Thursday, April 19, 2012

Photos

Last August, I got a new roof. That in itself caused OCD problems: people, at my house, on the roof! In the hot summer sun. No one died. The roof hasn't leaked. At that time, I had a skylight installed. I was (and am) so proud of that skylight. Sometimes I just lie on the floor underneath it feeling happy. It was so scary to me. The workers had to come into the house. The chances for something going wrong seemed high, although they probably weren't actually high. Regardless, the decision scared the heck out of me, but I really really wanted that skylight. It's in my finished attic, and it's totally changed a dark place into a cheerful light-filled one.

But, the company I chose only did the exterior work on the skylight. When they finished, the only sign from the inside was a nail that poked through the ceiling. Apparently I didn't get a photo of that, but here it is not long after that point.

I had some work to do. I did open up the hole, but there I stopped.

Now, my procrastination was not solely due to OCD. Mostly it was due to the attic being a cold place in the winter. But now it's April, and my OCD kicked in. My house is nearly 100 years old, and some of the attic wiring is original. Every time I bang around there with a hammer, I imagine that I'll dislodge something and the whole house will go up in smoke. Doesn't help that the house behind me was destroyed by fire in 2005. It was a candle, but that makes no difference to my brain when it really gets going.

SO, I've been putting off the finishing. But this week I had a day off, and I went for it. You can't tell in the photo above, but you could look up and down into the insulation. And poke yourself on rusty nails. It was really classy. The typical way to finish this project would be to add drywall, but my attic is a weird space. When it was finished, instead of drywall, they used thin sheets of plywood. I'm not even sure that meets code, but it's done. So I needed to match that look, as odd as it may be. Here's a look at the mess I made in the process:

After I got the new wood up, I actually liked the bare wood look.

Unfortunately, the project required a whole lot of caulk and spackle, so it really needed paint. This is a photo after the primer is on; I loved the look of the clouds. You can see the top of one of the four new houses they built after the old one burned down, too.
And finally, the finished product. You can see some of the funkiness, both of the project and the previous attic work, and that right side really needs another coat of paint, or two or three, but overall, I'm happy with it. So happy to make a plan and then follow through with it! That's not my strongest suit. Yay!

9 comments:

  1. Wow, look at you handy woman! I'm truly impressed. I have a hard time putting together furniture that comes with instructions. (I'm not kidding.) Really great job. It looks awesome. I agree, that would be my happy place too.

    Plus, you did not let your OCD get in the way of it. Now, that is something. It's great when we want something, more than we are afraid of something. That has helped me many times. Now look at the reward you get for forcing through the anxiety! That would be a great place to read a book. Sigh. I'm jealous.

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  2. I am so impressed. Really, it looks great. And the fact that you tackled such a project in the first place is impressive.

    I love the look of this. I would lie under it all the time!

    Congratulations for carrying through with your plan, and for the awesome results!

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  3. Good job! To me, this is a symbol of how hard work can really let the light of hope into our lives. :)

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  4. Wow, GOOD WORK! That's so impressive, and gorgeous! I'd be up there all the time if I had a skylight like that in my house. :)

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  5. That is wonderful - it looks totally professional! I hope you get a lot of enjoyment out of your new skylight!
    Adventures in Anxiety Land

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  6. Wow, the fact that you did all that yourself (with or without OCD) is so impressive. It looks amazing.Obviously, the sky's the limit for you(couldn't resist the bad pun). It's amazing what people can accomplish when their motivation outweighs their fears. Congratulations!!

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  7. This is epic awesomeness on so many levels!!!!

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  8. Thanks for all the kind comments!

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  9. Great job on the skylight!! A tangable monument to your ability to 'stick-it' to ocd!! Very proud of you.

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