Workshop Renovation

November 24, 2002

When we get to the sixth piece of wallboard, we are going to encounter a challenge.  It will impact some of what we will do when installing the fifth piece of wallboard, so we need to go ahead and start planning for it.  As you can see below, we have a PVC pipe in the lower area of the sixth wallboard.

Upon closer inspection, we see that the pipe is not completely contained in the wall, therefore we are going to have to build this area out a bit to accommodate the pipe.  One way to do this is to run a 2 X 6 along the inside of the existing stud.  But if you glance up along that stud, you will see there are wires that will interfere with that plan.  To solve this, the first thing I need to do is relocate the wires along the right side of the stud.  The picture below shows the hole I drilled for this.

Now all I have to do is move the wires.  Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh !  But it is better to do it right than to have to put up with less than perfection ... after all, this is going to be the ultimate workshop !  Stay tuned as this problem is solved !

November 26, 2002

Just like magic, the wire has relocated itself to the other side, paving the way to solve the challenge we encountered.  Actually, this took hours of precision work to achieve, but all you had to do was scroll down and the wires are in their new home. 

Now all I have to do is place a few metal protective covers over the new wire location at the top and we are ready to proceed.  If you look closely, you will notice another wire has been added to the outlet switch on the right, which previously was not connected to anything.  Not sure where I will connect it, but probably to an outlet over to the left of the area you are now viewing.  The 2 X 6 you see at the left of the photo is going to be installed to the left of the switch box above to we can avoid the PVC pipe coming out of the floor.

Here is a close-up of the wires that were moved.  What a professional job !  Still need to move the metal protector pieces over to the new wire location and this portion will be complete !

November 28, 2002

Well, it is Thanksgiving Day, and I am out early to do what I can without waking up the neighbors.  It is a mild 26 degrees outside, so my jean jacket was sufficient to keep me warm during this morning's activities.  Did a little caulking and taped the pipe on the right to keep bugs and snakes from playing in there.  The pipe on the left needs a bit more attention, so scroll down and see the solution.

Adding a connector and a cap seems to do the job.  Also installed the 2 X 6 on the left in preparation for the area that needs to be built out to accommodate the pipe.  Didn't install the 2 X 6 on the right yet, because I still need to caulk there and the caulk gun won't fit.  This will be a messy job for my fingers !

Notice the lines I have drawn down from the stud to the floor.  This will assist in the future when I am looking for the stud location.  Always thinking ahead !  We are nearing the end of this particular challenge, but there are still several other factors to consider.  For one, the tapered wallboard that will end up in the center of the stud to the right of the pipe above will need to be addressed, as it will not come all the way to the 2 X 6 I am inserting.  Will likely put a piece of quarter round trim molding there to make the transition a smooth one.  I also need to cut a board for the floor to go under both 2 X 6's, with a section cut out to allow for the pipe.  Then up with the insulation and we will be ready to move on to the next section.