Problem Area (and Solution!)

Jul
25

Update on the downstairs project: In the good news department, we have the wood for the other handrail.

The single hand rail is a safety issue, and it’s past time it was addressed.

The new hand rail will be cut and stained to match the other. It will also keep the freshly-painted wall in the stairwell from being covered up with dirty fingerprints because everyone has always wanted a second hand rail and has used the wall as if it were one.

In more good news, this is the sink that is coming.

Awesomeness. This sink is nearly four feet wide and has three bowls. BuckeyeGirl is bringing it to me. It was nearly smashed in a recent storm in her area–she’d just happened to move the sink right before the storm. Her brother found it by a dumpster with other discarded kitchen items outside of a restaurant that was being remodeled. He asked the workers and they said anything out there was getting junked. One man’s junk, another woman’s treasure!

In the not-so-good news department, the stove still isn’t hooked up.

The stove (and dishwasher) are still in the same place they were when the propane conversion was completed on the stove after bringing them home last weekend (which is why the bottom panel on the stove is removed in this photo).

On the other hand, the reason the gas line has taken a back seat is due to the real problem area:

This is the one small remaining part of the block wall that hasn’t yet been painted, and the only part of the downstairs that hasn’t been cleaned out/cleared out of its former unglory. As you can see when I pull back, it’s in the new kitchen.

This can’t be in my new kitchen.

As anyone who has chickens can testify, they are pretty hard on outdoor tools and equipment that are left outdoors. This workbench, along with various tools, equipment, and some other random items, is inside to keep it safe from the chickens. We have a lot of other tools and equipment outside, also, and all those things have been thoroughly “decorated” by the chickens. This corner of stuff, along with much of the other stuff that’s outside, has long needed a home of its own. We have no outbuildings (not even a garage) other than buildings that have been constructed for the animals–goat house, chicken house, sheep shelters, etc. We need a tool and equipment shelter. While we’re working on collecting pallets for a big pallet barn, a tool and equipment shelter needs to be constructed in such a way that it can be completely sealed–from the elements, and from the animals. We’ve looked into a lot of options, including purchasing the construction materials or salvaging the construction materials, as well as looking at outdoor building kits–which are mostly too expensive, or if not too expensive, of the metal variety that will soon rust. If you wait and watch long enough, sometimes you can come across a good deal, and we recently found an 8 x 10 kit building deeply discounted and snapped it up.

It’s made of vinyl (resin) material, so it won’t rust.

Separate from the kit materials, we (that’s the royal we, people!) built our own solid foundation.

The building came in a lot of pieces.

But went together fairly quickly!



I actually helped with this part!



Done! (Whew. That was hard.) Now if only the stuff would leap in there!





Comments

  1. NancyL says:

    What a great looking shed! The chickens are going to want in!!

    Love the shape of Nutmeg, but she must be uncomfortable.

  2. bonita says:

    that’s a way cute shed, love the shutters.

  3. Rose H says:

    What a perfect shed! :sheepjump:

  4. Barbee says:

    I would never be able to put that all together without parts left over! Wonderful looking sink.

  5. CindyP says:

    Oh YAY!!! :snoopy: How exciting! Where’s the football player when you need him? I am so excited to see this come together.

    LOVE the sink!

  6. brookdale says:

    Love the shed! And the sink! You sure are lucky finding free and low price stuff!

  7. mamajoseph says:

    Oh, dear! I’m so jealous of the building! The last time we shipped a wooden crate from the US to Kenya, it got turned into a playhouse for DS. This time, I think I’ll commandeer it for a playhouse for me! Or cheesehouse, or outkitchen, or SOMEthing, just for me! No boys allowed. Love watching your own special place come together!

  8. TinaBell says:

    You are very fortunate, Suzanne! Loving and generous readers who gift you sinks?! Are you kidding me? That’s a great sink; I love the double jointed faucet, that’ll really come in handy! To have the resources, not to mention the manpower, to move forward with your projects is Truly a blessing. You are surely reaping some gooood karma, girl!

  9. BuckeyeGirl says:

    The sink was free, and crazy to think it was going to get thrown out! None of us had any use for it, (though we all tried to figure out a way to fit in in!) It needs to be put to use, not scrapped for junk!

    The two larger bowls are 19 x 15.5 inches. That may not sound like much, but go measure your kitchen sink, or measure off 4 feet on your counter. YIPES! It would eat my whole kitchen! So now I know it will get used for prepping and draining fantastic cheeses, canning all sorts of good things and maybe even washing the milker. Who knows what else too.

    I couldn’t believe they were going to just throw something like that out that still has so much life left in it! Wasteful! But now it will be Useful!

  10. Ms.Becky says:

    that is awesomeness Suzanne. what a great shed. :yes:

  11. countrydreams64 says:

    Hey, that would make a great chicken coop! lol

    By the way, Suzanne, thanks to you I dreamed about cows last night. :moo:

  12. edgewaterfarm says:

    I totally understand life without storage outbuildings. The majority of our cherished “stuff” is on our porch (no basement, spare room, attic or garage). The shed will be a great addition. But the sink….I LOVE the sink! What a wonderful blessing!

  13. prayingpup says:

    That is one awesome sink! Love the shed – bet the chickens will want in . . . . .!

  14. Liz Pike says:

    BuckeyeGirl: What a way to “pay it forward”! That was awesome of you to gift this sink and help Suzanne. We all know it will be put to great use.

    Suzanne: I lol’d reading, “As anyone who has chickens can testify, they are pretty hard on outdoor tools and equipment that are left outdoors.” That is sooo true!!! I once was building a run-in shed for my horses and thought I was storing the tools safely overnight on a farm wagon, only to discover the next morning, all my chickens and 1 horse UP ON THE WAGON eating the electric cords.

    Life on a farm. Never boring. Thanks for sharing yours!

  15. jan n tn says:

    That’s a fantastic sink and an awesome shed. You must tell where you got it. Now if 52 will be sweet enough to build you some shelving(and we know he is) all the way around in there, your storage pile + feed will be contained inside locked doors. Very cool!!!!!I’m so jealous.

  16. MousE says:

    Looks good, Suzanne! I envy you that sink, it looks fantastic as well.

    What a busy year for you!

  17. Granny Trace says:

    You are such a bust girl. I love the shed..I need me one tooo.
    Granny Trace

    http://www.grannytracescrapsandsquares.com

  18. Window On The Prairie says:

    It’s all a lot of work isn’t it? But when you’re done, you’ll be so pleased and wonder why you didn’t tackle it sooner. Looking great so far.

  19. alba says:

    dont ya just love these light weight resin units..
    we have a long skinny one at the side of our house for my garden tools . It is so much better than running into the garage all the time.
    Ann/alba

  20. Chicken Crossing says:

    Shed looks great Suzanne! and I really love that sink. It makes it even better that you scored such a great deal on it!

  21. Runningtrails says:

    Ths is a great building!! I know clearing out piles of stuff is a daunting chore. Just do a little each day. Work for 30 mins on it every morning before doing anything else, and it will be done before you know it!

  22. Runningtrails says:

    You got a really good deal on the sink! It’s beautiful!

  23. farmershae says:

    So happy for you getting the shed!! That will be so functional. (Hubby says it would make a good chicken coop – would kinda defeat the purpose of trying to keep the chickens OFF the tools….) It’s all coming together so wonderfully!

  24. anne.smith says:

    I love the windows. Maybe you should reserve the shed to be a playhouse for you. I can see many afternoon tea parties in there. 🙂

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