home improvement.

TO DO:

Install two ceiling fans

Change air filters

Install padlock on shed

Empty ShopVac

Install bike hooks

Spray for wasps

Recaulk side entry steps

Caulk side entry threshold

Mortar fill cracks on porches

Recaulk at roof wall

Caulk/seal crawlspace door trim

Seal protrusion nails on roof

Secure gutters

Bury downspout extensions

Fit smaller screen over gable vents in attic

Repair hole in roof (squirrel entry into attic)

Paint exterior fuel lines to prevent rusting

Caulk/seal fuel lines at block

Lock panel cover

Fluff up settled insulation in attic

Repair hallway closet door (sticking)

Hang bulletin board

Fix side entry screen door (won't close)

Troubleshoot floodlights

Clean up attic

Dad flew in yesterday morning to help me do a few things around the house. We headed to Lowe's to pick up supplies (I had a coupon); while we were gone my neighbor mowed my front and backyard. Pretty great. I'm going to have to make him some cookies or something.

Friday we went out to the shed. After talking to my neighbor, turns out the guy who lived here raised chickens for fighting. Not for laying eggs. Crazy. But there are fluorescent lights out there and no energy source. So we did it the true Tennessean way and ran a long extension cord out a window. (There are no outlets on the outside of my house. Sad because that means I can't put up Christmas lights.)

Washing the car. Not planned, but we had the hose out so decided to get it done.

Caulking. There were a lot of things on my home inspection report that 

were recommended fixes; this was one of them. Really not as easy as it looks!

I knew I had heard something in my attic one morning when I was still in bed! Dad noticed you could see daylight from the attic. Looked like a squirrel (or something) had chewed through a 2x4 and built a nest. We (by we I mean Dad) screened it off so it can't get back in. We didn't put in new insulation (actually when we were at Lowe's we forgot to buy some), but Dad fluffed up what was there because it had just settled. I think I'm a competent-enough homeowner to add more insulation when needed.

I think I have a pretty cool attic. There are boards down the middle that run the length of the house. It was really dirty/scary up there but Dad fixed some sketchy old wiring and I cleaned up a bunch of trash and swept up a thousand pounds of dirt and dust. Lots of storage space and not a lot to store. I'm okay with that. I put smaller screen over the gable vents at both ends of the attic. It was my first experience using a staple gun. I'm pretty much a natural.

Ceiling fan in home office/gym/2nd bedroom

Basically everything on my list has been finished. I think my favorite improvement is the ceiling fans. It's still early but we're calling it a night.