Thursday, January 20, 2011

Some Adjustments

It's a bit like the crick I have had in my neck for the last month, not debilitating, just a bit irksome. The tight fit of the refrigerator and dishwasher would have been irksome who knows when and why and for how long in to the future, so it was worth moving all the cabinets just an inch and a quarter to the left. I want to make things right so I am doing it over.



The cabinets came down a lot quicker than they went up. If you didn't see it before, the 1 x 3 strips were what I used to hang the cabinets on. This avoided having to try and hang the cabinets directly into the wall studs which would not have been particularly easy or even possible. The 1 x 3 strips are screwed directly into the wall studs. Then the cabinets were screwed into the strips not having to worry about finding the studs.

I added a bit more of the Fasade thermoplastic back splash panel behind the top of the refrigerator to the end of the wall. Thank goodness for left over scraps. Initially I assumed that would be hidden, but the refrigerator I got was four inches shorter than the bottom of the cabinet. I had already done a second upper course of the thermoplastic panel at that end wanting it to look the same under all the cabinets. That upper course ended about a third of the distance behind the refrigerator. Not good. It needed adjusting.



The ceiling fan in the living room was hung. There were a couple extra red wires I didn't know what to do with. Not good. I consulted with the building contractor and looked in the electrician's handbook and the way I did things was wrong. I have to do it over. This fan is one of four fixtures working off of three way switches, as in it has two wall switches that will control it.

It is kind of ridiculous to have two switches on opposite sides of such a small room for a fixture, I know, but I figured why not. It can't be too difficult. Except someone may have forgotten to mark the correct wires with black tape and things could get ugly.

Now I have this bad feeling about my wiring of the other two I have already done. I'm going to have to check on them. And knowing me I will probably take apart every fixture I have wired and look just to be sure of what is going on in there. I do remember several that were not basic single end of wire hook ups.

I only have a mild case of OCD.



Crawford spotted it first. I followed his gaze and saw a bobcat walking slowly across the snow covered hill just sixty feet from the house at dusk. Stupidly I went to get the camera and it was gone.

They don't bark. They might hiss and growl a little and run for cover, but the kitties are pretty good sentries. They see things way before I ever would. If only I could just train them to do some chores.

7 comments:

Randy Emmitt said...

Christopher,

I hate wiring 3 way switches, never get it right. The ceiling fan should have 4 wire, bare= ground, white= neutral, black=light and red= fan.

Are you going to hide where the wall cabinets are 3/4 inch off the wall? I use a nail to find the studs and then measure 16 inches and check with another nail, mark each nail and transfer stud locations to the cabinets.

Lola said...

Better it be done right now than later. Kitties are good sentries. They do see more than we do.
It must be bad out as I've lost dish TV. I can hear the rain.

Christopher C. NC said...

Randy this fan has a wired remote receiver that sits in the top. It has 3 wires going in and 2 out. The 3 in connect to the fan motor. The 2 out, black and white connect to the house wires. Then the fan has two grounds, one on the ball hanger and one on the bracket that connects to the electric box. Its the 2 house wires with 4 each, black, white, red and ground that connect to the 3 way switches that need adjusting and they don't just go all blacks with blacks and all whites with whites. There's the traveler wire thingy going on.

I'm going to take the electrician handbook down with me and inspect things.

In this galley style kitchen that 3/4 gap behind the cabinets isn't much of an issue. You can't get beside or behind them to notice.

Lola it's snowing here again. And yes I want to get it as right as I can now instead of later after being irritated for some time.

Lisa at Greenbow said...

Smart Kitty. What a wonderful sighting. I know where some of those big cats roam but have never seen them. I would love to.

Cheryl K. said...

The day I saw a bobcat in our backyard I was so thrilled my hands were shaking. Cats didn't help that time - but I always say, if you want something watched, hire a cat.

Lola said...

Neat on seeing the Bobcat. Which cat is it that sounds like a woman screaming? They are supposed to be in the mtns or higher elevations. I heard one 1 time at night. Sounds eerie.
Sorry, can't remember the cat.

Anonymous said...

Love the view across to the storage loft, it is perfect. Of course you wanted the camera. Maybe it will be seen by the kitties again and you will have the camera in hand. The wiring and cabinets are worth doing over or you will obsess about it forever.
Frances