One step at a time

As it comes to Project Downstairs, it feels we have been destroying things forever. Naturally, destroying is an inevitable phase in renovation, but eventually it would be nice to move into the building phase, which has much more positive and energising feel to it.

Now we are finally starting to get pretty close. But along with the little bit of building which has finally started, there is still some more destroying to be done.

But let's start with the building part. During the last few days, Pekka has been tiling the upper part of the downstairs wall. The room used to have a suspended ceiling before, and therefore these surfaces were not tiled. The plan is to paint the tile wall white, and thus the empty area needs to be filled. One half of the room completed, one to go.

Waiting to be seamed

And then, back to destroying. Now when we have an opportunity, we want to add a floor heating. For that, you need to make a space for the cables. As the circular stairs set a maximum limit to the highest possible floor level, we can't just lay the cables on the floor and cover them. Instead, they need to be embedded in the floor instead. So that means 227 m of cable calling for a 227 m long groove to squeeze the cable in.

Floor heating plan

Pekka gave it a very brave try. After spending a day sweating and swearing, we once again came to the conclusion that bigger tools were needed to get the job done. And indeed, the opportunity presented itself when we called in the professionals to break the bunker-based granite monstrocity in pieces. So more than half of it is already done, the rest just waiting for Pekka's updated cable map.

Cable space

And the work on the monster granite underground? Yes, progressing. Apparently, it was so hard a diamond blade was needed to drill the holes for expansive mortar (no wonder Pekka broke a few drill bits earlier). Now, very late in the evening, we can already hear the cracking sounds. Quite exciting.

Work in process

Granite cylinders left behind by the Diamond

Waiting for the magic begin

Not possessing the skills or strenght needed for the above mentioned projects, Minna and Urho made themselves useful elsewhere. Seeing the opportunity to once again organize and get rid of any unnecessary junk we might still have, Minna decided to start working on the endless boxes of stuff  in the garage, study and closets. Our storage system in the bunker will rely heavily on the SmartStore plastic boxes. The goal is that by the time the shelves are ready, the boxes are ready to fly in.

Posing with the plastic boxes

And how was Urho useful in all this? Well, he wasn't. He liked to live dangerously instead by positioning himself right at the door when Minna was carrying the load in. He is, after all, a very nimble little dachshund.