Hey, guess what! The garden project is still on hold!
But why, SnowUrchin? Whyyyyy?!
Well, I'm going to tell you... ;)
New countertops were installed in the kitchen last Thursday. As you know, in 2010, it is really unusual to have actual craftsmen show up to do a job instead of the more traditional ex-carny-esque folk that you would never in a million years normally consider allowing access to your home.
Happily, the guys who arrived to do this job (the company owner and another worker) showed up when they said they would and proceeded to install the new countertops in the most efficient, quiet manner I have ever seen.
Teamwork does not begin to describe the spectacle I witnessed. During this hours-long process there was no unnecessary chit chat. There was no dead time. There were no mistakes. It was like watching a collective of Amish Borg work.
Awesome.
After they took off, it was my turn to do some work - I got to pretend like I knew how to do plumbing and connect the new sink and faucets to the outside world.
Why didn't I just hire a plumber to do it since it would have been a small fraction of the total job cost anyway? Because I didn't know how, and I needed to learn. For this project, the short term drawbacks of me climbing the learning curve are absolutely dwarfed by the long term gains. "Plumbing" is a vital, useful skill I would like to pass on to my kid, you see. "Learned Helplessness" is a less useful skill I hope he is lucky enough to avoid acquiring.
Without getting into details, here are things I learned from my very first go:
1) YouTube is your friend. So are your friends. Do searches. Ask questions. Think: Would you rather look stupid while asking questions or look stupid while standing in ankle-deep water?
2) For any beginner's plumbing project you will need anywhere from 2 to 4 trips to Lowe's to get the stuff you need. Yes, you will.
3) The purple PVC primer and the glue is the out-gassiest stuff I have ever run across and should not be used in enclosed spaces under any circumstances... like under a sink, for instance. Opening either can while under the sink is sort of like swabbing the inside of your nostrils with acetone.
4) The assembly drawing on the side of the box the sink strainers come in should be replaced with something more useful like a horoscope or a sports trivia question because the artist simply doesn't care if a noob knows what part is what or where the plumber's putty actually goes and if you have done this before, you don't need the drawing anyway.
5) It matters what direction the compression fittings face. Really, it does! It is sometimes not the way it came with the pipe section. Those lazy, lazy sweatshop children - No attention to detail, I tell you.
6) You know that scene in "The Matrix" where Neo says "Guns. Lots of guns."? The plumbing section at Lowe's is sort of like that, but in complete disarray. Don't be afraid to ask for help - it's what those people in the blue vests are there for. It will help them help you if you have taken photos of your plumbing situation.
7) Once you are done plumbing your whatever you will feel so manly that is will be hard not to light up a cigar, pop open a beer, put on the game, and demand a rare steak be immediately placed in front of you. This might explain the demeanor and price structure of some professional plumbers.
Once the sink was done it was time to pretend I knew how to put in a slate tile backsplash because the walls need covering more than the garden needs completing. It is mostly up and sealed now, but I will post on that next time.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment