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Christmas In April - 2001

Volunteers from

Upshot & Accenture (Slice of PIE community)

are needed on April 28, 2001 to help cleanup, paint, and rehab home (R-6): 
3619 W. 139th Place
Robbins, IL 60472

NO SKILLS REQUIRED!

Based on last year's incredible success, everyone will have a lot of fun, make a real difference for a low-income homeowner, and create some wonderful memories.  T-Shirts, lunch, and beverages will be provided.

Quick Reference

Home overview
        Home Schematic
        Tasks - Room by Room

Volunteer Info
        Safety 
        Logistics
        Maps

You may wish to print this page for your reference!

show schematic & pictures of tasks
hide schematic & pictures of tasks  
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Difficulty: Medium Scope: Whole House
Owner Profile
Pleasant 67-year-old woman raising 16-year-old granddaughter who is concerned with the security of her home. She has several adult grandchildren who do not live with her that are eager to help on event day.
Work Needed
  • Repair kitchen drainline
  • Replace countertop
  • Replace exhaust hood for stove
  • Replace exterior locks
  • Install handrails
  • Some painting
  • Small roof leak

 

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Basement & ground floor (rough diagram)



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3619 W. 139th Place, Robbins, IL
Before

After


MOUSE OVER:
  • images for commentary
  • faces reveal names
  • the top half of the Accenture green banner has the names of people missing from that team photo

Work Needed

Volunteers
  Brian Hautzinger provided a digital camera in exchange for promotional consideration. (Had to work.) Scott Schneider - couldn't make it Steve Lauterburg - couldn't make it Sparky Dave - Bathroom. Sparky Sam - Kitchen Four Carpenters who couldn't wait 30 minutes to install kitchen cabinets, left & never came back. Steve - Carpenter Chad - Carpenter Matt Greising - Captain Kitchen Tom Evans - Super Runner Steve Wisniewski - Primo Utility player, Energizer Bunny, Stairs Engineer Kelly Jeide - Tile Goddess, Picasso, and FANtastic cleaner Dan Wilkens - I'll do a great job on the bathroom as long as I'm not the runner. Mike Gombar - Bathroom Czar Andy Swiston - Captain Kitchen Yoonju Kim - Painting Pro, cleaning champ Deanna Jackovich - Painting and Planting Pro, hides behind tall people for pictures Melody Deitz - Painting and Planting Pro Michael Redding - Exterior Excellence & Doorlock Doctor Mike Walsh - House Captain, Upshot Tony Graziani - The Yard Man Carrie Graziani - Outside cleanup Queen Sara Rothkopf - Tile Goddess Amy Lee - Painting Pro, cleaning champ Marina Nadareyshvili - Exterior Excellence & FANtastic cleaner Marty Pavlovic - Stairs Superman, If it holds still I can paint anything Plumber 1 - lots of patience Plumber 2 - lots of patience and a broken leg in an air cast! Holy smokes! Steve Holleran - House Captain, Accenture Dan Close - Upshot - ultimate Living Room Painter Eric Boyd - Upshot - supreme Living Room Painter The Accenture (SP) / Upshot team [Mike Walsh, co-Captain, photographer] - mouse over any face for the name 
Where'd everybody go?

House Front 
 (from North East)

  • Rake yard, take down Christmas Lights
  • Clean & Paint Fountain (below)
  • Repair roof leak at rear (roofing crew scheduled)
  • Plant flowers outside door
  • Trim evergreens
Target: 4
Lead: Mike Redding

Tricky part: 
get fountain clean & dry before spray painting

Fix sagging gutter - BE VERY CAREFUL ON LADDERS!

ON CALL FOR JUST IN TIME PAINTING OF KITCHEN
Will work for Cerveza!

Exterior: Gutters

  • Reinforce sagging gutter over side door, reattach downspout at front of house
  • As time, budget, and materials permit: Replace 28' of gutter on rear west side of house, install downspout.
 
Cleaned up, painted black, and soon marigolds will surround me! I feel so beautiful.

Exterior: Fountain

  • Clean & Paint Fountain
  
Mike Walsh - House Captain, UpshotMike Walsh & Mike Redding doing final cleanup.

Exterior: Side Door
(East)

Entry Door:

  • Replace door knob
  • Install deadbolt

Screen Door:
  • Remove rust & paint lower panel
  • Replace screen door closer hardware

OR

  • Replace screen door
Target: 1
Lead: Steve Holleran

Tricky part: 
get knobs & locks to latch cleanly
get door closer adjusted

Through supreme effort, Mike Redding made a hole for the deadbolt.

Exterior Front Door (shown from inside, with furniture barricade; locking knob was shattered during home burglary.)

  • Replace door knob
  • Install deadbolt

 
[Picture Not Available] The mural/tapestry went bye-bye, the walls glowed with Pearl Essence by Glidden.

Didn't Upshot do a great job painting the Living Room?

Living Room

  • Paint walls & ceiling
  • keep mural tapestry
Target: 5
Lead: Mike Walsh

Mike Walsh &
Upshot team
Steve provides proof that the sink actually works! (Good thing, the plumbers just left)

If we'd thought of it sooner, we would have replaced or repainted the floor vent, but otherwise the kitchen is shiny new.

Kitchen (1 of 3 - sink)

  • Paint walls & ceiling
  • Replace base cabinets
  • new counter tops
  • new sink & faucet
  • new stove exhaust hood
  • remove linoleum floor
  • install Lauan & linoleum floor
  • install smoke detector

 

 Target: 4-5
Lead: Matt Greising & Andy Swiston

Tricky part:
get all of linoleum removed (may require torch)
complete demolition & Lauan installation for cabinet carpenters by 8:00
have sink installed, ready to plumb before plumber finishes with bathroom & laundry tub (1:00) 
try to have walls painted by 1:00
try to have floor tile (field) layed by 2:00
complete floor tile edge tiles by 3:30
Sparky Sam's range hood works! So does the stove! The cabinets even have knobs on them!

Kitchen (2 of 3 - stove)

  • Paint walls & ceiling
  • Replace base cabinets
  • new counter tops
  • new sink & faucet
  • new stove exhaust hood
  • remove linoleum floor
  • install Lauan & linoleum floor
  • install smoke detector

 
A brighter, yet textured to hide light dirt, floor tile simply does not exist!

Kitchen (3 of 3 - floor)

  • Paint walls & ceiling
  • Replace base cabinets
  • new counter tops
  • new sink & faucet
  • new stove exhaust hood
  • remove linoleum floor
  • install Lauan & linoleum floor
  • install smoke detector
Sara chips out old tile, making way for the new.

Earl - he likes Dan! Dan Wilkens - making Earl a happy man! Doesn't that make the stairs just glow? Almost as bright as Dan's pearly whites.

Basement stairs & hallway (shown: Landing, lower stairs)

  • paint walls & ceiling
  • install handrail
  • Apply leveling compound to particle board damage on landing
  • install linoleum tile [WILL REQUIRE TROWEL-ON MASTIC - see half bath]
  • install edge cap to stair treads

[NOTE: cannot work on stairs until downstairs bath & laundry tub completed.]

 

 Target: 3-4
Leads: Scot Schneider & Steve Wisneiwski

Hallway Tricky part:
fill landing damage & allow to dry 2 hours before laying tile

patch, paint ceilings & walls

use mitre for handrail, touch-up stain

Use Armstrong 700 adhesive & notched trowel due to existing adhesive (black stuff)

tile every other stair to allow traffic flow

can't finish until all basement work done

 

Laundry tub Tricky part:
Homeowner complains of slow drainage, may be clogged
Do your best to clear & connect drain before plumber arrives at 12:00
[Picture Not Available] A stair rail to Fannie Mae's hall will make it a safer home. Planned to install this for basement stairs, but Fannie Mae's Bedroom is at the end of the hall upstairs and she needs this more than Earl does downstairs!
Picture not available, but new sink, new Ptrap, drain routed to curb thanks to our patient  plumbers!

Basement Utility Sink

  • Replace trap
Do not get a P-Trap 11/4 to 11/2, get a P-Trap 11/4 to 11/4
Now that's what I call some high impact redecorating! See what a difference taking down those curtains made!

Basement Half Bath (1 of 2)

  • Clean flood damage & prime
  • Paint walls & ceiling
  • replace toilet
  • install vanity cabinet
  • install counter top
  • install sink
  • install lighted medicine chest above vanity
  • install linoleum tile [WILL REQUIRE TROWEL-ON MASTIC - see hallway]

 

 

 Target: 3
Lead: Mike Gombar & Dan Wilkens

Tricky part:
use Kilz 2 to seal mildew marks

need to have floor tile around toilet & under vanity installed, vanity installed & vanity top mounted to be ready for plumber at 12:15 (after laundry tub)

 
No pictures of gorgeous white lighted medicine chest, so here's more of the bathroom.
Earl's sooooooooo happy with his bathroom!

Dan insisted that the seat be down before taking pictures. This is the sort of thing that makes a mother so proud!

Proof that Gumby really DID take Dan's flashlight!

Basement Half Bath (2 of 2)

  • Clean flood damage & prime
  • Paint walls & ceiling
  • replace toilet
  • install vanity cabinet
  • install counter top
  • install sink
  • install lighted medicine chest above vanity
  • install linoleum tile [WILL REQUIRE TROWEL-ON MASTIC - see hallway]
[Picture Not Available] Fannie Mae & Earl got another gallon of Cranberry Zing to put on the last coat.


Very red, isn't it?

If you look close, the upper hinge pin has vanished mysteriously, while the entire lower hinge took a walk.

Upstairs Playroom

  • Paint walls & ceiling, closet interior
  • Replace closet door knob
Target: 3-4
Lead: Marty Pavlovic

Tricky part:
where to put furnishings

ON CALL FOR JUST IN TIME PAINTING OF KITCHEN
No Pictures available - OUT OF SCOPE

Upstairs Bath

  • remove existing linoleum
  • install Lauan subfloor
  • install linoleum tile
  • install trim strip in doorway

 

 Target: 0

Tricky part:
out of  scope glue as best you can
  You think is a narrow breezeway, check out the other side of the house! The breezeway provided our staging area for tools and  materials, and the neighbor's yard provided space to cut plywood.  
  We couldn't have done it without the use of a pickup. Sincere thanks to Bill Smith, Steve Holleran's father-in-law. Tom Evans was this year's Super Runner.  He checked us in, got the Tshirts, petty cash, maps, phone numbers, water, gift basket and raced over to the house to begin his first of many parts runs.  Here he plans his next run, tracks receipts, and does a few deep knee bends.   
  Thumbing a ride while inspecting paint splatters. Or is it blood splatters? Is that blood, or paint?

Or, can I get a ride East?		  
  Who wants pizza? . . . . .I DO! I DO! Connie's may be the best pizza in the world . . . when it's the only food available since 6 hours ago!  
  Andy gives Steve a dope slap for cutting the kitchen sink hole 6 times. [Next time, cut ON the line, not just inside!] Andy watches Steve the 'professional' carpenter begin burning up saw blades.  
  Chad tries in vain to cut a channel thru the stud for Sam (Sparky) to run BX. Chad, a professional tradesperson, helps clog up the kitchen while assisting Sam 'Sparky' the electrician, off camera left.  
  Andy lays Lauan, and the kitchen border awaits it's paint assault. Andy lays Lauan.  
  Andy lays Lauan. Andy lays Lauan.  Andy laid a lot of Lauan, despite his Michael Jackson personae.  
  WAIT! MATT! Don't step in the floor leveling compound! . . . Again? Oh, Matt. Matt steps in leveling compound for the fourth time as Andy stairs in dumbfounded amazement.  
   

By the end of the day, we were pretty much all dog tired, but the house looked great!

Happy, but Dog Tired

    

 

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SAFETY

  • Wear safety glasses!  
  • Be careful with tools!  
  • Keep a clean work site!  
  • Be very careful on ladders & stools - don't over reach, move the ladder!
  • Please refrain from consuming any alcohol while working.  Alcohol and safety do not mix!
  • Minimize sanding - lead paint may be present!

  • IF AN EMERGENCY HAPPENS, CALL 911!  

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Logistics

Date:  April 28th, 2001

Time: 7:00 - 7:30 A.M.

Destination: Olive Harvey college 10001 South Woodlawn Avenue, Chicago, IL


Before leaving your home:

  • Dress comfortably - expect to possibly get paint on anything you wear 
  • If you have any of the following, consider bringing them:
    • screw driver (phillips, flat)
    • putty knife / scaper
    • gloves
    • safety glasses
    • dust mask / respirator
    • step stool or step ladder
    • paint tray / roller / handle
    • utility knife
    • 'church key' bottle opener (for plaster cracks)

When you arrive at Olive-Harvey College:

  • park in the lots nearest Woodlawn Avenue
  • go inside to get coffee & rolls
  • then board an Orange line bus. 

When you arrive at the house (known as R-6):

  • Check your name off the log in sheet, a clipboard located near front or side of yard
  • Take an assignment (post-it note) OFF the tasks board
  • get to work as soon as the task leads arrive
  • If you complete your tasks, check assignment board & see if you can help someone.  (But avoid over crowding any one room.)

Lunch:

  • Will be around 11:30-12:00
  • Will be Connie's Pizza, 2/3 sausage, 1/3 cheese
  • We will take group photos at this time

Expect to wrap up somewhere between 1:30-4:00
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    In this map of the southern portion of Chicago metro area, Olive Harvey College is in the lower right corner.

    In this close-up of the neighborhood around Olive Harvey College, the college appears in the center.