All copper with unions to make valve replacement easy.

with useless plastic manifold, unserviceable

ready to install

ready for the zone valve box.... note black water feed pipe and white storm drain pipe

with feed pipe, manifold and three zone valves. Zone 1 on left, 2 in middle, 3 on right

with zone 1 and 2 piping to front yard. Zone 3 will be added, in Trench 5a,b,c going down south side of house and part of rear lawn.

Trench 1 cuts off to the right across top of lawn, to driveway area. Trench 2 follows south lawn edge.

front south trench

on south side of driveway

on north side of driveway, note black feed pipe sticking out of "trench" through driveway... made by removing the 2x6 slab spacer

white pipe at left is from well head. Black pipes are distribution to yard and also the north and south ends of house. Lots of plumbing to be done here.

arrived 7 AM 8jun05

off rear of trailer

too easy

now the easy work starts! All the prep was the hard part.

but letting that pallet load of rolled turf sit for an extra day caused yellowing and a slower "take" once it was down.

L to R: 2" plastic pipe to well head. copper feed to rear of lot. copper feed to south front. pottable water from house c/w valve and check valve. copper feed to north of lot. shut-off valve to pump. pump. pressure tank

19jun05 side view. potable water can now go to auto sprinkler system in front yard. Next is to hook up well pump so we use well water on our lawns. Done by month end.

checking for a leak in the white PVC pipe. There was none.

White pipe should NOT drop down as it does here. Fix it by hammering well pipe 7" down and reconnect with pipe running level.

Determining that air leak is caused by setting well pipe too shallow.

Five feet to pound down with sledge hammer.

As far as I can go before doing something to transfer hammering point higher up.

Wooden holder keeps drill rod aligned on top of pipe. Pound here.

Smaller regular coupling on left was used to connect the five foot extension. It leaked after the above hammering. We now lift pipe up, replace with heavier "hammering coupling" on right.

Damaged coupling means pull it up, repair threads and replace coupling. Made a 16 foot, double 2x10 lifting beam. Hydraulic jack is at right end, where well pipe is, also.

...getting a grip on the pipe... 18july05

Damaged extension is now half way out of the ground. Note left hand on handle of hydraulic car jack.

Damaged coupling and extension ready for replacement. Note the small inappropriate coupling.

Proper hammering coupling installed with big wrenches to get it TIGHT. Used 2-part epoxy with 8 hour open time on threads so it sets and seals after pounding down.

Done in two stages. Next stage I use a ladder to get up and spike together the third leg and add pulley and rigging.

Now add the new pipe extension and the 100 pound steel well pipe pounder.

New five foot extension with cheaper "protective" coupling at top and pounder above coupling.

Notice the finger blisters!

Next step attach the "T" and check valve then couple to the PVC pipe leading to pump.

21july05 closed up the well head in the early morning.. and off to Magna Bay on Shuswap Lake.

26dec2005. Note milky mix of antifreeze and oil on 3 piston.

Back of Reg's house

Siding Off

Notice flying critters

Yes those are honey bees in the mansard roof above my head. No stings happened, so far.

Inside wall before.

Window In, Day Two

Day Two. Olivia enjoying the view.

Day Three. Recessed book nook replaces old small window.

Day four. First mud coat, sanded

Day five. Siding back on.

Replacing rotten decking at Barb's Shuswap Lake home.

The demolition tools

Rot where wood was.

Finito.... and now for a coffee at a balcony table with a view of the lake. (see table/chairs in Small Wood Radios - Brand & Millen DR-102U)

Shuswap Lake, early October

Early November06. Upstairs toilet leak ruined laundry room gyproc ceiling. So started our remodeling. Dryer vent relocated.

Washer, dryer, wash tub wall opened up, cut up. From this point re-construction begins.

Redo tin pipe on dryer vent so it fits 4 inch hole from hole saw. Notice seam is soldered now and pipe is tapered.

New drain to new washer box. Hot and cold water lines in. Dryer power box in. Messing with bottom of heat duct to get wash tub drain in.

Decided to raise duct and heat vent. Opened up other side of laundry room wall for access.

Finicky job getting gyproc cut so it simply flips upside down and voila.... heat vent is 8 inches higher after doing the tin work.

... now sink drain is all in wall, so washer can go tight to wall.

lower left dryer duct sticks out of wall by 1/2"... tappered firring strips added so gyproc can cover. Just shower P-Trap to raise 2" to allow higher ceiling.

mechanical all done.

other side sealed up.

boarded, mudded, painted. Next is T-Bar ceiling, baseboards, window trim, cupboards.

new cupboards sans handles

the new sink stand and sink 10dec06

I was given this and asked to make 6 more. It is a temperature controller.

yellow wire goes to a thermocouple. Heating device plugs into back.

Little black box is controller, programmed from front and has display.

Custom made fiberglass reinforced black stand-off rings for controller's better fit in shallow box.

Stand-off rings slip onto controller from the rear.

Six new controllers. Two boxes with two. Two boxes with one.

The boxes with two are 110vac outputs. Boxes with one are 220vac outputs.

Symetry in design.... for future. Price?.... Not cheap. Perfect?.... close. Fun?... yes. Application?.... ;-)

180 pounds in 5 bags. Accumulated bookkeeping and client papers since 1989. Took 5 days of sifting and tossing out, to fill these bags in January '07.

Start of 80' attic catwalk. Looking West from ceiling trap door.

Half way along the "railway" track. West gable end in the distance.

2 by 8 reinforcing added under truss' 2 by 4 top stringer.

Same on the right. Note 2 by 6 cat walk decking.

All 2x8's in place. Glued and screwed to inside of OSB sheathing.

Now add 3/4" plywood. Glued and screwed

Reinforcing finished at top.

...and down the sides. Ready to start gable work outside.

Day 1.... 21mar07. 18 days of rain off and on. Gable as it was since 1987.

Day 1. Starting with the scaffold.

Day 2. 22mar. Finish bracing & decking scaffold. (now for the rotten barge boards)

Day 2. Sheet metal removed exposing rotten barge board.

Day 2. Removing the barge boards.... and two trips for lumber today.

Day 3. Rain all day. Loosen left eave trough. Remove right trough, aluminum soffit covers and two 2x4 facia rafters