Chairs and Chores

On Friday we were blessed with warm enough weather to work outside for the afternoon.  Since we both were anxious to continue work on the chairs that we are "refinishing," we hauled them to the back yard and attacked the second one with a wire brush and with emory paper.  We both worked on the second chair until the rust was gone and the chair was ready for priming.

Rick had primed the first chair a few days ago, but it still needed a little additional primer where the first coat was too light.  The first coat of primer on the second chair went well. Since the primer sets quickly, the instructions said that we should either paint the final coat within an hour or wait for 48 hours.

After we sanded the second chair, Rick sprays
on a coat of brown metal primer.

Rick was able to get the first white coat of paint on the first chair with little problems.  When he started the finish coat on the second chair, however, the wind suddenly picked up making the process (and the overspray) a little more difficult.

A spray booth in which we could hang the chair
on a hook to spray all sides would have made
the job both quicker and easier!

He was able to finish the first coats on both chairs as far as we could go.  We still need to turn the chairs upside down (on Monday, if possible) to finish the bottom rungs and rockers.  A second coat probably will follow to finish the process, but for now we are happy that the chairs are clean and sealed from future rust.

The first coat of finish coat returned the first
chair back to its original color -- minus the rust!

The second chair also has its first coat of
finish color on most of the chair.

Will these chairs require attention in the future?  Certainly.  We will have to apply touch-up paint or new coats of paint every few years to protect them, but I hope that once I figure out what to do with the cushions for the chairs, we will be able to sit in them and to enjoy them on our back patio.

Yesterday we spent the day in St. Petersburg with my nephew Jon and his wife Rachel, helping them prepare their newly-purchased house for their move-in day.  They have their current home until this summer, so they have the luxury of some time to get the new house up to their expectations.

They have purchased an older home with good bones.  Yes, some things need updating, and in time they can add what they want.  For now, we took care of some immediate needs.  They have a wonderful 16 x 32 foot family room across most of the back of the house.  This room was added after the original home was built, so when Jon took down some mirrors hanging on one of the paneled walls in the addition, he discovered exterior windows hidden in the wall.  By the time we arrived, he had removed one louvered window that used to light the bathroom, but the double-hung aluminum window hidden in the small bedroom was still wedged into the wall.  Sadly, the bottom pane was all broken, so jagged glass rimmed the inner frame of that part of the window.

With a little work, Rick and Jon were able to remove that second window. Our motto for the day was, "No blood," and they were able to remove everything while still adhering to that sentiment.  We chipped out the old windowsills with a cold chisel so that we could have a flat surface on which Jon can build a frame to hold new drywall to fill in that now-missing window.  The old windows now rest in the garage, ready for disposal.

Rachel and I prepped the rest of the smaller bedroom's walls further renovation.  They have decided to add wainscot to the bottom of that bedroom to remedy earlier decorating errors (think 1970's paneling) and to add a fresh coat of paint to the top portion. Their next task will be to find bi-fold doors that will fit into slide-by closet door openings.

Rachel and Jon just had the terrazzo floors in the bedrooms all refinished, and they are gorgeous. The floors shine and have no pits or damage at all.

Rachel wants to prepare their guest room before my sister and brother-in-law come next week, so we spent some time spackling holes in the walls so that Rachel can paint the room.  She took down drapery rods and the blinds in that room so she can paint it this week.  She already had painted the ceiling in the room, so a couple coats of a new color on the walls and in the closets will do wonders for that room. I am sure that her guests will survive without closet doors for this first visit.

Rick and Jon went out to their covered back patio because a few of the screens needed repair.  In a little over an hour, they had removed the old screens and put in new screening materials. Good work, Jon! Now they have an enclosed, screened-in room so they can enjoy spring evenings bug-free.

Jon wanted us to cut the baseboard molding for the guest room, but the room needs painting first, and we were not ready to cut the molding yesterday.  We need to cut each piece and fit it before we move on to the next one. Sadly, every remodeling task has a sequence of events so that materials are not wasted and so that tasks do not have to be repeated.

Since we are retired, we will return later this week to cut and install the baseboard.  Once Rachel lets us know that the spackling is complete and the painting is finished, we can install the baseboard. We need to make a couple of modifications to our saw to make it safe.  Then we will take our saw, our compressor and finish nailer, and we will complete that task within a couple of hours.  Rick and I work well together, so this will be a small job to complete.

By the time we left yesterday, Jon and Rachel had a plan of what they want to do with the rest of the house.  It will take a little time, a lot of cleaning,  a little renovation, and a bit of money, but in the end they will have an incredible house that will shelter them for many years.