One Thing Leads to Another

I cleaned out our junk room the other day...and without all the junk in it, the yucky, mismatched walls and ceiling were glaring at me...daring me to take them on.  It's the dreaded ongoing project, with nothing ever as simple as it ought to be.  I knew that to do anything in that room was likely to lead to something else...and certainly not likely to be finished in one session.  Maybe not even in TEN!

This room used to be two rooms, with low, crusty plywood ceilings...that drooped.  We connected the two rooms with a doorway, and discovered that they weren't built at the same time.  The floor levels were quite different.  Oh well...'some day when I have time'...I thought to myself...'I'll take out the wall and make this one big room'.

Well...the time came when we could put our foot through the rotten floor at the back door.  The more rot we pulled up, the more rot we found!  We ended up taking out the whole floor including the suport structure unerneath!  I got my big room.

 While we were at it, we took down the low ceilings only to find another project.  The beams that supported the roof had knots in them and were bowing in the middle...threatening to break under stress!  We had to add extra support along the side of each beam.  But that did nothing to make the room more appealing. 

We added a large window and replaced the back door with a glass door, hoping to brighten it up.  We put on a new roof...but not before it leaked...(all winter long!)...wreaking havoc on whatever was stored in there.  My son eventually put the roof on, and finished putting the plywood down on the floor.

As it sits now, I have exposed (and not at all attractive) beams in the ceiling, with exposed insulation.  I have stick on tiles on 75% of the floor ( I buy them at he dollar store and have to do it a little at a time).  The walls are partly open to studs, with partial siding (two different kinds, one with a gaping hole cut out), and part plywood panels, some of which is covered in contact paper, and some of which is rotten.  And...I have a number of building materials clogging the space...awaiting the week when I can haul all that junk outside and go to work!

But wait!  This blog is about 'one thing leads to another'...Well, in thinking about how this room will be used, I decided that a closet was essential...and that it should be done before I go and put anything on the walls.  I thought it would be so simple.  I also thought that a pack rat like me would have all the materials I would need.  I almost did, but I ran out of 2x4's.

Now, I never pay for building materials if I can get them for free at the dump.  I always like to at least check.  Since I was headed that way, it seemed wise to collect a few things to deposit there as well.  That led to another project of cleaning up the yard!  We got rid of the rest of the hedge trimmings, as well as a lot of other junk.  Once there, I found everything I was looking for, plus, I spotted some really great stuff for another future project!

And what do you think I did?  I told myself 'I have enough to do', and then I left it there!  But if I ever finish this one...I'll be back!