~~
Friday 8th 36-44F, brightening in the NE. Early sunshine then showers. Short wintry showers and warm sunshine throughout the day.
Up at 6am. Plans for today? I have an admission. I did no washing up [at all] yesterday. The tips of my fingers and thumbs are suffering from painful cracking. Frequent application of a moisturiser is not helping. I may have to find some rubber gloves for washing up. I have very large hands. So finding some suitable gloves will not be as easy as one might suppose. Surgical gloves would be too fragile, I think. My walk was curtailed by horizontal snow and a biting wind.
I have managed to re-box and tidy the under-stair storage. Now lying on the floor of the lounge. The kitchen is now more or less under control. The glass is all boxed and safe. Though the dresser still needs clearing of my wife's china vegetable collection [sic] to a safer place. Only then dare I pull the dresser out to access the vertical boards on the wall.
Forgive me if I ramble on about the potential storage area for my wife's considerable collections: This area opens up possibilities for some serious storage volume. One which is completely invisible from the ground floor and not in any thoroughfare. As such it merits serious consideration.
I am juggling with large boxes of heavy and very fragile glass and china. With nowhere left to put them down. These boxes seriously resent stacking once the glass is unwrapped!! Just moving them about is fraught with danger on an already cluttered floor. If I can get them all onto the TV stage in clear storage tubs. Then I will solve several enormous problems presently plaguing my progress.
The new [storage area] stud wall, above the stairwell, is reforming itself into various options. As I reiterate different ideas at the back of my mind. It could be as simple as two, vertical 2x4s [50x100] to support the TV. The concealment of the storage area could be as simple as another, much larger curtain. I may even have suitable curtains in my wife's collection. [Sic]
Though curtains would not provide shelving for displaying individual items from my wife's collection. With dusting a serious safety and inertial factor! Nor would a curtain provide any sort of safety rail for when I am busy behind the curtain. The thought of dislodging a rare item from a shelf down the open stairwell is another worry. A timber framework could lie inside or outside the curtain.
The vertical, wall studs need not be arranged at 2' nominal centres. There is no reason to do so unless I clad the stud wall with plywood. The spacing of the rafters is much greater than this. Typically 93-95cm spacing. Which catered easily for a lightweight thatch at least until the 1950s. When Eternit, asbestos reinforced, corrugated cement, roofing sheets largely took over.
The rafters would provide a secure anchor points for the tops of the studs. Saving the need for a horizontal purlin at the top. Though a purlin could provide a supporting rail for the curtain[s.] Assuming I went with that option. The exact position of the purlin [or plate] could be under the narrow, horizontal ceiling. Or fixed to the 45° sloping ceiling.
I have used plywood and 2x4s in the past. To make a temporary, working platform to bridge the central stairwell. Lifting a large 55" TV by myself would have been otherwise impossible. [In the absence of sky hooks or space suit thrusters.] The only difficulty here is the 25cm/10" difference in height between the landing and the TV stage. Getting up and down the stairs, with the platform in place, merely adds to the difficulties. A narrow platform helps here.
Now how do I get rid of 200 vinyl LPs? Mostly 70s and 80s rock. A similar number of classical music LPs too. For the first time in my 75 year life I don't own a turntable! There are several boxes packed with old "Practical Mechanics" magazines. I wonder if there is any interest in those?
The morning was spent emptying cupboards and moving them out. The corner cupboard was covered in white powdery mildew. Fortunately there was nothing of interest in any of the drawers. I filled a 100l bag with old carrier bags. Inaccessibility was an issue so it was saved from "storage."
The wall behind the cupboard was black with mould. The boards were then taken down off the wall. The supporting battens were riddled with woodworm. Another trip to the recycling yard. I badly need shopping too.
Wormy cupboards and boards gone for recycling. Kitchen now in chaos. The newly naked wall needs insulation. It's spring, so that will have to wait. Went shopping but forgot the rubber gloves. Came home and tidied the kitchen enough to be functional.
A charity shop worker told me it was sad but vinyl LPs hold little or no interest. Checking online showed very similar answers as to how to dispose of vinyl. 200 LPs are heading for the recycling yard.
~~
No comments:
Post a Comment