Kitchen Update 3.5: It's getting pretty cold

We're experimenting with keeping the heat set SUPER low -- I won't even say how low, just assume 5 degrees colder than what you would think is unbearably cold -- and spending most of our time in the kitchen/living with the fireplace cheerily burning away. So far, so good.

Kitchen Update 3

We are currently just sitting on the kitchen, waiting for the counters, installation of which is scheduled for the 20th. But since Kitchen Update 1...

Kitchen Update 1

I can't believe it, but it's been 1 month since we demo-ed out the kitchen/living room wall.

Second Floor Update 2

Here is the current state of our second floor..

Second Floor update 1

As of today,

Dining room electrical

I upped my electrical challenges for the dining room: three-way light switch (light switched from TWO different locations) and chandelier. If you recall, we really wanted to put a chandelier into our parlour, but couldn't get the wire to it without ripping down our tin ceiling. This time, we pretty much ran into the same problem, but because I think a chandelier in the dining room is absolutely essential, I was dead-set on finding a solution, even if it meant tearing out the wood flooring in the floor above.

Insulation: the end is in sight

 So...we tackled insulation on Friday despite lingering uncertainties as to the type of insulation. We decided to go with fiberglass (as opposed to blown-in cellulose or foam), because it's the easiest and by far the cheapest (maybe not the best reason). You have to be very careful to get all the cracks so that required a lot of measuring and cutting the batting to the right size. You also have to be completely covered (goggles, mask, long sleeves and pants) with fiberglass, which gets really uncomfortable pretty fast. After we put up the insulation, we further covered that with plastic as a vapor barrier. gah. Hope it's ok.

Electrical

 We got the go-ahead from the permit people to start wiring on Friday, so we started drilling some holes in the 2x4s that afternoon and continued the next day. The difficulty for this project lies in the arrangement of the 2x4s: normally, the 2x4s are set in so that the skinny side is facing in and electric code dictates running wires through the walls is best practice. Unfortunately, the two interior walls in the parlour have 2x4s laying flat, with the wider side facing in - I can't drill holes in the 2" side, so I had to find a way around that...by going into the basement.

Connected below at a junction box then to main power