Hardin Home: Home Improvement Projects at a Country Home in Verona, WI
Home Improvement Projects at a Country Home in Verona, WI
This past Thursday, plumbers worked all day in the lake house (they finished after 11pm) to replace the old pressure tank, water softener, and water heater. Now that this is done, the entire HVAC and plumbing system at the lake house has been fully modernized and all of the original 1974 appliances are gone. It … Continue reading Lake House Plumbing Overhaul
This week, Deano Docks came and put the dock in the water. Unfortunately, the boat lift cannot go in yet because the water levels are still so high. All of the April snow in northern Wisconsin has meant that we have extremely high water on the Wisconsin River (and thus Lake Wisconsin). Thankfully we have … Continue reading Dock is In!
The last plumbing task at the lake house was to get the water softener running again, and to fill it with salt. I was able to do this, although there are still some minor drainage issues to resolve for when the softener regenerates itself at night. Regardless of that, all of the minor issues with … Continue reading Lake House Water Softener
Back in January, I bought a chandelier on Royal Street in New Orleans. It was a late nineteenth century wrought iron piece that was perfect for the entryway of the lake house. It took me awhile to finally hang it, which I did this weekend. Because the ceiling in the entryway is angled and covered … Continue reading Lake House Chandelier Installed
I now have hot water again at both the main house and the lake house. As I posted a couple of days ago, the water heater at the main house developed a leak and had to be replaced. Since it was an LP water heater and was also under warranty, I called in the pros … Continue reading Dual Water Heater Fixes
The lake house didn’t have a mailbox, or any other way of receiving mail, so I installed one. The only challenge here was digging the hole, since the ground was still partially frozen here in Wisconsin. I used a gas-powered auger, plus warm water to melt the frozen ground. Once the hole was dug, I … Continue reading Lake House Mailbox
One significant upgrade that I wanted to make to the lake house this spring was to replace the old door, which was a plain white door. I chose a door that fit the mid century modern design of the house, and had glass that matched the tile pattern of the lake house’s entryway. The door … Continue reading Lake House Door Installed
Usually I try to keep posts on this blog fairly short, but this will be a longer one that covers an intense week of construction. When I first bought the lake house, one of the things I wanted to improve quickly was its ability to serve as a year-round house in Wisconsin. While it technically … Continue reading Lake House HVAC
One smaller project that I am planning on for this spring at the lake house is replacing the front door, which is currently a fairly boring white slab behind the wrought iron storm door. The door I picked out is a pseudo mid century modern style door, that fits the vibe of the lake house … Continue reading New Lake House Door
Prior to RA Heating and Air Conditioning installing central heat and air in the lake house, I had to rip out a small downstairs bathroom in order to add space in the utility room to accommodate the new furnace and other appliances. Here is what the bathroom looked like before being demolished: The first step … Continue reading Lake House Bathroom Demolition
