Trim

One of the projects that should have been completed long ago is re-hanging the trim around the windows and doors. It will probably not surprise you to learn that this simple task has been plagued with problems.

When we tore out all of the walls, we also removed a 3/4 inch layer of fiberboard insulation. We added the roll insulation, and hung the drywall without giving it a second thought. That was our first mistake (thank you for not going back through all of the posts and totalling the actual number of mistakes). When replaced, the trim floats 3/4 of an inch off the wall.

We tried to come up with a solution that would maintain the same look throughout the house. We figured we could add a piece of wood behind the trim, but I didn't like the thought of 1 1/2 inch trim on every window.

We quickly dismissed the idea of hanging the trim on the outside of the window frame, due to the fact that the angles and lengths would not match up.

We thought about routing out a channel in the back of the trim, but the original trim is 3/4 inch. We would have to route almost the entire thickness of the board, leaving a very thin piece of trim.

We thought about using an electric planer on the window frames and removing the extra material, but the aged wood started to split in the corners.

We ended up using a chisel and cutting out the corners of the window frame. Once the corners were ready, we used the router to remove the excess material. The only modification we will need to make is on a small piece of inner window trim. Previously, it attached to the window frame, but now it will attach to the edge of the trim.

We still need to final sand and polyurithane the trim, but it is very close to completion. We seem to have quite a few projects that are close to completion. We need to get them finished and off the to-do list.

Checking up during winter

We made a day trip up to check on the cottage today. It is a pretty nice day, but has been very cold the last few days. The lake is still frozen, and there were several ice fishermen out. If the ice is considered safe today, it will not be tomorrow.

The place is fine. The only surprise was that the propane tank vanished. I thought that someone had taken it for their own use. It turns out that the free tank is only free if you fill it at least once a year. We have had the place for almost a year and a half, and we are still using the propane the previous owners purchased. The gas company had come by the place and picked up the tank and kindly refunded the previous owners for the gas.

We have been discussing different options for heating, as neither of us like the propane. I guess this is a sign that we need to make a decision.

I have not updated as often as I would like, so I will catch you up on our progress that we made to this point.


The drywall is finished and painted. We will need to do some touch up painting once we install the baseboards and the ceiling trim.

The flooring is complete in the living room, and both bedrooms. We need to lay the tile in the kitchen and hallway. This will be one of the first projects this spring or early summer when the weather warms up.

We need to install a new source of heat. We are leaning towards baseboards, but have not made a final decision.