Pages

    Wednesday, October 10, 2007

    Can you say gazillion?

    I'm learning painfully that there are a million little things you have to do before accomplishing one of the big things. For instance, if the big thing is to lay down level subfloor, this is the list:

    1. Rip up first layer of sub-floor
    2. Rip up second layer of sub-floor
    3. Cut the sub-floor layers into manageable sizes
    4. Use a razor blade and prybar to pull any remaining tidbits of subfloor off the floor joists
    5. Pull up any nails
    6. Use a sawzall to trim the edges of the subfloor up against the base of the walls
    7. Remove debris that collected in the insulation between floor joists
    8. Buy a ton of 2"x6" boards and screws at Lowe's
    9. Set up a string level across the floor joists
    10. Drop the 2"x6" boards between the joists and nail in
    11. De-jam the jammed nail gun
    12. Check the level of the joists
    13. Measure for and cut the cross-braces (made of 2"x4" boards)
    14. Pound the cross-braces into place and nail in with a nail gun
    15. Mark lines on the walls showing where the joists run on the floor
    16. Place the first layer of sub-floor on top of the joists to see how it fits
    17. Trim the first layer of sub-floor to fit the space
    18. Chalk lines on the sub-floor board to see where the joists run underneath (to make for a sturdy screwing process)
    19. Screw down the first layer of sub-floor (Repeat 16-19 for the four boards of sub-floor)
    20. Seal gaps in the floor with polyurethane insulating foam sealant
    21. Mix and pour self-leveling concrete to level the tricky spots of the floor; let dry 12 hours
    22. Lay out the hardibacker board (cement fiberboard and second layer of sub-floor) to see how it fits
    23. Lay down tarp under area you'll use to trim the backerboard to avoid cancer
    24. Trim the backer board to fit
    25. Screw down the backer board (the kitchen floor took nearly 600 screws total)

    Voila!

    1 comment:

    amelia said...

    I am stressed out just reading this. You two are hard workers!