Ok, this isn’t huge, but I’m proud of it. A few months back in a fit of productivity, I tore down all the ceiling tiles and the framework holding those tiles up in my basement. That, unfortunately, left three gaping holes where duct registers used to be. Until this weekend, I (with help from the GF) kept them closed using a combination of duct tape and paper grocery bags.

This weekend, we went to Home Depot, got some sheet metal and a couple round 6″ registers, and plugged them there holes. Using the sheet metal, I bent custom mounts for the registers, and cut holes in them. Simple computer case screws hold them firmly in place, and now I have complete control over the the basement heating again. Plus they look pretty neat.

That’s all well and good, b/c the furnace crapped the bed on Saturday. Not the entire furnace, mind you, just the piece that lets gas flow. There’s a little electronically controlled nozzle/gate that controls the gas flow so it’s not burning all the time. That gate wasn’t letting any gas through. Dennis from Stratton Mechanical came out early Sunday, and though it wasn’t an easy fix (nor how either of us would have wanted to spend our Sunday), he got it done for me. I highly recommend Stratton. Good guys, they.

Now with the custom registers in place, the ceiling all bare, it’s time to take the next step: prime and paint the ceiling black prior to finishing the walls again. Then I’ll start looking up bar plans and the GF and I will start building the bar! Woot!