Friday, January 15, 2016

Covering Up The Skylights

Through out the process of the small reno Miss Scooter is not far behind, sometimes under foot more than she needs to be. My sweet Scooter will be 11 next month and has been through a lot these past couple of years, now the poor thing is almost completely deaf. I know it must be hard on her, equally as hard on me, I'm used to talking to her and her respond in some type of fashion. Now all I get is those beautiful brown eyes starring at me, I often wonder what in the world she's thinking about, she is without a doubt one of the best companions a gal could have.
Once the popcorn
was scrapped off the ceiling covering up the skylights inside was next on the list. A small box frame was built inside the skylight to hold the exterior piece of sheet rock needed to cover up the opening.
This was my attempt of installing pieces of foam inside the sky light to save on energy costs. I was loosing a lot of heating and cooling before I installed the pieces of foam. It certainly wasn't up to an R-30 value they say is needed for our area, but it worked for the short time I needed it for.
The pieces of foam were removed and the proper kind and amount of insulation was installed. bringing my insulation up to the R-30 it's suppose to be, the small opening is now good and tight with no leakage of air coming in.

The next step was to cut the dry wall and screw it to the small box edges that were built inside the frame of the skylight.
The piece of dry wall was cut to fit tight so my dry wall guy could get a clean smooth finish. The exterior part of the skylights will be taken out this Spring. Along with the loss of heating and cooling the skylights were beginning to leak, as the saying goes, "perfect timing for the skylights to come out".
Over the course of a weekend a lot gets accomplished. I'm amazed at how quickly things are progressing. Your next visit you'll see the how good my dry wall guy is when it comes to working his magic on all the trouble spots.
Lynne

5 comments:

Pat said...

Lynne,
Miss Scooter is so~o~o adorable!!!
I'm sure she is a great companion for you, dear friend!!!
Sorry the skylights had to be removed, but know you're making progress!!!
Fondly,
Pat

Lynne (lynnesgiftsfromtheheart) said...

Hi Pat, she is the greatest dog ever. I truly don't miss the skylights, after being covered for 2 years and saving money trumps what little light came through the opening. The smooth ceiling is sooo much better. lol
fondly ~ lynne ~

Liz@ HomeandGardeningWithLiz said...

Lots of work to get drywall to look good! We moved a light fixture and had the ceiling patched. I was worried about it but in the end it all worked out. Looks like you're making great progress. Sorry Miss Scooter is going deaf. I'm a bit hard of hearing so I sympathize. Likely that is why she is underfoot a lot because she feels more comfortable next to you. I only had skylights at a home we built but didn't life there long so I don't know how they worked out over the years. I know some people had issues with leakage. Your project looks to be coming along nicely!

Lynne (lynnesgiftsfromtheheart) said...

Yes Liz, a good dry wall finisher is truly hard to find. This guy has been doing it for years, he's slowed down due to shoulder issues, and pretty selective as to what jobs he takes on. I was lucky a year ago he would hang in until I got all of my ceilings done. I chose a smooth surface which is even more difficult to do, after the popcorn all of these years I wanted a smooth surface not a knock down which a lot of people choose. My Scooter is a blessing that's for sure. After loosing Mr. P I think she's had a few abandonment issues. We still communicate just in a different way. Thanks so much for coming by often to check on my progress. Fondly ~ Lynne ~

Wsprsweetly Of Cottages said...

It's coming along beautifully. I actually had fun watching ours come together..but I was also glad when it was behind us. I couldn't do exactly what I would have liked..but what we were able to get done was wonderful.
Mele' is eleven now and will be 12 this October 30th. So far she is not deaf..but I know she is aging by the way she walks at times..and I think she is losing her eyesight. Since I am in the same boat..we have a lot in common. Since I have soaked her fur in tears so many times..I make sure she wants for nothing. I love her to pieces! I know how you feel about your Scooter. When Frank died..Mele' went through something so sad too. Waiting for him by the back door..looking out the window..I think we cried together over our loss. She was so close to him. Though she was mine (a Christmas gift from Frank and his family and came in a gift bag) Frank was her "person". Now it's me and has been for the past 8 years.
Doing what you are doing kept me busy and interested in life..and it sure does work. :)
Sorry this is so long, Lynne..
Mona