It All Looks So Easy On Fixer Upper
If you watch the show Fixer Upper then you know the crazy amazing house makeovers they do. When Ed and I bought our lake house, we knew we would be doing some fixing and some updating to our house.
One of these updates was removing this wall with a pocket door between the kitchen and the living room.
Ed began to remove the wall back in January after consulting with a professional builder who told him what needed to be done, which was that we had to add temporary support jacks where we were removing the previous wall studs. These support jacks had to stay in place until the new support beam could be installed.
And then it sat like this for a few weeks, until he had the time to remove the rest of the studs and add another jack, plus re-route the electrical and cap off the heating vent. It all looks so easy when they show demolition on Fixer Upper, even when problems arise, it all goes together seamlessly.
We didn’t run into any problems, but before we could remove the temporary support jacks, a big beam had to be added along the expanse since the wall is a load bearing. We knew it was above our DIY skills and were waiting on the help of a pro to install it.
Early this week, our realtor who is also a retired builder and a super nice guy came and made the beam and installed it in less than an hour, just like the pros do on Fixer Upper. He had the all the right skills and tools. 1..2..3 DONE!
Yesterday, Ed added the sheetrock over the new beam and Spackled it. Crown molding will be added to each side.
WOW! What a difference the removal of the wall (you can see where the wall was on the floor) and the temporary support jacks has made to the space and has doubled the view out to the lake from each room.
Now it is my turn to paint the walls, hang the drapes I wrote about in this post, and fix the floor where the wall was. If I can find the right thickness of hardwood it should not be too hard.
The TV will be mounted on the wall using a swivel mount so we can change the direction to the kitchen or living room. I am going to paint the walls and all the brown trim white.
Progress…my vision for the room is coming together. :-)
Wondering what it looks like on the other side of this room? What I have been doing to it is the reason why it has been a little quiet around here lately. My focus for the past week has been on the right side of the room in the photo above.
I have taken on a major project on the side of the room that you can’t see. It is almost done, but I can’t show you any of it yet.
I was asked to take on a DIY challenge that has to be complete by next week. It has pushed back all the other projects I have been working on and has taken all my time, literally from the time I wake up in the morning to the time I fall into bed exhausted at night. It has all been worth it though since it is turning out better than I could ever imagine. I am not sure when I can reveal all the details about the project and challenge, but it should be soon. I am very excited to show you as I think it is my best work ever.
I put down my DIY tools today so I can enjoy hanging out with my daughter’s who are both coming home for the Easter weekend, as well as Ed’s best friend. I am looking forward to just relaxing for a few days with family before finishing the project early next week. I will keep you posted.
I hope you have a Happy Easter!
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