invited to Doris Websters for lunch. Doris is a good friend of my mom. She is 90 something and lives alone, but right across the street from her son, who takes good care of her. My mom, brings Doris lunch every Friday. They enjoy each other's company. Although Doris is nearly blind, she wanted to "see" me before school started. So, I got treated to a sandwich and an ice cream drumstick. Doris gave me the home tour as well. She is a real sweetheart!

Here's My mom and Doris in front of one of her prize antiques she has used to serve from for many a dining guest at her home. She is very proud of the red pieces. Love you Doris and Mom! Next, On Saturday, we went to Dave and Debbie Fox's home to help with his house update. Dave's remodel includes new windows, sliding glass door, and new siding. Glen and Arlene were helping cut the tricky pieces around the windows and chimney. Lyle cut this tricky piece for the other side. It fit perfect the first time! Amazing!

Mr. He Man got the sheet into place! The Old Guy Rules! With the materials running out, the fun had to end. It was getting too hot to be outside anyway.

Boys will be boys when the camera is out! Got your nose Dave!Debbie's Garden is beautiful and full of veggies. We were treated to a nice lunch made by Debbie before heading home to get more things for our projects for this week.

Hope you enjoyed the update. With school starting on Wednesday for Marlene, the progress may slow a little, but we are seeing an end in the the main part of the house. We still have Laundry, Backroom, and Backyard to work on.