So, I don't know how handy all of you are around the house, but our motto is, "If we can pay someone to do it, write the check!" No matter how hard we try, something usually manages to go wrong. We've been waiting for this weekend to replace the screen doors on the back of our house. We did this 6 years ago when we bought the house, but we got very cheap doors and they have warped. Our cats also learned to pull the spline out of the track so they could walk through the screen when it was loose. Smart cats...don't bother with just ripping the screen!
We took all of our measurements last night to Home Depot. We looked at doors. My husband found some metal storm doors that he liked. I didn't. To me, the sound of a wooden screen door banging is one of the sounds of summer. We looked around some more and realized that our door openings are 33" wide. The doors are 32" and 36"...33" is a special order. We headed to Lowes, hoping they would have doors to fit. Nope...they didn't even have a door we liked. We went to Home Depot #2 and they didn't have anything either.
At that point, we called it a night and headed to the ice cream shop...we were going to get SOMETHING good out of the night! This morning we got up at 7 and continued the quest. As we were standing in Home Depot #3 (isn't it great that they are just EVERYWHERE???) I said to my husband, "I'd really still like a wooden door. I wonder if we can just take some 1" furring strips and cover the spline so the cats can't get it?" We went to find the wooden screen doors to see if this was a possibility. After 10 minutes we finally asked someone to show us where the doors were. He showed us a BRAND NEW type of screen door that was made for pets...it has a wire mesh on the bottom in addition to the screen to keep pets in, AND the spline is covered. Just what I wanted! Of course, they only have one 32" door. We need 2 - 33" doors. So, we have to go home and measure our doors to see if we can use a 32" door and pack it to make it fit. Home we go.
On our way to Home Depot #4 we decided that now that we had a plan, they probably wouldn't have the doors we need...and we were right. So we headed to Lowes #2 to see if they had something similar. They didn't. So, we went back to Home Depot #1 and don't you know...they had the doors we need. We couldn't have thought of this last night and saved all the aggravation today? They just didn't have the right size boards for the packing and we don't have a table saw, so we can't rip them to what we need. Anyway, we bought the doors and hardware, then stopped at the hardware store to get more of the green paint that all of our outdoor trim is painted. MAB Montgomery Green. Only, the hardware store is now a Benjamin Moore dealer and doesn't carry MAB. We decided on a color match and called it a day.
Now, this is just the buying the supplies part of the project! I dread to think what will happen next week when we try to install the doors! On a much better note, after we got home I sent my DH off with our son to play golf. My son just texted me...DH just got a hole in one!
Oh...the eye candy is a customer quilt. She wanted shamrocks in the plain squares. I'm guessing this is one of those times it would be nice to have a Statler Stitcher! But, they are all done, she loved the quilt and told me it will be hanging in the same quilt show that I'll have one hanging in next weekend.
I hope everyone is enjoying their holiday weekend!
17 comments:
I love the quilting--especially the shamrocks! Did you stencil these or freehand?
Ohh, the shamrock quilting is just perfect! I like this one a lot, because my favorite color is green. :)
What a great piece of eye candy. Your quilting is very nice. And the story about the doors sounds like something that would happen to us. Good luck with the installation!
We are just as handy around here. Very scary when I see DH with tools!
I agree . . when doing a bunch of motifs, I'd love to have a computer on the longarm but for those few times, no way am I going to pay that price!
Quilt is lovely and your shamrocks look fantastic!
Judy L.
Ok - It's one of my favorite daydreaming sites...http://www.woodenscreendoor.com/
Maybe not for purchasing, but for wishing --- it's fun..
Be good,
Melanie
I was rolling on the floor reading your post - every time my ex decided to "fix" something, it usually cost me double to get a pro out to fix his fixes! Oh, and I agree with you about the sounds of a wooden screen door!
Oh my, can we ever relate. That's us too - write the check. When we moved in this house our daughter was 12 days old and we were broke. My husband decided he'd work on our car himself. He'd never worked on a car before. He spent our hard earned savings on tools and a how-to book. He decided to tune up the car. Seven days later he was finally done. It's a good thing it was summer and school was out, and that we could walk to a grocery store. 32 years later he still tries to fix things himself. Now I don't even tell him when something works until after I've scheduled a repair person to come.
Love the Irish quilt - beautiful job!
lovely quilt. loved your screen door story-our Home Depot will cut boards for customers..as long as you buy the board there. You could try calling them to see if that works where you live. Good luck with that project!!!
Ditto....my hubby is good with somethings, but there are some that are just NOT his cup of tea! Congrats on finding what you needed.
Love the quilt! It's been one of my favorite patterns all along!
For once my DH read a blog! Today he cleaned the back deck while I removed wallpaper and built a kitty condo in the garage. He is a history major...I worked for a major power tool company! He would much rather write a check too.
Best of luck with the door...
Siobhan
The shamrock quilt is wonderful, the door shopping trips isn't...LOL..sorry! I think you deserve a blue ribbon for staying sane in the face of all that door stuff...yikes! what an ordeal!
That stormdoor sounds like what we need! My dogs use their paw to rip out the screen and then use it as a doggy door. Argggh!!! Good luck with installation!
I didn't know you had a Statler Stitcher - how nice. I do like the shamrocks - fitting for an Irish Chain quilt.
We are also completely unhandy around the house and pay someone to do all those things for us. I need to have someone come install baseboard and do some painting in the condo but it's going to wait a while.
What a story! We are replacing our storm doors this year. I will miss my wooden ones. Our cat isn't too smart, she has made a hole in the backdoor one and uses it to come in and out of.
We live in a 114 year old house. There isn't a standard measurement or square corner in the place! But, we love it. I'd love to have wooden screen doors, but I know DH would never go for the special order factor. He has become more handy over the years, but there are some things that just aren't his bailiwick. He's a master with a paintbrush. When he's done, just invite the neighbors, because the room will be immaculate when he's done.
Lovely quilt :-) We do not have screen doors in Norway, and I have never seen one other than on film, but I can relate to the story anyway. My DH is a power tool fanatic ;-)
Wow, your screen door story made me tired! I hope you get it put in ok!
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