Featured in White Rock

 

I do not normally commute as far as White Rock, but the designer was an acquaintance from years ago, and I have done other work for her in the last year or two, so I consented. Actually, it is only a 50 minute commute, so it is not a hardship. The house was grand, in a distinctive neighbourhood. The beautiful homes were all on 1/4 acre lots and the streets were broad and lined with mature trees. This house was being gutted and renewed, from top to bottom.

 

We did two feature walls, this one in the daughter's bedroom, and the headboard wall in the master suite. This was a colourful paper in a freshly painted pink room, oozing with little girl charm and playfulness.

 

Both papers were non-pasted, the kind that we had to apply paste to the back of the paper. With no plumbing in the house, and us needing a lot of water, we resorted to the hose in the back yard for rinsing.

 

This old style European look pattern had an interesting texture that looked like fabric embossing. It was cantankerous to work with and as long as one stayed at least 4 or 5 feet away, the seams were a bit obvious.

 

The Oriental customer did a very close inspection, asked a lot of questions, and finally gave approval and payment. I thought she was not happy with the job because of some of her comments, but when she handed over the money, she asked for my business card because she had a good friend who was looking for someone to hang paper in her newly renovated home. I suppose that is an indication that she actually was happy with the job.

Good Fences Make Good Neighbors

 

The people who built, owned, and lived in our house, for the first ten years of its life, made an agreement with the neighbours to build a fence. It was right on the property line. Then the neighbor planted a cedar hedge on his side of the fence. A few years after we moved in, the fence was rotted and came down. After the cedar hedge filled in, it made a higher and nicer fence. We planted a boxwood hedge to fill in the open gaps at the bottom of the cedar hedge and it was like that until a few weeks go.

We have new neighbours and they have their own ideas. One day he started hacking down the cedar hedge. After he had done substantial damage, he stopped when he realised the hedge might not be his. He discovered it was and soon the cedars were down and gone. That left a little boxwood hedge for privacy.

About a month later, this fence went up. It is right on the property line and in the process of lining it up, he dug up and moved our boxwoods six inches further onto our property to make room for his fence. He told me I could do what I wanted with my side of the fence.

So, I did. I stained it with some pricey Benjamin Moore stain on Saturday and it looks great. The new richness of the wood is preserved as opposed to letting it weather before it is preserved, which is something he will probably do because he is a young dad who is busy.

 

 

The fence is too low for my liking, but it is a solid barrier. Our garden is now surrounded by fence and I suppose the critters will no longer use it as a thoroughfare.

 

The photos are all the same fence, but the stain shows more red in the shade, and yellow/gold in the sunshine. It feels great to get that done before the wet winter takes over. It then would have waited until spring and the fence would have lost its newness by then.

My Bump Got Bumped

      In March of this year, I noticed a bulge on my lower abdomen and suspected I had a hernia. It did not surprise me because I had been coughing for three months since I picked up that terrible virus that was going around last Christmas. (Indeed, my doctor told me this was not uncommon.)

 

     I made an appointment to see my GP and it was about three weeks until he would see me. He confirmed that I indeed had "a good one" and made an appointment for me to see a surgeon.

 

      Three months later, I finally got to have an interview with the surgeon and because I convinced him I was symptomatic, he put me on a rush list, scheduling me for surgery in Sept. instead of December, which is what I was told it would probably be. Symptomatic meant that I had discomfort walking long distances and my digestion was not right.

 

      Today was the big day. I had a surgery time, I was on my pre-op fast, and I was ready to get this thing done. At 10:00 am the phone rings and the hospital tells me that there had been an emergency surgery required and all of the good doctor's operating room time had been used up on this emergency plus one other hernia operation.

They would call later in the day if there was a chance I could still get in. So, my fast continued and I drank no liquids, until around 3:30 pm when they called and said I would be re-scheduled for a later date.

 

      A few calls later and now I am on for Sept 30th. I am disappointed but not upset, and this really surprised the surgeon's secretary who was prepared for a blast, something she almost always gets when this happens.

 

       Life happens and if I was the one needing emergency surgery, I would have appreciated someone giving up their spot for me. I know one has no choice in the matter, but maybe that is why I am OK with it. It is really out of my control, unless I go to a private clinic. But with only 3 more weeks to go, I think I will wait it out again.   

        

Chines Paper, Dutch Tiles

 

After 5 weeks, the online order from China finally arrived and I was able to schedule this job. It was a new house, only lived in for two weeks, the address so new it was not on Google maps.

It went up quickly enough, but the seams were lacking accuracy and I could only do my best. From 10' or more away, it was great, but up close, it was not quite perfect. However, the customer was a perfectionist. She told me she expected that such expensive paper should be better quality. Then she told me how much she paid and I almost laughed. I rarely hear of such cheap paper these days, but I do know that you get what you pay for. I gave her a brief education of types and qualities of paper and assured her that for that price, it was above average.

 

The end result was a very pretty head board wall for their master suite. Then she asked if I had experience with tile. She showed me their souvenirs from their cruises, laid out a grid pattern, and then just sort of assumed I was going to do it. So, I did it. It actually turned out quite well but I don't think there is a future in doing this type of work, so it was simply a freebie.

 

Centering and leveling all the tile was a challenge because gravity was working against me until the adhesive would get tacky. Holland America Lines would be proud to see their tiles arrayed in such a nice home and in such a unique way.

A Repeat Pattern

 

A desperate builder and  panicky interior designer resulted in a 'quickie' last week. Less than 24 hours after a phone text, I was on the job installing this Home Depot special. When I arrived, the designer was sweeping the floor and clearing an area for me to work in. I have worked with this pattern many times before so it went quite well. It was accurate and quick work. I got it installed just before the granite vanity top arrived. Both the builder and the designer are quite pleased with the prompt service and have promised me more work in the future.

38 Years Later

 

Shirley called and asked if I could strip some old paper and hang some new paper for her in her main bathroom. I made an agreement on the phone and asked where she lived. When she told me, I had a moment of clarity and realised that I might know this house. I asked how old her house was. 38 years. I asked if there was a problem with power when it was constructed. Yes there was. I had remembered that the paper actually froze onto the wall in the total absence of heat during the new construction as there was a BC Hydro strike and it was in the dead of winter. Then I asked if they had a heat pump. I had remembered, that at that time, it was new technology, and I was impressed when I heard about it. Yes, they had a heat pump.

 

When I arrived on the job, I found that the paper I had hung 38 years ago was no longer there. They had re-decorated a number of times since. But here I was, in the bathroom, stripping paper that someone else had hung and it was one of the worst jobs I have ever run into.

I stripped the old in a few hours and came back the next morning to hang the new.

 

It was a dramatic change, very stylish, with a modern retro look. I know, that is a contradiction in terms but it is what is 'in' these days. We were one piece short because of the large pattern repeat and horrendous waste. She ran to the paint store, where they had more in stock, while I put some things back together.

 

I highly doubt I will be going back 38 years from now to strip this one.

Heads Up!

 

A while back, we hung this mural on one wall in the dining room of an upscale home in a wonderful neighbourhood. Last week the lady of the house asked me to come back and put up more "Oriental heads" as she called them. There was one stipulation. That area to the left of the patio window had to have three heads, complete, from top to bottom. I informed her that that may or may not be possible. The pattern had to continue around the inside corner and it would either work or it wouldn't. After much explaining, she was not 'getting it', until I started to measure where the heads would come if kept up the sequence of the pattern. She suddenly had a light bulb moment and realised that it was not as simple as she thought it might be.

Both of us must have got out of bed on the right side that morning (not the same bed) because the pattern was only 4 inches off from being in perfect alignment for her wishes. The 4 inches I fudged here and there and this was the final result. She was not home to see the end result, but I know I will hear from her. It is perfect.

Whew!

More Than I Bargained For

 

I took on a job when my partner was not available, thinking I could well handle it myself. The work seemed straightforward enough and I gave my price. After accepting the price, the customer then sent me the colour selections. It was only painting and I thought I would whip through it in no time at all. However, the colours were inherently difficult to work with. There were four of them, mixed and matched throughout the 4 bedrooms. The navy blue feature wall colour was almost black and left zero room for error on all edges. This takes extreme care and more than few tricks of the trade and some very expensive 'paint blocking tape'.

 

The result was very dramatic and 'cut-ins' were flawless.

 

But, the other three colours were extremely transparent. Light yellows, light pinks, and light mauves are the worst and it is these three that I struggled with. Since switching to Benjamin Moore Aura paints a few years back, I have only one time had a pink that required multiple coats. 99% of the time, trimming once and rolling twice is the order of the day. Here, I was trimming three times and rolling as many as four times. Needless to say, more time and more paint equals a higher price.  I have tried, over the years, to never go over a quote.

 

I put in some very long days, and was able to because the whole family was out of town on a vacation. It was during the hottest days which did not help. When all was said and done, I stuck to the original price and swallowed the extra costs.

I guess that I am nearing the end of my career and I would like to go out on a good note.

Uncomplicated

 

The couple who own this townhouse are very careful with their money and as a result, have difficulty making up their mind. Their home is elegant and minimalist, so this pattern was suitable for them, dressing up a few walls without making too bold of a statement. It started with this small wall in the front entry. They loved it so much they went out and got some more and I continued on to the powder room just to the left of the first photo.

 

They had never had wallpaper before and were very pleased by the decorative effect that it can have. "We will call you back because we think one wall in the Master Bedroom would look good with wallpaper too."

 

 

 

 

Two weeks later I get a call and they tell me they are ready to take the plunge. Much to my surprise, I see that the same paper has been purchased. Actually, it goes really well in all three areas and I guess you could say that it carries a theme throughout the house. They were impressed how I was able to line up the geometric design perfectly to the ceiling, the walls, and the baseboards. I took the credit, but actually, it was one of those rare homes where the framing was plumb and square from top to bottom. I just had to start right and the rest fell into place.

This is a very inexpensive product from Home Depot but is tops in my books as far as appearance and workability are concerned.

 

The bonus for me on this job was the fact that the lady of the house teaches photography in a High School so we had a lot to talk about. She also showed me her interesting collection of antique cameras as well as his collection of rare memorabilia concerning the  Saskatchewan Roughrider football club.

Vacation Stroll

 

We like to go for a walk, early morning or early evening, once a day, when we are spending time at our vacation spot on Osoyoos Lake. Our favourite route is north to the spit of land we can see from our balcony. It is a quiet country lane with vacation homes, beaches, docks, lovely trees and friendly people.

Above, busylizzy is standing so that our cabin is directly behind her head. Our walk extends further north, almost to the border and then back home along the orchard roads that parallel the highway. It is about 4 kilometers, much more when it is hot.

 

This is one of our favourite spots on the walk. The cabin is immaculate, though it is easy to see it has been there for many, many years. Everything is freshly painted, the yard and flower beds are manicured, and the nice little touches are the tiny lights in the trees at dusk, along with a candle holder chandelier hanging in the tree above the picnic table. The view, behind the camera, is full on lake, beach, and desert mountains. We cannot help but stop, and soak it in, every time we walk past.

No Credit, No Blame

 

This is the second home hair dressing business I have been called to this year. This was a beautiful set-up, clean and efficient. The retro wallpaper was pre-pasted, and, typical of pre-pasted, it presented challenges.

 

When I was done, the owner seemed quite pleased and asked if I would not want to leave my business cards on her counter and tap into the many people who come here and would see the 'great job' I did. I declined and she was bewildered. I told her that although she cold not see the inferior quality of the paper, there would be those who would and they would say "Who hung your paper?" The seams were not lying down flush, no matter what I did as well as the edge of paper not having enough colour to hide the seam. Even a coloured water soluble pen did not help.

This is one I will not get residual business from, nor will my reputation be ruined by it. Just don't get too close, keep the lights low, and it will be just fine.

On Being Fickle

 

It is extremely rare for me to strip the paper I hang due to a change of mind on the part of the customer. This was a strange case.

The first job we did for Walnut Ridge townhouses was two show homes, where we papered a feature wall in the master bedroom and a main floor powder room. here

 

Then I get a call from the builder saying that one of the show homes was sold but the buyer did not like the wallpaper so the builder hired someone to strip it. Then, the customer, seeing the plain walls, wanted the paper back on the wall, at least in the power room.

 

We went back last week and re-installed the paper. It was easy because our old markings and plumb lines were still visible. The temperature in the vacant suite was intolerable but with plenty of spray bottles and cool water, we kept the adhesive workable and did the job in record time. While we were there, another new home owner came to see what we were doing and that little visit resulted in another job.

Home Construction Project

 

The new back steps project began with a challenge. How do you haul 12' material home in a truck with a 6' box. My Brother-in-law came to the rescue with his load extender which fit snugly onto the hitch on the back of my truck. I was grateful for only one steep uphill grade all the way home.

 

Setting up tools and saw horses in the back yard. The lawn may be toast, literally, but at least there was shade.

 

Old steps down and the first stringer up.

 

Andrew screwing down the second last tread.

 

He doesn't know I took this photo. Hehe.

 

Complete except for painting the rail, some of which we had to replace with new wood.

 

New treads all cut, primed and painted.

 

We used treated lumber for the stringers. They will last beyond my lifetime.

Let the winter rains come now because I have one less thing to worry about.

But now for that roof that is twenty years old next year. The cost of the stair project was under $200 in materials. The roof .... well, my first estimate came in and it is $12000.00

White Coat Syndrome

 

I was at the Allergy Doctor's the other day and soon the allergies became a secondary issue. As is routine, my blood pressure was taken and the nurse was alarmed, but not as much as I was when she told me what the reading was. I was somewhat prepared for this as it happens whenever I go to the doctor. Think about it. Why does one go to the doctor if not for the reason of discussing health issues that may or may not be serious at my age. It is natural for even that small amount of anxiety to raise one's blood pressure.

My family doctor does not even test my blood pressure any more because he knows this. Besides he also knows that I test it regularly at home with my state of the art blood pressure monitor.

This was not good enough for the allergy doctor (Doctor of Internal Medicine) so he prescribed a 24 hour monitor to be worn by me right during the hot days of June. Every twenty minutes it squeezed me. At night it was every hour on the hour.

I was more than glad to say good-bye to it the next day, and more than glad to hear that my blood pressure is more or less normal. The nurse was a little reluctant to eat the crow that I tried to serve up.

As for the allergies, well, that will be posted another day.

My Back Steps

 

I live in a house that was built in 1976. These back steps that lead up to my deck were well built and are still fairly sturdy but the time has come to replace them. The bottom of the stringers are rotted and we have propped up the bottom tread a few times. My biggest headache regarding these steps is the maintenance. I know what to do and how to do it, but the paint job on these steps, no matter how meticulous the prep and expensive the paint, does not last more than two years because of the deteriorating condition of the wood. This year with the very hot and dry temperatures, the wood had shrunk and dried to the point where it is checked and cracked beyond repair.

This whole stair case, left alone going forward, may collapse in maybe two to three years.

 

Only two years ago, there was an impeccable paint job on these treads.

 

The stringer split at a knot and once water gets under the tread and into the stringer, it is a matter of time for rot to set in.

 

The top hanger plate has dry rot and one can poke a pencil almost straight through it. Walking up and down, the stairs are 

 beginning to shake a bit

 

But, mostly, they are ugly. It is time for a home repair project. Andrew my son, where are you? I need your help.

Grass, Again

 

The sellers of Grass Cloth highly recommend that the purchasers of this product do not attempt to hang it themselves. And rightly so. It was a vicious learning curve for me, many years ago, but today with my experience and own personal technique, I quite enjoy it and the only problem I ever run into is the obvious discrepancies in the product from one roll to the next.

 

You can even see the difference between panels in the above photo. They are off two rolls of same pattern and batch number. This variation cannot be seen when stretching the paper on the table or floor as the wrinkles and unevenness prevent seeing it accurately. Once it is on the wall, two adjacent panels are stretched and smoothed onto the wall and the variation is very obvious.

 

In this one that we did on Saturday, I pointed it out to the customer and she was perfectly fine with it. There was a large screen TV going on the wall and the transition was going to be right behind the TV.

Perfect.

Thank the Dogs

Estimating over the phone is a risky business, especially when I have consented to drive almost 100 km. one way to do a job. He described the room, together with accurate dimensions and told me how much wallpaper he had. Based on that information, I calculated that there would be enough and that I could finish the job in about 6 hours and it was a 'go'.

Things are not always quite the way a customer describes them on the phone. He and his very pregnant girlfriend (fiancé) had decided a week prior that they would do the job themselves and had hung two pieces starting from behind the door. After having great difficulty, they called me.

I have always disliked fixing other's mistakes. I make enough of my own that I am obliged to fix. In this case, they had a major problem with seams not lying down and not being quite together from top to bottom. Pre-pasted paper can be that way, and most often is. Good news was that the mistakes were behind the door but the bad news is that I do not work from left to right. It is in my DNA to work from right to left. Here I had no choice because there was a pattern that now had to continue from where it was started.

Add to that was the suspicion that there was not going to be enough. I asked him why there was so little paper left on the roll when he had only hung two strips. Apparently the dogs stepped on the paper as it was lying on the carpeted floor and their paws 'n claws had ripped a substantial amount of paper. He had thrown that damaged paper in the garbage. We promptly measured the wall area and determined how much paper was actually on all the remaining rolls. The original amount would have been perfect but now we were going to be short.

There are always options and one of them was that we could fudge the pattern in four inconspicuous areas and thereby not lose paper when matching the pattern. If we did that, there would be just enough. At this point, the customer informed me that they were only renting and that mismatching was fine with them. I do not like putting my name to something like that and told them so. But the alternative was to drive back at a later date, and customer laying out more money that could go for something else for the new baby room, so they insisted I mismatch.

After giving it careful thought, I did just that. When the room was completed, I called the lady in and challenged her to find one of four mismatches. Her initial confidence of being able to do that quickly turned to disbelief as she could not find a single one.