Kitchen Cabinet Repairs

We moved to northern Virginia four years ago after spending thirteen years on Capitol Hill. We went from an 1890’s building to a brand new condo building. We thought it would be a great escape from things that required constant repairs - especially the water pipes that were constantly leaking and breaking. Well, we were wrong. Don’t think having a new unit eliminates things that require repairs. We had white kitchen cabinets in the Midwest. And they needed constant touch ups. My husband tends to splash a lot of water so it makes the matter even worse. Several of the homeowners were having the same problem so they finally got the builder to come back in to do the touch up work. It would require some in unit fixes, but also the removal of cabinet doors for off sight work. It’s taken at least two plus years to finally get this project scheduled. They were supposed to show up last Monday. We stayed at home all day and no one came. We left at four in the afternoon because we were going bonkers only to be told we missed the workmen. So it was rescheduled for this last Monday. They got our phone number and called us early Monday morning to say they would be here in the afternoon. So that at least gave us the opportunity to do the morning walk. They did arrive in the afternoon and ended up removing seven doors. The kitchen looks miserable and we are discombobulated. It doesn’t take much these days. They are supposed to return next Monday and hopefully it won’t take long to replace everything since most of the items just pop in. The refrigerator door and some of the under cabinets require in home touch ups. We asked how do you avoid this issue from arising again. They said to keep a towel by the sink when washing dishes and wipe things dry when they get wet. And maybe use dawn, vinegar and water to wipe down the refrigerator door so it doesn’t get dry and crack. I don’t think any of this will matter because my husband will continue to splash water all over. It happened in the Midwest, DC, and now here. I just need to make sure we have a touch up pen handy. At least it might look good as new for a couple of days. 

A Lost In Space Week With Old House Repairs

Compared to the Midwest, we live in very tiny spaces. And these tiny spaces are very old - from the 1890's. And as with any house it needs a lot of attention. Last week was one of those lost in space weeks where wall repairs and HVAC issues needed to be addressed. Luckily we were able to schedule two different crews to coordinate the work since the HVAC people don't deal with plaster repair - they just know how to make a mess. Of course, nothing ever goes as planned or stays on schedule. So our usual routine was definitely off kilter and we always get crabby. Hopefully whatever was done will last awhile or with wishfully thinking - permanently? In the Midwest we had a wonderful do it all handyman that was available whenever we needed him. He would even stay in the house and babysit the dog whenever we left town. Here we are somewhat lucky, and at least have a reliable handyman that can pretty much do it all too. But he is so busy because everyone needs him! His phone is ringing non stop and he is getting ready to do a massive kitchen update in Virginina, among all the other projects. I'm just glad he could squeeze us in. He's probably one of the few people we can really trust and feel confident about his work. That's very hard to come by around here. We should know. 

Gorilla Glue - Wonderful!

A lot of things have been breaking lately. Not enough to go out and replace them, but small enough to want to fix them. So for instances like these, we always use gorilla glue. I don't know what it is made out of. All I know is that it works. But be careful how much you put on because it expands to a much bigger space. Sometimes it doesn't matter, but other times it may look pretty bad even though it does the job. We just used it to close the gap on the top tip of my ten plus year old walking shoes so the rain doesn't get in any more and my feet stay dry again. The shed on the patio has a cover piece that the nails wouldn't hold so we zapped the space with a few dabs and are waiting for it to dry. The swiffer stick somehow broke and the glue did the job. And the bathroom tilt out shelf under the sink wouldn't stay put anymore, so it got a dab of the really sticky stuff. All that and we still have half a bottle left! It is amazing how well this stuff works on just about any surface. Wonder what we did before? Probably threw everything away without even thinking about it. No more! 

Permits, Repairs, and Renovations are the Order of the Day

Our building is over 100 years old, as are most buildings on Capitol Hill. Many are a lot older than that.  Most of the land square footage has been taken up in the "old neighborhoods," so there is little new construction. And if anything needs to be repaired, or there is a request for renovation, strict rules and regulations must be followed in this historic area. Just south of us near the National's Stadium, many new buildings have been made to look like Capitol Hill, but it is also filled with high rises that all look the same. It's a peculiar person who cares to live in these vertical and very old structures. So any time we walk around the neighborhood, it is always full of craftsmen and work crews - lot of exterior painting using three story ladders; complete gutting of the interiors and starting all over on the inside only; and very unglamorous jobs to check for underground leaks and such. It hardly matters if it is a residential space or a public, private, or federal office building. Everyone must abide by the specifications. There is something about the architectural design elements on Capitol Hill which distinguishes it from a lot of other places. But it comes at a cost, and sometimes it is very inconvenient - but very pretty.  

The Capitol Dome Encased in Scaffolding

The Washington Monument was covered in scaffolding for many months due to earthquake damage repairs. Now it is the Capitol Building taking a turn to hide itself behind the scaffolding that has been slowly creeping up over the last many weeks. This repair work is required maintenance and restoration - not just for the dome but the exterior building as well. From any angle the work in progress can be seen. I'm sure this is going to last quite a while, as most things do around here. It's taken over a month to repair and paint the columns in front of our condo building. The Washington Monument was lit up at night throughout the process making for an interesting spectacle.  But it was a welcome sight to have it restored and looking normal again. I have a high school friend who gives dome tours. I don't think I'll be going on one any time soon.