New Firebox for Stainless Steel Grill (December 2013)
Old Firebox
New Firebox
We replaced the firebox in the grill. This is the only part of the grill that had corroded. I called Ducane (now owned by Weber) and they gave me this and some other parts FREE! The hard part was getting the old firebox out. Lot’s of colorful language. However, it ended well. Works great!
New Air Conditioner (December 2013)
We replaced the air conditioner that had been in operation since 2005. It had a leak in the coil. Now there is a brand new dependable A/C unit.
New Hot Water Heater (December 2013)
We just installed a new hot water heater. This one is a 40 gal. tank that replaces the on demand heater that had proved so unreliable. I had to build a platform above the pool equipment table to get it near the plumbing hook ups. I had a contractor build a cabinet for it so it will be protected from the elements (salt air).
Guest Bathroom Redo
New look!
I just repainted the Guest Bathroom cabinets and walls. The cabinet finish was very worn. On a suggestion of a friend, I painted the cabinets a dark gray and the walls a light gray, to go with the existing pink tile that did not get changed. It looks very nice. The toilet paper holder is now a fixture that matches the towel bars.
Acting on another suggestion from the same friend, the huge 4’X 4′ mirror over the sink has been replaced by a decorative mirror from Pier 1. It has a cracked mother-of-pearl border that has grays and pinks in it.
I also re-caulked the countertop and sink. A new faucet is on the way. If it gets here before I leave I will install it and update this post.
After that, some coastal drawer and cabinet pulls that I don’t have time to have shipped this visit, and then some art work on the walls, and we are done!
Repainted cabinets, new mirror, and repainted walls
New Cushion Covers on Screened Porch
The green and white stripe cushions on the wicker furniture on the screened in porch were about shot. They lasted forever, but they were done. We picked out a new Sunbrella fabric called Canvas Tangerine and had an interior designer/upholsterer sew them. This is the result. They really look nice! It upgrades the appearance of the entire porch. We also got new throw cushions.
Guest Bathroom Improvements
I put in a new shower door in the guest bathroom. The old one wouldn’t slide easily and kept coming off the rail. The new one works great, and looks very nice too.
This looked like a bigger job than it was. The big thing is putting in the caulk. However, I found a calking finishing tool in a cabinet and it worked great. I will never caulk again without such a tool.
The drain to this shower/tub was so corroded that you could not even screw in the drain plug. So I replaced that too.
I had to chisel out the old one until it finally started to unscrew. It had a happy ending though, as nothing broke and the new drain screwed in fine. After one instance of leaking, I reseated it and it works perfectly now.
Kitchen Cabinets Refinished
I finished refinishing all the kitchen cabinets. They look new. Now we just need a new counter top and a little realignment of the sink and we’re in business. That is probably not going to take place anytime soon though.
I sanded the cabinets down, put on pre-stain, stain (Golden Oak), and then about three coats of polyurethane.
Sanding was the big task, and even with a sander with a vacuum feature it was very powdery in the house. I was able to do the doors on the porch, but obviously the cabinets themselves had to be done inside. I put drop cloths over everything, but it was still a mess.
Next, I’ll be doing the bathroom cabinets.
New TV and Media Cabinet
We finally replaced the old fashioned 32 inch TV with a flat screen. It is a 46 inch Samsung LED. We also got a new media cabinet to hold the cable box, stereo, cable modem, wireless router, and DVD player.
The TV is mounted on a swivel mount that comes out from the wall and turns. I ran the wires behind the wall so it looks pretty neat.
This really frees up a lot of space that the old TV took up when it was rolled out for watching.
Here is a close up of the new stuff.
New!!! MagicJack Phone
MagicJack Plus
I just installed a MagicJack Plus phone at Mile Marker 23. MagicJacks are internet phone connections that cost $20 to $30 a year. That includes unlimited calls to all US and Canada.
We’ve had a MagicJack (regular model) at home for years. It seems to work fine. I just signed up for a 5 year subscription.
I got the Plus because with it you do not need a computer. It hooks right up to your modem or router.
To use it you just pick up any of the three phones in the house and press talk. When you hear the dial tone, dial the number. You still need to dial 1 for long distance.
If the phone isn’t working, check behind the TV to see if the MagicJack is plugged in to an outlet and that the cable goes from the MagicJack to the wireless router.
Dang! Another Stereo Bites the Dust
Stereo #2: RIP
This is the second stereo that has given up the ghost here at Mile Marker 23. I used to keep the big sliding glass doors on the ocean side open because it is so pleasant here in the winter. My neighbor pointed out that if you do that you get a lot of problems from the salt air that comes in. You can tell that there is a lot of salt in the air from the amount of salt you see on your car or on the glass doors themselves. Besides the stereos, we have had phones and appliances just stop working.
So now I keep the air conditioning on and the doors closed as much as possible. However, some of our renters obviously like the open door program. That’s totally up to them, but I definitely encourage doors closed, air conditioning on. Anyhow, I’ll be buying a new stereo (the type just a little better than a boom box) when I go to town today or tomorrow.
New Knives (YEA!!!)
- Quality knives for the kitchen
The kitchen knives at Mile Marker 23 have been iffy for a long time. At last we are upgrading to some pretty good knives.
We refinanced the place in Alexandria and as a reward got a choice of gifts. We picked these knives. Since our current knives in Alexandria fit that place nicely, the new ones are going to Mile Marker 23.
This “Emeril” set contains: 8″ Chef, 8″ Slicer, 8″ Bread, 7″ Santoku, 7″ Boning, 5″ Santoku, 5″ Utility, 4.5″ Steak, 3,5″ Paring, and Kitchen Shears.
Now we just need to get a sharpening steel and we’re set. FYI, there is a knife sharpener already in place. It is magnetized and is on the side of the refrigerator (it’s blue). The sharpener slides out.
The steps are done
Don't these steps look great?
In this heart-stopping photograph you may be able to discern just how nice the steps to the house now look.
This took a lot longer than I thought it would.
Mile Marker 23 