EnviroPlan I: Outer Living Spaces (Dog Room, Front Porch, Garage)

[Guest guest]

Here's my plan for my outer limits, not sure when I will take the time to do this, but it must be done.

KJ

I. OUTER LIVING SPACES - DOG ROOM, FRONT PORCH, GARAGE

1. General.

- Time. Allow plenty to work and rest and eat, but be willing to flex as needed. Be sure to schedule time off work if needed. Add a day at the end to sleep, play, or veg. If possible, coordinate with termite warranty company to inspect while everything is nice and clean and empty. Right now, I estimate that I can do the dog room and front porch in a day and maybe also get set up to do the garage the next day: lay out supplies.

– Day 1--Dog Room and Front Porch. Realistically, I can probably do the dog's room and maybe the front stoop in a day, provided the caulking doesn't reveal any issues. Then, I will need at least two looong days to do the garage, or three shorter ones, with an extra day as a buffer.

– Days 2 thru 4--Garage. Realistically can complete right wall on Day 2 and back and left walls on Days 3 and part of 4.

– Days 4.5 thru 5--Whatever. My time. Plan later.

- Help. Try to find an assistant, but make your plan as though you will be on your own. It's easier to adjust at the last minute if you get unexpected help than the other way around. Tell anyone else that you will be unavailable during this time block.

- Physical. Be realistic about your physical abilities. Put a chair close by your work site so you can sit down as needed.

- Fun. Have some fun. Set up your favorite music to work by.

- Food. Plan for lunch. Either seat aside something the night before, or set your alarm for 11:10 a.m., get the phone number of your favorite pizzaria, put the money in your pocket when you dress that morning, and when the alarm goes off, call and order your favorite pizza. Or whatever.

- Garbage. Put a large garbage can close to you also, and put a larger bag in it than it is designed to hold.

- Respirator. Buy a disposable respirator or find/buy a regular one and ensure it has a new filter in it.

- Goggles. Not optional. You are going to need these whenever working over your head or using pressurized air or water to clean things.

- Pressure Washer. If this will help you get through these tasks more quickly, by all means use one, even if you have to rent it. Make sure if you rent over the weekend that the Sunday is free. If can't afford a pressure washer but have a car washing power nozzle or other appliance to aid in rapidly washing large objects, then use that.

- Power Tools. Prepare or rent any other tools you thing you will use.

- Paint Supplies. If you plan to paint what you have just cleaned, then prepare tools for that. You will need--

– Drop cloths

– Paint brushes, rollers, pads, refills, and brush cleaner/paint thinner

– Extension wand (good ones cost more than cheap ones, but invest if you can).

– Paint (ideally, semigloss or gloss)

– Paint tray

– Ladder

– Caulk gun

– White caulk and clear caulk

2. Dog Room - Do first. This is the main source of walk-in debris. Allow a half a day.

- Dog Beds. Remove dog beds and respray with Dustmite. Can't have too much there. Allow them to sun all day. Flip mid-afternoon.

- Storage Cabinet. Remove and clean contents, clean cabinet, replace contents.

- Dog Bowl Shelf. Clean thoroughly, underneath too.

- Ceiling Fan. Bought a waterproof one, so hose it down. Turn off circuit first JUST in case.

- Air Conditioner. Clean as much as possible. Replace filter.

- Switches and Outlets. Remove, clean covers. Pouf boric acid or RP inside. Add foam insulators, reclose.

- Hidden Spaces. Spray compressed air behind cabinets, and then recaulk the seams. Spray inside wall A/C unit also.

- Floor. Clean rubber baseboards. Mop room. Pour bleach down floor mop drain.

- Spray. Spray everything in the room except the glass with Dustmite mixture.

3. Front Porch.

- Clean and caulk.

- Spray compressed air behind whatever I cannot remove.

- Spray Dustmite everywhere

- Replace front porch light fixture (optional, but it is very dated and in poor condition, so if I can, I will buy the fixture, and then hire someone to install for me).

4. Garage. Realistically, this will take me two full days or three partial days. I'm going to allow a fourth day for the unexpected, or just to chill out and plan my attack on my interior environment.

- Contents.

– Shelf units, open utility, eight

– Storage bins, lots of 'em, open and closed, organized by contents.

– Wardrobe, cedar

– Cabinet, metal door

– Cabinet, laminated, with open and closed storage

– Chest, small, old lingerie style

– Dresser, antique wood

– A small bookcase

– Cart, rolling metal utility, houses recycling bin (bottom) and junk (top).

– Shelf unit, tiny, serves as catchall by door into house.

– Water heater

– Attic entrance, the only one (the horror, the horror…)

- Right Wall. This wall has three utility shelf units, which contain hunting equipment, tools, and miscellaneous "stuff," some tall items in a trash can in the corner, and a metal door cabinet.

– Prepare the dolly, step ladder, trash cans, tools as listed here.

– Empty a cabinet at a time, starting with door cabinet.

– Bag fabric items for dry cleaning or soaking/washing

– Identify heat treatment items and get that going with hair dryer in tub.

– Run small items in dishwasher, wash tiny ones in a bucket in the sink

– Empty next cabinet as above.

– Move all lightweight cabinets to driveway

– Pressure wash all cabinets or spray down w hose.

– Vacuum cobwebs and obvious funk off the wall.

– Do same with baseboards.

– Swiffer wall unless you have baseboards, in which case leave it.

– Haul out container with tall large skinny items

– Take backpacks et al out of corner.

– Organize clean items into empty tubs.

- Back Wall. This wall has two utility shelf units, a cedar wardrobe, a footlocker, a lingerie chest, a water heater, and a small shelf unit by the door into the house. Follow same steps as above, plus clean out cedar wardrobe, laminated cabinet, and lingerie chest and move (or get someone bigger to move) all to the driveway.

- Left Wall. This wall houses the bicycles (on wall hooks), the attic steps, two of the large shelf units, and a smaller trash can with vertical storage for gardening tools.