finish my barn

I’ve hired two college students who are working for us for a week or so while on break. They’ve power washed the stalls and put yet another coat of paint on the bottom foot or so to eliminate the rust. This is obviously going to have to be done one a year at least, may two or three times. Still, it’s cheaper than having to replace the walls. I also found a place where the bottom metal edge is bent and sticking out. I need to pound it back into place before I let the girls back into their stalls.

Amazing how time consuming these repairs are even hiring someone to do it with minimal supervision. That and buying the supplies can eat up an entire afternoon.

Mr. Harmless installed four more hooks, which pretty much used up almost all of the rest of the wall space. I might be able to put some racks under the cabinets or between the workbench and the counter, but that might be overkill. I need to rearrange the tack to take advantage of the extra storage, but I’m really pleased at how my tack room turned out.

Unfortunately, one of the stall lights appears to be broken and will have to be replaced. Since I also need the phone hooked up in the barn, I guess I’ll have to call the electrician.

Plus, once the rain let’s up long enough, I need to have a painter out to do the roof. It’s high and a bit dangerous, so I’ll need to make sure they have adequate insurance too.

Finally, the back hose bib needs to be hooked up and the misters plumbed with PVC. Garden hoses have been working fine so far, so I may forego that last thing.

Mr. Harmless has hung up a coat hook plus four U bolts in the stalls for horse treats. I just need to get the stalls pressure washed and they can go up.

I’ve also purchased four more hooks for the new shelf and another coat hook for the inside of the door. Mr. Harmless is going to help me hang those up and replace a couple of the light bulbs tomorrow.

Just that and getting another coat of paint on the roof and we’re done. And maybe getting the back hose bib hooked up and PVC for the misters. Then again, it’s just too easy to keep adding projects and never ever completing this goal!

The guys built and installed the four final feet of tack room shelf. It looks lopsided and screwed to the fragile plywood instead of the metal studs. Also, they used the wrong finish on it even though I laboriously told them not too.

I’ve had it. That was the last job they’ll be doing for us for awhile, maybe ever. Perhaps the not calling, not showing up, and talking right over me is their way of quitting without actually saying it?

The baby scratches her face on something and now has a very shallow thin cut. The only thing that might have cut her might be one of the gates. Guess replacing those just became a top priority.

The ceiling fan works, but now the two front exterior lights aren’t. Plus, one of the side lights is blinking randomly. One of the rear lights is out as well.

Time to call an electrician? Maybe some new bulbs first?

I bought a coat hook for the front of the tack room door, but haven’t installed it yet. Hopefully the screws will work on that door. I think it’s made of fiberglass, or something. I’m still looking for a mirror for the back of the door.

Maybe a helmet rack and boot hanger brackets would be more useful?

The mister are hooked up and two of the four are working. The water pressure is fine, so the mist heads must be clogged or turned to off. Guess I’ll be climbing up there to see tomorrow.

I need a week off, so the guys are going to build 4 more feet of tack room shelf, plus an AC cover for the house, and come back the first Monday in August.

1. Paint rusted metal with rustoleum paint – Has three coats. I’m calling that – Done
2. Fix fan light in tack room – Done
3. Wire barn telephone line to the main phone line box. – Hire Phone Pro
4. Hook Up Stall Misters with Hose – Everything is hooked up and the water flow is good. The mister heads may need to be cleaned, as only two stalls are getting misted.
5. Buy Paint and Repaint worn wood on exterior barn walls
6. Hose off and add a fresh coat of polyurethane on stall fronts
7. Buy Clear Colored from Feed StorePaint exposed wood with anticrib
8. Buy and mount a mirror to the back of the tack room door and add a coat hook to the front. – Couldn’t find a mirror I liked, so I just went with coat hooks on both sides. – Done
9. Buy and mount stall plates – Order Online with Oak Mounting Plaques
10. Hire Painter to repaint tack room door, roof and cupola
11. Chip out concrete around hose and mister connection copper piper in rear of the barn.
12. Hire a plumber to hook up he rear hose bib
13. Install Gladiator track and hooks in the wash rack – Done
14. Fix the back gate
15. Add another 4’ more of shelf in the tack room – Done
16. Replace the broken gates in the paddocks

The guys sanded and painted the stall walls yesterday. They were supposed to come and finish up today, but sent a message at the last minute to cancel. (The son got a video gig today, so too bad for me apparently.) Guess the horses aren’t going back in their stalls yet.

I think I’ll give them next week off. Maybe we all need a break.