I guess getting quotes had at least one positive effect — they provided some motivation.
Once you reduce a particular task to dollar signs, it helps you realize how much something is worth — or not worth — to you. So, when the quote reduced the cost of staining woodwork in my closet to $200, I started to think — I can do that! So, yesterday, I stained my closet. Today I put on the first coat of shellac.
It's a little nerve wracking to do shellacking of the window today because the overcast skies look ready to burst, but I waited all morning for rain and it didn't come. So, finally I just decided to go for it about an hour ago. Hopefully the weather spirits will be with me.
We are hiring
John MacNab again to come out and re-plaster the stairway and upper hallway area. The walls look awful. Over the years, there have been lots of cracks and sloppy patches and the new patches don't match the old texture. So, we're hiring him to come in and smooth it all out, nice and uniform.
We are also going to hire someone to paint the stairwell area and upper hallway. Jeff and I cannot get to the ceilings in the stairway, and it wouldn't even be safe for me to try. So, we'll just lump it and pay someone.
We're also hiring out the floor refinishing, but that was always the plan. Now I've got the quotes in-hand and can make a decision.
The only decision left is whether we'll stain the stairwell. It would cost us more than $1300 not to; I'm thinking we'll be staining . . . We'll probably stain after the plaster is finished and then we'll have the painters come in and do their bit, then the floor refinishing.
If we don't take another extended vacation, we should be done on time.