Jim O'Dell
Member
- Messages
- 2,783
- Location
- Between Aledo and Fort Worth, TX
Well, Rennie's renovations are winding down and really looking great. Mine are just starting, and will go a lot slower than his since I don't have any vacation time to use.
A little background: We bought this house a little over 4 years ago. Went from a 1320 sq ft house to one that is 2520, plus a detached building for a shop. You've probably seen my thread on the shop rehab...this one won't be near as long. This house has carpet in every room except the kitchen, the half bath, and the utility room. They have linoleum. Even the 2 full baths have carpet. All the carpet is blue, except this one room off the entry...it's pink. In fact, the walls are pink, the trim is pink and the crown molding is pink. Thus we have always called it the "Pink Room". I thought originally I would get this room to rebuild my HO train setup. I had planned to wall in the double door width opening to the entry, put in some stained glass that was back lit, put a bench under that for the students parents to be able to sit and wait, and reopen the closed in door to the hallway by the other 2 bedrooms, as that is how the house was originally built. It served as a storage room until recently when LOML needed another computer up for her music students. Now the push is on to make it less pink.
I started last weekend with scraping the popcorn ceiling from the Pink Room and the entry. With other activities going on, that was about all the time I had available. This weekend was no exception. So after my shopping yesterday AM in the rain, and finishing up at the rescue dog event my wife was at, I got home in time to make about 8 trips up into the attic to get an electrical box back in the center of the room for a ceiling fan and light. The only light in this room was the one that was in the area that was designated for the closet, until they tore the walls down. Makes for a little alcove that we will put a futon in for parents to be a little more comfortable while the kid's lessons are going on. Can double for a bed when company comes.
I found a wire (10-3 + gnd) coming up out of the wall area that should be for the original ceiling light. It was the right length. No power on it. So I hoped I could find it in the wall by the original door and re-use it and make a 3 way set up in case someday it's made back into a bedroom. I added 2 more wires that go over to the wall by the opening to the foyer to be the other 3-way switch, and for the ceiling fan control. I measured about where I wanted to put the box by the original door, marked it with the box I was going to use. Used a drill to poke a hole and run to the stud so I could be close to it. My markings were right on! I use my drywall saw blade to cut out the sheetrock, and imagine my surprise when the sheetrock falls away and I find this: !!! I couldn't believe it. What I didn't expect to find in the wall was power. There are 3 sets of wire coming into the box in addition to the 1 set I found in the attic. I know one goes to the switch for the closet light, and another probably goes down to the outlet below. But I'm not sure where the power in comes from. There is a linnen closet the same depth as the closet on the other side of the wall, then the bathroom on the other side of it (between the original 2 bedrooms). Seems like an odd way to run the infeed, but it works for me! So I have power for the 3 way light switch. I will have to run power for the ceiling fan from a junction box about 6' from the ceiling fan box I installed. Odd that the electrical box wasn't still up in the attic.
OK, 2 more pictures to show the room, and I'm out of here. The first one is taken from the entry way showing the beautiful wall paper . It also shows the wall I found the hidden electrical box in. And then a better picture of the pinkness of the paint to show that I'm not making this up. It's a little too dark to do justice for the carpet, though.
I did get one coat of mud on the screw holes, some sanding done, and the ceiling wiped down. Now to get on with getting the rest of the mud on and sanded so that I can start the paint and texturing process. Thanks for looking in. Hope this will be entertaining! Jim.
A little background: We bought this house a little over 4 years ago. Went from a 1320 sq ft house to one that is 2520, plus a detached building for a shop. You've probably seen my thread on the shop rehab...this one won't be near as long. This house has carpet in every room except the kitchen, the half bath, and the utility room. They have linoleum. Even the 2 full baths have carpet. All the carpet is blue, except this one room off the entry...it's pink. In fact, the walls are pink, the trim is pink and the crown molding is pink. Thus we have always called it the "Pink Room". I thought originally I would get this room to rebuild my HO train setup. I had planned to wall in the double door width opening to the entry, put in some stained glass that was back lit, put a bench under that for the students parents to be able to sit and wait, and reopen the closed in door to the hallway by the other 2 bedrooms, as that is how the house was originally built. It served as a storage room until recently when LOML needed another computer up for her music students. Now the push is on to make it less pink.
I started last weekend with scraping the popcorn ceiling from the Pink Room and the entry. With other activities going on, that was about all the time I had available. This weekend was no exception. So after my shopping yesterday AM in the rain, and finishing up at the rescue dog event my wife was at, I got home in time to make about 8 trips up into the attic to get an electrical box back in the center of the room for a ceiling fan and light. The only light in this room was the one that was in the area that was designated for the closet, until they tore the walls down. Makes for a little alcove that we will put a futon in for parents to be a little more comfortable while the kid's lessons are going on. Can double for a bed when company comes.
I found a wire (10-3 + gnd) coming up out of the wall area that should be for the original ceiling light. It was the right length. No power on it. So I hoped I could find it in the wall by the original door and re-use it and make a 3 way set up in case someday it's made back into a bedroom. I added 2 more wires that go over to the wall by the opening to the foyer to be the other 3-way switch, and for the ceiling fan control. I measured about where I wanted to put the box by the original door, marked it with the box I was going to use. Used a drill to poke a hole and run to the stud so I could be close to it. My markings were right on! I use my drywall saw blade to cut out the sheetrock, and imagine my surprise when the sheetrock falls away and I find this: !!! I couldn't believe it. What I didn't expect to find in the wall was power. There are 3 sets of wire coming into the box in addition to the 1 set I found in the attic. I know one goes to the switch for the closet light, and another probably goes down to the outlet below. But I'm not sure where the power in comes from. There is a linnen closet the same depth as the closet on the other side of the wall, then the bathroom on the other side of it (between the original 2 bedrooms). Seems like an odd way to run the infeed, but it works for me! So I have power for the 3 way light switch. I will have to run power for the ceiling fan from a junction box about 6' from the ceiling fan box I installed. Odd that the electrical box wasn't still up in the attic.
OK, 2 more pictures to show the room, and I'm out of here. The first one is taken from the entry way showing the beautiful wall paper . It also shows the wall I found the hidden electrical box in. And then a better picture of the pinkness of the paint to show that I'm not making this up. It's a little too dark to do justice for the carpet, though.
I did get one coat of mud on the screw holes, some sanding done, and the ceiling wiped down. Now to get on with getting the rest of the mud on and sanded so that I can start the paint and texturing process. Thanks for looking in. Hope this will be entertaining! Jim.